Every member of Zeta Kappa Delta is seated in the living room, with the furniture pushed against the walls. Ethel, their housemother, is sitting in a chair in front of them. Mary, Kacey, Veronica, Jennifer, and Juniper are in the back row with Judith, but they, too, are listening to their housemother rant.

"My patience is wearing out with every last one of you, young ladies," she says and shakes her head with disappointment. "There's absolutely no reason for me to look outside and see two of my residents fighting in the rain. Do you have any dignity? You're women, not men or boys! Stop conducting yourselves in the manner in which they do! Hailey?"

"Yes, Ms. Roberts?" A girl in the front row speaks in a soft, childlike voice, and Ethel motions her over with her right hand. The girl pushes to her feet and walks over to her housemother, who pulls her to her left. Her wavy raven hair falls to her shoulders, with the sections framing her small face tucked behind her ears. She's dressed in a long grey shirt and grey flannel pajamas.

"Hailey, as most of you know, is my hall monitor before eight," she informs them.

"More like her glorified rat," Juniper says under her breath, and Jennifer sniggers. She's sitting between her older sister's legs with the back of her head against her chest, facing the crowd and their housemother.

"And not only is it not okay for her to have to inform me of the fights between you all, but it's also shameful that she has to see the sordid affairs happening when your male counterparts sneak into this building." A few among the crowd snicker. "Oh, this is funny? Well, since I'm so comedic, how's about I lock this building down until Thanksgiving?" Suddenly, the majority of the crowd erupt in groans bearing various vocal pitches. "There'll be no Monster Mashes, no Soul Train, absolutely nothing but classes and work; You go to your classes, and you come straight here!"

"Are you serious," someone yells with a shrill voice along with the other murmurs of disagreement. Ethel nods her head and puckers her lip as she scans her sorrowful pupils. Kacey rolls her eyes onto Veronica to her right.

"Is it too late to return our hot pants to the store," she asks Kacey, who exhales a heavy breath.

"But I have to be home before Halloween," another person whines and Ethel shoots her a blank look.

"This is bullshit," Kacey yells over the mob around them, and they fall silent. They all look at her, and Judith can see the color drain from her face when she and their housemother meet each other's gaze.

"Care to explain, Miss. McDaniels," she calmly asks, and after taking a glance around the circle of her peers, she jumps to her feet. Kacey licks her lips and straightens her posture.

"Every year on Halloween, me, La'Shawna, and the rest of our group do charity work in our old neighborhoods, and others like it." She takes a deep breath and folds her trembling arms. "Those kids aren't able to go trick or treating because of how dangerous their area is, so we give them toys, clothes, candy, whatever they want. You can't take this away from them!"

"Aren't you noble," Ethel mocks her with a feigned smile and sympathetic gleam in her dark brown irises. "I'm sure your God will reward you for your charitableness, but the answer is no. You're not leaving this campus, and I'm not taking anything from them; thank yourselves for that instead."

"What did I do?" Kacey drops her arms, and Judith stands beside her. Ethel draws her brows together when she sees her.

"Don't challenge her. She made up her mind," she tells her, and Kacey rolls her eyes before returning to her spot.

"Young lady, what're you doing in here?" Judith looks around at the multiple people staring at her, and she stares at the housemother.

"I came in from the storm since the bus hasn't come," she explains, and Ethel rises from her chair with a low grunt.

Her hips and joints pop as she draws her shoulders back to correct her posture, and after a deep breath, she says, "Ladies, head to your rooms."

They all thrust themselves upward and stroll toward the staircase, groaning and mumbling angrily like a swarm of children, leaving Judith, Ethel, and Hailey alone in the room. The housemother watches her and the pale, dark-haired girl as they ascend the stairs, their gleams tinged with familiarity. She turns her head to Judy once she is out of her sight.

"In my office. Your mother called an hour ago," she says as she steps past her with Hailey in tow. Judith's narrowed eyes dart to the older woman as she wobbles to the door as if she'll fall over at any moment.

"My mom called?" She walks up to Hailey and Ethel just as the woman opens the door. "Did she say what she wanted?"

"Shut the door behind you," she orders, not looking at them. Ethel moans in pain as she lowers onto the leather cushion as Hailey sits in the chair to the left. Judith turns on her heels and thrusts forward with the doorknob in hand, only to face her again when the door clicks. Her irises meet the ivy-green ones of Hailey, who's staring at her, watching her stumble toward the other chair.

"Was she reminding me that my dad is coming to pick me up? If so, I already know because we talked this morning." Judith looks over at Hailey as she picks at the black polish on her short nails, then back to the inattentive woman in front of her sifting through papers.

"I saw Mr. Cambridge in the courtyard this morning," Ethel says dismissively, then glances at Judith's reaction over where the top of her glasses would be if she were wearing any. Judy has her mouth barely open, each breath slowly suffocating her. "Care to explain why he's on our campus, or should I run with my own assumptions?"

"His parents have a lot of money and great lawyers, apparently." She fakes a smile and looks down at the hems of her dolphin shorts as the room falls silent. Ethel's shoulders lift and then drop as she draws a calming breath into her lungs. She stares at the stacks of papers on her desk, and Judith asks, "Is that what she called me for?"

"No, I was checking on you." Hailey looks at Judith out of the corner of her eye and notices how her facial expression changes to reflect the turmoil of emotions upsetting her stomach.

"So, did she call me or not? You're confusing and scaring me right now." They watch Ethel lift the phone to her ear and dial three numbers, resting her right arm on the surface of her desk.

"Hi, Mrs. Jefferson, this is Ethel Rogers calling from The University of Darlington. I have your daughter in my office." When the housemother doesn't speak, Judith's heart races, her fingernails graze the sides of her knees horizontally, and her feet bounce on the floor. "Okay, I'll put her on."

Ethel clears her throat and extends the phone. Judith exhales the trapped breath in her lungs as she leaps forward to accept the phone from her grasp and place it against her ear.

"Hell-Hello," she stammers, her feet still tapping. "Is everything okay? Where's Dad?"

"Honey," Sheryl pauses after her voice cracks. She feels nausea wash over her as she listens to her mother's shaky breaths vibrate against her skin.

"Mom, I'm gonna pass out. What's wrong," she asks, her tone hostile. Sheryl sniffles and Judith freezes in place. "Where's Dad?"

"Honey, Walter is - gone. He passed away when he came home." For a brief moment, Judith narrows her eyes and drags her trembling left hand toward her brow.

"You're lying," she softly says, but it comes out in the form of a question. Sheryl doesn't respond. Judith lightly scratches her eyebrow as her eyes begin to burn. When she feels tears pricking her eyes, she averts her head to the right to keep them from seeing her cry. "Why did he go home? How did he, um - how?"

"He was running around like there was a fire on his back. He said something was pulling him home, so he came here and started cleaning and mending things. He even installed this phone, and you know how he felt about me having one." Sheryl lets out a tired, breathy chuckle, followed by sniffles. Changing the subject,  she says, "I called your sister, and she says she'll send Robbie to pick you up after the storm clears, so, maybe tomorrow morning. Do you have anyone you can share a dorm room with in the meantime?"

"Um, yeah, I," Judith pauses in thought, her mind running wild with thoughts of her father, his voice and his face.

"Okay, good because I'm too tired to drive that distance and back." Sheryl sighs, her tone gradually conveying her feeling of dejection. Judith twists her mouth to the side, inflicting her inner pain on her cheek as she bites herself. "Just – wait for him in a place where he can see you, please. I don't wanna worry him any more than he already is."

Judith breathes a small gust of air – not nearly enough to relax her – and mumbles, "Okay. Goodnight."

"I love you, Judy," her mother says, and she sits in silent contemplation. She wants to say it back, but not only is her throat suddenly dry, but she doesn't feel affectionate. She feels like everyone around her is always leaving in some way and with Michael's death still weighing on her, Walter's sudden passing feels surreal.

"I - Okay. Goodnight." Judith rushes forward, drops the handset onto the hookswitch, and then stands up. She casts a downward glance at Hailey and Ethel. "She said she'll send someone to get me tomorrow. Can I sleep in here?"

"Baby," she begins with a humorous chuckle, and Judy feels her body tense up. "I leave this room to go to my quarters in a few hours, and I can't leave you in here alone."

I meant upstairs with Kacey.

"Okay, never mind." She forces a smile, then glances at Hailey on her way to the door. A sudden onset of exhaustion keeps her from saying anything further. 

"Do you have a ride home," she asks, but Judith doesn't stop to answer. She jerks it open and races through the living room. She and Ethel watch her pass through the arch, and when the front door booms shut behind her, they look at each other.

Judith stands on the porch, huffing and puffing the suffocating air through her aching lungs. When the wind brushes against her exposed skin, she shudders and looks down at her bare feet and dolphin shorts.

She lifts her chin to look around, but her irises only see darkness and rain. She doesn't know where to go but she's desperate for a place to lay down and remain there indefinitely, if it were possible.

Jerome.

Without a moment to stay for another thought, she sprints down the steps then the heavy rain pours onto her scalp and body. She walks around the side of the building and notices a red light surrounding Alpha Psi Delta's awning, railings, and columns.

Judith rushes to Zeta Psi Phi, and as she approaches the door, her clothes drip water onto the porch. Her thoughts come to a halt as she places both hands on the left knob.

What're you doing? Do you want to get him in trouble, or yourself?

She twists it and pulls the door open a crack. The warm heat and low, orange light from the living room appear to invite her in, and she accepts it.

Judith stands in the entryway, her gaze drawn to the two pale men on the sofa, who are laughing at each other. The one on the far right has jet-black hair that cascades across his shoulders, while the other has chestnut hair slicked into a low bun. She casts a glance at the flight of stairs.

Which room is he in?

She walks toward the arch, her body trembling beneath the drenched clothes clinging to her skin. She catches the raven-haired man's attention, and his dark blue irises scan her up and down.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he remarks. The other turns his head to follow his gaze, admiring her figure as well.

"Do you know which room Jerome is in," she inquires, ignoring his comment. He rises from his seat, and as he approaches her, she feels her lungs contract and her breathing come to a halt. He's dressed in a white tee and burgundy pajama pants. He stands in front of Judith, who is still under the arch. He's seven inches taller than she is, towering over her enough to make her feel slightly more uncomfortable.

"I don't know any Jerome, but a pretty girl like you can stay in my room any day," he tells her, and she looks past him when the other student sniggers. Judy backs away from him as he smiles at the fear on her face. She steps toward the door, and he follows her at the same pace. "What's the hurry?"

"I think she's one of those girls who like to be chased." When she grips the handles, the one with long hair wraps his arms around her waist, and she lets out a piercing scream. "Take her to the living room before she wakes everyone up, Zeke."

She kicks her legs and scratches at his hair-coated wrists in a futile attempt to get him to release her, and her distressed wails continue.

"Get off of me," she yells, and he stops in front of the couch where they were sitting. When the one with brown hair kneels onto the sofa, Zeke drops her onto her back on the cushions, and Judith rolls over to crawl away. Her breathing is erratic, and her trembling hands grip the right-hand armrest, but before she can jerk forward, he grabs her hips and pulls her closer to his pelvis. She screams again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Cut it out," he calmly orders her; he isn't afraid of being caught. He straddles her backside, trapping her legs beneath him.

"Maybe she's a virgin, Wes," Zeke remarks, then trails her body with his eyes. His friend grips the top of his grey pajama pants, ready to remove them, with his left hand pressed against her sodden back.

"Well, I suppose I should set a high expectation for anyone who comes after me." The corners of his lips curl into a wicked grin, and Judith presses her hands on his knees, her nails scratching the fabric of his pants. She can hear her heart pounding in her ears, overpowering her rampant thoughts.

"What the hell are you two doing," Cyrus asks, his tone venomous, making them flinch. He looks over his shoulder with Zeke, still pinning her, and they both stare at Cyrus in an ivy green shirt and black slacks.

Judith's screams have stopped, but her rapid breathing hasn't. Her head pressed against the armrest, her neck bent, and her misty eyes fixed on the coffee table.