AMELIA

Stepping out of the kitchen, my gaze fixed on the vast backyard of a two-story building filled with rows of chairs, accommodating what could be hundreds of people, I ask Erica, "Are you having an event?"

She smiles at me, and the three girls high-heeled their way ahead of me to the lectern, leaving me standing by the door, confused and awkward. I become the center of attention yet again.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Amelia Coleman. The girl of the hour," Erica motions at me to the audience that is already scrutinizing me.

I wish she would explain more about what's going on.

"This is what I want you to see, Amelia. Witness this insanity yourself," she says to me in the microphone and holds out her hand for me to take.

I don't know what to think or what to say. I drag my heavy legs to them, facing so many girls, young and older from different parts of the world, and they're all telling me the same thing.

"And-And Cam slept with all of them?" I mumble the shocking question to Erica; I can hear the trembling in my voice. This is overwhelming.

"Amy, isn't this ridiculous?" She asks me. I don't even have the mental ability to process the answer. One of her side girls adds, "Digest it in, you've got all the time."

"Please. When we first joined Erica for this group, we were so surprised at the number of girls that flow in every day. And that's why we do not take in new members only for the academic year. Our door is open every day," the other girl says to my thunderstruck figure.

"All of these girls have a story to tell about how Cameron used them," Erica says, her voice vibrating in the speakers. "I will let you hear from them. I want you to know you're the next victim, Amelia. But now you have CRV sisters behind you. We will not let that happen; this will be the last time Cameron will ruin any girl's life."

This can't be happening. Tell me this is a nightmare and I am on the bed, we haven't gotten to school yet.

"Who's ready to share their story with Amelia today?" She asks the audience, and I watch in terror over how everyone holds up their hands. "Good, good. But unfortunately, we don't have time. So to make it quick, I will pick one of you for now. Amelia isn't going anywhere; you all will get to know each other and communicate more. So for now, I will choose Ivy. Get up, sister, and open up to us," Erica turns to me, explaining, "Ivy is the last girl that joined this sorority just recently."

"How recently?" I croak, there's a sharp, jagged edge tearing into my soul.

I can swear there hadn't been any girl coming to the house. Right?

Erica apologetically looks at me and steps back, urging me to step up to the lectern.

A girl stands up, her hair pink, and her body a space for tattoo art, she also has a few visible piercings on her face.

"Hello, everyone, I am Ivy Morgan," she pauses for a beat, examining her nails. I stare at her with panicked eyes, feeling pressure descending upon my chest, making my heart race erratically. "Actually, I am Lindsay Morgan. I just changed my name recently. I was at a point in life where I wished for dying more than a father would look forward to a meal of a day for his family. I transferred from Atlanta to here. When I came across Cameron, it was easy falling for him because my whole life I'd never seen such physical beauty on a person. I was drawn to him like he was the feeling of a wind against my skin. It was soothing. I talked to him. I was misguided, and he pulled me in with just a stare. I knew I had competitions, I've seen girls falling for him, but I wanted to be his favorite. And at that time it feels like it. He was so down to earth. He won't even kiss me; I thought it was cute, we were taking it slow. And slow and steady wins the race, isn't it?" She scoffed, meeting my eyes. I am rooted in place, unable to move as I grapple taking in this devastating information, "We had a few dates. We studied together; he brought me lunch, and things were perfect until one evening when he took me to a fraternity party. All of a sudden, he wanted to have sex. We haven't even kissed; I thought he was drunk. I myself wasn't fully sober. And y'all know how enticing Cameron could be, much worse with booze in our veins. It's like ethereal."

A cold sweat coats my skin, leaving it clammy and chilled. My limbs feel heavy, as though the weight of the world is bearing down on me, making it challenging to stand upright.

"I agreed. We got to a dark room on the second floor. He locked the door and undressed me. It was not until I had nothing on my body that he turned on the lights, revealing two boys he hangs out with. I got scared. I asked him why they were there with us, and he said he wanted to have a foursome and I wouldn't be any fun if I said no. He threatened to go downstairs and get some girls who wanted him instead. I didn't want to lose him; I wanted him to be happy. Therefore I agreed. Those boys used me. I can't begin to tell you the level of disgrace I experienced in that room, but the gear in my hormones doesn't let me stop. I humiliated myself," she cries, her voice echoing through my entire being. My chest tightens with an agonizing ache, and my stomach churns with a sickening sensation.

"No, you didn't, Ivy. What do we say, sisters?" Erica says into the mic next to me, trying to comfort the poor girl.

"It's not your fault, Ivy," the assembly voices collectively.

"Of course, it's not. It's the fault of Cameron Reynolds, who mistakes women for emotionless objects to be used," Erica spits out in rage. "Please proceed with your story."

Ivy hooks back her hair, lowering her head. "The next morning, I woke up alone in the room, and I came down to the first floor. There was no one there that I knew except for the fraternity members, and the smiles on their faces told me something was wrong. I looked for Cameron the whole day; the search turned into weeks. He won't pick up my calls. I wanted to let it go; I tried to forget all of it. But I fell ill, and I went to the hospital only to find out I was a few weeks pregnant," she says, and the crowd gasps. I feel a profound and soul-crushing sting, rendering me weak and unsteady on my feet. I hold onto the lectern for support.

Wake me up! Pinch me. Just wake me up.

"Cameron has blocked my phone. I mustered the strength to go see him at his house. He's having this pool party in his backyard, and those friends of his were there. He was with some other new girls, and when I pulled him aside for a chat and told him everything, he quickly turned the tables and accused me of being a slut, claiming, of course, I don't know the father of my child because I sleep with different boys for a living. He was loud; everyone heard it. I was laughed at. He asked his boys to toss me out of his house, and that day, I had a miscarriage. I lost my child that I didn't even get to decide whether to keep or not. Since then, it has haunted me. I've had therapy, I've gone to rehab. I've been medicated. I still am. I've changed my looks; I've tattooed all over where Cameron touched my skin, and I've changed my name to have people forget me. It just doesn't go away. That memory is in my head. I can't be with any man anymore; I can't trust anyone. He's ruined me," she falls back into her chair, breaking down.

I stand paralyzed, incapable of grasping the reality of what I'm hearing. It slices through me like a blade, leaving wounds that throb with an intense, burning anguish, while every inch of my being shrieks in torment.

"Ivy, I'm so sorry you went through this. Men like Cameron shouldn't exist," Erica's voice reverberates in the speakers, causing me to flinch a little.

"We're here for you, Ivy Morgan," the crowd goes on, and I watch them with every fiber of my being screaming in agony at the realization that the man I decided to trust has really shattered my world and others too with his disloyalty. I break into tears, unable to control it.

"What the heck, Erica? What's this nonsense?" Someone utters from a different direction, and I look over.