The Brotherhood

Chapter I

By: X

There I was standing shoulder to shoulder with fourteen other guys just a couple of days after arriving at Kingsland University in Connecticut, a private school for the sons and daughters of society’s elite; not exactly what I was expecting to be doing a week before school started, let me clue you. But I must admit that’s exactly where I wanted to be standing.

I don’t even know why I’m writing this because if they ever found out I chronicled my time with them, I would lose everything. Not to mention what would happen if these pages fell into the wrong hands. Any sane person would dismiss my words out of hand, the ramblings of a crazy person. One would hope, anyway. I guess I’m doing it for my sanity, to make sure everything I went thru, everything that happened, was worth it in the end. Time will be the judge.

Are you confused yet? Well then, let me start from the very beginning.

My name is Jacob DeRosa, 19 years old, and I was leaving behind a legacy in my hometown that only a few my dare dream of. Never once did I get anything below an A. I was captain of my high school football and basketball team and led each team to four consecutive championships, class valedictorian, town hero, and the guy every girl wanted to hook up with. Standing at an even six feet, I had an excellent cut, slender frame with a killer six-pack, thanks to the hundred crunches I’ve been doing every morning since I was fourteen. My brown hair was long enough to tuck behind my ears when it got in the way but not so long that I would ever try sporting a ponytail. My bright green eyes complimented a tan that many women called “absolutely gorgeous.”

And even though I’ve been with my girl for nearly four years, I can’t say I haven’t slipped from time to time. Yeah, I felt terrible, but what’s a guy to do when every girl you meet is willing to drop her pants at a drop of a dime for you? I did want what most stupid and horny guys would do and then bought my girl an expensive gift to get over the guilt. I do care about Alexandra, and I think she is the girl I plan to marry; nevertheless, I know it was a dick move.

Now that I was starting my new life as a college kid, I had to leave everything behind, except for Alexandra. I convinced her to go with me to KU, and I’m glad she did because I wasn’t a big fan of long-distance relationships.

I pulled up in front of the dormitory Saturday morning in my black Acura after driving down from Maine. I swear I was convinced I would never get there, but it wasn’t that bad since later I found out my roommate moved from Cali. When I got there, the buzz around campus was about The Brotherhood and whom they would pick as their newest pledges. The buzz reached my home state weeks before I even got to KU.

Many of the guys were practically on their knees, praying to God they would be one of the lucky few to be chosen. And I’d be lying if I said that the remote possibility of me being one of the lucky ones wasn’t a huge factor in picking KU over Yale, which thoroughly pissed off my parents, of course, but I had to do what I had to do. I didn’t tell them my reason because I’m sure they would’ve had me committed. They simply wouldn’t understand that the Brotherhood is much more than just another fraternity. At least I understood it and hoped I wasn’t making a huge mistake.

The Brotherhood’s connection ran extremely deep. I’ve heard some fantastic stories back home while looking at colleges. It’s a known fact that any member, once they graduate, moves on to bigger and better things because of The Brotherhood. But the good never comes without the bad.

I once heard of a guy who had a promising career as a cooperate attorney, received the highest honors from KU, and decided, for whatever reason, no longer wanted to be a part of the Brotherhood. He was let go without a problem, but once he graduated, he couldn’t get a job even if he offered to work for free. From what I understand, while he was still in The Brotherhood, he was getting phone calls from across the country with offers that would blow anyone away, but after he left, he was forgotten like a fading dream. Now he’s an assistant manager of some candy store in Iowa.

Another guy, a freshman last year, was hand-picked by TBH to become one of its newest members, but during his time as a pledge, he decided he wanted out, so they let him go, and so did the school a few days after. And even though he was at the top of his class, no other colleges would even look at him, so now he’s a sophomore in some community college in some small town I had never heard of. The moral of the story is you DO NOT cross The Brotherhood. Now, if these stories and all the other ones I’ve heard are true or not, I don’t know, but why would anyone want to take that chance?

After standing outside my car for a moment to take it all in, I grabbed several bags and made the trip to the top floor. I was hoping my roommate wasn’t there so I could pick out the best bed and desk. Thankfully I was the first one there, so I could take the bed by the window and the biggest desk, which I did need since I still had to bring up my computer. Once I had my computer all unpacked and hooked up, I started to put my clothes away, and that’s when I heard someone clear their throat and knock gently on the open door. I turned around with a pair of black boxer briefs in my hands and saw my new roommate standing there with two huge, green duffle bags in either hand, smiling.

“You’re Jacob, right?”

I nodded as he dropped his bags and extended his hand, which I took with a firm grip. “That’s me. And you are?”

“CJ.”

“Which stands for what exactly?” I inquired, releasing his hand and looking him over.

“Just CJ, dude.”

“Okay…CJ, nice to meet you.” To me, he looked like your typical Cali surfer. He was slim with blond hair down to his shoulders, deep blue eyes, and wore cargo shorts, flip flops, and a snug, black t-shirt. It was clear that he kept his body in good physical condition since I could make out the contours of his chest and abs through his shirt. And I was sure he had no problems in the lady’s department since he was a pretty good-looking guy, and I’m secure enough to say that about another guy, but you’d have to be something else for me to comment on your looks, guy or girl.

“Damn, dude, I was hoping to get the bed by the window.”

“Sorry, man, but I waited around for you so we could decide who gets what, but you took so long I didn’t think you were gonna show today.” Did I feel bad for lying? Hell no! How was he ever going to find out?

“I drove from California. That’s why I’m late, dude.” Bending down to unzip his bags, I noticed him shaking his head disappointedly. “Doesn’t matter, bro; I have no problems taking the other bed.” He better not have a problem with it because I wasn’t about to give up my bed. CJ then took a hand full of clothes and just dropped them on his bed, which made me cringe. If there’s one thing I can’t stand is a messy person. “How long have you been here?”

I shrugged. “I pulled up around nine, so a few hours maybe.” Turning my back to him, I continued to unpack and then felt him looking over my shoulder.

“Dude, what are you, a neat freak? Everything looks ironed and folded so neatly.”

Again, I shrugged dismissively. “What can I say? I look my best since you never know who you might run into.”

He laughed and went back to shoveling his clothes out of his bags. While neatly folding my clothes into my dresser, he shoved whatever he could into his. “So, where you from, Jacob?”

“Maine.”

“Cool, dude.” I swear if I was going to hear “dude” come out of his mouth every other sentence for the rest of the year, I would have to kill him, which would screw up my future. “You got a girl?”

“Yeah, her parents are driving her down tomorrow; she just called me thirty minutes ago.” I was missing Alex like you wouldn’t believe. It had been at least a week since we had sex, and now this fool went and brought her up.

“My girl decided to go to school in Cali, so I had no choice but to leave her behind, but we’re going to see if we can make this long-distance thing work. If not, there are plenty of babes out here, dude, so I know I won’t have any problems getting any.”

“I hear you. How long have you been with her?”

“About two months.”

I’m surprised my eyes didn’t fall out of my head; I rolled them so hard. This “dude” was going to bang the first girl that gave him the time of day; of that, I had no doubt. But as we continued talking, I realized he wasn’t nearly as dumb as I thought. It turns out he graduated second in his class with honors from the top high school in the district, and the only reason he got second was that he was in a car accident that kept him out of school for a while. I guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover.

“So, CJ, why did you decide to come way out here for school?”

“Same reason every other guy came here, dude…The Brotherhood. If my chances of getting in are one in a million, it was still worth the trip.”

“Are you serious? You drove cross country just for that?”

“You trying to tell me you’re here because you like the scenery?”

“KU is an awesome school and has everything I need.” Though he had his back to me, I could see him stroking the air in front of him as if jacking a cock.

“Bullshit, dude! Try telling me another one and make it believable this time.”

After a moment of silence, I finally confessed. And now that my cock was soft again, I could turn around. “Okay, okay, you got me. But you had a much longer drive than me, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, but if I happen to get in by some miracle, I’d be all worth it. Dude, did you know that just becoming a pledge opens a whole new world of hotties? Girls would do anything you want them to do just because they know you might become a full Brother one day. Dude…that’s awesome!

“What about your long-distance relationship?”

“Eh,” he grinned.

I just laughed and shook my head. “Dude, it’s almost one. We have to go to that orientation shit.” I was beginning to sound like him already. I wanted to kill him! I ran my fingers thru my hair before putting a tan cap backward on my head, grabbed a pen and pad for whatever notes I might need to take, and left with CJ to orientation; all he took was a bottle of water.

The dorms were much more alive now than they were a few hours ago. Everyone was running around trying to get themselves together, and the noise level was way too high for my taste. Outside we saw people coming and going from every direction, most of them were headed to the same place we were, and since we were unsure of where to go, we just followed the crowd. Eventually, we ended up in this big room with rows and rows of steel chairs, but there were more people than chairs, so many of us ended up sitting on the floor or leaning against the wall. I was not about to sit on a dirty ass floor, so I leaned against the wall. CJ, on the other hand, ended up on the floor next to me, not that I was surprised or anything.

The Dean walked in after about ten minutes and told us to settle down and take out a pad. He was a bit on the short side but average, I guess, and even though he had gray hair and a beard, he didn’t look all that old; I think he went gray at a pretty young age. The next thing I felt was CJ pulling on my leg like some three-year-old asking for a piece of paper and my extra pen. And even though I hate ripping the paper out of my notebook with a passion, I gave him a sheet.

The room was still noisy when the dean welcomed us to the school. But no sooner did he open his mouth did the double doors to my right open, and that’s when I got my first glimpse of them. There were three, two of which stood behind the first who walked thru the door. If I had to guess, I’d say he was someone of some importance within TBH. I couldn’t see his face, but he had straight, raven black hair about the same length, if not a bit longer than CJ’s. He was about my height, and we shared pretty much the same build. He wore black jeans, sneakers, and his black lettermen jacket with “The Brotherhood” written in silver across the top.

I couldn’t make out the other two since they had their backs to me. All I could tell was that the shorter of the three had short, dirty blond hair, and the other had auburn hair. They all looked elegant and put together like that was the official TBH dress code. Once I could pull myself from the air of mystery that surrounded them, I realized I could’ve heard a pin drop. It was that quiet. Not even the Dean spoke a word. He just stood there with his head slightly bowed and hands behind his back. Every head in the room was turned around and focused on the three standing just a few feet away from me.

How bizarre!

The black-haired one took two steps forward while the other two stood their ground. His head moved slowly from side to side, scanning the room like some hunter looking for his next meal.

What was he doing? Was he trying to size the guys up to see who could cut it? I had so many questions, yet all I could do was stand there looking dumbfounded, trying to lean forward to get the slightest glimpse of his face. I think everyone jumped when he spun around suddenly and walked out, but my mind was able to take a snapshot of him while in mid-spin. It sounds crazy, but I have an incredible memory and sharp vision. He should’ve been a blur, but he wasn’t. He had fair skin, thin reddish lips, and a small, elfish nose. He looked like a model walking down the runway.

During the rest of orientation, I was spaced out to the point of not remembering to take notes, yet the first three pages of my notebook were full of them. Once it was over, CJ and I walked back to our room in silence. We spent the rest of the day putting our things away with little to say to each other. Eventually, he left to do God knows what, and I was left alone. I enjoyed the quiet in the room because it gave me a chance to think and look back on things. But the tranquility I lost myself in didn’t last long when CJ returned during the night.

“Dude…do you think they noticed me?”

I laughed out loud because he sounded so serious as if his world would crumble around him if they hadn’t. “I doubt it since we were standing directly behind them, and they were only looking at the people in front. You were also sitting down, making it harder to notice.” Once I smelled the beer on his breath, it didn’t take me long to figure out what he went to do when he left. He wasn’t wasted or anything; he probably just had a few beers by the local bar that served college kids even if there weren’t twenty-one.

“Oh, come on! Don’t say that!”

I shrugged and threw my hands up in the air. “It’s the truth, bro! What do you want me to say?”

Dropping himself like a bag of rocks on the chair, he put his feet on my desk and clasped his hands behind his head. “That sucks, dude! I’ll be pissed if I don’t get in!”

“Are you insane? Do you have any idea how many guys go to this school? The chance of one of us getting picked is slim at best. Besides, who knows what they look for in a potential pledge? For all we know, the overuse of the word ‘dude’ could be the key to getting in.”

“If that was the case, you think I have a chance?”

“CJ, in the overusing the word ‘dude’ department, you have everyone beat hands down, but I’m thinking it’s just a bit more complicated than that.” I peeled off my shirt and threw it in the hamper I placed in the closet, then slipped off my joggers, and for a moment, I forgot I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. I thought about it for a moment and decided I didn’t care. I saw plenty of wangs swinging in the locker room, and I was positive he did as well.

I saw CJ look over his shoulder, checking me out, no doubt, before turning around to start up my computer. I wasn’t the least bit surprised because what guy doesn’t compare himself to others? Hell, I’ve done it myself in the locker room. The only difference was most guys were discreet. On the other hand, CJ was blatant about it since he has that carefree attitude. It wasn’t a hard look either, just a curious one. And I didn’t care since I’m proud of what I got.

Even though I told him he could use my computer whenever because he had his shipped, I wasn’t expecting him to take me up on my offer so quickly. As I was slipping on a pair of black boxer briefs, I saw the site CJ clicked on. I just rolled my eyes because I knew my hard drive would be filled with porn.

I turned off the light, opened the windows, and slipped under my favorite silk sheet. “I’m wicked tired, so I’m going to bed. I better not find anything white and dried up on my keyboard, buddy, or there will be hell to pay.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he giggled.

I was tired, and yet I couldn’t fall asleep. My mind was racing. All I could think about was the three Brothers who walked in during orientation, specifically the dark-haired one. He was there for less than five minutes, yet he had me captivated.

I don’t know how long I lay there, but thankfully my eyes started rolling into the back of my head. Rolling over onto my left side, I could barely keep my eyes open when I heard CJ turn the computer off and walk over to the window.

He stretched and yawned loudly.

The moonlight was on him like a single ray of light, giving him a somewhat ghostly appearance; still, I couldn’t help but think, When the hell is this idiot going to go to bed? CJ looked down at me as if he had read my mind, and I pretended to be dead asleep; then, he took off his shirt and threw it on the ground, making me want to scream.

Did I mention I can’t stand messy people?

Dropping his shorts, he finally went to bed entirely in the buff. Go figure.

The following day, I awoke with the sun on my face and thought, maybe getting the bed by the window wasn’t such a great idea.

I groaned, kicked off the sheet, and planted my feet on the floor. Running my hand thru my hair, I yawned for a long time, then stood and stretched. My clock read seven in the morning, and I was surprised I was up so early because I fell asleep wicked tired.

CJ was spread out on his bed, looking like a little kid with his right hand curled against his eyes and the other on his stomach. He was smiling about something, but I couldn’t tell you what, and it’s not like I wanted to know. Sometime during the night, with all his tossing and turning, his sheets fell to the floor, and he was now completely naked. And since he checked me out the day before, I was going to take the chance to size him up.

He was big, but I was a little bigger; at least that’s what I told myself to give myself a little ego a boost. But since I wasn’t looking forward to walking around the room with a naked guy on the bed, I took his sheet and covered him up just passed his waist.

Rolling my eyes, I picked up his clothes, folded them, and placed them neatly on his dresser. My bladder wanted to release, but I had to do my morning crunches. I found having to pee was a great motivator.

About an hour later, I was showered and dressed in faded blue jeans and a gray shirt. I was standing in front of the mirror, running my hands thru my silky hair, trying to decide what to do with it. Usually, I don’t have to do much since it just falls right into place. I finally decided to let it do just that, fall into place, and took a seat at my computer and checked my email.

“Dude, why didn’t you wake me?” I heard CJ groan.

I shook my head. “I’m not a freaking alarm clock, and you are a grown boy. Now I suggest you get your butt out of bed and shower so we can go to the store to pick up our books before there’s a line out the freaking door.”

“What’s the rush? School doesn’t start for another week.”

“Fine, I’ll go by myself, but when you have to stand in line for hours, don’t bitch at me about how much it sucked.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll get up. Can you pass me the towel next to you, please?”

I took the towel and threw it over my head. CJ took me by surprise when he got out of bed and did a series of push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches. I don’t know why I was shocked. He had an incredible physique that needed to be maintained, but he just came off like such a slacker that seeing him workout kind of throws you off.

All in all, It took him about forty-five minutes to get ready, and it didn’t surprise me that he threw on the same clothes he was wearing the day before.

Getting our books and supplies took about another hour. We had breakfast and met some of the other guys living in our dorm. CJ and I sat at a table with four others, two of whom were from a different dorm, but they seemed cool, so it was all good. The first half of breakfast was spent talking about the many beautiful ladies strewn about the room and who we would love to get into bed with.

“You see that blonde over there?” Nick pointed to this gorgeous girl sitting three tables away from us. Nick was this giant football jock from Tampa, Florida; the kid was all muscle with a think-ass neck, a real animal. “That girl is easy. She’ll spread her legs for you after just one drink.” He grinned, and his dimples became quite apparent. The glint in his brown eyes was one of tremendous excitement as if that blonde was going to walk over any minute and drop to her knees in front of him.

“And you know this because?” I inquired with a raised brow, looking at the girl briefly before returning my gaze to Nick.

“Because I fucked her three times in one night, guy.” He put out three fingers and laughed. “She’s from my hometown. I’m telling you, if you’re ever horny and need to get laid bad, just buy her a drink; she’ll ride you all night.”

“I can do without the shot of penicillin, thanks,” I insisted.

Nick’s confused expression made everyone laugh loudly.

That kind of talk took up most of breakfast. What can one expect when you put six horny college guys together around one table? We weren’t going to pull out the Bible and preach the word of God; I can tell you that much. Many crazy stories were told that had us laughing our asses off for the most part, but if I had to guess, most were probably bullshit.

I could already tell I would get along with these guys famously; they were just my type of crowd. Then the conversation took a 180-degree turn when Anthony, a nineteen-year-old first-year student from Rhode Island, posed a fascinating question.

“So, what did you guys think when The Brotherhood showed up at orientation?” I liked him from the get-go since he helped me carry my computer to my room. This brown-haired, brown-eyed white boy from RI was the star quarterback of the Classical High foot team, so we had a few things in common right off the bat. He was 5’9 and, from what I understood, probably the fastest thing on two feet.

Nick’s cheek puffed out as he let out a long gust of air. Falling back on his chair, he removed his baseball cap to reveal a mess of curly red hair. Talk about overdramatization! You’d think someone just told him he was about to be a father, and his life was over. And after all that, all he managed to say was, “Man…it was intense!”

I looked at him for a moment, then busted out laughing; no one understood why.

“Dude, what’s so funny?” Well, the word “dude” was used. Do I have to tell you who asked that question?

“Look at his face! Nick looks like he’s about to shit his pants or something.”

He smirked and gave me the finger. “I’ll tell you one thing, bro. I almost did when I saw those guys walk thru the doors.”

Paul nodded. “Yeah, my stomach turned, but not because of The Brotherhood but because I was sitting next to Nick, and I swear he did crap his pants because something was smelling awful.” Paul was the funny guy from New York and lived just two rooms down from CJ and me. Not only was he funny, but he was a freaking genius, attending KU on a full scholarship.

“Fuck you, kid!”

Paul scratched his eye with his middle finger while looking at Nick.

“Why do you think they were there?” Then there was Steve, a B student from Massachusetts and an all-around okay guy. He is not the best-looking guy at the table, but his personality makes up for it. He was a bit on the skinny side with a bad case of acne. His ink-black hair was too dark to be natural. And speaking which, the kid was covered from head to toe in it in black clothes.

“Why else?” Paul squinted his eyes and looked at Steve as if to say, are you serious, you dumbass? Maybe I was wrong, but I got the impression that Paul didn’t like him much. “It was obvious they were checking out what they had to work with.”

“Shit!” CJ yelled out loud, drawing more than just a few stares.

Ant looked at me and pouted his lips at CJ. “What’s eating him?”

I laughed. “He’s just mad because we were behind them when they walked in, so I doubt they even noticed us. Now he’s all bullshit about it.”

“Hey man, you never know.” Patting CJ’s back to reassure him, Paul smiled.

“I’m guessing most of the guys on campus came to KU hoping to get picked by The Brotherhood.” Ant looked around the table at each of us as if waiting for an answer.

We all nodded but didn’t say anything.

“I’m not here because I want to get into The Brotherhood,” Steve insisted. “I’ve always hated that type of organized shit.”

“Yeah, like you have a chance in hell of getting picked,” Paul raised the corner of his mouth and made the “ok” sign with his hand, then laughed. “Let me guess; you were the one who wasn’t chosen when they were picking teams in gym class, huh?”

“Why don’t you fucking blow me?”

“In your dreams, buddy! You couldn’t pay me enough.”

Steve gave him both fingers.

There was a moment when everyone just sat quietly, thinking.

“I wonder what they look for in a potential pledge,” I asked no one in particular. No one responded since they didn’t know the answer. “Do you believe those stories about the guys who wanted out of the Brotherhood then had their lives go to hell?”

“Hell yeah!” They all said in unison. It was funny, so we all got a good laugh out of it.

“I’ve heard worst!” Nick said adamantly.

Folding his arms on the table, Paul leaned forward slightly. “Like?”

“Well, there was this one guy who grew up in the area. He came to KU on a full football scholarship. Within a few days of getting here, he was picked to pledge The Brotherhood. After only a week, he wanted out. He wasn’t brave enough to see it through to the end.

“The dude lost his scholarship and had to leave school.” He stuck out one finger. “He lost his car because his loan was canceled.” He stuck out another finger. “The guy was kicked out of his apartment by the landlord for no apparent reason.” Another one of his fingers popped up. “No one would give the guy a job, so he had to move back in with his parents because he had nowhere else to go.” Nick ended his little story by wiggling four fingers in the air. “No one knew for sure if The Brotherhood was behind it, but everyone knew for sure The Brotherhood was behind it.

“It’s how they operate. They have connections like you wouldn’t believe. If anyone here gets picked, I suggest you fools see it through to the end no matter what they throw at you, unless you want your life to turn to shit. On the other hand, if you become a full Brother, you’ll be hooked up for life.”

“I wonder what they put you thru while you’re pledging,” CJ mused.

“It’s probably the same bullshit hazing that goes on with every other fraternity around the country. Some guys just don’t have the guts to see it thru to the end. Me,” Nick placed his hand proudly on his chest, “if I get picked, I’m going all the way. I’m not about to go out like some punk!”

“And the amount of hotties that become available is out of this world!” Paul added.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Nick hollered.

Nick and Paul gave each other high fives, and the rest joined in; my hand was red when we finally stopped. We continued to talk about TBH, and what we thought they were all about. of course, we were all talking out of our asses because we didn’t have a fucking clue.

While we were talking and busting each other up, the room fell eerily silent, and thinking back to orientation; I knew that meant only one thing. Everyone around my table started to look for anyone wearing a TBH lettermen jacket, even Steve, who claimed no interest in TBH. I was the first to spot him standing by the double doors with his hands in his jacket. It was the same black-haired guy from orientation. I must confess. I was intrigued and could not take my eyes off him, as if he cursed me with a spell from across the room. The mystery surrounding him and what he was involved in kept me captivated, as were we all. We were slaves to his mere presence, and that’s what I wanted! To walk into a room and have all eyes fall on me in silence. The control! The power! The influence of a Brother! I wanted it bad!

I heard the girl sitting behind me say, “Oh my God, he is so hot!”

He stood there for about a minute before walking to the other side and exiting the room. I was bummed that he didn’t even look in our direction, and I wasn’t the only one.

“Shit!” CJ yelled as he threw his hands up in defeat. “What does a guy have to do to get noticed around here?”

We all laughed at him, and I even ruffled his hair playfully.

After breakfast, we all pretty much went out separate ways. I jumped in my car with Ant and headed off to see the sights of Connecticut since I’ve never been, at least not that I could remember, but that’s a story for another time. We went to the mall because Ant wanted to buy a heavier jacket for the Fall. We got to eat some amazing pizza from this hole-in-the-wall pizzeria in the food court. It was nice to get away with Anthony and just relax and let loose.

By the time we got back to campus, it was four in the afternoon. I said my goodbyes to Ant, grabbed my books from the back seat, and went upstairs to my room. CJ was already lying on my bed, for some odd reason playing with his Switch. Since he was on my bed, I crashed on his, dumping my books and notebooks all over my chest.

“Why are you on my bed, you bum?”

“Uh, because you have the better view, that’s why.”

I grinned impishly. “Well, get off,” I demanded. “I want to lay down for a bit. I’m tired.”

“Dude, sleep on my bed…I’m busy.”

“You’re playing a video game, CJ, that hardly qualifies as being busy.”

“It does to me, dude!”

“Do you ever not use the word dude?”

“What do you mean, dude?” His tongue was sticking out the side of his mouth as he concentrated on the tiny screen.

I slapped my forehead.

Hard!

“Never mind!” I went to get up and noticed a black envelope sticking out of my physics book. I was pissed because I bought a new book, and if it had crap inside of it, that meant it wasn’t. “What the fuck?” Pulling out the envelope, I realized nothing was written on the front, but when I turned it around, I saw the red wax TBH seal stamped. My heart stopped for a second, and my hand started to tremble. “Oh, my God, CJ, look.”

“What was that?”

“CJ, look!”

“Ugh! What do you want, dude?” He looked at me harshly, slamming the Switch on the bed. “Yeah, so? It’s a black envelope, good for you.”

“Yeah, a black envelope with TBH stamped on it.”

“Big whoop!” CJ started playing again but stopped and raised his head after a few seconds. “Wait…did you say TBH?” He was looking at me now with wide eyes.

I slowly nodded.

“TBH…as in The Brotherhood.”

Again, I nodded.

“TBH…as in the fraternity every guy and their dead grandfather wants to get into?”

I nodded.

“TBH…as in….”

“Yes, you fuck! I don’t know about you, but I only know of one TBH!”

CJ jumped out of my bed like it was made of nails and rushed to my side. “Dude, what are you waiting for? Open it!”

Breaking the wax seal, I pulled out a card and a picture with the side and top view of a plain, white Nike sneaker.

The hell, was my first thought.

The card read:

Jacob,

Come to The Brotherhood house at eight sharp. Don't bother showing up if you plan on being a second late. If you are interested, turn the card over for further instruction.

Two pieces of fabric were glued to the back, a white one and another from blue jeans. The instructions were simple. I was to dress in a white t-shirt and blue jeans of the same color as the pieces provided. The picture of the white Nike’s was telling me what sneaker to wear.

My heart was racing in my chest! I just couldn’t believe my luck.

“Dude, where did you get that envelope from?”

“It was just sticking out of my chemistry book. I have no clue how it got there since I’ve had it with me all day. This is so fucking unbeliv….”

Before I could finish my sentence, CJ was dumping everything out of his book bag onto my bed. He was frantically looking thru his books and pads like a mad man, and I know I heard a few pages tear. When he didn’t find anything, he sat on my bed with his elbows on his knees, wholly depressed. I felt terrible for the guy. I mean, he looked like he was about to start balling. Not wanting to look at him, I looked around the room as if it was my first time there. What could I possibly say to make him feel any better?

I signed and looked over to his desk. “CJ, how long have you been in here?”

He shrugged. “Who fucking cares, dude?”

“I do! Answer the question.”

“A few hours. Why? What difference does it make, dude?”

“And in all that time, you didn’t notice that black envelope leaning against the lamp on your desk?”

He looked at his desk, then back at me, and his whole face lit up like you wouldn’t believe. It was like someone just told him he won the 100-million-dollar Powerball. The boy needed no encouragement from me to get up and open that envelope. He had the card and picture out before I had a chance to bat an eye. It said the same thing as mine, the only difference being that it was addressed to him. We grabbed each other by the arms and started jumping up and down, and for a moment, I felt like a five-year-old during Christmas.

“Wait! I don’t have any jeans this color.”

“You sure?”

“Dude, I’m positive!”

“Don’t sweat it; you can borrow a pair of mine.” After checking the countless pairs of jeans I had brought, I realized I didn’t have s single pair that matched the color of the fabric glued to the card; they were either too light or too dark. Not to mention that I didn’t have the sneakers in the picture. I was going to lose it!

CJ and I looked at each other and yelled, “The mall!”

We had to get our asses in gear because it was a Sunday, and everything was going to close earlier than usual. As we left, my cell went off, alerting me to missed messages. I had forgotten to take it with me when I was out with Ant.

While standing by the door, I asked CJ if my phone had rung while I was away, to which he replied, “Oh yeah, I picked it up the fourth time she called.”

“She?”

“Yeah, it was some girl, Alexandra.”

“Alexandra! That’s my girl, you idiot! I forgot about her. Fuck! She’s going to kill me. I have to call her.”

“Dude, there’s no time!”

“I’ll call her on the way.”

Boy, what a mistake that was. Alex bitched my ear off the entire way to the mall. I apologized many times, but that wasn’t good enough for her. She wanted to see me, but I told her I had to do something important that night and that I would explain it all later. I was supposed to help her move her things in, and now she thought I was trying to back out of my promise. She didn’t want to hear it and hung the phone up. I knew then I would also be shopping for a gift for Alex to make it up to her.

We managed to find jeans and shirts that were damn near close, if not identical, to the fabrics that came with the card. Surprise, CJ forgot his wallet in the panic and had to bum the money from me. I just put it all on my card, and we were out of there and back in our room getting dressed before you could say TBH! CJ and I were dressed and ready to go by 7:30.

I was nervous as hell when we stepped out of our room. While waiting for the elevator, I heard a door shut behind us somewhere. I looked down the hall and saw Paul smoothing his shirt down with his hands.

I smiled. He was dressed just like us!

“Paul!” I yelled. He looked up, and strands of black hair fell over his face, completely covering his bright, blue eyes.

“You too!”

I nodded.

The three of us yelled like we scored the winning touchdown for the state championship. We crushed into each other in a three-way bear huge and grunted like animals. We were so excited we missed the elevator the first time around.

Finding the TBH house was a breeze since everyone knew it was in a secluded, heavily wooded area behind the campus. We found the dirt road leading to the house and quicken our pace.

“Do you think Nick and Ant got picked?” Paul looked at me, genuinely concerned. I was a bit surprised since we had just met that day, but I could understand why he wanted them with us. It would’ve been cool to have our little crew together.

“I have no clue. I’m still shocked that I got picked, you know?”

“Yeah, I hear that.”

“What about Steve?” Knowing how much Paul liked Steve, CJ looked at him, grinning foolishly.

“Oh, God! Don’t even mention that kid’s name to me. If he made it in, I’m going to hang myself!”

CJ and I laughed.

I looked ahead, then behind us, and pointed out that we were the only ones on the road. Even though the sun had settled a few minutes ago, the sky was still bright enough to provide some light.

“We can’t be the only ones,” Paul assured us. “There have to be other guys too. Maybe they’re running late.”

“Or maybe we are,” I added.

We looked at each other and then bolted down the dirt road like the devil himself was after us. Along the way, we passed an Asian guy dressed just like us; he took one look at us and followed our lead, running behind us as if his life depended on it. We picked up three other guys walking further down the road.

I remember thinking that it felt like we were running forever, but eventually, we ran up this hill, and at the top, we could see the TBH house sitting at the very bottom, surrounded by a field of green grass. The whole area looked like a giant ass crater as if the house fell from the sky and struck the earth with tremendous force.

Once at the bottom, we got a better look at the five-story house. It was huge, and the design looked decades old, but it was maintained very well. The house was a deep blue, and the windows were mirrored and dark, so it was impossible to look inside, but I was sure it was easy for them to see. The house was very intimidating, and the two large windows in the center appeared to be staring at us. It was very creepy!

Ten guys were standing outside the house dressed like us; the seven of us made seventeen.

I leaned over to CJ and whispered, “Damn, I wonder how many guys were picked.”

He simply shrugged, and when I made the same comment to Paul, he did the same. We were scanning the crowd for anyone we knew, but I didn’t see anyone; these were all new faces to me. CJ was the one who yelled out, “Nick!”

The muscular football player ran up to us and gave CJ a giant bear huge; the poor guy was screaming for mercy. “You guys made it!”

“Yeah, now put me down, dude, before my eyes pop out of my sockets!”

“Oh, sorry, man, I’m glad you guys made it.” He released him, and CJ would’ve fallen to the ground if it wasn’t for Paul. “Is Anthony with you?”

“No, actually, I was hoping he was already here after seeing you.” I was bummed because I wanted our little group to be complete so we could have each other’s backs.

“Nope, I haven’t seen him all day.” Nick shook his head slowly.

“Oh, this is gonna suck if he wasn’t picked!” I slammed my fist into my hand. “He better show!”

“And what exactly are you going to do if I don’t?”

Immediately I grinned because I recognized that voice, and when I turned around, Ant was standing with his hands shoved in his back pockets, shrugging his shoulders as if challenging me to a fight. We all hollered like made men while the other guys stared at us like we were nuts. I barely knew these guys, but I was sure they were the ones I wanted to stand next to when this was all over.

“What about Steve?” Ant inquired sincerely.

“Why would you want that loser around?”

“Come on, Paul, wouldn’t it be cool if we all got in?”

“Yes, us five right here,” he said, making a circular motion between us. “Let’s leave Goth Boy out of this circle.”

I laughed. “You’re so fucked up! What time is it anyway?”

“7:57,” Ant replied. “Come on; everyone already started gathering around the front doors.”

A crowd of twenty-four guys stood around the main entrance. We looked like a bunch of clones standing there dressed alike, but I got the feeling that was the point. We were all to be the same; no one was better than anyone else.

At 7:59 and 23 seconds, this guy came running up behind us at full speed. The instant Paul saw who it was, he complained.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” he mumbled.

It took all my willpower to stop me from laughing my ass off. Okay, I admit it. I wanted Steve around just to see Paul and him go at it because it was funny, and he looked annoyed.

“Ugh, I thought you said you weren’t interested in the Brotherhood.”

“What are you fucking stupid? Why else do you think I came to KU? Idiot!”

We all laughed and slapped the kid on the back.

Leaning into Paul, I asked, “Should I get the rope now or….”

“Shut the fuck up!”

The minute Ant’s watch hit 8:00, two front doors to the house opened, and the black-haired guy stepped out with a group of Brothers behind him. We were surrounded by about eleven Brothers and forced into a tight huddle. And twenty-five guys forced into a small circle is not a pretty sight, let me tell you. I felt like a freaking caged animal.

Only five Brothers remained on the steps; the raven-haired guy was one of them, and I didn’t know the other four. He stood to the right of a Brother with long, brown hair that stretched down his back, but it was tied back in a long ponytail. Standing at the center of the five brothers, he had his arms folded over his chest and looked at us rather ominously. I guess he had a thin frame but a nice build, a swimmer’s build. And like the rest of the Brothers, he had his letterman jacket on with TBH inscribed on the top right of the jacket.

There was complete silence for a long time, and I could feel several elbows jabbing me from all sides; it was fucking annoying. We were forced to stand there tightly compacted for at least thirty minutes; in that time, no one spoke a word. Finally, the long-haired Brother stepped forward, clasping his hand behind his back.

“You have thirty seconds to get in a single line from shortest to tallest.”

At first, we all looked at each other like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck.

“25 seconds!”

I have never seen twenty-five guys move so fast in my life. Guys were being grabbed and pushed into place by some of the other pledges who decided to take matters into their own hands.

“15 seconds!”

One guy got out of line and stood by the side to see if we had it right. He pointed to the guy in front of me and told him to move behind me.

“7 seconds!”

The front of the line needed more work than the back, which was where I was standing, but thanks to that guy, we got it together in time.

“Perfect,” the Brother said, curling a finger under his nose. “I’m Eric. But I, as well as my Brothers, will be referred to as Sir at all times. Failure to do so will result in a severe penalty. When you answer a question, it will be yes or no, Sir. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sir!” Came out of the mouth of every guy in line. For a moment, I thought I was in the army.

“Now place your right hand on the shoulder in front of you and keep your eyes locked on the back of that person’s head.” Eric moved to the front of the line and told the first guy to follow one of the Brothers into the house and lead the rest of us to our destination.

We marched into the house in single file, and when I was about to enter the house, I caught sight of the raven-haired Brother I first saw in orientation out the corner of my eye. He was whispering something to another Brother and brushing his hair from his face. I wanted to make eye contact for some reason, but I wasn’t about to take my eyes off the back of CJ’s head. We moved thru the house in silence down a long corridor, and then the line slowed down to baby steps. I didn’t know why at first, but when I got to an iron door with the words “The Pit” over it, I knew why.

We were descending to what had to be the basement. It was pitch black. And when I put my foot on that first step, I felt like I was stepping into a black hole. No wonder they wanted us to hold on to the guy in front of us because we could easily fall and break our necks.

Once I hit solid ground, I let out a sigh of relief. It’s not a good feeling to not know where you are or what’s around you.

We were instructed to turn to our right as three overhead lamps came on, illuminating all the pledges, a light that we could not see past. I heard one set of footsteps walking around us several times, and then those steps came toward us. It was the raven-haired Brother.

He walked up and down the line just inches away from us, stopping at each pledge for a few seconds. When he got to me, I could make eye contact, and what a set of eyes he had. They were silvery-blue and gleamed under the bright lights. They were unusually stunning.

The contact didn’t last long, for he moved on to CJ and continued down the line. After his inspection, he stood in front of us, and two Brothers appeared on either side of him. They were the same four guys that stayed behind on the steps while the other Brothers surrounded us. Something told me those five guys were the big players in the house.

“Allow me to introduce myself.” He spoke in a soft voice, but it was so quiet and still in the room there was no need for him to speak any louder. “I’m Q. And you will refer to me as Q, not Mr. Q, not Sir, or Sir Q, but Q. Understood?”

Everyone answered with a loud “Yes,” but there was one guy who answered, “Yes, Sir.”

What a dumbass, I thought.

Q snapped his fingers and pointed him out in a heartbeat. “You’re dismissed.” Before the guy could say anything, he was grabbed and escorted out of The Pit.

“We’re down to twenty-four!” a voice yelled out from the darkness surrounding us. Not expecting this, I flinched a little.

Raising his hands, Q pointed to the middle of the line and in my direction. “You, you, and you come here.” He pointed two fingers to the spot on either side of him. At first, I thought he was talking to me, but I was relieved when the guy I was standing next to walked up to Q. “Face the pledges,” he ordered. “Now, did you not get a card with two pieces of fabric glued to the back?” They answered yes loudly. “And do you notice how everyone in line is dressed the same?” Again, they yelled out yes. “Then why are your jeans a different color?”

Staying entirely still, I looked at them by only moving my eyes, and at first, I didn’t see what Q was talking about. They were dressed exactly as I was, but when one looks closely enough, one can see that their pants were a bit lighter than the rest of us. But it wasn’t something that could be easily noticed. They were damn near the same, and I would never have seen it if it wasn’t for Q.

“But I thought these….” One of the guys tried to speak, but Q quickly cut him off.

“You read the card in the black envelope, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Was it written anywhere on the card that you were to think?”

“But I…”

“You’re dismissed!”

And like before, the three guys were escorted out of The Pit.

“Twenty-one!” Someone yelled out, but it wasn’t the same voice as before.

Q then picked out the second guy in line, who had to be 5’5 or something because he was little. “Did you get a picture of a plain, white Nike sneaker in your envelope?”

“Yes.”

“And do you see how everyone else is wearing plain, white Nike sneakers?”

“Yes.” The poor kid looked like he was about to piss himself.

“Then why do I see blue on your sneaker?”

“I couldn’t find….”

“You’re dismissed!”

“Twenty!” Several voices yelled in unison, and then it fell silent again. It was like counting down to the new year or something.

“You come here.” Q picked another guy out of the line. “Why is your shirt untucked?”

“I didn’t think it….”

“You’re dismissed!”

“Nineteen!”

CJ would owe me big because I forced him to tuck his shirt in. He didn’t think it was going to make a difference. I don’t believe the boy had ever tucked in a shirt in his life.

“You come here.” Yet another guy was standing in front of Q.

Eric walked up until he was shoulder to shoulder with Q. “Are you the sophomore who transferred from Washington State?”

“Yes!”

“You’re dismissed!” Eric sneered.

“For being from Washington State?” The pledge looked shocked.

“No,” Q titled his head slightly to the side mockingly, “for not referring to a Brother as Sir.”

I felt so bad for the guy because they ultimately tricked him. Q was the only one who was not to be referred to as Sir. I was so glad they didn’t call me because I would’ve also fallen for the trick, but I learned my lesson. When the guy realized his mistake, I could tell he just wanted to kick himself in the ass.

“Eighteen!” More and more voices were added to this numerical chant.

One of the other five Brothers standing closest to us stepped out and walked around us. He told us his name was Steel but reminded us to refer to him as Sir. The guy was muscular, not as big as Nick, but he was up there, and had short, black hair and a thorn tattoo around his neck! I couldn’t begin to imagine the pain he had to endure.

“We’re still carrying a lot of dead weight.” The other four Brothers agreed and started circling us as well, and I could’ve sworn Q looked at me everything he passed me. “I want you ladies to drop and do some push-ups.” Steel purposely fell silent and waited. While lying down flat on the floor, someone asked how many push-ups we had to do.

My first thought? Idiot!

“You’re dismissed!”

“Seventeen!”

I felt a little bad because he was the guy who took charge outside when we had to form a line, but oh well.

“The first three whose arms give out can consider themselves dismissed,” Steel said. “And the remaining fourteen can consider themselves new pledges of the Brotherhood. Begin!”

I think the first one hundred push-ups were easy for everyone since we were all in pretty good shape, but after that, I heard some hard breathing going on. After the one-fifty mark, I listened to the Brothers watching from the shadows yell out sixteen, and a few push-ups after that, they yelled fifteen, which meant only one more needed to drop.

After doing 200 pushups, I dripped with sweat, and my hair was matted to my face. I was positive they turned up the heat in there. You couldn’t tell me otherwise. I saw the drops of sweat fall from my forehead and hit the floor. I looked to my left at CJ and saw his arms starting to buckle.

You better not give out on me, CJ! Hang in there until someone else drops!

I know Paul was praying that the next guy to fall would be Steve.

Two hundred twenty-five pushups, and I was about to drop my damn self, so I knew CJ would go any second. And just as his arms gave out, I heard the Brothers yell out fourteen. If the other guy had held out for a few more seconds, CJ would’ve been dismissed. Steve was the real MVP, surprising us all by not dropping. I was genuinely impressed.

I collapsed onto a small pool of sweat, my shirt and pants clung to me like a second skin, and all I could hear was heavy panting. I ran my hand thru my hair, and it was soaked. We didn’t even get to rest long before we were ordered to our feet. I could barely stand.

The five Brothers were standing in front of us; this time, Steel was standing in the middle. If one of them was the leader, I couldn’t tell who it was. Another Brother, who appeared to be Hispanic with his golden Caribbean tan and dark, curly hair, stepped forward. At 6’4, he was the tallest of the five Brothers. He introduced himself as Geo and folded his arms over his chest.

“Before we begin, I want to give you guys a choice. If there’s anyone here who doesn’t feel they are cut out to be here, feel free to dismiss yourself.” He paused for a moment. “Once that door closes, your asses belong to the Brotherhood. I’ll be fair and give you ten minutes to think it over in silence.” He stepped back and disappeared into the darkness along with the other four Brothers.

For me, there was nothing to think about. I knew I wanted to be there; it’s where I belonged. I wondered what was going thru the minds of Ant, CJ, and the rest of the guys. I was hoping they weren’t having second thoughts about being there. Thankfully, after the ten minutes was up, no one moved, and the iron door to The Pit slammed shut.

“You had your chance,” a voice said from the darkness, one which I did not recognize. Maybe it was the last Brother that had yet to speak, but I wasn’t sure. “Now you belong to us…mind, body, and soul!”

I swallowed hard for some reason; maybe it was the chill in his voice or the thought of what was to come, but whatever the cause, I became unnerved. I was able to hear my heart beating in my ear.

A few more lights came on overhead, and the circle of light was extended an extra four feet. It was amazing the difference those lights made. I could now see that the rest of the Brothers, with their serious stare and threatening stance, appeared quite intimidating. They surrounded us. In the middle of each Brother, standing further back, were more Brothers in long, dark robes with their faces concealed by the hoods. I could make them out because they stood just outside the circle of light.

Now, these Brothers intrigued me quite a bit. What was their deal? Why were they the only ones concealing their identities? There were just so many questions racing thru my mind at the time.

Q and the other four brothers were standing in the center, just looking at us. The one who had yet to introduce himself walked towards my end of the line and clasped his hand behind his back. He had a nice deep tan like he had spent hours at the beach. The five o’clock shadow on his face made him look older than the rest.

He stopped and shoved his hands in his front pockets, and I was surprised that he could get them in because he was wearing some tight jeans, which didn’t leave much to the imagination, I might add. Not that I was looking or anything, but there was no way not to notice. His bulge was just out there, and it looked huge! I could never wear anything that tight, but different strokes for different folks, I guess.

He said his name was Seth and proceeded to walk up and down the line glaring at us as if we had just taken away his favorite toy or something. Eventually, he returned to the other four Brothers and stood in the center, his hands still in his tight pockets.

“Strip off all your clothes and place them neatly on the floor in front of you,” Seth ordered. We just kind of stood there wondering if we heard him right. “You shitheads are wasting time; you only have 45 seconds to strip.”

“More like 37, but who’s counting?” Geo added.

My hands were unbuttoning my pants before I even knew it. I yanked my pants down, bent down to take off my sneakers, and pulled them off; my socks and shirt quickly followed. Grabbing the waistband of my boxer briefs, I looked to my left to see if the other guys were going all the way, and they were, so I followed their lead. I don’t know I did it, but I was completely naked and had my clothes folded neatly on the floor with at least two seconds two spare. I was so embarrassed! Changing up in the locker room to head for class or the gym was different than standing there butt naked with countless eyes gawking at you, but I guess that was the point, to feel embarrassed. I wanted desperately to cover myself, but I didn’t dare move.

Not everyone was so lucky. Out of the fourteen guys, one didn’t finish in time. It was Nick. He was standing one guy away from me on my right, and while everyone was standing there finished, he was just getting his pants off. The guy was so massive I wasn’t surprised he had trouble getting his jeans off in time. I was waiting to hear the words you’re dismissed, but they never came. The Brothers waited until Nick was done folding his clothes and standing upright. He must’ve been nervous because I know I would’ve been.

After a brief moment of complete stillness, Q pointed to Nick and then to the spot in front of all the pledges; we made quick eye contact as he passed me, and I just hoped he felt me say, hang in there, buddy.

“Turn right and grab your ankles,” Q ordered, then snapped his finger and picked out another pledge. I didn’t know the pledge personally, but he looked familiar; I assumed I saw him at orientation or while walking around campus. Nick did what he was told without hesitation. He always said he’d see it thru to the end.

“Tiny,” Q said as Steel stuck his hand to the side.

A muscular black dude, who had to be at least 6’6, stepped into the light carrying a black, wooden paddle with three holes. We all know why those holes were there. The Brother handed the paddle to Steel, who then passed it on to the second pledge Q picked out.

“You are going to paddle his ass until you are told to stop,” Steel roared. “And if we think for a second, you’re taking it easy on him, my man Tiny here is going paddle your ass until we tell him to stop. And believe me, he won’t feel sorry for you. Will you, Tiny?”

He simply shook his head; his silence conveyed his menace more so than any word could ever do. Stepping back into the dark, he disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

“And as for you,” Eric said, addressing Nick.

“Every sound you make will add on five extra paddles,” Geo continued where Eric left off. “Do you understand me pledge?”

“Yes, Sir!” There was nothing else Nick could say. I truly felt for him.

Q nodded once, signaling the pledge to begin.

The pledge raised that paddle high in the hair and held it there for a moment before bringing it down across Nick’s ass; that paddle echoed the room like a shotgun blast. Poor Nick clinched his pearly white teeth and shut his eyes tightly. The paddle went up again and right back down. Ten paddles later, Nick had yet to make a single sound, and let me tell you, the pledge was not holding back, and can you blame the guy. I wouldn’t want my ass paddled by Tiny.

Nick’s ass was struck 15 times, then 20, and still, he managed to stay completely quiet. But I could’ve sworn he was boning up a little. Was he getting off on that shit? Or was that just a normal reaction to the paddling?

I guess 25 was Nick’s lucky number because that’s when Q told the pledge to stop and get back in line. He told Nick to stand up straight and turn around so we could see his cherry-red ass. “This is just one form of punishment and by far the most lenient.” He held up the paddle for all to see.

The most lenient! Was he fucking serious? If that was the most lenient form of punishment, I made it a point not to find out how severe it could get!

“Get back in line, pledge,” Steel barked.

“Behind you, you’ll find the clothes you will wear while on campus and in the house,” Seth said. The pledge standing between CJ and Ant turned around to look. What was he thinking? “Did I say you could turn and look pledge?” he roared angrily. “Get over here!”

Within seconds the pledge was in the same position Nick was in, with another pledge paddling his ass…hard. This guy got 35 instead of 25 for being stupid, and unlike Nick, this pledge was boning bad. His dick was pointing straight up at the ceiling, and even the guy doing the paddling got a little bit hard. What is about being paddled that was making these guys throw wood? Not that I was in any rush to find out!

“Like I was saying,” Seth continued, “you will wear these clothes when you’re in the house or anywhere on campus. You’ve been provided with three pairs of underwear as well. A jockstrap, a pair of briefs, and a pair of boxer briefs. It’s all you will get and wear, and you better make sure you always keep them clean because filth will not be tolerated. The order in which you find them is the order in which you’ll wear them.”

“And since you will eat, sleep, study, and shower when we tell you, there’s no reason why any of you should be wearing different underwear than the others,” Eric said. “If one guy is wearing a jockstrap, then all of you should be wearing one. Don’t fall out of sync! Now get dressed! You have a minute.”

Finally, some clothes! I

Turning around and looking down, I saw the bundle at my feet with a pair of sandals lying on top. Leaving them for last, I grabbed the black jockstrap and slipped it on. I glanced down the line briefly and noticed everyone putting on a jock. I had no problems wearing one since I’ve been playing school sports all my life, and you always wear a jockstrap, but I could tell some guys weren’t used to it, like CJ. I don’t think he was used to wearing underwear, period. Next in line was the pair of briefs and finally the boxer briefs, so I figured that was the order we had to wear them, and they were also black. Funny how the bands all read “Property of The Brotherhood,” and it wasn’t referring to the underwear. At least the Brothers had a sense of humor, I suppose.

The following article of clothing was nothing more than a maroon robe with a hood. Fearing running out of time, I quickly put it on and then strapped on my sandals. We got no shirts or pants, just a robe that reads “Property of The Brotherhood” on the back and three pairs of underwear. I was relieved that the robe was ankle length, so it covered us up. I was expecting a small-ass tunic like the Romans used to wear. Now that would’ve been embarrassing. I took the remaining pair of underwear and placed them on top of the clothes I folded in front of me; I guess everyone followed my lead because they did the same.

As I stood there waiting for the others and praying that my little crew would finish in time, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Brothers were grown in some secret laboratory. None of them, from what I could tell, had a single blemish or a single hair out of place. And none of them were terrible looking at all, not to mention they were fit and toned, some more muscular than others like Tiny, but none were skinny looking. Nice tans all the way around, except for Q, who was a little paler than the rest; it was just weird.

Thankfully everyone was dressed and in line before the minute was up; I was stunned they gave us that long, to begin with.

“Now listen up, shitheads!” Steel ordered. “You will be paired up with another pledge, so listen for their names but don’t’ move a fucking muscle.”

Q was the one who called out the pairs, and I was amazed that he had all our names memorized. “Mike and Xavier, Nick and Troy, Sam and Kevin, Arsen and Jacob, Paul and Steve, Jason and Justin, Anthony and CJ.”

It must have been strange for Nick to end up with the guy who paddled his ass until it was a flaming red. And I had to use all my strength to keep myself from falling to the ground laughing when I heard Steve called out right after Paul. I’m pretty sure Paul wanted to shoot himself. I wasn’t too keen about getting paired with someone I didn’t know, but what was I to do? I was hoping to get someone from our group, but things usually don’t work out how you want them to.

“In its 200-year history, The Brotherhood has always demanded the utmost loyalty from its Brothers and pledges.” In a soft, pleasant voice, Q took two steps toward the line. “Anything and everything that happens within The Brotherhood is not to be spoken of outside these walls. You will do what you are told without question at any time like your life depends on it, but this is not a prison, and you are all free to leave whenever you wish.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the stories and rumors of the pledges or Brothers who decided to leave the Brotherhood…I can assure you it’s all true.” He fell silent for a while and looked up and down the line, his head slightly bowed, eyes narrow. “Any pledge dismissed by the Brotherhood can leave knowing they can continue their normal lives without any interference from us. But anyone, pledge or Brother, who decides to leave on their own accord will suffer dire consequences. We have the power and influence to bring your world crumbling down around you, and if you doubt my word…I defy any of you to try us.”

“Is that a threat, Q?” Geo inquired, arching a brow curiously.

“Very much so. You’ve all been given a choice. You didn’t have to show up tonight, but you did. You could have left when you were given a chance not too long ago but instead decided to stay. So now we expect your full commitment and loyalty to The Brotherhood. I can promise you this. If you see it thru to the very end, your life after that will be golden because just like we have the power to make your life hell, we also have the power to make your wildest dreams come true.”

“But it’s up to you,” Eric added. “Knowing what you know now, The Brotherhood will give you one last chance to leave without repercussions.” He gestured to the iron door, which slowly opened, but not a single pledge moved; then, the door slammed shut again. “Then it’s done. Now you have 33 seconds to find your partner. Move!”

Everyone turned to each other, frantically calling out names. And I could not remember my partner’s name for the life of me! I panicked like you wouldn’t believe, and all I could think about was the black paddle slamming against my ass, or worst! Four or five pledges came up to me asking if I was Jason, Sam, or CJ.

“Ten seconds!”

Someone grabbed my shoulder and spun me around harshly. “Are you Jacob?” The look of relief on his face when I nodded was indescribable. “I’m Arsen.” I first noticed that he had eyes as green as mine set against ink, black hair. I shook his hand, and we stood side by side.

Everyone found their partner in time, which was good because I didn’t want to see any of my fellow pledges get paddled again. I was happy that at least some of our group managed to stay together, like Paul, Steve, Ant, and CJ.

“Good!” Seth clapped. “You pledges are learning fast. Now turn and take a good look at your partner.”

Arsen had a small scar over his right eyebrow, which was the only imperfection I could see on his face. He had full, pink lips, a pointy nose, and nice cheekbones. His dark hair reached down just passed his eyelashes, and I could tell his eyes were full of questions.

“Give me your hands,” a voice demanded, but before we could react, my right hand was cuffed to Arsen’s left. When I looked over, I saw the back of a Brother walking back to take his place in the circle that surrounded us. The handcuffs weren’t standard either because they didn’t have keyholes, but a little glowing red light and TBH was stamped on them. That was certainly new since I’ve never been handcuffed before, let alone to another guy, at least not while sober.

“Eyes foreword!” Steel demanded. “You shitheads better get used to your partner’s face because you’ll see a lot of it.”

“You will depend on each other for all things as true Brothers should,” Q interjected. “You will eat together, sleep together, shower together, piss together, and shit together, anything you can imagine you will do together. But know this. You know, hold your partner’s future in your hands, for what happens to one happens to the other. If one gets disciplined, you both get disciplined. If one gets dismissed, the other will get dismissed as well. So, tread carefully, pledges…very carefully.”

“And consider your life outside the house nonexistent,” Geo smiled wickedly. “You belong to us now and are not to have any contact with friends, family, girlfriend, or boyfriends unless we say so. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sir!”

No contact with our girls? I already knew Alexandra would kill me for getting involved with the Brotherhood.

“You will live here in the house, so prepare to move your things in tomorrow morning. Your new best friend can help you. Keep in mind that we know and see all, so there’s nothing you will be able to get by us. There are many more Brothers you haven’t met; hence the robed Brothers I’m sure you’ve already noticed. They are what we call our Watchers. They are everywhere. Be careful what you do when outside the house.”

Once he was finished talking, he broke the line into two groups. I, along with Arsen, Paul, CJ, Steve, Troy, Nick, and Ant, was in the larger group while the rest of the pledges made up the smaller group. Then we were instructed to follow a Brother to our new rooms we’d share with your new cuff-mate. We were to keep our eyes straight ahead while we walked thru the house. There was a grand staircase we had to climb to the third floor. At the top, we took a right and were led down this long, wide hallway, then turned into a small, narrow hall with several doors on either side.

“You two in here,” the Brother, whose name I later found out was Mark, gestured for us to get into one of the rooms and closed the door behind us.

It looked like a standard dorm room smaller than the room I shared with CJ. There were two side-by-side desks, a footlocker, a single dresser, and a small closet with no bathroom. The room was painted a light blue and had no windows. The hardwood floor was polished to a high shine, so much so I could see up our robes. There was only one problem. The bed was wicked small, and there was only one!

“Are you serious?” I whispered. “Where are we supposed to sleep?”

Arsen pointed at the bed. “That, I guess.”

“It can’t be.” I paused for a moment to look at Arsen. “Well, that’s total bullshit!”

“What are you going to do? Complain? Listen, if we switch up, I have no problems sleeping on the floor. Deal?”

“Deal!”

The door swung open before another word could be spoken; Q was standing there looking at us.

“It’s lights-out pledges, so I suggest you get some rest because you will need it. Trust me. But first, put your things away.”

We nodded and, forgetting that we were cuffed together, went in different directions in a hurry. We pulled each other back and butted heads. I saw a mischievous grin appear on Q’s face. It was the first time I saw him smile since I first laid eyes on him. Being cuffed to another human being would take some getting used to. But after we got our act together, we walked over to the dresser. I took the top drawer, and Arsen took the bottom, but there were some clothes in there already.

“That’s what you will wear whenever you have to leave campus.”

That was all he said about the matter. Three pairs of blue jeans, three white t-shirts, and three sweaters were in each draw. I made room for the clothes I had on earlier and the underwear the Brotherhood provided us.

“You pledges have any questions before the lights go out?”

“Just one, Q,” I said as I raised my hand like some three-year-old. “Is it okay if one of us sleeps on the floor?”

“Did you not hear me down in the Pit? You will do everything together, and that includes sleeping. I don’t care how you do it, but you both better be in that bed while sleeping. Anything else?”

We looked at each other, then at Q, and then shook our heads. I looked past Q and noticed Steel standing at the door of the opposite room, probably telling them the same thing Q was telling us.

“Fine then.” Pulling out a small remote control, Q pressed a button, and the cuffs beeped. The little red light went off, and they unlocked. “Disrobe and place it neatly in your footlocker,” he ordered.

Slipping my hand out of the cuffs, I pulled the rob open, took it off, and turned, exposing my bare ass to Q, then placed my robe in the footlocker. How fucking humiliating! Once we had the cuffs back on, Q told us to get to bed and that there would be no talking for the rest of the night. I thought he was going to leave, but he didn’t. He just stood there and watched us get into that small ass bed. At first, we tried to lie side by side, but that didn’t work because we fell off the bed with our cuffed hands dangling over it.

“I don’t have all-night pledges!”

We tried it again, but I laid on my side this time as Arsen spooned me from behind, placing our cuffed hands over my head.

Without uttering a word, Q left, and the minute he closed the door, the lights went off.

I could feel Arsen’s heart pounding on my back and his package pressing against my ass! Again, I felt so humiliated, knowing my face was a deep shade of red. Arsen did his best not to move, and so did I to avoid making the situation any more awkward. But still, I just wanted to crawl under a rock and die! I have never been that close to another man in my life, and there I was with another jock spooning me from behind with his junk pressed against me. I just wanted to die!

Since we couldn’t speak and Arsen wasn’t the one in the most awkward position, he could fall asleep fairly quickly. It probably took me another hour, but eventually, I could close my eyes. We slept pretty peacefully for a while, but I felt a twitch against my ass at some point, and my eyes flew open. I quickly realized Arsen was growing in his jockstrap and pressing harder against me.

I swallowed hard, nervously, and my heart quickened. This was not happening! But it was, and the swelling in his jockstrap was not going down. How the hell did we get into this position? I knew Arsen was unaware of what had happened because he was sound asleep; his breathing confirmed that much. I didn’t want to wake him because the situation was too embarrassing, and I worried it would make the rest of our time together as pledges joined at the hip way too awkward.

Moving my eyes rapidly from side to side, I tried to think of a way out of the situation without getting Arsen involved. But I was trapped with no way out.

So, there I was, my first night in the TBH house, lying in bed with a stranger who was dead asleep and grinding into me. The horror of it all! How bad could things get? At that moment, I was convinced nothing the Brotherhood could throw at us would be nearly as bad as my situation.

Boy, was I wrong!