American Love Affair (5 Seconds of Summer fan fiction)

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Amy's POV

I pull my phone out of my clutch, smiling as I walk to the top of the stairs. From this vantage point I can see the entire party, well, everyone in the foyer. A bunch of people are probably mingling in the kitchen, dining room, and living room as well. But the bulk of the groups is here. My eye wanders to the door where another set of girls walk in. My phone buzzes.

"Hello?" I ask, keeping my voice low, though from the light music playing and conversation from downstairs, I doubt anyone would be able to hear me.

"Hey babe...can I come over tonight?" Trevor asks; I know that he is smirking on the other line.

I bite my lip, playing with the neckline of my peach dress. I run my hand through my hair, leaning on the banister.

"Trev, you know that today's the last day of Rush. I have to talk with the rest of my sisters about our pledges. We have like 100 but we need to cut it down to 15."

"Jesus. I haven't seen you all fucking week."

"...Yeah, we both have classes and you have football and the frat. And I'm really hoping to be head of this house next year." I chew on my nail nervously, then stop when I realize I might chip my nail polish.

The door opens again and two girls step in, one a bit tipsy.

"Trev...I'm gonna have to call you back." I slip my phone back in my purse and step down the staircase.

I slick on another coat of lipstick and plaster on a fake smile.

"Hi," I extend my hand. "I'm Amy, I'm one of the sorority sisters."

"Hi, I'm Lee Castelle." The girl shakes my hand and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, I know." I reply quietly, leading her into the living room. "Lemonade?"

"Sure please."

I pick up the pitcher off the coffee table and fill her pink paper cup. We take a seat on the couch. The position we sisters know means we're talking to a likely pledge.  Remaining standing usually means the sister does not want the pledge.  

"Umm...you know?" Lee raises her eyebrow, taking a sip of the homemade Kappa Delta Psi secret recipe lemonade.

"Yeah...you're Calum Hood's girlfriend. One of our sorority sisters is kind of obsessed with their band and she recognized you at orientation day."

She nods, twisting her fingers in her lap.

"So...do you know what your major is going to be? What extracurricular activities have you signed up for?" I ask, trying to spark a conversation.

"Well...there were just so many booths, but I'm getting the emails for: philosophy club, astronomy club, photography, the yearbook committee, the newspaper, poetry, community service, and baking. But I feel really passionate about the newspaper and poetry. And I feel like being at a sorority it'll be easier to hone in on these interests with the support of a strong sisterhood."

"Yeah, the sorority takes up a lot of time, and we do quite a bit of philanthropic work, but the girls that do sing in a cappella groups or play intramural sports have a lot of fun with it. So...do you have any questions for me about the sorority or Greek life or college in general? Trust me, I know how daunting this all seems." I smile and look over for a second as more girls come through the door.

"I feel like sorority girls kind of have a reputation. So what do you think of that. Also, I was curious about the connection you have in the future. My mom was in a sorority and I don't think she's in contact with any of her sisters."

"Well..." I fold my hands in my lap. "I definitely get what you mean, because sororities do seem to get a bad rap. The way we're portrayed in movies, TV, and books, it just isn't us. We do throw some pretty epic parties, no one can deny that and we socialize with frats. But odds are there probably won't be a party that gets crazy out of hand. In terms of the future, the great thing is that sororities give you connections for life. A lot of girls get internships and jobs with past sisters. So by joining it's like already having a network of connections. Plus a lot of us still stay in contact with our sorority sisters."

"That seems nice. Like having an extended family after you graduate."

"Yeah it definitely is. I mean, you'll make a lot of friends here that you'll stay in touch with outside of the sorority, but its definitely a stronger relationship than you'll have if you lived in a regular dorm."

"Mmhmm." She seems distant, unsure.

I know that I should walk around and engage other pledges, but Lee is a legacy and the girlfriend of a celebrity.

"Are you rushing any other sororities?" I ask, casually, trying whether we'll actually get her as our sister.

"Yeah, um, I think two or three others."

"Really? Which ones?" I ask.

A couple of the other sororities on campus are decent, well they're nice, but ours is the best. The experience, the connections, you can't find it anywhere else.

"They're nice sororities too." I say. "But, wouldn't you rather follow in your mother's footsteps?"

She laughs and I'm not sure if it's a nervous laugh or a sincere laugh. I keep talking to Lee for a bit until one of the other sorority members taps my shoulder and whispers in my ear about some other pledges who would be amazing candidates.

"Okay, I have to go meet some of the other pledges." I stand to shake her hand a final time.

"Yeah. It was great meeting you." Lee stands and shakes my hand

"You too." I say flashing a bright smile.  "But, make sure you say goodbye before heading out." I say my eyes scanning the event.

She nods enthusiastically, but I see her hand go for her bag to check the time. For the next hour and a half I walk around the floor, sipping my cup of water and meeting a couple other pledges. Some of these girls had potential, but others, well, they shouldn't have even come. Not trying to be rude, but similarly to how certain students aren't fit for certain colleges there are just some people who we sisters know won't be a good fit for our sorority. It doesn't make me a bitch, just selective. I want our sorority to be the best, not the leftovers. I try to focus on each person in the room, while also maintaining an eye and ear on the priority pledges. Looking around after a long conversation about road trips, I try to spy Lee. It takes me a while to spot her heading out the door. Placing my glass on a table I weave through people, my heels making short clicks on the flooring.

"Lee," I call, when I got closer. "Lee, wait."

She turns around with her hand reaching for the doorknob she starts looking around the crowd.

"Hi." I say coming face to face with her.

"Oh, hi Amy."

"Where're you going? It's barely even been an hour and a half."

"Yeah, um...I wanted to say thanks and everything for being so nice, and I hope I'll see you around classes; but I'm not sure if sororities are right for me, or this sorority anyways."

"Are you sure you don' t want to talk to some of the other sisters? I know a couple others who..."

"Yeah, thanks again," she cuts me off. "But I'm pretty tired and I think I'm just going to go call my boyfriend and go to bed. I'll see you around." With that Lee walks out the door and we lose one of the best possible pledges in the room.