Keep Your Eyes Peeled

Hello, guys! Writergirl12 here. I forgot to add this A/N because I am new as a writer on Literotica hehe...

Anyways, I hope you like the first of many stories to come by me! I love writing, it is my sanctuary, so writing stories of all genres is a luxury I can afford :D

Please note that this story has been marked under the Nonconsent/Reluctance category, so if you don't find such 'situations' comfortable, do click off. I don't want any reader to feel distressed because of my writing :( This was just an idea I had after reading several different stories on the website. This chapter is actually the start of a series. Chapter 2 will hopefully come soon!

Thank you to everyone who favourited and read this story so far! I promise, I hated writing this chapter, but I had to do it for a much more hopefully interesting series that will turn to an entirely different genre.

Happy reading!

X — X

"We're gonna be late!" My best friend of approximately three months, Jenna, yelled at me in the mirror. "The party must be starting soon!"

I sighed and went on dabbing red gloss on my lips. "Oh, come on. I'm sure we won't miss it."

Besides, sorority sisters liked to party late into the night...

Life at Cypress College didn't turn out the way I had expected. Reading its pamphlets and surfing its website created an image of a college I had always dreamed of attending. A spacious campus. Comfortable dormitories. Qualified teachers. And while all of that may have checked the list when I'd first enrolled in Cypress College a year before, I had to say it was demanding. Very demanding. Especially for a 20-year-old girl who had just joined and didn't want to indulge too much in all the drama going around here.

I was never the social type. I always preferred having a couple of close friends, staying away from people as much as possible, and trying hard to get good grades. I didn't like to hold long conversations with any person I met. Due to my inadequate social abilities, people assumed I was friends with books, but that wasn't true either. I just...existed, purely to find myself.

Hence, I had planned to spend my college life just as I had spent my previous years in educational institutions - avoiding parties as much as possible and being holed up in my room in my own company.

But my mom wasn't having it.

"College is supposed to be fun!" She had insisted when I was packing up. "I know you don't get along with socializing, honey, but don't try to be too much of a...weirdo, okay?"

So long story short, just to fulfill my mother's wishes, I joined the only sorority house on campus.

Let me tell you - I hated doing it. Well first, the entry process was very difficult and tiresome. Since Cypress College housed only one sorority organization, joining it was a major headache. I had to go through a bunch of tests and questions that were so ridiculous, I cringe just by thinking about them. Besides that, I couldn't stand all the preppy, pretentious girls who thought they were queens or something and didn't acknowledge pledges that much. They were obnoxious! But what choice did I have? Like my mother had said - I had to 'mingle' despite my better judgment.

Another thing about me was that I liked following rules. The sorority had a bunch of regulations every sister had to abide by. I didn't mind them much, except for the strictest rule of this godforsaken group - do not date anyone from the fraternity house.

Just like the sorority, there was only one fraternity on the entire campus. Ever since I became a college student, I'd spotted boys of all types from this house; some loud and proud, some quiet and brooding, some shy and sweet. Needless to say, many handsome specimens had crossed my eye, and they all belonged to the frat house.

So it ticked me off a little how the rule didn't just end there. We couldn't date a frat boy, and we had to avoid them as much as possible, which was crazy, considering how we all studied at the same place. But if you were caught even flirting with a boy from that place, you'd be exiled from the sorority sisterhood in a snap.

I didn't know why the sorority had such beef with the fraternity, but things led me to ponder — what if I found my Prince Charming in the fraternity house? I'd have to kiss the sorority goodbye. But deep down, I didn't think I'd mind that much. Why would I give up the boy of my dreams for a bunch of girls who didn't even care about me?

But I still had to tread carefully. The older sorority sisters were ruthless, and even though it had been a year since I joined the house, I was still considered a pledge, which was understandable as I was always struggling with points...

I finished applying my lip gloss and stepped back to give myself a once-over. The main sorority house was having a 'half-year' party, whatever that meant, and every sister had to be there.

For the occasion, I had chosen a light blue top with sheer off-the-shoulder sleeves that showed my pale midriff a bit, coupled with a flowing blue skirt that ended just over my knees. I liked to dress modestly, but my mother advised me to don 'eye-catching' outfits more. As a growing woman, she believed that I needed to mark my place in society, and I could do that by being as beautiful as I could.

No matter how exhausting it was.

I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my long black hair. The one thing I liked about my appearance was my hair. It was waist-length, straight, and shiny. For tonight, I had decided to keep them down.

"Emery? Are you done yet?" Jenna called from the living room, the impatience evident in her voice.

"Yes, yes." I rolled my eyes. "Coming."

I slipped my feet into a pair of low-heeled shoes and stepped outside, adjusting my look. Jenna, who was waiting for me, gave me a nod of approval. "You look great!"

"Thanks! So do you!" I grinned at her.

"Thank you! Sorry for rushing too much, Em.' She sighed. "You know I have to play it safe with Amelia."

Oh yes. Amelia. The biggest snob of the sorority. And its leader.

"I don't blame you," I said, giving her a hug, "Now come on. Let's go."

In raised spirits, we left the apartment we shared with two other sorority sisters. The main house wasn't a long way off from where we lived, which was obvious as this campus space belonged to the sorority only. I guess I couldn't deny the clear privileges.

Jenna drove us there while I lounged in the passenger seat. Truth be told, I was feeling a little nervous. Okay, scratch that - very nervous. It had been a few months since the entire sorority gathered in one place, and just like how it always was, the head girls would be keeping a special focus on the new, and fairly new, sisters.

"We're here!" Jenna sang cheerfully. She had parked right in front of the main sorority house. I could already see some girls outside, smoking their lungs out.

No matter how much I sometimes hated these parties, I couldn't help but admit how beautiful the main house was. Constructed in Victorian style with towering pillars and spacious rooms, I would love to live there someday. But that would mean I would have to be a good sister.

Inside, it was mayhem. Girls were everywhere. Giggling, gossiping, glossing, partying, yelling, drinking, dancing, etc. It was a wreck. A cacophony. Loud music was blaring. The chandelier hanging above was casting a weird shine over the main room. Beside me, Jenna grinned.

"I call dibs on the whiskey!" she yelled as if that was the coolest thing in the world. I shook my head as she rushed off to the drinks. She could get drunk, but I was famished.

Looking around, I saw my target. The food table.

Forgetting to say hi to anyone, I made a beeline for the snacks. My eyes widened at the assortment of goodies laden on the table. The sisters who made these must have worked really hard.

Immediately, I grabbed a chocolate cupcake and took a huge bite. Its delicious flavor flooded my mouth. It was so good! I'm sure I had a food orgasm right there.

"Oh my God. This is amazing!" I exclaimed through a full mouth to no one in particular.

"Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!" said a voice to my right. I turned around to find a beaming brunette.

"You made these?" I asked, pointing at the cupcakes.

"Yes! My friends and I were assigned the task." She sighed and plucked a donut from the table. "I'm Diane, by the way."

"Emery. Nice to meet you." I smiled, shaking her hand. "I really like the presentation. I love to bake, too!"

"That's cool! Did you try doing that for the sorority?"

"Oh, yes! That was basically how I earned my points when I was new."

Before Diane could reply, a sharp call rang out from behind the table.

"Diane, where are you?! We need you in the kitchen!"

"Oops, gotta go!" she declared before disappearing from view. I shrugged and stuffed my face with more food. As per the rules, sorority girls had to keep themselves in shape, and even though I was petite and slim, I still had to take control of my portions.

But I was hungry tonight, so I didn't mind bearing a couple more pounds, not after restricting my calorie intake for more than two months.

So while other girls talked and laughed around me, I gave all my focus to food. I was so busy relieving my starved self that I almost missed the static microphone sound bellowing across the room. Someone was tapping it repeatedly.

"Attention, everyone!" A voice said into it, loud and clear. I turned around and almost, almost rolled my eyes. It was Amelia. With her blonde highlights, fake tan, and pink dress, she looked like a tacky Barbie. It didn't help that she was the star cheerleader of the campus, too.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate my hardworking sisters on successfully arranging this half-yearly party." She smiled, flashing her perfect teeth at the onlookers. "So, how about a round of applause for them?"

At her words, everyone started clapping, and some people gave whoops of joy. I clapped alongside them, thinking of Diane.

"Great work, girls! You made your leader proud!" Amelia declared, wiping away fake tears and making some of her friends laugh. "Anyway, I'm glad everyone managed to attend this party. It's for their own good because the board of heads and I have decided to go through the rules again. They are very important, of course! What sets us, the sorority sisters, apart from other women on campus is our dignified way of carrying ourselves with rules embedded deep within our minds." She grinned again. "So, let's revisit them, shall we?"

With that, she brought out a long paper. The sight of it caused some girls to stifle their groans. I was among them. I already knew the rules by heart, so this was a waste of my precious time.

"Number one," Amelia began in her pitchy voice, "no sister is allowed to throw sorority parties of her own accord. Only the head can throw such parties, but after some discussions or to celebrate a milestone."

"Number two, you must commit to your assigned tasks. Number three, dues must be paid at the right time. Number four..."

On and on she went. I rolled my eyes inconspicuously. I understood why she was doing this, but I was growing impatient by the minute since I'd already made mental notes on these rules.

But all my impatience vanished when Amelia reached the topic of 'hazing.'

"As it has been a part of the sorority since the very beginning," she spoke to a now silent crowd, "it is important for the members to understand that hazing is acceptable. Hazing refers to a lighter form of bullying. It encourages interactions between people to let them have a taste of what scenarios they will most likely face in their professional lives. However, the sorority house understands that hazing is just using words to fire at the sisters and allowing them to think up responses to defend themselves. In this world, women are constantly suppressed, so knowing how they should act in case of a verbal brawl will be very helpful for your future."

As she finished her speech, I let out a whoosh of breath. That didn't sound too bad...granted I knew sometimes words could be harsher than physical actions. But a cousin of mine had once told me that her sorority hazed girls by beating them up and pulling harmful pranks on them. Just the thought of it made me shudder.

"But I would like to warn you," Amelia continued when the buzz among the sisters died down, "Hazing means something entirely different to the fraternity house across the campus."

A loud silence filled the room, so loud that one could easily hear a pin drop. Amelia took advantage of this silence to let the news sink in.

"Yes, girls," she said in a somber voice, eyeing us in turns, "There's a reason why the sorority insists on avoiding members from the fraternity house at all costs. Those boys are ruthless. Their ideas of hazing involve physical actions. Violent physical actions. And they will not hesitate to use an unsuspecting sorority sister to 'teach' their boys a lesson. So it's best to be on your guard, especially tonight, as they are out on a hazing prowl, looking for ways to earn points and satisfy their fraternity needs..."

A pregnant pause followed her words. I realized I had stopped breathing, so I took two lungfuls of air. Truth be told, I was terrified by the concept of hazing. I could never stand up for myself and would easily get bullied in my middle school days, so the idea of getting 'hazed' by boys scared the wits out of me. I was always kind of intimidated by boys (Don't ask why!), and the two ex-boyfriends I had in my previous life were the ones who had approached me first. This was why getting bullied, physically bullied, by a bunch of much stronger men was downright petrifying.

However, one part of my brain refused to take Amelia's depiction of the fraternity as the truth. She could be making up lies about the boys and portraying them as something they were not just so we girls would avoid them as much as we could. It was plausible.

Finally, Amelia ended the speech on a lighter note, and loud applause resounded in the room. I clapped alongside the others - then quickly turned back to food. All this tension and stress made me even hungrier!

As I was helping myself to a croissant, Amelia and two other heads, Rachel and Lisa, happened upon my way.

"Girl, go easy on the food!" Lisa squealed when she saw my plate. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and grinned at the three, my skin already sweating from nervousness. "Hey, guys. That was a good speech, Amelia!"

"Thanks," she replied in a nonchalant tone, her doll-like eyelashes batting like butterfly wings, "I assume you're not following the portions chart?"

"I am!" I answered, too cheerfully for good measure, "I follow it religiously."

"I don't think that's true." She shook her head, surveying me from head to toe.

My heart rate increased in my chest. I was determined to not let her words sting me. I did follow the chart. My body was petite, slim, and perfect as per the standards. Besides, she didn't get to say what I could or could not eat tonight!

"I think she looks fine." Rachel shrugged.

"What's your name?" Amelia asked.

Now that did sting me. I'd been a part of the sorority for a year and had contributed to activities led by Amelia, but even then she didn't know my name?! It was like I didn't matter...

Fighting the sudden lump in my throat, I replied as steadily as I could, "Emery."

"Well, Emery," said Amelia, "you need to take care of your portions. Your body may be thin and curvy now, but if you let yourself loose tonight, you might gain more pounds than expected. Remember, the perfect sorority sister is the one who looks perfect."

"Yes, Amelia," I murmured, hatred swarming inside me like a disease. Why did they get to control my body?!

"And please, wear something decent next time," Amelia continued without missing a beat, "That dress won't work for future events. We need to look like classy girls - not someone who is out for a picnic."

She said that with a little giggle, making Rachel and Lisa laugh.

The lump had turned into a boulder. Blinking back tears, I replied meekly, "Okay."

"Good, now hand us some plates, will you?"

Quietly, I obeyed them, ignoring the intense pain shooting through my heart from all the nonchalant insults she had thrown at me. As soon as they were engaged with their food, I bolted. I was desperate to find a spot for myself, but it was tough, considering how snobby sorority sisters occupied every nook and corner.

Just as I was about to break down in the middle of a busy room, I saw a desolate corner behind a large pillar. It was perfect as it completely concealed me from the rest of the party. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, as thought after thought overtook my brain.

They're idiots, one part of my brain said. Ignore them. They're just total idiots.

Well, they wouldn't be the leaders of this sorority if they were idiots, another part scoffed. Nope. They meant what they said.

But they don't get to take control of my body. No one does! I screamed silently. Maybe except for my mother...

No, Amelia wasn't just being mean. She was being downright harsh. This is how she tested girls' loyalty, by bashing their insecurities.

The mere thought of such a possibility made the tears I was desperately trying to restrain break free. Before I knew it, I had sunk on the floor and was sobbing fretfully.

I hated this party. I hated Amelia and her band of skinny jerks. I hated this life. This sorority. This college. I just wanted to go home and crawl into my comfy bed.

But that wasn't possible. My house was 300 miles away...

Sniffing, I wiped my tears from my cheeks, trying not to wonder what could happen if some random girl discovered me.

I had enough of this party. This stupid group and their ridiculous expectations. I was going back to my apartment, and nobody could say or do anything to change my mind. Not even those oh-so-dangerous fraternity boys. Who knew? Maybe Amelia was lying through her teeth!

With a newfound resolve, I stood up from my lonely spot and rejoined the event, looking for Jenna so I could explain things to her. A bunch of girls was dancing the night away, and as I tried to locate my friend, one girl bumped hard into me, making me almost lose my balance.

"Oops, sorry!" She giggled with her pink lips. For some reason, her cheerful attitude was annoying the heck out of me, but thankfully, I spotted Jenna before I could do something I'd definitely regret later...

She was there, dancing with the other girls, a bottle of whiskey held high in her hand. She didn't look too drunk, but what really hurt me was how she was there the whole time and didn't make an effort to find me, even though she knew I was an introvert and didn't like mingling with people.

A huge lump formed in my throat as I watched my best friend have fun. Why did she look so happy when I was so miserable? It just wasn't fair!

But if she was going to be a jerk, so was I.

I was going to take her car. It wouldn't be too much of a problem for her honestly, since she could just ask her new friends to drive her home.

Feeling more annoyed by the minute, I turned around, brushed past drunk girls, and left the party altogether. No one tried to stop me, and I was totally fine with it this time.

On the porch outside, I exhaled a deep breath. Okay...I'm not going to let some self-centered girls get to me. That's a promise.