College Life: Freshman Year

22

Lauren's POV

It's Monday night and I've spent the past weekend so wrapped up in Bid and the pledge ceremony and the Big Sis/Lil Sis ceremony that I've had almost zero time for Normani. Yesterday was her appointment to terminate her pregnancy and I wish I could have been there for her. It's not the decision I was hoping she'd make, but I could have at least been there to comfort her. We've spent the whole day together today and she hasn't even told me anything about the procedure or how it went. I'm starting to wonder if she even went through with it.

"How were your ceremonies this week?" Normani asks me as we're lying down on her bed.

"They were okay, I guess. Big Sis/Lil Sis ceremony was fun. Zendaya is officially my Big Sis now. Some of the other pledges are total jerks though. They're completely arrogant, except for one girl named Layla, like the Eric Clapton song. Isn't that cool? Anyway, we have a lot of common interests and her boyfriend is pledging Laurenzo's frat. He picked her up after the ceremony and they're such a cute couple. They asked if we wanted to do something together sometime."

"I'd love to, babe," Normani tells me as she gives me a quick kiss. "You look so cute in your pledge pin, Lauren."

I start to giggle. "Thanks. We have to wear this at all times during the pledge process."

"What happens if you're caught without it?"

"You don't want to know," I tell her. The problem is I don't even know what happens if I'm caught without my pin. Whenever we asked the active sisters, all they would say is "You don't want to know." I could tell from their tone of voice and their nervous facial expression, that I really don't want to know what would happen.

"You know if you ever get stressed about pledging, you can come to me. I know you can't tell me anything that you've had to do, but I can be here to provide cuddle time and maybe we can even take a nice, warm shower together to help you relax."

I sigh. "I love you so much, Normani."

"I love you, too."

"Are you okay? I mean, with what happened yesterday? I'm sorry you had to go through it without me."

"I didn't do it yesterday."

"Oh, did you have to reschedule?" I ask her.

"No. I'm not doing it at all. Lauren, we're going to have a baby!"

I take Normani into my arms and start smothering her with kisses. "We are, for certain?"

She starts beaming. "Yes, for certain. I want us to raise this baby together, Lauren, I want you by my side throughout everything."

"I will. I promise. I just feel like shouting to the world 'I love Normani Hamilton!' Normani, we're having a baby together."

"I thought you'd be excited about the newest addition to the Jauregui family." She teases.

"Very excited! I have to tell my mom right now! She's already asking us about grandchildren."

Normani starts to laugh. "Go ahead, call her."

I reach for my phone and see that someone from a restricted number is calling me.

"Hello?"

"Pledge Jauregui, you have thirty minutes to get your ass to my apartment."

"But I'm with my fiancé and she—"

"You now have twenty-nine minutes to get your ass to my apartment," my Pledge Mistress says right before hanging up.

I rummage through my drawers for my olive green G-Pi t-shirt and some black jeans, the required uniform for all pledge events.

"Normani, I'm sorry, but—"