The Space Queen

~ Matthew: 6 ~

I've written 20 pages into my notebook. It's a stupid story I wrote a little while back about a  woman that becomes the "Queen of the Universe" - a thing I loved to imagine as a kid. It's not even that good, but my siblings love the story and play around the yard as USS Enterprise and the Space Queen. Katie and Keith beg me to tell it when we go on our camping trips as the stars come out. Geri has quickly taken on the role of older sister. I wouldn't be surprised if she was married by the time she became 16. Keith and Katie are devils however. They are always playing "Gotcha!"

Katie is the smallest, youngest, and the wildest of all of us. When everybody else is asleep - Katie slips out from the covers, worms herself under the beds, crawls over to where Geri sleeps, and whispers "Gotcha!" but unfortunately catches Geri's boob. She screams, and Katie wiggles back under the bed in hopes of not getting caught, before being caught by father's unforgiven hand.

I love my family - I just can't take them to college. So, I apply to 4 schools that are my top 4 choices, and I end up picking Kansas University. My parents still insist on driving me though.

"You could have joined the military rather than waste your money on a liberal arts degree" says Dad.

"Roland..." warns Mom. "Let the boy learn his own lessons. Who knows, he may surprise you."

"I hope you're not going to major in anything stupid, you should be a doctor if you're going to university. Cause anything else Matthew, a Psychology degree or a Political Science degree, will get you nothing more than an unpaid internship and your ass coming back home to flip burgers."

Mom rolls her eyes at this, but bites her tongue and decides to stay nothing.

I already know what I want to major in - Psychology and Sociology. I want to study how people think, to help them with their traumas, and if I am unable to get a job helping people work through their own demons, I want to lead in corporate and possibly maintain some sort of leadership. Psychology is a good degree - eventually I will be using it in some shape or another as it is a part of everything. I'm also trying out for my chapter in fraternity which will help me to socialize while I'm there. I should have the fun of my life going there - these will be the days that we are talking about the rest of our lives.

...

When I arrive at the fraternity meeting, my dad steers us into Phi Kappa Sigma - which is apparently the highest in grades. Dad says, "You're going to want my Matthew" and talks to them about my academic accomplishments.

Mom kisses me on the cheek, gives me a hug, and motions me off.

I go off to to talk to some of the guys, the next thing I know is that they are gone. I like the guys, maybe it's just the fear, but the day soon passes and it's decided that we will be in this fraternity. We take our picture. The fear is what will happen that night - that is when the real night of initiation begins

I wake up to the sound of a foghorn and my other roommates groaning.

"Uggghhh" emits sounds around the room.

"Stop that noise."

"Matthew Russo, you're coming with us. First, strip your clothes."

"The fuck!?" I utter.

"Take your ID card so you can get back in.a bag that will cover your behind."

"Is this guy gay or something?" I laugh.

"No man" utters a roommate of mine. "They do this."

"That's right..." says the leader, "This is normal. Accept it, or don't join the fraternity at all.

I suppose there is no room to question, and so we go down to the empty grass between the dorms.

"Will anybody else come? Are people going to see me?"

"The question is... will anybody care Russo?"

We are doing jumping jacks while a guy comes by and judges who has the biggest (you guess.) This is truly the gayest shit I've ever done. 6 or 7 guys are asked to leave because theres isn't big enough. Apparently mine is fine, so they ask me to stay.

There's a man named Reid. He's yelling at us.

"None of you are leaving if you care about having a job for the rest of your life. There are women poised within the Coed dorms from the sororities, they have your photos, and they will be the ones to transport them around. If you leave or say anything about us, then you are not good enough to be at this university. Don't think your stay here is permanent just because you got in. We have connections - we will kick you out of college. When you went a job, your bosses will get your nude pictures and they will think that you are a pervert."

And that is that. We are left with stunned looks on our faces, and breath stuck in our chests. Tyler, who is walking back with me, shakes my hand. He has a grin on his face like he's thrilled to be here.

"We will turn this place around and save it from the fags" he says.

"Ah, well... we want to be nice to people that have those inclinations..."

He stares at me, and then nods his head.

"I was being insensitive."

"Yes, you were. We need to respect other people - that is where the world is going" I say.

"You seem like a very reflective person" he says, smiling at me.

"And you, you seem like a very energetic person" I say, and I offer him a swig of my whiskey bottle.

He laughs.

"You're okay Matthew, you're okay" he says.

We handshake on it, and we walk back to the dorms together.