Pledge

11. 24 Hours

A/N: So a little insight into how the brothers are acting. When I pledged a sorority, my best friend acted just like Scott. It was a sort of nervous tic for her to smirk when someone yelled at her, and she said it came from being yelled at constantly by her mother. So the sisters would get as close to her face as possible while she was blindfolded and scream her ears off, because it pissed them off so much that she was "unphased".  Meanwhile I was crying like a baby lol. Also, going through it yourself makes you think that everyone should experience it in order to get in, so it's hard to break the cycle. It's a very strange phenomenon, really... Anyway... enjoy!

11. 24 Hours

"FUCK." Brad cried, crouching down with his palms pressed to his eyes. The door had just shut as Avi led Matt back to his "bed" beneath the porch.

Mitch wasn't sure how to feel. Part of him was proud of Scott for standing up for himself. The other part desperately wanted to get him to come back.

That was the selfish part of him, he supposed.

It was only 4am. It was still dark outside.

This was the start of Scott's 24 hours. 

He could only take 24 hours once. If he didn't come back in 24 hours, he was officially a de-pledge.

There would be no getting him back, then.

So they had to work fast.

"I'll go to his dorm. I'll go talk to him," Jax said, and Mitch was surprised by his tone.

It sounded worried.

"No," Zach said, and Jax turned towards him with narrowed eyes. "Apparently you've told Mitch here that conversations have been had that never happened. You never told us that Scott told you he was scared." Zach grabbed his own coat. "I'll go."

"Like fuck you will. You're the worst of the bunch," Brad snarled. "You've been relentless with him. No. I'll go. I'll lay it on thick. I'll be super sweet, I'll tell him all about my brother..."

"Let me go," Mitch interjected. The three men turned to face him. "I think I have the best shot at getting him back."

"Letting him fuck you isn't gonna help," Jax nearly spat.

"How about this? Fuck you, Jax," Mitch sneered.

"Mitch is right. He should go. Scott feels safest with him, I think," Zach said, and for once, Mitch appreciated him.

"Make sure you keep us in the loop," Brad said, seriously. Mitch nodded at the PM and APM, and ignored his big brother's presence altogether as he grabbed his own jacket and set off to take Matt's key from him.

Throughout the whole walk to the dorm, Mitch mulled over what he was going to say. What he was going to do.

Here's what he landed on:

Absolutely nothing.

So he knocked softly on the door before letting himself in, assuming that Scott would already be passed out.

He was wrong.

Scott sprang upwards from his bed, his eyes wide, as Mitch reached for the light switch.

"I..." Scott started. "I... de-pledged."

"I know, hun." Mitch said, trying to keep his voice steady and calm and hoping that it would rub off on the blond. "I'm here to make sure you're okay."

He turned the light on then, and took in the sight of Scott. He had clearly just showered, his hair wet and slicked to the side, and his skin was no longer caked in grime from beneath the porch.