Pledge

5. Staff Party

Author's Note: So funny/not funny story. I've seen this type of staff party a few times in my life. It was never quite THIS intense, but it would last hours. I have also seen this sleeping arrangement. So if you're wondering where these twisted ideas came from... 

5. Staff Party

The end of week two was approaching, and Mitch felt as drained as if he had been the one being hazed.

The call-out in the basement ended with the pledges being thrown sleeping bags. Then they were led outside, and told that they would be sleeping below the front porch for the remaining weeks.

Mitch glanced down there. It was filthy, and who knew what was living down there?

He watched as Matt's lip quivered.

Mitch found Scott walking to class on Friday afternoon.

"Hey. Any idea what the staff party this afternoon is all about?" Scott asked, his tone serious and quiet.

"I'm not sure why they call it a staff party, to be honest. I'm sorry... I'm the least helpful person to have on your side..."

Mitch stopped and pulled at Scott's elbow. Scott halted in his tracks, facing him. Mitch eyed the man's face, for any sign of bruising from the call-out.

Luckily, there wasn't any.

"What?" Scott asked, shifting uncomfortably beneath Mitch's gaze.

"You okay? The call-out was..."

"The call-out was nothing compared to the sleeping arrangement. I'm allergic to something down there. Probably mold. It's awful," Scott replied, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder and sniffling. "Do I smell?" Scott asked, reaching out his arm to hover beneath Mitch's nose.

"Pledge, what gives you the right to encroach upon a brother's personal space like that?" a voice growled near them. They turned to find Jax glaring in their direction.

The man approached quickly, grabbing Scott's elbow and leading him away, roughly.

It turned out that the staff party was a miserable affair.

It wasn't a party for staff members. It wasn't cute.

No. It was a party in the afternoon that was held with their sister sorority each semester: Chi Eta Psi.

During this party, the pledges took turns in 30-minute increments, holding a giant wooden staff that was painted with the letters of each pledge class.

The party was to continue until the staff was beaten against the ground and broken until it was a tiny stub.

How was the staff broken, you ask? Well, each brother would approach the pledge with the staff as they saw fit. They would order them to hit the staff against the ground a certain number of times. The staff had to remain upright as it was pounded against the floor. There was no breaking it horizontally. It behooved the pledges to put all of their strength into breaking the staff. The faster they broke it down, the faster they could be done.

Apparently, one of these parties went on for 15 hours, a few years ago.

It all sounded fine, until you realized how painful it was to hit that staff against the floor hundreds of times in a row, as splinters would fly off of it and your hands would blister from your grip on the wood.

Scott would go last in the rotation, considering that he was pledge number nine. Perhaps it would be over by the time his turn rolled around.

While they waited their turn with the staff, they stood against the wall. They were not allowed to speak.