Weddings, Frat Boys, and Sorority Spies, Oh My!

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I barely remembered my initiation. Standing in the back room, surrounded by monitors showing security camera feeds of all the rooms and my new sorority sisters, I watched the other girls attempt to make it out "alive". According to Amy, I scored the highest score anyone's ever had here at Stan's. I wasn't surprised. Seriously, I've been firing guns since I was fourteen. Fake guns since I was six. I think I can control a laser tag gun. And, to make it even better, I didn't get hit by anyone or anything once. The level set for us was known as Level Five, or the highest level of difficulty. And I aced it. Two words: hell yeah. 

On the multiple monitors, the other initiates stumbled through the course. Getting scared by the employees and contraptions set up in the Saw section (I hate that movie.) I searched the screens, looking for Amber and Stephanie. I finally spotted them in the room that was supposed to represent Insidious. Even in the dark of the room, I could see their scared expressions as they nervously pointed their guns at any sound they heard. I crossed my arms over my chest, tuning out my new sorority sisters laughing at one of the initiates who fell into a pool of "blood" (aka water that's been dyed red by gallons and gallons of food coloring.) Out of my peripheral, I saw the girl emerge from the pool, her clothes ruined and her equipment soaking wet. The lights on her "bulletproof jacket", the same one I hadn't bothered to remove yet, turned red and clicked off, signaling that she was out of the running. Poor girl. 

Turning my attention back to Amber and Stephanie, I watched as something popped out of the closet and rushed over to them. Screaming, they fell, in perfect unison, onto their butts and shot like crazy. I watched anxiously. Come on, girls, you can make that shot! Aim for the chest! Suddenly, as if Amber or Stephanie had heard my thoughts, one of the light beams nailed the demon-like thing in the chest. Right in the heart. Bullseye. I smiled. Stephanie and Amber cheered, standing up and high-fiving each other. Good job, girls. 

"Hey, Ember, check this out." Chloe said, motioning for me to come stand next to her.

Walking away from the screen with Amber and Stephanie, I stood behind Chloe. She stared at a laptop, stabbing her finger at the screen as she pointed to a single name on a list of one hundred and twenty. In the top place, at number one, was my name followed by a number. Ember Rhinehart: 2,375 points. Again, I wasn't surprised.

"Damn, girl! Look at that score! Who are you, James Bond or something?"

I smiled and laughed. If only you knew...

"No, I'm not a spy. And if I was, I wouldn't be that much of a badass."

Yes, I am. 

"My dad used to take me hunting when I was younger. I guess I have a good aim."

Chloe scoffed.

"Yeah, and badass survival skills! Dude, you literally looked like James Bond's daughter or something when you were going through there. You didn't flounder or anything you just...well...did it."

I shrugged in what I hope was a nonchalant way. Fortunately, something started happening on the monitors that drove Chloe's attention away from me. I inwardly sighed a sigh of relief. I was running out of quick lies anyway...what am I talking about? I'm never out of lies! Closing the laptop, I took a seat and continued to watch the other initiates. Finally, I belong somewhere. Somewhere that doesn't involve keeping secrets or collecting intelligence from foreign nations. Somewhere I can just be, well, normal. I knew deep down that I could never be normal. Ever. But, hey, I can pretend for a little while, can't I?