The chapter house went quiet at midnight. Candles flickered on the mantle. Satin sashes lined the table in a careful row. The pink rulebook waited on a velvet cushion with a ribbon that knew secrets. I stood barefoot on the rug with my chin up and a wicked smile. Tonight was sorority roleplay done the pretty way. Ritual initiation with a pledge tease that the whole house would whisper about.

Alice tied the sash at my waist and brushed her lips against my ear. Count for me, she whispered. I breathed in and let the room blur into warm light. Five. Four. Three. The sisters formed a circle and I stepped inside it like a stage I had been dreaming about for weeks.

The first task was posture. Hands on the small of my back. Eyes up. Smile sweet. The second task was service. She set me on the ottoman and opened the pink rulebook. Read it, she said. I read the lines that mattered and the whole house leaned in. A blonde sister with glossed lips sat in front of me and tipped my chin with one finger. Show us how good you are at following rules.

I did. Slowly. Deliberately. The room filled with soft sounds and the rustle of skirts. Another sister slid behind me and laced her fingers with mine, guiding me through the motions they wanted to see. Good girl, the circle murmured, and heat curled low in my belly. I held eye contact with the president while my tongue learned every little preference the house had for perfect devotion.

When they were satisfied, the sash was tightened and the candlelight felt like applause. One more task, the president said, voice velvet and bright. Stand. Turn. Kneel pretty in the center so everyone can look at what belongs here.

I knelt. I smiled. I passed my Sorority Midnight Oath.