Three hours later
The mood in the Pi Tau house was a mixture of eager anticipation and uncertainty. The seven pledges stood patiently in line in the basement waiting for Michael McCarter to give them their directive. Hanson's demeanor was guarded; he felt less than ready to face whatever barbaric ritual the pledge master had in mind. Although he had taken a couple of Advil before leaving the dorm, the dull throbbing in his ribs was a testament to the extent of his injury. But he was determined to grit his teeth and bear it, especially after the fiasco of his nude battle dance. The physical symptoms of his humiliation were still very much evident; the bilious churning in the pit of his stomach coupled with flashes of heat when he imagined …show more content…
He silently studied the bruise on McCarter’s chin, his lips pressed in a contemplative pucker. Long, drawn out seconds turned into minutes before he finally spoke, his voice cool and emotionless. “You’re telling me Harris did this to you?”
Shame flushed McCarter’s cheeks and rubbing a tentative hand over his swollen jaw, the young college student struggled to control the animosity that writhed deep inside his gut. “Sonofabitch caught me off guard,” he spat. “It won’t happen again… trust me.”
A slight nod of the head was the only sign Stevenson gave that he had heard McCarter’s vow. But the pledge master was not about to let the matter drop. He’d had it with Brody and Harris’ interfering, and he was determined to get his revenge. But to do so, he needed his Pi Tau brother’s approval and stepping forward, he stared intensely at his friend, an evil glint in his ice-blue eyes. “I wanna nominate Harris and Brody for the final test. Any objections?”
Todd’s gaze turned to the portrait of Pi Tau’s founding father, Alexander Powell, the largest of all the portraits that lined the room. “You still have another two days to put them through their paces,” he remarked softly. “Initiation isn’t until Friday; are you sure you wanna make such an important decision
The mood in the Pi Tau house was a mixture of eager anticipation and uncertainty. The seven pledges stood patiently in line in the basement waiting for Michael McCarter to give them their directive. Hanson's demeanor was guarded; he felt less than ready to face whatever barbaric ritual the pledge master had in mind. Although he had taken a couple of Advil before leaving the dorm, the dull throbbing in his ribs was a testament to the extent of his injury. But he was determined to grit his teeth and bear it, especially after the fiasco of his nude battle dance. The physical symptoms of his humiliation were still very much evident; the bilious churning in the pit of his stomach coupled with flashes of heat when he imagined …show more content…
He silently studied the bruise on McCarter’s chin, his lips pressed in a contemplative pucker. Long, drawn out seconds turned into minutes before he finally spoke, his voice cool and emotionless. “You’re telling me Harris did this to you?”
Shame flushed McCarter’s cheeks and rubbing a tentative hand over his swollen jaw, the young college student struggled to control the animosity that writhed deep inside his gut. “Sonofabitch caught me off guard,” he spat. “It won’t happen again… trust me.”
A slight nod of the head was the only sign Stevenson gave that he had heard McCarter’s vow. But the pledge master was not about to let the matter drop. He’d had it with Brody and Harris’ interfering, and he was determined to get his revenge. But to do so, he needed his Pi Tau brother’s approval and stepping forward, he stared intensely at his friend, an evil glint in his ice-blue eyes. “I wanna nominate Harris and Brody for the final test. Any objections?”
Todd’s gaze turned to the portrait of Pi Tau’s founding father, Alexander Powell, the largest of all the portraits that lined the room. “You still have another two days to put them through their paces,” he remarked softly. “Initiation isn’t until Friday; are you sure you wanna make such an important decision