Read Rushed (The Rushed Series) for Free Online

pregnant pause by my mom that said just about everything.
    "I can make three choices, but we can only get one offer." I took a deep breath. "Morgan from the Double Deltsies said I should suicide bid them. She broke the rules by mentioning bids. There's nothing I can do about that. But if I do suicide bid, and they don't pick me…" I paused. "I think I should write all three houses down."
    "Morgan? The girl you've told me about? Their toughest recruiter?" The pride came through in Mom's voice. "Against the rules or not, if she told you to suicide bid, you'd better do it!"
    "But if they don't pick me, I'll be out! I won't be Greek. Wouldn't it be better to—"
    "No!" I could almost picture Mom shaking her head, and the wild look she got in her eye when she knew she was right and worried that I wasn't going to listen to her. That I was going to do something stupid, like think for myself. "Do what Morgan says, baby. You don't want to upset them."
    "I could get a call before the bid meeting tomorrow warning me not to show up. That I'm out and didn't get a bid." My voice fell to match my heart. "Everyone would know by my absence that I've been snubbed by the Double Deltsies."
    "No, Alexis! You? Never. I have complete faith in you!" There was the pride again. And the pressure to be perfect, just like there had been in high school.  
    The pressure I had hoped to escape at college. I was my parents' pride and joy. Their only child. Every one of the hopes and dreams rested on my shoulders.  
    "They won't snub you. They wouldn't dare ." Her voice was fierce and full of the promise that if they snubbed me, my mama bear was going to come to the rescue. "Suicide bid them." There was that warning in her voice that dared me to defy her on peril of some extreme punishment.
    I silently cursed the timing of her call. But I caved. "Okay, Mom."
    The smile returned to her voice. "Call me tomorrow the minute you get your bid! This is so exciting. It reminds me of being young and going through rush…"  
    I ducked as an out-of-control football fell between Em and me, hardly listening as Mom reminisced and Em sized up the guy who came to retrieve his ball. He ignored her and gave me the up-and-down. I ignored him, acting as if I hadn't noticed. "I have to go, Mom. We need to have our preferences turned in by five."
    "Oh, yes, yes! Get it done!" I could hear her inhale with excitement. "Call me tomorrow as soon as you get your bid!"
    "Yeah, Mom. I will."  
    The guy left with his football. I hit the disconnect button.
    "Well?" Em raised an eyebrow, grinning like she knew what Mom had said.
    "Mom wants me to suicide bid. In her opinion, the Double Deltsies are the only house worth belonging to." I frowned.
    Em studied me and laughed. "You don't agree?"
    I shrugged. "I'm just not sure I fit there."
    "What are you going to do?"
    "What Mom wants, Mom gets," I said, trying to hide my resignation. "This may be suicide, but I'm going to suicide bid them." I typed them in on my onscreen form. "What are you going to do?"
    "I'm not in the great position you are." She sounded almost sad about that. "I'm not committing suicide. I'm going for the Double Deltsies and the other two houses we liked." Then she laughed and turned to her attention to her laptop screen.  
    As Em typed, on impulse, I did something I rarely did—defied my mother. If the Double Deltsies wanted me badly enough, they could compete with the two houses I really wanted. I hit send with my heart pounding. Morgan wasn't going to tell me what I could do. And I wasn't giving her the chance to double-cross me.
    Then, to distract Em from trying to get a glimpse of my screen as it disappeared, I laughed. "At least we can finally get rid of Molly's house."
    That got Em to smile as she hit send, too. "Yeah, and I think you were her rush crush. Poor Molly! She'll be so disappointed." She paused and studied me. "No matter what happens tomorrow, let's stay friends, okay?"
    I gave her a hug. "Always."