DAY THREE:
When I woke up with my nose running and my eyes almost crusted shut, I knew I was in trouble. I thought, no, please don't let me have an allergy attack today- it isn't fair! I worried that I would be a snotty, runny eyed mess at the parties tonight, and I knew that would make a horrible impression. 65Mustang mentioned that she thought we could check out the library this afternoon (it was humungous) and see if we could find a hidden quiet study spot, but I didn't think it would help for me to trudge through stacks of old books (since that is where all the good quiet study spots are). I figured I would go straight to class and come straight back and rest.
The other problem was, the medicine I took at that time made me really woozy, so I was in a tight spot- I could either have a dry nose and eyes and act like I was high at the parties tonight, or I could leak snot and stuff everywhere, yuck. I decided to brave class without taking medicine, and armed with a pocket of tissues and my CoPilot travel mug from 7-11 (remember those?) filled to the top with ice water.
I made it through class with one unused tissue left and a dry CoPilot. 65Mustang decided not to go to the library alone, so we had lunch, and I went back to our room while she explored our dorm to find the laundry room, computer room, and things like that. I lay down in front of the tv and dozed off. When I woke up, 65Mustang was back and my eyes were dry, but my nose was still drippy- and I now had a headache from lying down. I took Tylenol and drank a Coke for the headache, and then wondered- what would happen if I took half a dose of my medicine? I decided to risk it and just do it. In the privacy of my dorm room, I could snort and honk my nose all I wanted, but it wouldn't do for that to happen during the parties tonight.
The phone rang, and when I kind of croaked "hello", Mother immediately knew something was wrong. She wanted to rush to campus, pick me up, and take me to the doctor. She was very persistent and insistent, and I tried to be nice, but I finally barked at her that I had rested and drank water, and it was still my decision to go to rush tonight. 65Mustang leaned into the phone and told Mother that if I was still sick tomorrow, she would call Mother herself and let her know. Mother was unhappy, but we had put her off long enough to leave me alone. We spent a few minutes telling her how things were going without being too specific, because my sister and I didn't know where we were going tonight- and we still didn't want to leak to the other which chapters we had liked and didn't like.
57Chevy came to our room after her class, just as promised, and she had brought a really sharp looking dress with her. We were just talking and drinking Cokes in the room when my medicine started to kick in. So far my nose seemed to be drying up and I didn't seem to be zoning out, so I thought I would be okay. We all got dressed in our room and helped do each other's hair. I thought maybe I would try something to take attention away from my allergy problem, so I dug a nice pair of slacks and an Oxford shirt out of the closet to wear with a pair of medium heels. 57Chevy said she had the perfect finishing touch in her room, so she left and returned with a printed scarf (the kerchief kind, not the long wintery kind) that had a deeper shade of the color of my Oxford in the print. I tucked some Kleenex in my pocket just in case, and we headed to the ballroom.
My Rho Chi was all smiles to see me, but there was a serious look in her eye. She told me that I had been invited back to 5 out of 6 parties! My heart stopped for a second, but when I saw that the one that hadn't invited me back was
Midnight Blue, I figured it was just as well, because I hadn't wanted to go back there. Then my heart hurt to see that Silver Streak had invited me back. My Rho Chi could see it in my face, and she reassuringly told me that I had to do what I felt was best for me and not worry about other people's feelings, because I needed to go where I felt comfortable. I sadly declined to go to Silver Streak's party. Something about those girls really made me like them, but I didn't think my home was with them. I also told my Rho Chi that I was having issues with allergies and a headache, and she became concerned. She told me to be sure and let her know if I didn't think I could make it through the night or needed something.
While waiting for the parties to start, the sophomore badmouther loudly told some girls that she had a full schedule tonight, just as she expected. I wanted to stuff tissues down her throat.
My schedule for the night was:
Candy Apple Red (they made me feel really comfortable, then later said academics were really important, which worried me a little)
Sky Blue Metallic (the first 2 sisters I talked to were fun, but the 3rd sister and I had an awkward conversation, but I still liked them)
Jet Black (I felt sophisticated the first night, the second night a girl told me she had just rushed 65Mustang, but sophomore badmouther wanted to be in this sorority)
Violet Sparkle (I had fun at their parties, the girls were really nice, and I had a friend there from high school)
Candy Apple Red- These girls had a really neat philanthropy, and though I had heard of it, it was nice to learn more about it tonight. We saw a slide show of some local community events where this chapter had volunteered, and some of the pictures from their charity events brought tears to my eyes. After the presentation, sisters took us aside and we assembled little things for the philanthropy. The sister I talked to was so nice and you could tell that this chapter and organization really meant a lot to her. We talked about some of the volunteer work I had done as part of my high school organizations, and she said that it sounded like I had a lot in common with Candy Apple Red. When the time was up, she hugged me and thanked me for coming, but she didn't say anything like "see you tomorrow night." I tried not to be paranoid, because I really liked spending time with these girls.
Sky Blue Metallic had the same kind of thing going on- the sisters talked about their philanthropy, and we saw a slide show. When they talked about their main local philanthropy, I remember thinking, "Wow, I didn't know Our Metropolitan Area even had a place like that!" Their big annual philanthropy event was so cute, and I loved it! A sister took me aside, and we worked on some small things for that annual event. As we were doing the activity, I realized that I wasn't feeling sick again, but I was starting to feel a little "out of it". Oh no, I thought, that stupid medicine might be kicking in. I smiled and interacted with the sister, who seemed to be happy with our conversation, but I started to get so preoccupied with not acting stoned that I don't know what kind of impression I made. At the end of the party, I hugged the sister and told her I had a good time. She smiled and said she would like to see me again, no matter what happens. Oh no. Now I really tried not to be paranoid.
As we were ushered out for our break, my Rho Chi came to check on me. She looked a little concerned and asked if I needed to sit down. I remember telling her that maybe I should wash my face (
! Makeup!) and she took me to the bathroom. She was thinking, though, and gave me a damp paper towel to pat my face with. She made me another one and I patted that on the back of my neck, which woke me up a little. She took me into the lobby outside the ballroom and had me sit down. 65Mustang saw this from across the lobby and rushed over. I insisted to them that I was fine and maybe should sit down for a minute. They fussed over me and finally got me to agree to stay put for a little while. My Rho Chi said that she would tell the girls of
Jet Black that I wasn't feeling well and might enter their party late. She said as long as she told them that, it wouldn't look bad. I had no choice but to trust her, and she walked off to their room. As soon as she came back, over came none other than the sophomore badmouther. I really did not want to interact with her, but she shocked me when she said she had seen the other girls fussing over me, so she thought she would bring a cup of juice. She said she was a diabetic, and she wondered if I was, and she knew if I was having a problem with my blood sugar that I might need help. I couldn't believe it, and I thought maybe she wasn't such a jerk after all. I thanked her for the juice and said I wasn't diabetic, but I appreciated her thinking of me. She and 65Mustang had to leave for their parties then, and after the halls were quiet, my Rho Chi sat with me for about 5 minutes while I drank my juice. I finally felt collected enough to go into the next party, so she ushered me in.
Jet Black was already talking about their philanthropy, which I knew nothing about at all. We saw a slide show of people they help, and I felt a little scared of those poor people. I felt bad for thinking that, but I had not had exposure to anyone like that before in my somewhat sheltered life. I decided maybe I should learn more about them, and so when we were taken aside by the sisters to do our activity, I asked the one I was with if she could tell me more about the beneficiaries of their philanthropy and how
Jet Black helps them out. She obliged me as best as she could, so it was nice to have more information. She and I finished our activity early, so she got up and brought back a photo album of the
Jet Blacks at a bunch of social and philanthropic events. As she told me about some of the things in the pictures, I couldn't help but notice that almost all the girls in the photos were tall, blonde, athletic looking, well put together, kind of "California girl" types. I was blonde, but I was short, and I wondered when I looked at these photos if I would really fit in with these girls. At the end of the party we hugged and she told me she hoped to see me later. My head was spinning, so I did nothing but smile shyly back.
My last party was
Violet Sparkle, and I was glad to see them, but also glad that it meant the evening was nearly over. Again, there was a slide show about their philanthropy events, and again, we learned about another philanthropy tonight, and it wasn't that I wasn't happy about it or I didn't think their work was good, but I was just feeling distracted. I composed myself as best as I could while I talked to the sister who sat with me. I think I made a nice enough impression, because she seemed nice enough and friendly enough. She and I also finished our project early, so we talked about general things about her sorority. She talked about some of the organizational awards they had won at the college, and I was impressed. 68VWConvertible came over for a moment and asked if I was okay, because she had seen me from across the room and said I looked like I wasn't feeling well. Uh oh. If she could see that from across the room, how did I look to the sister I was sitting 2 feet from? I told her I was fine but was having bad allergies, and she laughed. Laughed? Then the sister who was sitting with me told me a story, with 68VW standing right there, about how they were doing a particular philanthropy event in a dusty place the previous semester, and 68VW had such bad sinuses afterwards that she couldn't talk for a week, so the chapter gave her the nickname Froggie! We all laughed and I felt a little better. Maybe if the girls didn't mind sharing something like that with me, that was a good thing.
The night was finally over, and decision time for the rushees again. The Rho Chis explained that we were to pick 3 chapters where we might like to go for preference, and we could attend a maximum of three preference parties, but we were not guaranteed to do so. For some reason, tonight's decision was not hard for me. I don't know if I made a snap decision because I didn't feel well and just wanted to go home, or if I had decided to cut my losses and avoid a cut that I felt might be coming.
I wrote on my card that I wanted to return to:
Candy Apple Red
Jet Black
Violet Sparkle
and that I declined to return to:
Sky Blue Metallic.
I sat in a chair near the door to the ballroom when I was done, so 57Chevy and 65Mustang would easily find me. We went back to the dorm, and although I was tired, I took a quick hot shower to clear my head. I felt like I should have been more nervous at the end of that night than I was, but for whatever reason, I just wasn't.
When I got out of the shower, 57Chevy had gone back to her room. 65Mustang said she was going to meet us tomorrow for lunch, then come back to our dorm room about 5:00 so we could leave for preference. 65Mustang gleefully told me that the three meanies in her group hadn't gone to 4 parties tonight, and they were griping about "having" to return to the one place they really didn't want to go back to. 65Mustang said it was their just desserts for having talked bad about those girls on Monday night. She also said that Mother had called (yuck) while I was in the shower, and she told Mother that I was doing better, but I should be prepared for a phone call tomorrow morning. I told 65Mustang that I had to drop one group tonight, and she told me she had gotten invited back to 4 groups, so she didn't have to drop anybody at the beginning of the night, and she was happy about that.
Since the night was finally over, I took the other half of my dose of medication, and we turned out the lights and talked in our beds until we fell asleep.
Pit stop! Next time: Pref Night!!