Cassie
I can’t tell if Skyler wants to wrap me up in the biggest hug ever…
Or strangle me.
On the one hand, I know her heart is full that I’m taking a Little, that our family is growing, that our legacy in Kappa Kappa Beta will live on after we’re gone.
Erin never took the news well that I didn’t want a Little, but Skyler supported me no matter what.
Still, I know deep down she’s always wanted me to take a Little, too, and I know she was ecstatic to hear I’d changed my mind.
On the other hand, I made her dress up like Ron from Harry Potter for the reveal.
With a gold and garnet scarf around her neck, a long black robe down to her knees, an orange wig, a stuffed toy rat in one hand, and a wand in the other — she looks absolutely adorable.
And also ready to kill me.
“She should be here soon,” I promise Skyler, checking the time on my watch. “If she followed all the clues and spells correctly — which I have no doubt she did — we’ve got maybe ten minutes.”
“I’m fine, Little,” Skyler says, and her smile tells me maybe she is closer to wanting to crush me in a hug rather than cut off my oxygen supply.
“You really do look great.”
She chuckles. “Your hair is ridiculous.”
I laugh at that, touching the frizzy curls I pulled off to complete my Hermione look — thanks to an overwhelming amount of teasing and hairspray.
“You’re excited,” she says after a minute, that small smile holding firm.
I nod. “I really am. Tera is awesome. If anyone is going to take on our family number and reputation, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better than her.”
“She’s lucky to have you for her Big.”
I frown. “For a couple more months. Then, we both leave her.”
A light flashes in Skyler’s eyes at something behind me, and her smile grows. “Something tells me she’ll be just fine.”
We’re on one side of the reflection pond, the water backlist and spraying up into the night, and when I turn to look where Skyler’s gaze has fallen, I can’t help but burst into laughter.
I set up a scavenger hunt of sorts for Tera all across campus, giving her clues of where to find hidden mystery items to complete her Harry Potter costume — like his glasses, a gold lightning bolt tattoo for her forehead, her robe, her Gryffindor scarf, and even a stuffed Hedwig.
Along with finding the objects, she had to perform “spells” to random people I had in on the event in order to get her next clue.
And the last task? Defeat the cardboard Voldemort I had printed out and staged in the middle of the pond.
It looks like a scene out of a movie, the way her hair is flying back behind her, scarf in the wind, her wand held high as she banshee screams and runs through the water toward the cardboard cutout.
In dramatic fashion, she stops right in front of him, the most determined look in her eyes, and then she holds her wand right to his nose and screams, “Avada Kedavra!”
When nothing happens, she pauses, breathing heavy and looking around.
So, I take my cue, sprinting from our hiding spot and splashing into the pond, too.
Tera’s eyes light up at the sight of me, and to match her energy, I land a kick right to the cardboard cutout Voldemort’s chest, bending him in half before he falls into the water.
Then, Tera and I are screaming and laughing and hugging and crying and all the memories of when I found out Skyler was my Big rush back to me in the most vicious, most beautiful flood.
“I’m so glad it’s you!” Tera says when we pull back, both of our eyes glossy.
I sniff. “Welcome to the family, Little.”
Skyler joins us then, and when Tera sees her, she covers her laugh before wrapping Skyler in a hug.
“A fine Ron Weasley you make, President.”
“You can call me G-Big now,” Skyler says, and when they’re done hugging, she holds up her wand and says, “Now, what’s the spell to make a very strong cocktail appear?”
We all laugh, already making our way out of the pond and waving to the spectators who had watched the scene. Some of them are snapping pics, so we pose with our soggy Voldemort and take a few of our own.
“Are we changing before we go out?” Tera asks.
“Absolutely not,” Skyler answers. “Fully committed to the Harry Potter theme tonight. We need to look up a recipe for spiked butter beer and order it at Ralph’s.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Something tells me we can’t trust any bartender at Ralph’s to even remotely know how to make a drink that isn’t three parts whatever alcohol you want and one part soda.”
“Fair,” Skyler concedes. “But we should try anyway.”
“Oh! Before we change, I told Adam we’d video chat him,” I say, pulling out my phone.
Tera is all bright smiles and red cheeks, and she, Skyler, and I cuddle in close to make sure we’re all in frame as the phone rings. Skyler touches up her hair while Tera fixes her glasses on her nose, and then the screen connects.
“Merlin’s beard!” Adam answers, completely on theme. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a new Gryffindor.”
“Hi, Adam! Nice to finally meet you,” Tera says. “Virtually, anyway. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Same here, Tera. Welcome to the family.”
There’s a voice somewhere near Adam — a female voice — that makes my heart stop.
It’s then that I notice his surroundings, a candlelit restaurant with plush, deep red booth-like seats and chandeliers hanging above him. Mahogany wood trims everything in sight, and he’s not in his normal Alpha Sig polo, or in any of his chill clothes.
He’s got on a suit and tie.
“Yes, it is! Here, come say hi,” he answers to the girl, patting the seat next to him. A second later, she scoots over next to him and waves at us on the screen.
Which means she couldn’t have been that far away to begin with.
“Hi, Cassie! Oh, my gosh. You guys look amazing!”
Skyler and Tera do some silly movements with their wands to get the full effect, but I just stand there, trying to remember to breathe, trying to force a smile.
Because I know without looking at myself in the screen that I look crazy right now — wild, frizzy hair, baggy cloak, puffy scarf around my neck.
But she — the girl with Adam — is the one who looks amazing.
Her dark hair is pin straight and hanging over her shoulders, her eyes lined like a cat’s, and tinged with smoky eyeliner.
Her lips are painted a blood red, spread wide to reveal her perfect, straight white teeth.
I can’t see everything she’s wearing, but I can see her quite impressive cleavage and the thin black straps straining to hold said bosom in place.
Skyler gives me a look, and it’s enough to make me clear my throat and remember to speak.
“Hi!” I say.
Simply.
Stupidly.
“I’m Chandler,” the girl says. “Adam has told me so much about you. I can’t wait to meet you when you come visit!”
“Same here,” I manage, and it’s not a complete lie. Adam has told me a lot about her, too.
The part about not being able to wait to meet her, though…
“Chandler scored a free dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town,” Adam explains.
“It was a gift since we booked our dinner before our semi-formal here,” Chandler adds. “But I didn’t want to come to this fancy-schmancy steakhouse by myself, so I dragged your boyfriend here with me and told him we could talk business.”
I force the most pathetic laugh of my life.
“Where are you girls off to now?” Adam asks.
“Ralph’s, of course,” Skyler says. And she must sense that I’m uncomfortable, must know that Tera is about two seconds away from knowing the same, so she grabs the phone from my hands and smiles wide at the screen. “And we better get going. So much to drink, so little time.”
Adam chuckles. “Take care of my girl. And hey, Tera,” he says, waiting for Skyler to put her on the screen again. “Nice to meet you. You picked the best Big there is.”
Tera beams at me. “I know. I’m the luckiest Little.”
The smile I wear is a little less forced then, my heart caught between surging with love and happiness, and breaking from jealousy and insecurity.
“I love you, babe,” he says to me next, blowing me a kiss. “Call me tomorrow.”
Skyler ends the call before I can get out my answer, and then she immediately loops her arms through mine and Tera’s, taking up the middle. “Alright, bitches — let’s party!”
She and Tera give a little hoot of approval, and then we’re making our way across campus.
Skyler holds up the conversation as we try to find a cab once we hit Greek Row, and when Tera runs inside the KKB house real quick to meet up with some of the other pledges and take some pictures, Skyler pulls me to the side in the yard.
“Hey, she’s just a friend. Adam loves you. She is not a threat.”
I nod, but almost start crying.
“He loves you,” Skyler says again, holding my arms and searching my eyes.
“I know,” I say. “But people cheat on the ones they love all the time.”
Skyler frowns, pulling me in for a long hug. “He’s not cheating on you. Okay? I promise. I know Adam. You know Adam. He could never.”
I nod, sighing when she releases me from the hug. “I’m just being crazy.”
“No, you’re being normal. Long distance is hard.”
Skyler’s attempt at being strong dies with that, as if she’s just remembered the distance between her and Kip — both literally and metaphorically — at this very moment.
She clears her throat. “Let’s go out and have fun with your new Little tonight, okay? You can talk to him in the morning. Tell him how you’re feeling. Let him clear your worries.”
I blow out a breath. “You’re right. I want to make sure Tera has the best night.”
And then like we’ve summoned her, Tera is bolting across the yard, waving her wand around and saying random spells as we laugh and watch.
A cab pulls up. We all pile in.
And then we celebrate the new addition to our legacy.