Trust

Chapter Ten

Ketara Greene

I found out that I'd been blacklisted from every sorority that had been previously interested in me. One of the ladies from one of the sororities I had on my list pulled me aside to describe the situation to me. I was grateful she let me know because I was totally in the dark about what happened. When before I'd been greeted warmly at the last round of interviews that were being held, there was an influx in cold shoulders at the next round. Shakyra and I were confused because most were excited at the thought of me joining their organizations. I looked good on paper and in person. The thing was although Shakyra was associated with me, she didn't receive the same treatment.

A lovely girl named Ryan saw me at the event and pulled me aside when she saw the lost and defeated look on my face. She had then told me that Katessa had spread false information around that turned off the presidents of most of the organizations. I was deeply saddened at the news and angered. I knew that she was after Louis and because he keeps turning her down it backfired on me.

I wanted to retaliate but knew that anything that I did would lead to expulsion. It went around that Katessa was a favorite of many of the faculty in NYU. She also looked good on paper and in person. She also had friends and family in high places. No matter what happened, I was just a nobody freshman from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Although my boyfriend's name might have held weight in some spaces, it wasn't truly my goal to use that tack to get ahead. I wanted things from my own name and merit.

"I'm sorry that there isn't more that I could do to help but I didn't want you walking around any longer looking sad. That's what she wants really at the end of the day. To wreck your life because she's miserable."

I had called Louis and told him. Hearing his disappointment made me feel better. He had offered to take me out to eat to make me feel better. I agreed, mostly because I wanted to cry on my boyfriend's shoulder.

It was hours later when I stepped out in a pair of leggings and an oversized tee. I had pulled my hair into a high puff and lightly did my makeup. I put on airs for Shakyra who sadly smiled at me. I thought I was presenting as unbothered, but I was truly bothered.

"You cute." She said, "You alright?"

"You know I'm not." I lowered my eyes, saddened by the thought again, "That girl really went out of her way and I just don't get the point."

"She's miserable." Shakyra mentioned, "All there really is to it. I was kind of surprised that you wanted to join that sorority knowing she's the president. Even if the others pushed back to let you in, she would've made your life hell."

"I wanted the connections, Kyra." I countered, "They don't always stay President, so I figure, I get in, do what I have to and make moves. Now? I'm unsure. She pretty much made me look bad to anybody willing to put me on."

"Eh, that's a conduit but it's not the only one, sis." Shakyra said, "You're smart. You're beautiful. You have a man who's pretty well connected whether he brags about the fact or not. At some point you're going to meet his family and you could get on that way. But past that, just keep it cute and make those marks. That's what LinkedIn is for. Fuck these sororities. Fuck her."

I nodded my head.

I took a deep breath and decided that Shakyra was right. It would've been nice to have a sisterhood to be connected to but honestly, I had Shakyra. I had Lichelle. I had Justine. Whenever it was time for me to enter the workforce, I'd have all that I needed to survive. Still in all it would've been nice. It would be nice to just live without people plotting against you for whatever reason. It would be nice to get through these years without incident. It would be nice, but I knew sometimes, the adversity came so that I learned something from it.