Chapter 35: Sorority

[Chapter 35: Sorority]

"Greenwich Village, the birthplace of counterculture in America. Bob Dylan performed in its bars, Robert De Niro graced its theaters, and it's where the liberation movement found its roots. And of course, it's also the endpoint of New York's annual Halloween Parade..." Joel said as he walked alongside Ryan down the narrow street.

But to Ryan, aside from the stylish shops lining the streets, it didn't seem much different from anywhere else.

That was until they encountered a man walking his dog, whose upper body was clad in women's lingerie while wearing tight women's shorts on the bottom.

As they turned the corner, they stumbled upon a billboard featuring muscular men engaged in flirtatious poses, accompanied by the slogan, "You are kink positive; your healthcare should be, too."

It was a reminder to people to keep hygiene in mind while indulging in their preferences.

For Ryan, the straight man that he was, the poster felt like a dose of mental pollution. Setting aside those "shock factors," the stores along Greenwich Village were relatively normal, attracting many tourists from around the globe. There were plenty of quaint bars and restaurants, culturally rich shops like coffee bean places, vintage stores, and old record shops. Ryan didn't find much interest there.

Of course, the typical elements of New York were everywhere: the homeless man lounging in the shadows of a corner building, the mentally ill person muttering to himself at a crosswalk, the older lady rummaging through the trash cans for plastic bottles, and the four locks on a bike parked by the curb. All of this reminded Ryan that he was still in New York and not anywhere else.

Ryan was quite familiar with this place. During his nearly year-long stay in New York, he had visited a few times with three different girlfriends, all of whom were models like him. Additionally, he had a few model friends here, but Ryan wasn't planning to reach out to them this time.

This time, the whole team had ample preparation time. Ryan and Joel took advantage of their free time to wander around. On their way back, Ryan noticed a few neoclassical high-rises with purple flags reading "NYU," indicating that this building was part of New York University.

Ryan couldn't help but imagine those Harlem Shake imitation videos, several of which were clearly filmed on college campus...

Joel glanced at his watch, noticing it was soon to be evening, and the two decided to return to the nightclub to prepare for the DJ set that night.

...

New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, Double dorm.

"Elizabeth, what are you planning to wear tonight for the event?" her roommate knocked on the door, inquiring.

"Didn't you just get back from Punta Cana?" Elizabeth frowned.

"That was spring break; tonight is the vice president's birthday! You have to go, it's at that club 'Lost' nearby," her roommate reminded her.

"I don't want to go; I'm not feeling well," Elizabeth explained.

"Just don't drink. This time the social chair actually got a bunch of freshmen to come, and I heard there are some hot guys. You can't blame me for not inviting you if you don't show up," her roommate urged.

Having just broken up before spring break, Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm not interested."

"Don't you want to compete for the events director? There might be a second party tonight; this is your chance to showcase your organization skills," her roommate continued.

"Fine, fine." Elizabeth closed the door, quickly put on some light makeup, and slipped on a baseball jacket before heading out.

"Is that what you're wearing? Aren't you worried about getting stopped at the door?" her roommate teased, as she wore a form-fitting dress that highlighted her figure.

"I started my period, let's hurry," Elizabeth urged.

...

The two joined a group of other girls heading to the vice president's birthday party. Just like how men were absolutely not allowed in fraternities, sororities also barred men from entering.

Elizabeth's sorority was called Pi Beta Phi, the first national sorority in America, with over 300 chapters and alumni organizations in the U.S. and Canada, boasting more than 20,000 members.

When the bespectacled vice president arrived, the group made their way to the nightclub.

Elizabeth blended in seamlessly among the women as they made their way into "Lost Club," where a table had already been reserved on the second floor. Before long, the guys who were also attending the birthday party arrived. One man kept trying to flirt with her, but she coldly brushed him off.

Then, she was surprised to see her ex-boyfriend, whom she had just broken up with last week, dancing in the crowd. To make matters worse, he was standing next to a pretty brunette who Elizabeth recognized.

"I can't believe this! He said they were just friends, for crying out loud!" Elizabeth said, clenching her fists in frustration. Her roommate quickly tried to comfort her, but Elizabeth, simmering with rage, wanted to down a drink but ultimately put it down because of her physical state.

...

"The turnout looks good," Joel said as he watched the New Yorkers swaying on the dance floor, relieved that things were going well.

Due to his facial injuries, Joel couldn't take to the stage himself, while Ryan successfully completed his first solo DJ performance, seamlessly transitioning tracks and hyping the crowd with his words. He pushed the energy to a new level with Tremor, which brought the atmosphere to a peak.

A smile of satisfaction spread across Joel's face as he began recording Ryan's live performance with his phone.

This was Ryan's idea; he wanted to edit the footage afterward and share it on social media to engage with his fans.

Ryan successfully wrapped up his performance, and amidst the crowd's cheers in the club, he stepped off the stage. It was now time for Deadmau5 to take the spotlight, as he was the real headliner of the night, while Ryan had just warmed things up.

The lights in the room dimmed, and Deadmau5's helmet lit up, signaling the start of something new.

Ryan came over to Joel, and after reviewing some of the footage he had just captured, he approached the club staff, talking quietly to one of them.

"Don't wander off too much; I'll be right back," Ryan told Joel before turning to leave.

...

Vibrant fireworks illuminated the dark nightclub as several male servers stood at tables holding signs adorned with "Ace of Spades," grooving to the beat, capturing everyone's attention. This was a regular act at the club; whenever someone popped a bottle of Ace of Spades (an expensive champagne), staff would line up to perform a bottle-popping ceremony, expertly tapping into consumers' desire to show off.

If male guests ordered drinks, exposed women servers took the stage, but if women ordered, it would be like what was happening now.

This time, the bottle service included an extra element; the DJ, who had just been on stage, personally delivered the drinks to the table.

With the DJ making an appearance, it naturally elevated the experience above what regular servers offered.

The birthday girl, the sorority's vice president, couldn't have been happier, practically beaming as she rushed to tip the DJ.

This was already Ryan's fifth table of the night. He effortlessly suggested a group photo, and seamlessly began chatting with the college girls around him.

"Well, then, I wish the president a happy birthday!"

"Pi Beta Phi? I've heard that's a national sorority with 20,000 members? That's impressive."

"Do you all have a second party later? Got it."

Ryan found himself sitting among these college girls, not for the tips but to connect with some New York University students, preferably those who were social and could organize.

As Ryan showed his enthusiasm, others nearby began asking him questions about electronic music, inevitably boosting his charm as a few girls complimented his looks.

In that moment, Ryan casually mentioned that he had once lived in the East Village as a model, prompting a collective gasp from the group of college girls.

...

"No wonder he's so handsome," one roommate said while nibbling on fruit, stealing glances at Ryan, then leaning over to Elizabeth, who was lost in her troubles.

But Elizabeth was so consumed by her sadness and anger that she had no interest in handsome guys; she grabbed her phone and prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" her roommate quickly asked.

"I'm going to 'Base' to arrange the party site," Elizabeth shook her head, wanting nothing more than to wrap this up and get back to sleep.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.