Sister Circle✔️

20. Family First

Lark POV

She had yet to tell her parents she was pledging. It was a shock she was able to keep it from them so far. She was not on scholarship or financial aid. Her parents made too much. They were strictly financing her college expenses, including any spending money she needed. Working all summer at her father's store she saved the money she needed for payment of intake. It was not cheap, but it paid for two years of the sorority. Next year, after she graduated, she could join the alumnae chapter in Kansas City.

Her parents called her at least twice a week, if not more. Her father checked on all her classes online to make sure her grades were still good. She was twenty-one years old and they still treated her like a child. She could not complain, because she knew many students had to beg, borrow and steal money from their parents, or keep their grades up to keep scholarships. She only had to keep her father satisfied.

"Holding Bs in all your classes, Princess. You deserve a reward."

Bs for her was like As to most. This was one of her better semesters so far. She was trying to pull up her accounting class to an A, but it was a struggle. As good as she was in math, Accounting level four classes were no joke.

"Thanks, Daddy." He was Facetiming her so she sat her tablet on her desk while she talked with him. "Tell mom hey, and Jade and Amber." They were her twin seventeen-year-old sisters They were seniors in high school and ready for college. They wanted to stay local, in the Kansas City area. She knew Amber would prefer not to go to college, she was set on being an artist and did not think she needed college. Their father convinced her otherwise. He would not pay her to pursue anything else, so of course, she wanted to stay attached to Daddy's wallet.

Jade was more like her, business-minded, and wanted to work at the store with their father. She was way smarter than Lark ever was, being in gifted programs since she was a toddler. Great grades, was a cheerleader, and class President. Sometimes she wondered how they were related.

"I'll send you money to your account, a little extra," her father said.

She was not going to protest to more than the weekly two hundred dollars he sent her way. It's not like she spent it on superficial things. She always needed stuff for her classes, personal items, and new clothes now and then, and having meals off her meal plan. That two hundred a week barely stretched to the next week, but just like clockwork, her father would send more to her.

Now she had pledging and things to buy while she was on line. The Big Sisters never made them buy them food or weird stuff she heard others had to do, but they did have to spend money on special projects like making special folders, orange tulips, the MAX flower, and other gifts relevant to the sorority.

"So when are you coming home for a visit? If you don't want to drive, you can fly."

It was a six-plus hour drive from Normal, Illinois to Raytown, Missouri, the city right outside of Kansas City where she lived. She did not mind the drive, she just never looked forward to it.

"Dad, I will soon, I'm just really busy with school right now. Lots of work...even on the weekends." That was a lie. Her schoolwork was not what kept her on the weekends. Pledging did. They had this weekend off, but she still was not up to the drive back home. She would rather hang out by herself in her room.

"I'm sure Ross wants to see you."

"I talk to him almost every night. He will be fine." And she had hidden pledging from him as well. She already knew what he would say when she told him. Her parents would not be upset, they did not understand Greek life either way. Ross, detested Greek life while he was at ISU. Always had bad things to say about fraternities and sororities.