“Your dad is the man,” Jasmine says. “Wait till I tell Carl. He’ll buy a ticket. So will the rest of his friends.”
After we hear footsteps scrambling down the hall, Tara and Bailey pop their heads in our door. “What’s up?” Tara says from the doorframe.
Bailey pushes her inside and they both plop down on our futon. “What are y’all yelling about?” Bailey asks.
Hannah and Claudia, our next-door neighbors on the elevator side, tumble in also. Hannah jumps up on my bed and Claudia scoots in next to Tara and Bailey.
“Remember how we were telling y’all we thought it was awful that the Alpha Delt staff doesn’t have benefits?” Ellie asks.
The three on the couch nod, but Hannah says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“That’s right,” I say. “You weren’t here that day. Our pledge class wants to make staff benefits our philanthropy project.” I scoot back a little so everyone can see my face while I’m talking. “Ellie’s dad got freakingEli Manningto agree to let us sell tickets for an evening out at City Grocery with him and his wife, Abby.”
“That’s crazy,” Claudia says. “How much are y’all selling them for?”
“At first we thought, like, twenty dollars, but my dad has done tons of research and now he thinks we need to sell them for twenty-five.” Ellie’s about to lose it. Her hands are swinging all over the place. “So we’ll have money for several years to come.”
“How’d your dad do that?” Hannah asks. “Does he know Eli Manning or something?”
“He’s met him before, but they’re both Sigma Nus. And they have a good mutual friend.”
Tara and Bailey, who are both Pi Phis, look at each other. “We should do something like that for our staff,” Bailey says.
“We all should,” Claudia, who is a KD, says. “Abby Manning was a KD here. Maybe she could help us.”
I happen to look up and notice Annie Laurie in the doorway. There’s no telling how long she’s been standing there. She’s not happy like the rest of us; she’s frowning. When everyone sees me looking at her they look, too. “What are y’all talking about?” she snaps. Her voice is icy and accusatory.
Hannah, who is totally oblivious to the backstory, says innocently, “Oh ma God. I’m getting my parents to buy at least ten tickets for a chance at an evening out with Eli and Abby Manning. And if they win, I’m going.” She pulls her legs up underneath her and leans back against the wall.
Claudia leans forward, puts her hands on her knees. “You’re taking me with you, right?”
“Hell, yeah,” Hannah says.
Annie Laurie’s expression morphs from a frown to stone-cold furious. I mean, everyone knows she has bitchy resting face, but now she looks possessed. She’s glaring at Ellie and me. It’s scary. “My mom flat-out told y’all you couldn’t do that. Why did you go against her wishes? She’s the House Corp President. What she says goes.”
A hush descends on our room. Everyone’s eyes are darting around, looking at one another—looking anywhere—but at her. The tension feels as thick as mud.
Leave it to Jasmine to cut through it. She moves in toward her. “Annie Laurie. Let me ask you a question.” Her arms are crossed in her usual audacious way, but her tone is surprisingly nice. “Why would your mother want to block something that could be a big help to people? I don’t know the staff at the Alpha Delt House, but from what I hear they work their asses off.” None of the rest of us says anything. But now, because of Jasmine, we’re all looking right at Annie Laurie.
She crosses her arms in front of her like she’s daring any of us to cross her. “Y’all don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her tone makes her sound just like her mother. Like she’s the smartest person in the room and we’re all imbeciles. “Alpha Delt can’t afford staff benefits. We’re not Walmart.”
“Really?” Jasmine tilts her head to the side. Her tone has sharpened. “You mean to tell me that everyone in Alpha Delt can’t afford to pitch in a littleextra?” She glances over her shoulder at the rest of us. “What does it cost y’all to belong to a sorority, anyway? Four or five thousand a year?”
Ellie tucks her hair behind her ears, then twists it across her shoulder. “At first my dad thought it would cost a lot more, but after researching he says it would only cost each girlfifteen more dollars a monthto give our entire staff health, dental,andlife insurance,plusa retirement fund.”
“Shut up!” Hannah’s bulging eyes make her look like a cartoon character.“That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Ellie says. “Crazy, huh?”
“That’s less than a T-shirt.” Claudia’s leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. “How many of those will we buy in a year?”
“It’s the same as, like, three Starbucks venti lattes a month,” Hannah says with a shrug.
Jasmine bobs her head. “Or twocheapglasses of wine.”
“What if everybody gave…tenmore on top of the fifteen?” Tara asks. “It would give the staff a better paycheck.”
Ellie erupts from the corner of my bed. “Yes! That would be sweet.”
