On the face of it, Summer Forqurean was the consummate sister and friend. A person superbly suited to lead Zeta Mu Xi. To her friends and rivals both, her abilities and talents were undeniable. Having arrived at college two years previously, her luminous and genuine personality, her intelligence, her sense of style, and her natural physical beauty led to offers from all the sororities she had visited as a "rushee". She ultimately pledged with Zeta owing to its reputation and prestige. Summer frequently reflected on her good fortune in being admitted to her first choice in schools (the university sent offers to less than five percent of all applicants), in being among the highest academic performers in her class, and in being a key integral member of Zeta.
In the next year, she anticipated acceptance into med school where she planned to pursue a career in family medicine, unless her passion led her into an alternative, more specialized, subdiscipline. She had been devotedly volunteering with the community health center, which served members of the public who were in need or who lacked health insurance. She would be a positive force in the world and was pleased to already be making a difference. Summer's accomplishments weren't surprising or a matter of chance. Her good fortune cascaded from her innate ability and her strong work ethic rather than luck, although a bit of luck always greases the skids. Therefore it was ultimately not surprising that she was the overwhelming choice for Zeta president in her junior year.
"Congratulations Summer, we knew it would be you," Camden Tallis exuded to her friend after the results were tallied.
"Thanks Cam," Summer smiled happily. "I'm so looking forward to working with everyone. I have some innovative plans for social engagement of our Zetas with the community and hope everyone will be involved. I'm especially looking forward to helping the new pledges get on their feet."
Summer Forqurean and Camden Tallis had met during rush during fall semester as freshmen. "Or was it after we both pledged to Zeta?" they would ask each other over the course of the next two years. Neither of them could remember exactly as the time had been so chaotic. But friends they were, although Camden admitted to herself that she was often envious of her friend's natural grace and her abundant success. Those who didn't know Summer as well as she did thought her achievements sprang forth effortlessly, but Camden knew better. Her friend put in the hard work when necessary and always stepped up when tangible objectives were on the line. On top of that, Summer was unaffectedly gracious and complimentary to Camden and the rest of the Zeta sisters, even those who were superficially sociable and seemingly cordial but who harbored minimally concealed resentment of Summer and her accomplishments.
Camden Tallis came from a college town in Virginia. Like Summer Forqurean, Camden had been at the top of her high school class and had turned down offers from three other ivy league schools to attend the university. She had been unsure about what direction her path would take since she was interested in "everything" but had settled on the unusual double major of Philosophy and Microbiology. Like most of her classmates and Zeta members, Camden was strongly driven and competitive.
"You're such an excellent friend, Cam," Summer told her friend as they walked together between classes. "I love talking with you about philosophy and religion, and I'm so glad all your classes are going well. You're so beautiful. I love what you've done with your hair. I liked it long, but you look so pretty with it a bit shorter." Camden's straight blond hair had previously been almost down to her waist, but she had become weary of the amount of care that required and so had several inches trimmed off - it now fell to just midway down her back. "The cut highlights your face and eyes so well." Summer knew exactly the best way to compliment her friend, a fact not lost on Camden. Camden consistently received complements on her large brown eyes. "There's something about your eyes that make you look so innocent and gorgeous" she had been told more than once. When she looked at her reflection she would experiment by subtly changing her expression to enhance this apparitional look of ingenuousness. "Know your assets and learn how to play them up," her mother had told her. Camden remembered the advice and did her best to take it to heart.
"A group of us want to take you out to celebrate Saturday evening after we get back from the beach," Camden told her friend. "We'd like to go out to that French restaurant you like so well."
"That sounds great! Thanks for thinking of it. It's so nice of all of you. I'm so lucky to be a Zeta."
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Brennan Bjorklund and Courtney Rothschild ran laughing and splashing through the surf back to their rented reclining beach chairs. The eight matching chairs were evenly distributed in the row parallel with the shore, a short distance from the water, partially shaded by umbrellas. The two girls attracted abundant attention with Brennan in her pink swimsuit and Courtney in a white bikini, which was rendered enticingly translucent from submersion in the ocean. The girls took for granted the admiring, lustful, envious, or unfriendly glances and stares from behind the sunglasses of their neighbors -- the nature of their neighbors' responses and thoughts depended on the age, sex, personality, and self-confidence of the viewer. Regardless, both Brennan and Courtney were adept at enjoying the attention while feigning obliviousness.
"Camden and Aubrey, come play frisbee with us," said Brennan as she reached for her Gucci sunglasses. "The water is fantastic."
Earlier that Saturday morning eight of the Zetas had driven to the beach at the foot of Cape Cod, only an hour from the U. It was a nice sunny day, perfect for relaxing and chatting after a busy week of classes and studying. Five of the eight girls comprised what Zeta considered to be the "crew" owing to their combined status, friendship, and rivalry in Zeta. That group included Brennan, Courtney, and Aubrey Hutchison in addition to Summer and Camden. The five had staked out spots adjacent to each other in the warm sand. Three sophomore Zetas, who aspired to status matching that of the crew in a year's time, reclined at the end of the row. They watched their five more established counterparts carefully but discreetly. They appeared to be looking straight ahead or pretended to be dozing as they scrutinized the crew from behind their sunglasses. They hoped to join the upper echelon of Zeta the following year and knew that it would be important to emulate the four older girls at least partially.
"Frisbee sounds fun, but maybe a bit," said Camden, smiling at Brennan, with an expression she knew engendered the ingenuous look of her large brown eyes for which she strove. "Right now I'm enjoying relaxing here with Summer and Aubrey, low key. It's been a long week. Lay down next to me and dry off in the sun."
Brennan lowered herself face down on the extended chair and smiled back at Camden as she propped herself up on her elbows. Brennan Bjorklund came to the U from New York City intending to study some yet to be determined facet in the general realm of the social sciences. However, she had found she was passionate about the theater after trying out for a campus production in her freshman year on a whim. She had subsequently found roles in several additional plays over the following two years -- so it was not surprising to those who knew her when she recently switched her major to Drama.
"Bren, are you still thinking about dropping out of school to try join the theater in New York?" Summer asked, smiling over the top of Camden at Brennan.
"Well, I'd like to but, as you might have guessed, when I told my parents that's what I was trying to manifest, they weren't thrilled with the idea. They want me to stay at the university and get a degree. They're okay with my testing the waters of the theater scene after I graduate. They're so rigid and conventional in their thinking."
"Well, I hope you stay here and finish, too," Summer responded, smiling. "I like being able to see you at the house and it's so much fun to watch you perform on campus. You're such an important part of Zeta."
"You're sweet, Summer. But really, these campus plays are so lame compared with the theater scene back in The City. I want to see if I have what it takes to make it in the real world. So I'd like to either be in The City, or maybe in LA. I'm determined to make it as a serious actor -- on stage or maybe even in film."
"You definitely have what it takes, Bren," Courtney Rothschild chimed in from the chair on the other side of Brennan. "You're so talented."
"Thanks Court. I know I can always count on you. People just don't understand how serious I am about the theater. I want to work on my craft so that I can be a versatile actor, able to play anything from Shakespeare to modern."
Courtney Rothschild and Brennan Bjorklund were best friends. They had grown up in two adjacent affluent towns on Long Island and had met each other in private school there. They had arrived at the U and had joined Zeta together. Their bond had strengthened even further during their time together at college and as part of Zeta.
