The Ravens (The Ravens #1) - Kass Morgan Page 0,14
kind of punch from a crystal bowl.
Her eyes fell on two impossibly beautiful girls dancing, laughing as they moved with the music.
“Kind of intimidating, aren’t they?” Vivi turned to see another striking girl next to her. With her wavy black hair, flawless brown skin, and enormous doe-like eyes, she was just as pretty as the Kappa who’d snubbed Vivi earlier, but the genuine smile on her face made her infinitely more approachable.
“Yeah, kind of,” Vivi said, surprised and relieved that even a girl who looked like Kappa material was nervous. “How did everyone know to pack for this?” she asked, looking around the garden.
“Rush is a big deal here. Serious pledges come prepared for anything. Some people even hire consultants to help them get through rush. My mom went to Westerly, so I kind of knew what to expect,” she said, gesturing to her own fringed dress.
“Do you want to pledge?” Vivi asked.
“Yes, if I get a bid,” she said wistfully, sounding like someone who was longing for the last slice of cake but was too polite to take it. “I’m not going to get my hopes up, though. Kappa’s the most selective sorority on campus, and the smallest.”
Even for a Greek novice like Vivi, it was clear that the sorority occupied a special place at Westerly. She hadn’t officially met any of the Kappas—the girl in the white dress hadn’t introduced herself—but they were easy to spot in the crowd. Unlike the would-be pledges, whose nervous shifting belied their wide smiles, the Kappas moved with grace and assurance. Vivi watched with unabashed awe as an Asian girl in a red beaded flapper dress stopped to take a dainty sip of her drink. Her shiny black hair was cut in a smooth chin-length bob, and her deep crimson lips looked like they belonged to a classic Hollywood starlet. She was easily the most glamorous person Vivi had ever seen in real life, but it was her composure that captivated Vivi. She observed the party with detached amusement, in no apparent hurry to find someone to talk to. As the perennial new girl, Vivi was accustomed to standing on her own, but it never got easier. She was always aware that people were watching her, wondering why she was all alone.
“I’m Vivi,” Vivi said, returning her attention to her new acquaintance. She extended the hand that wasn’t holding her sparkler.
“Ariana,” the girl said as she gave Vivi one of the two teacups she’d just accepted from a passing waiter. “Apparently Kappa is the only sorority that can get away with serving alcohol at recruitment events, so I’d take full advantage.”
Vivi took a casual sip, praying that she wouldn’t do anything to reveal that this was her very first drink. It was difficult to be a rebellious, hard-partying high-schooler when you had no friends and were never invited to parties. She braced for a burning sensation, but the pink cocktail was delightfully sweet. “Why does Kappa get to break the rules?”
Ariana shrugged. “I heard they get all sorts of special treatment.”
“Hi.” Vivi turned to see a black girl in a sophisticated, slinky blue dress smiling at them. “I’m Jess. Are you girls having fun?”
Vivi froze, unsure how to respond after her last encounter with a Kappa. Was she supposed to gush that this was the best party she’d ever been to? Or was it better to play it cool and act unimpressed?
“Absolutely,” said Ariana, who thankfully was able to talk to strangers without having a complete meltdown. “Y’all really went all out for this. Are the waiters wearing vintage suits?”
Jess nodded. “There’s a certain pleasure in forcing slovenly college boys to dress up,” she said, surveying the crowd. “Though I require only three things in a man: he must be handsome, ruthless, and stupid.”
“Pardon me?” Ariana said while Vivi laughed.
“Dorothy Parker, right?” Vivi asked.
“Sorry, it’s impossible not to quote Parker when you’re drinking cocktails out of teacups.” She gave Vivi a wink and excused herself.
“That was a little strange,” Ariana whispered after Jess walked away.
“But kind of great,” Vivi said with a smile. In seventh grade, she’d stumbled across a collection of Dorothy Parker’s poems and essays in the library, and for Vivi, it’d been almost like making a friend. She’d never heard anyone her own age mention Parker, and she certainly hadn’t expected her to come up at a sorority party, but the exchange turned out to be the first of many surprising conversations with Kappas throughout the evening. A white