FRAT BOY - Jaele

Pledge Night

The fraternity moved into the Great Hall at dawn.

Huge chandeliers billowed from the high vaulted ceilings, streaming bright yellows and whites throughout the historic building. Jace leaned against the patterned wall before deciding to stand upright and not wrinkle his $700 Emporio Armani suit he was gifted by an old Nickelodeon stylist.

He sipped on a glass flute of champagne, staying quiet. Staying to himself. Staying out of peoples' way, as he thought about his grieving mother. A wave of guilt flushed over him and his cream tinted cheeks turned pale pink like a pastel colored rose in the Springtime. Jace was close to his mother and he didn't want to abandon her in such a dark place in her life. He remembered that he had to live his life, too. He had to grow up eventually. He always knew this day would come, but he never fathomed what that would entail.

"Jace", said a sound. Jace broke out of his daydream and turned his head to see a smiling Ross Lynch.

"Hey! How are you?", Jace didn't mean to sound so enthusiastic as he was being, but he was a little startled at Ross. He tried to hide it.

"Good, good. Just scoping out the reception. It's almost time for the pledge."

"Yeah, it is.. How long does that usually take? I'm not feeling that good and I might need to rest in my room for the night.", Jace said.

"It only lasts a few minutes tops. Then we show you your rooms, and party. Woo!", Ross replied with a grin and a tiny pump of his fist, so the older donors in the room could not see.

"Sounds like a long night.", Jace chuckled.

"You don't sound very enthused.", came a semi-deep voice behind Jace's back.

It was Austin Butler and Thomas Doherty, President and Treasurer of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Austin was the residing President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Head Honcho in Charge, the Captain and the Commander -- "Boss Butler", like many of his fratboy followers would call him.

He was looked up to by both young men and women, being held to a high esteem for his wealth, and good fortune. Things seemed to always work out for him, or perhaps that's what he wanted it to look like to the throes of college kids who were intimidated by his godliness, chiseled muscles and shiny blonde mane. Austin definitely was the "it" boy on campus with Hollywood charm and a delightful smile to add the cherry on top.

Then there was Thomas. No one in Thomas's family ever expected him to make the decision to pursue an education. It simply didn't seem plausible for him to leave his popular roles on Disney's Descendants and The Lodge for a college degree in acting. His mother happily supported him, but his father discouraged the decision. Unbeknownst to Thomas, his father had been collecting checks from his son and using them to fulfill his gambling addiction.

Jace leaned to the left and turned around, holding a full gaze with Austin.

"Austin, this is our newest recruit, Jace Norman."

"Hi.", Jace reached out his hand and Austin shook it with a firm grip on his fingers.

"Evening. Austin Butler, your president."

"Yes, I know.", Jace chuckled and looked away awkwardly. It wasn't his fault this guy was such a tool.

"Are you looking forward to the recruitment ceremony?"

"Yes, I've been practicing my lines."

Ross gave Jace a judging look.

"I remember when I pledged. Just three years ago. I was terrified and anxious, but you.. you are so relaxed.", Austin observed and eyed Jace, sipping from his champagne glass.
He started to speak again, "So, where are you originally from?"

"New Mexico, but we moved to California so I could act."

Thomas cut in, "No shit. I act, and so does Austin and Ross. What have you been in recently?"

"Well, nothing recently - unless you count voice acting. I did a cartoon three months ago. I haven't acted since my Nickelodeon days.", Jace danced his fingers around the rim of his glass. He started to move to the lounge area, talking as he walked, "I had my own show called Henry Danger and I played a sidekick to a superhero."

Ross smiled, "That's cute."
Thomas rolled his eyes at Ross, "Fag."

Jace furrowed his eyebrows at Thomas's idiocy and set his drink down on a wooden coaster.

"Until it all ended when I turned 18, then my manager didn't want me any more- and I was practically begging for work. I never modeled in my life. I just didn't care for it. But I tried anything and everything I could to get out of that.. slump."

"Sounds harsh.", Thomas said sarcastically.

"I am inspired by your story, Jace.", Ross sang with the excitement of a child.

Austin just stared at the young man for a while, before breaking his silence.

"Let's go get some fresh air."

The four men stepped out of the Great Hall and traveled in a line around the fraternity house, to the secluded rose garden.

Austin leaned against the brick wall and lit a rolled blunt, inhaling it slowly. He passed it to Thomas, who passed it to Ross. Jace was obviously next in this succession, but shook his head "No" in refusal.

"I'm okay."

"No. No, you're shitty. You feel like complete shit tonight, because of your grandpa.", Ross stuttered.

"He fucking died thinking I would never amount to shit. He died disappointed in me." , Jace began to tear up.

"Is that what this is about?", Austin sighed and drawled more smoke in, breathing out.

"Yeah, its a pretty big fucking deal Austin. Who are you to judge when you're out here getting high before the pledge ceremony?!", Jace approached Austin.

"Woah! Chill the fuck out dude. He didn't mean it like that.", Thomas threw himself in between the two.

Except Austin shoved Thomas out of the way and took a hold of Jace by his suit jacket. "We're your brothers now. You're going to have to learn to trust us." He tapped out the ashes of the blunt on the brick wall and pulled Jace beside him, handing the blunt off. "Trust us."
Ross and Thomas looked up with half lidded eyes, coughing from the smoke encasing their lungs. They were particularly excited about this initiation.

Jace took a small puff, then a deeper one and then he choked. He coughed into his elbow and banged on his chest like Tarzan until his eyes began to water. Then, he proceeded to smoke again, then a third time, and a fourth.

"Attaboy", said Thomas.