Authors: Stephanie Perry Moore

The Way We Roll (20 page)

BOOK: The Way We Roll

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“Consequences, I know. But still, they're gonna be mad at me.”

“They can't be mad at you forever for actions they knew were illegal in the first place. Sometimes you gotta look within and be angry at yourself. I've seen the bond you ladies have. Before my own eyes it has gone from nothing to something is beyond powerful. I'll be talking to everybodytomorrow. We'll make sure no one leaves the suite until all hearts and minds are clear. But for now, let's get on down here to this ceremony.”

My mother looked beautiful as she put on the turquoise robe with the lavender sash. She appeared so regal, so important, like a queen. I was proud of her. “Mom?”

“Yeah, honey? We gotta get down.”

“I just remembered being here last year, when the last thing I'd wanted was to be a Beta. But you didn't give up on me. You told me it was going to be something that would change my life. I just wanna tell you that it has. Thank you.”

“Thank you,” she said as we hugged. “We've always had a bond, but now it's even stronger. We share a commongoal in life. We are sisters ready to make this world a better place. I know we talked about this before, but, honey, I'm sorry Beta Gamma Pi took so much of my time.”

“Mom, I'm not. I'm just thankful I can now fully understandwhy you spent time away. You weren't running away from me. You were running to a cause much bigger than me,” I said as we shared this special moment.

Nearly an hour later, I was sitting with my chapter. My mom was giving the convention welcome address. She had the attention of over five thousand Betas. I was moved when she said, “Many of you know that my daughter becamea Beta this year. It was absolutely one of the highlightsof my life to be able to pin my daughter and make her a member of our precious sisterhood. She didn't want any part of this at first. There was an inward change that took place, and now she's transformed into a young lady who loves our beloved symbols. She experienced some turmoilthis year when someone on campus took things furtherthan they should, but the sorors in her chapter came to her rescue. And though they do have some things they, too, need to make a little bit better, I want to say I see the bond of sisterhood growing among you. I know this sorority has a very bright future. Sorors, keep being betterwomen and keep on being better sisters.”

I looked around and saw the smiles on so many people'sfaces. There was a movement in the room, a spirit in the air, a collective agreement that we were Betas. We were proud. We could achieve anything, and I sensed we all felt that sisterhood did matter. I was proud to be a part of such a strong group of women who could put aside pettinessor jealousy and not try to hold each other back from achieving greatness. We were a group of united women wanting to be a part of the solution that could make our world better. Overwhelmingly, yes, I was happy to be a Beta.

A Reading Group Guide

Beta Gamma Pi, Book 2: The Way We Roll

Stephanie Perry Moore

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The following questions are intended to enhance your group's reading of Beta Gamma Pi: THE WAY WE ROLL by Stephanie Perry Moore

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.
Malloy Murray does not want to pledge a sorority. Do you think her mother, the National President of a sorority, understands why? Why do you feel some people are against being in sororities and fraternities?

2.
Malloy is mad at her mom and seeks comfort in Kade, a guy she barely knows. Do you feel Malloy got what she deserved when she found out she went too far too fast with this young man? What are healthy ways to deal with your discouragement?

3.
Malloy longs to please her mother, so she attends the rush for Beta Gamma Pi. Do you think it was a good decision for her to give Beta Gamma Pi a try? Have you ever stepped outside your comfort zone and betteredyourself because of it?

4.
Malloy finds two friends, Loni and Torian. How are the girls alike, and in what ways are they different? What types of qualities do you look for in your friends, and what attributes do you bring to a friendship?

5.
When Malloy, Loni and Torian decide not to participatein hazing from the big sisters, their line sisters want to haze them. Do you feel it was right or wrong of Malloy to walk away from the intense drama? What are healthier ways for new friends to come together?

6.
When Kade wants another chance at a relationship with Malloy, she is torn. Do you think Malloy makes the right decision by giving Kade another try? What is a good foundation to start a relationship with?

7.
Malloy's car and apartment are broken into. Do you think Malloy was justified to think Sharon, her Beta soror and Kade's ex-girlfriend, was the one behind it all? What does the concept “innocent until proven guilty” mean?

8.
Because of severe hazing, there is a devastating accident.Though Malloy wasn't a part of the craziness, do you think she was right in sticking by her sorors through the trial? How can you help a person forgivehimself or herself?

9.
Malloy's next-door neighbor turns out to be the one stalking her. Do you think Malloy should have known the next-door neighbor was up to something? What are things to look for to make sure no one misrepresentshimself or herself to you?

10.
Malloy and her sisters learn lessons from a hard year. Do you think disaster can bring people together? After you make it through hard times as a group, what are things you can learn that will keep the bond tight?

Stay tuned for the next book in the series,
ACT LIKE YOU KNOW,
available in September 2009, wherever books are sold.
Until then, satisfy your Beta Gamma Pi craving with
the following excerpt from the next installment.

ENJOY!

BARRIER

“
A
lyx Cruz in the house. I'm a Beta Gamma Pi girlâget out the way! Alyx Cruz in the house. I'm a Beta Gamma Pi girlâI work it all day!” I chanted as I swayed my Latina hips from left to right at the National Convention's collegiate party for my beloved sorority, Beta Gamma Pi.

I wasn't trying to be funny or anything, but as a Mexicanliving in a black world, it was not easy. I had it going on. The looks I got from men told me they wanted to get with me, and the looks I got from girls told me they wanted to be me, or they hated me because they weren't. It wasn't my fault that I didn't have kinky hair and that mine flowed more like a white girl's. Though they couldn't see it, I felt like a true sister from my core. But most Betas felt a Spanishgirl shouldn't be in a predominantly African American sorority. If they'd take time to get to know me, they'd see I was down.

However, if another one of my sorors looked at me like they wanted to snatch my letters off my chest, they were gonna be in for warâa real fight. I hated that I'd had to transfer to a new school. I'd finally gotten people to like me back in Texas, but because I'd partied just a little too muchâokay, well, not just a little too much, a lot too muchâmy grades had suffered. I didn't understand that my poor choices would mess up my scholarship. It was a minority scholarship, for which you had to maintain a 3.0 grade point average. I'd had to find another school that would take me with my 2.6 GPA, but I'd wished I could fix my mistakes.

Now I was gonna have to start all over again winning friends. Western Smith College, my Tio Pablo's alma mater, was where I was headed. My uncle had helped my mom and me come to the United States from Mexico when I was three. He'd died when I was six, and it had been me and my mom ever since. My mom kept his degree to inspireme to do more. So I applied to Western Smith and thankfully had got enough financial assistance to be able to attend.

I couldn't get an education any other way. Most of my relatives were trying to come into the US. I had an opportunity,and I couldn't be crazy with it. I had to make sure I seized the chance. Here I was in America living the dream.

But I couldn't focus on any of that, particularly when my favorite song came on. “Hey, get âem up, get âem up!” I started shouting as I turned, swiveled, sashayed, and bumped into that girl Malloy I'd met an hour before.

“I am so sorry,” I stuttered, taken back at seeing Malloy with about fifteen of her chapter sisters all staring hard at me like I'd stolen their men or something.

“Oh, no, you're fine. It's perfect anyway. I was just telling my chapter sorors here about you,” Malloy said.

All these girls were from the Alpha chapter at Western Smith, where my sorority was founded. For some reason the girls in this chapter really thought they were better than everybody else. I could tell by the way they looked at me that they wished I'd go and crawl under a rock. But I was on my way to their campus, and I already had my letters, so they needed to get over themselves. I looked at them, my hand on my hip and my eyes fully awake, like, “What ... what you gon' do?”

“
Okayyy,
let's have some hugs and some love,” Malloysaid as she pushed me toward them.

The hugs I got from some of the girls made me want to throw up. They were so fake with it. When I got to the last few, I didn't even move to hug them. I wasn't a pledge. They could respect me or keep stepping. A few of the girls turned their noses up at me and walked off. I didn't care, because the sorors I pledged with would always be there for me when I needed sisterhood. I was ready to get to the room we were sharing and tell my sorors all about the drama-chapterchicks.

Then Malloy touched my shoulder and whispered, “Wait, please let me introduce you. Please.”

Something in her gesture got to me. I didn't know her from Adam, but she was genuine. I really appreciated her wanting to make the awkwardness dissolve.

“This is my line sister Loni; our chapter president, Hayden Grant; Bea our First Vice President; and Sharon.” Those four didn't even put up our sign, which was customarywhen you met a new soror.

“Now, y'all, for real, you're being rude,” Malloy scolded as she turned her back to me and tried to get her chapter sorors straight.

She didn't have to go defending me. I could hold my own. And they ticked me off. Shoot, they didn't want me in their chapter? Well, too doggone bad. I was coming, and what were they going to do about it?

But then, as I saw them continuously staring, I realized they were seriously feeling threatened. They didn't know me or my heart. I had to make them feel comfortable and let them know I wasn't trying to mess up their game. So I sternly joked, “Hey, I know it's tough accepting an outsiderinto your fold, but in my soul let me say I feel like family. I mean, I am your soror. I know a lot of Betas who aren't really excited about Spanish girls, but trust me, I don't want the spotlight, and my letters didn't come easy. I just wanted to put that out there.”

Bea smiled and stuck her hand out for me to slap. I guess some people wanted to make sure I wasn't paper. When the others girls smiled as well, I knew things were lookingup.

To me, more importantly than how I pledged is why I pledged. I continued: “I plan to make a difference in the community, and I love this organization. I'm a team player; just give me a chance.”

All the girls finally gave me a real embrace. I didn't know where we'd go from here, but I was excited to find out.

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ISBN: 978-0-7582-8567-6

BOOK: The Way We Roll

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