Wannabe

Every nook and cranny of the room was crammed with people. Except for the area where Bobby Truebenacht sat. Everyone noticed him just enough to make sure to stay away. He sat alone on the beer-stained sagging sofa.

"Rhett! Did you see the game last night?"

Rhett Hazeman, Omega Chi president, walked right passed Bobby toward Sammy Marlboro. They started reenacting parts of last night's games with an invisible basketball. If only Bobby were as popular as Rhett and Sammy. The ladies loved them too. Even Sammy's nasty, trailer trash mullet didn't stop the girls from flirting up a storm with him. All the girls were clamoring for even just a moment with Rhett and Sammy. Even their two cronies, Mile and Merrick Smithers, brothers from Oregon, seemed to have girls crawling all over them.

Bobby observed everything and everyone around him. To fit in, he had to mimic someone. It might as well be Rhett. He watched his every action. Bobby started. Rhett was walking towards him.

"You're always over. You wanna be an Omega bad, don't you?"

Bobby's stomach spun with nervousness, "Not that bad." He hated that he cared so much about what people thought. He hated that he felt like he was dying inside every time he had to watch fraternity parties from the sidelines.

Rhett nodded, "Sammy and I think it's time to help you out. We can initiate you if you want."

Too nervous and shocked to speak, Bobby offered a slight nod in reply.

"Meet me on the sidewalk right outside the house in five minutes."

Bobby nodded the same hesitant nod. Rhett nodded in return and walked out of the room, winking at a tiny Asian girl as he turned the corner.

Bobby weaved through the crowd of people and finally found himself on the sidewalk, pacing back and forth as he waited for Rhett.

After what seemed like hours, Rhett, Sammy, and the Smithers appeared outside the front door. Mile was holding a wooden breadbox. "Get in the truck, Bobby."

They knew his name?

Rhett pulled keys out of his pocket, spun them around his index finger and pointed towards an old red pickup truck with his head. Rhett and Sammy got in the cabin and the rest piled into the small bed. The engine roared and the truck bolted out of the parking spot.

"Listen," Mile yelled over whipping air, "We're going to drop you off at the edge of town, you know, by the woods." Bobby nodded and Mile continued, "Spend the weekend in the woods. Alone. Use only what you can find out there and the contents of this breadbox to survive. Make it back to the frat house midnight Saturday night and you're in."

Bobby had watched lots of Survivor Man but he didn't think that qualified him to survive in the wilderness. Despite his fears, he found himself nodding. What was he getting himself into?

Rhett didn't even slow down as the Smithers brothers threw Bobby out the side of the truck. He careened down the hill and barely managed to stop himself before hitting a redwood. All the stress of the party and interacting with the elite members of Omega Chi was beginning to make Bobby sick. His blood sugar was getting low. He opened the breadbox. One bepto bismol colored package of Sweet'n'Lo. Anger welled up inside of him. They were such punks. But he needed the fraternity. And at least the Sweet'n'Lo would help with his blood sugar.

He opened the package and poured it into his mouth. Sugar had never tasted so good. It wasn't sugar. It was coconut powder. His tongue began to swell and his throat began to close up. He tried to call for help but it was futile. Only gentle moan-like sounds escaped him. Panicked and confused he fell to the ground and began to cry as he struggled for his last breath.