the favor (a Harry Styles fanfic)

10. a good kind of different

(^Crissy and Mandy^)

Mandy's POV:

Friday night came too fast.

After Harry had dropped me off, I spent the day studying and preparing a speech for next Tuesday's debate meeting. It is my turn to finally get up and sell my case, and I pray that it all goes over well. If there's one thing I remember my mother telling me, it's that first impressions are the most important part of any relationship. How a person reacts their first time with someone can really set a path for how the relationship will go. I don't want the kids in the debate team to think I'm some quiet, stuck-up, loser.

This isn't high school anymore. I want people to actually like me here.

And that's why my palms are sweating as I enter the Alpha Kappa Phi house at exactly seven thirty. I look at my phone, making sure the clock matches the time that was posted in the group message sent out to the pledge GroupMe.

I look around the abandoned foyer. From either side, both rooms are empty.

Am I early? Why isn't anyone here?

After a few minutes of waiting, I decide to go search around the house. Maybe people are outside setting up? Who knows at this point. It seems like no matter how hard I try to keep myself involved in this sorority, I'm always left in the dark. Harry's words from last night come to mind.

'You're still here, aren't you? They like you.'

Although Harry has a point, I just can't believe that what he had said is true. If they really wanted me around, why don't they make the attempt to actually have a decent conversation with me? One in which they aren't asking me to do their pledge chores, or to do them a favor. I understand that I'm not exactly the most personable, but I'm not terrible. If they actually attempted to talk to me, maybe they'd see I can be pretty entertaining when I want to be.

Then again, the best jokes I have are Doctor themed, so maybe not.

"Mandy?" I hear my name and I spin around, drawing my attention away from an old group picture from some event from years prior.

Lucy, my appointed drinking buddy and only acquaintance in this sorority, is standing in front of me in all her perfectly curled hair and long and tanned legged glory. I feel my heart break just looking at me. She's simply awe-inspiring.

"Where the hell were you last night? I searched the whole house looking for you! And poor Jamie, she was worried sick! She said you fell, or something? Where did you go afterwards?"

I look down towards my toes. Should I tell her about spending time with Harry last night?

"I was there." The lie leaves my lips before I even understand it's meaning.

"Really? Why didn't I-"

"But I left early. I was tired, and I had an early class today. I needed to um, get home and study."

"Oh." Lucy steps back and nods slowly.

"Well, that's understandable. As long as you're here now, I suppose. Jamie told me as soon as you got here to bring you to her. She's been so worried. She keeps asking about you."

"Really?" Why would she care about my wellbeing?

"Oh yeah! With the way she kept on about you, you'd think you had died or something. She scared half of us shitless. But, we don't have time to talk about that right now. Let's get going. They're all in dining room. We're discussing the next charity fundraiser in November."

Lucy grabs my hand and gleefully tugs me out of the foyer and through the main hallway. We quickly speed through the long corridor, and then she rushes me into the dining room.