Sorority Girl

Alone on a beach, a distraught young woman reviews the events that have led her to this moment: Heiress Sabra Tanner is a very unpopular, snobby member of a sorority at a southern Californian university. In addition to feuding with her roommate, Rita Joyce, Sabra unmercifully bullies sorority pledge Ellie Marshall about her appearance and weight. Rita is running for student-body president and is being assisted in her campaign by her boyfriend, Mort, a former student who now runs a tavern for students near the campus. Rita is friendly with Ellie's roommate Tina, who works for Mort as a waitress, and senses that something is troubling her. When Sabra's mother, who controls her late husband's estate until Sabra is of legal age, comes to visit her daughter, they argue and Mrs. Tanner tears up Sabra's allowance check and declares that she will write no more. After Rita criticizes Sabra for having Ellie perform personal chores for her, Sabra slaps Ellie and warns her not to talk about her activities. Later, Ellie hears Tina talking in her sleep about being pregnant and, in an attempt to re-ingratiate herself with the domineering Sabra, tells her that Tina is pregnant. Sabra then orders Ellie to come to her room that night so they can discuss how they might "help" Tina. After giving Ellie some weight-reducing exercises to do, Sabra sees Mort arrive to pick up Rita, who has just left. Sabra decides to lure Mort away from Rita but, when she attempts to seduce him, Mort rebuffs her. Angered by this rejection, Sabra returns to her room to find that Ellie has stopped exercising and spanks her with a wooden paddle. Rita returns suddenly, realizes what has been going on and, after Ellie leaves, tells Sabra that she intends to report her to the dean. Sabra then attacks Rita, knocks her out and takes the opportunity to break open a locked case in which Rita keeps letters and documents. Sabra learns from a newspaper clipping therein that Rita's father is in prison, having been found guilty of negligence in a building collapse that killed several people. Sabra warns Rita that, if she reports her to the dean, she will reveal all the details of her father's incarceration. Later, Sabra, realizing that she is constantly driven to hurt others, seeks help for her illness from her mother. Suspecting that Sabra merely wants her allowance reinstated, Mrs. Tanner is unsympathetic and rejects Sabra's attempt at reconciliation. While driving back to the sorority, Sabra spots Tina walking home and after giving her a ride, reveals that she knows about her pregnancy. After learning from Tina that the real father has already left the area, Sabra suggests that they accuse Mort of being the father and demand cash from him. Although Tina is initially horrified by the suggestion, she acquiesces when Sabra threatens to reveal her condition if she fails to cooperate. When Mort receives Tina's letter demanding one thousand dollars, he arranges to meet with her at the tavern, but sets up a hidden tape recorder to capture their conversation. Mort then offers to help Tina and records her admitting that although he is not the father, she intends to say he is. Mort then reveals the tape recording and states that he will not expose her unless Tina forces the issue. Later, when all of the sorority sisters go to the beach, Sabra goes swimming but an obviously distraught Tina sits by herself. Suddenly, Tina decides to throw herself off a nearby cliff, but Ellie sees her run up to the top and raises the alarm. Rita and the others chase after her as Mort drives up. As Tina is about to jump, Mort grabs her then explains her situation to the others, adding that he has notified her parents. Tina then confesses that Sabra persuaded her to blackmail Mort. Rita and the others return to the beach where Rita accuses Sabra of blackmailing both her and Tina. When Ellie attacks Sabra, Rita intervenes to stop the fight. Sabra accuses Rita of never permitting her to become part of her group and never caring about her, then states that now she needs no one. After Rita and the others leave her alone on the beach, Sabra, feeling that her life is over and that she has been afraid every minute of it, walks into the ocean.