Social Anxiety

Chapter 18: Skip Day

The pledges didn't know why Sister Barb called a meeting in the middle of the day, and they worried it couldn't be for anything good. Everybody sat at a table in the food court, waiting for Barb. They fidgeted and squirmed, mostly because Barb showed up late. When Barb saw them, she laughed.

"Relax, I'm not here to bring bad news," Barb said as she sat at their table.

"I thought maybe you were going to tell us we had another morning run," Claudia said.

"Oh, you do. We're not letting you off that hook."

"Dammit," Claudia grumbled.

"Language!"

"Sorry, Sister Barb."

Barb looked around to ensure no one was listening, which intrigued the pledges more. Then, Barb leaned in close and whispered. "I had an idea because Hailey needs a break. If the sisters ask, you didn't hear this from me, but I think you should skip tonight's club meeting."

"We can do that?" Kennedy asked.

"You can, but don't let the sisters catch you."

"What happens if they do?" Hana asked, looking worried.

"You don't want to know," Barb replied. "Make sure you're all together and leave no one behind."

"Are you sure this is a good idea? We've been screwing up a lot lately. Maybe we shouldn't piss the sisters off more," Claudia said, glancing toward Shawna at the ice cream counter. She was busy serving a customer and too far away to hear, but she still made Claudia nervous.

"It's up to you, but Hailey could use the night off. She's had a rough week," Barb shrugged as she stood to leave. "I'll let you decide. See you tonight—or maybe not."

Once Barb disappeared, the pledges left the campus center to discuss their plans. They huddled beside the statue near the fountain and whispered.

"I don't think we should do it," Claudia said.

"Sister Barb wouldn't have told us about it if they didn't want us to do it. It's a test," Kennedy said.

"Which means the sisters are guaranteed to come looking for us," Chloe replied.

"Oh, no," Tamara said, looking scared. "I've got play practice tonight. They'll know exactly where to find me, and I can't leave until it's over."

"And I've got a meeting at the Malloy office until 5:00," Hana said.

"We'll have to find a way to sneak both of you out without getting caught," Kennedy said.

When Claudia heard this, she smiled, which confused everyone else. They looked at her questioningly. "I changed my mind. This is cool. It's an adventure. Look it at like a game where we try to evade getting captured," Claudia explained.

"You didn't want to do it a second ago," Kennedy laughed.

"Yeah, but you sold me on it," Claudia shrugged. "We need a rendezvous point in case we get separated."

"Let's meet up at my apartment," Kennedy replied.

"No, the sisters would think to look there. How about Lenny's Diner on the other side of town? We can all have a celebratory dinner once we've escaped," Claudia suggested.

"I like that," Hana said.

"Good. Now, let's go back to the dorm because it's freakin' cold out here!" Chloe said, wrapping her arms around herself.

As they walked away, no one noticed Shawna watching from the door of the campus center with a wicked grin.

***