Laila POV

They were finally at the Delta After Dark After Party.

"Now this is how you party!" her sister shouted out.

Alonzo picked Marketta up from the EU House and they all made it to the Children's Play Museum for the party. Alonzo simply dropped them off, he had to go pick up some of his frat brothers. There were not many places to park around the museum in downtown Normal. It was a good thing the weather was nice and they could walk back to their residence hall after the party

They paid their fee for entry to the party and made their way inside. The place was already packed, but not at its limit yet. Because it was a Delta party, there were so many of them and they were already pumping the party up strolling around. Some of the Omegas were already there, as well as other Black Greek organizations.

Like the ladies of MAX.

"What did the Max ladies say about you being at the EU house by yourself?" she asked her sister.

"Nothing. I met a few of the Alumni, they were cool, that's it."

"Okay, so it was fine."

"Sure. But yo boy Manny was all in my face about you not being there and Jordan had to get him to back down."

She did not know why Manny was still trying to get her back. She was totally over him. In fact, he would not ever cross her mind again. She was waiting to see how things were going with Alonzo.

"I can't believe my sister is missing all this. Homecoming and they are away at another school."

"I can't wait till we go somewhere out of town. It would be fun," Marketta said. "Meet some more hot guys."

She rolled her eyes at that. Her sister could be boy-crazy all she wanted, but that was never her. One guy at a time and that was enough for her.

It took no time before the place was packed with partygoers. Lots of alumni came back down, and also people from surrounding schools. The party was that big of a deal. Tehy circled the party, getting a feel of everything.

They were well known a bit, being executives in the Black Student Union, so they stopped and talked to lots of the people. It was like, lots of their fellow students knew them, but they did not know their names. It was weird, almost like being famous.

She kind of liked the feeling.

"Y'all cute or whatever." That was the very illustrious, very extraordinary, super important Zavrina DeCosta. Right there. Standing in front of them.

She was starstruck. She heard of Zavrina before she even started school at Illinois State. Zavrina was President of the entire student body when she came to visit two years ago. A young Black girl like her. She so was a MAX, and maybe that's why she felt comfortable coming over to them.

"Hey Z!" Amber greeted her with a hug.

Why'd she feel so comfortable hugging her like they were old friends? Was she supposed to greet her any special way? This woman was an icon!

"Can't believe my little twinny twin baby sister about to do this" Zavrina, in all her little five-feet-nothing self, did a little dance along to the music, making Amber laugh.

"Because of you..." Amber said to her. "And my sister."

"Mph!" Zavrina said with an eye roll. "I'll talk to your twin later. Guess I haven't made a big enough impression on her too pretty ass."

A reference to Jade pleading Alpha Kappa Alpha, the pretty girls. She was happy that Amber knew Zavrina well, but she only heard about her. Knew her face because it was plastered on the campus still, and in the MAX house. She was not just MAX royalty, she was school royalty.

"And who are you two?"

The Zavrina DeCosta was talking to her?

"Hi, my name is Marketta!" Thankfully her sister was able to jump in, but she still was tongue-tied. "I'm the current President of the Black Student Union. We know all about you Zavrina DeCosta and we still do some of the projects you set up when you were president many years ago."

She could not believe her sister was running her mouth about BSU when Zavrina probably did not care about that. She graduated and was in law school now, and she did not care about that organization. All she probably cared about was MAX and them meeting her level.

Then again, at least words were coming out of her mouth. She had nothing to say.

"Listen, I left the school and I know BSU and student government are in good hands...and if not, it's not my business." Zavrina looked her way, the smile dropping from her face. "I care about who is going to be my sister for life."

Was that aimed at her? What did she do? Not the Great Zavrina DeCosta throwing her a bit of shade? What did she do to deserve that?

She was already playing silent, so she ran with that. There was nothing for her to stay, so she kept quiet.

"Marketta, it was nice meeting you at the EU house and twin, I will hit up with you later. Bye, you two." With that, Zavrina walked away.

Two?? Not three? Now she knew the problem. The fact that she did not go to the Epsilon Upsilon house with her sister. Nevermind that Amber didn't go either she already had it in good with Zavrina. What was she supposed to do now?

"Sis, don't worry about it." Her sister knew she felt some kind of way of what just happened.

How was she supposed to go on and party? She did not want to be there with everyone else so happy and cheerful enjoying themselves and dancing and flirting. The loud music annoyed her The happy smiles from others annoyed her. Just the sound of the fraternities and sororities stilling around the room made her stomach clench

That may never be her.

Everything else at the party was a blur. She watched everyone else having a good time, but that's all she did. Stand there stewing in her misery. There was nothing her sister could say, there was nothing Amber could say. She was like Beyonce, on mute.

Toward the end of the party, Alonzo came over to her.

"Hey, you good? Want me to walk you guys back?"

There was no way the answer to this was hanging with Alonzo right now.

"Alonzo we're good, don't worry about us, enjoy your bros," Marketta said.

"You sure?" Alonzo asked.

"Yes boy, bye," Amber added, shooing him away.

Alonzo leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. "Call me later," before he walked off.

"That's a good man, Savannah," her sister said with a chuckle.

She was hardly thinking about Alonzo or any other boy at this moment. "Can we just go?"

"Let's be the crowd and leave now," Amber said.

Making it through the crowd of partygoers was a challenge. Nobody wanted to leave till the last song played the lights came up and the DJ kicked them out. Seemed like the party's energy jumped a notch when there were less than ten minutes left of the party.

They made it to the door and were stopped by Anika.

"Ladies, nice to see you here."

Again, she was tongue-tied. What was she supposed to do, go into her greeting or something? Of course not, they were not allowed to do that in public. But what else was she supposed to say to her?

"Congrats on your win, Dean...I mean Anika," Amber said.

"Oh it's no thing when I do what I do," Anika said. "You ladies leaving already?"

"Party is over," Marketta said.

"Yes, and it's late, we need to get home and get some sleep," Amber said.

"True. I am partied out. Well, good night ladies," Anika was all smiles at them.

Good, they were not in trouble. Now time to make their getaway, walk to their residence hall, and call this long night over.

As Anika turned to leave, she turned back around to them. "Oh, see you three bright and early tomorrow, at the house, to meet the alumna before the parade. I'll text you the deets, Laila."

Yes, she would not get any sleep tonight.

A/N: We know Zavrina always gonna check someone. Next chapter we shall see