Get What You Give by Stephanie Perry Moore

stood wearing white in October, feeling like I was betraying Teddi all over again. I was gonna go through with it, but I felt uneasy about it. I wasn’t trying to be standoffish, but I wasn’t frolicking with the other three girls either, waiting for whatever the Betas were going to bring us through.
    There was a girl who was cute and trendy and looked familiar who came over to me and said, “Hi, my name is Evan Harrison.”
    A girl with glasses, who didn’t seem as fashionable yet had to-die-for Indian-type hair, said, “Hi, I’m Quisa Bland.”
    Then a spunky, heavyset girl with dreads said, “I’m Millie Foster.”
    â€œEvan, Quisa, and Millie,” I repeated in the most unexcited voice I could muster. “Nice to meet you all. I’m Hailey Grant.”
    Quisa looked at her watch and said, “I guess we’re gonna start as soon as the other girl gets here.”
    â€œWell, she needs to hurry up,” Millie said. “I’m ready to get this show on the road. Shoot, I’m hungry.”
    â€œAnd my high-maintenance man—I gotta get to him,” Evan said as she looked at her watch, which made me realize I remembered her from the Beta rush with her forceful boyfriend.
    As the three of them talked about their excitement, I listened on. Another girl? I thought. I was so confused until I heard Teddi scream.
    â€œHailey, you’re here! I knew you’d be here. You just had to be! I thought I was never gonna make it. I got lost, and they called me at the last minute and—we’re in.” She came over and gave me a big hug.
    Surely the chapter higher-ups, Sam and Cassidy, hadn’t rethought putting her on line for me. They knew from my sister that I was still gonna pledge. How did this happen? But I didn’t wanna question. Everything was all cool, now that my girl was here. Being real, I knew deep down Teddi was here because I had made a good case for why they needed her.
    â€œHey, you guys, isn’t this exciting?” Teddi said, bringing the room alive. “I wanted to be a Beta for so long. When I got the call this morning, I was ready! I got my money from my grandmother. I had to go to the store and find the right dress. How do I look? Is this cute?” Teddi showed us all she wanted to make a great impression on the soon-to-be big sisters.
    It was obvious Teddi was very excited, but I was nervous. It dawned on me that I had a huge responsibility. The Betas probably valued me so much that they took what I’d said about my friend into consideration and heeded my request. Though being a Beta wasn’t my first choice, I certainly was gonna have to make it a priority. I had big respect for them now. Rationalizing all this, it seemed the Betas were so into me they had granted my request. Maybe Hayden hadn’t let them know I was coming. Obviously, they had dubbed my worth, and I wasn’t gonna let them down.
    I introduced Teddi to Evan, Quisa, and Millie and said to the four of them, “I guess we’re entering into a unique sisterhood. We gotta get to know each other better. We gotta have our own bond.”
    We hugged each other and lined up by height when Cassidy came into the room to get us. None of us knew what to expect. But as we walked down a path lit by burning candles and then sat on a pillow one by one and took the oath to become a Pi, we heard and reflected on the song the Betas sang around us. They vowed to treat us with respect and love and to make their world ours so that collectively we could make the community and our great college a better place.
    I was overcome with emotion. Holding hands with Teddi, I knew we were in for something big. After the ceremony was over, my mother and sister—with tear-filled eyes—came and told me I’d made a decision to serve that would bless me and many in my lifetime. Feeling the love, I was happy I’d made a choice to be a part of this amazing