Ugly Duckling (TEASER) (Radish Exclusive)

|1| ATLANTEANS NOT GREEKS |:|

"You take so long, girl. Hurry up!"

Syria wiggled the mascara wand up her eyelashes making sure to put extra on the tips. "You can't rush perfection, Kate."

Her friend, who she'd known since high school, exhaled loudly. "You could be dressed in a garbage bag and they'd all still want you. Come on! We're going to miss everything."

"Things don't get started until almost midnight anyway. Calm down."

She growled and fell backward on Syria's bed. "You're such a diva."

"No one said you have to wait for me, you know."

Kate set up on the bed propping her head on her hand. "What? And risk not getting into the frat houses that I want to? Fat chance." She slammed her upper body back on the bed.

"How exactly do you think I got this invitation? By rushing perfection?" Syria brushed the bronzer around the perimeter of her face and a little on her cheeks because she liked the golden halo it created. She smeared on the nude lipstick and mashed her lips together.

"So," Syria stood up and turned to show off her finished look. "How do I look?"

Kate's mouth pulled slowly into a smile. "Like a freaking goddess. Ready now?"

"I was born ready for this!" Syria stuffed her id, money, and the slip of paper she found in a cryptic letter in the mailbox addressed to her. The envelope was addressed to her by first name only in Greek style font. She put all the items in her knee high boots that were tucked under her floor length toga. "Are you sure you don't want to pledge? I mean we could be sisters."

Kate looked at Syria in the mirror with her arm around her friend's shoulders. "Now Syria, why would I do that when I can still go to the same awesome parties through you?"

Both girls laughed and headed out the door.

It was a short walk until they hit Greek Row. It was a complex of streets that had all the Greek houses on it. Well, all the ones that counted anyway.

When Syria toured the campus the previous fall, she knew where she'd end up.

She looked next to her when Kate linked their arms.

"Spartans first?"

She laughed. "Don't mind if I look at some abs while I get drunk."

It was almost midnight when Syria and Kate stumbled out of the Spartan themed frat house laughing so hard they were almost crying.

"Did you‒ did you," she hiccuped and started laughing again. "Did you see that guy with the beer pong? I didn't know beer could come out your nose like that!"

They leaned on each other while walking down the path from the frat house's front door. The real show started at midnight at the Phi Psi Phi Sorority house everyone knew it. The streets and sidewalks were filled with intoxicated college kids. The noise, the chatter, the alpha frat boys who followed them outside were close on heal jabbering on about football, she thought. Maybe it was basketball she wasn't really paying that much attention.

Kate howled into the night air. "This shit is crazy!"

Syria pulled out her phone and started recording in selfie mode. "Kate and me Greek Rush and she thinks this is crazy. She's got a lot to‒"

Syria tumbled to the ground when a solid form smashed into her.

"Awe shit. Are you okay?"

She frowned up at the man's offered hand. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a dark colored hoodie with earbuds in his ears. He reached down and grabbed her by the arms and helped her to stand.