cocktail, and we agree to go check out the DJ. When I turn around to walk toward the makeshift dance floor, I catch a glimpse of Gina leaning in real close talking to Charlie. My heart drops. Why does this bother me? We are just friends and they are just talking. He said they’re just friends too, so even if he and Gina… No. This flips a switch in my brain, and for some unknown reason, I’m angry. I pull Melanie to the dance floor, find the first guy I can to grind on and let loose. School is over. It’s time to party, so I’m going to enjoy myself.
A few songs later, I decide to take a breather and grab another water. I signal to Melanie before I walk to the kitchen through the crowd. Charlie steps out in front of me blocking my route. He looks…pissed.
“Hey,” I say, taking the coward’s way out.
“Hey,” he says flat. Yep, he’s not happy. Too bad, neither am I.
“I’m going to get a water.” I start to push passed him. He follows me to the kitchen saying nothing while I grab a bottle of water. “Do you want a drink?” I ask in an attempt at conversation.
“Nope, I’m good with my beer.”
“Okay. Is everything all right?” I question, “You seem, I don’t know, hostile?”
“You seem to be enjoying yourself on the dance floor,” he states.
“School is over. It feels like something to celebrate and to let loose a little.”
His face softens a touch. “Just watch out who you let loose with. You do realize you were just dancing with Tim’s best friend, right?”
Oops. Nope, I certainly did not. “Look, I was dancing, no big deal. You don’t always have to protect me. So relax with the whole bodyguard mode, okay?” Embarrassed I had no idea who I was even dancing with and that he just schooled me, I stomp off, a tad self-righteously and back to find Mel.
I continued my childish antics the rest of the night, dancing almost the whole night and grinding shamelessly with Melanie and any guy who came up to me for a dance. A few times, I could feel eyeballs drilling holes in me, but I tried to ignore it and to enjoy my night.
I head to the bathroom shortly before we’re about to call it a night. When I walk by a door that is slightly ajar, I hear a slurring voice that sounds distraught coming from the dimly lit opening. I can’t help myself. I pause and listen in.
The person talking is so drunk, I can just barely make out what they’re saying. “I love her. Why doesn’t she love me?”
I peek in the door and notice three figures, two of them attempting to hold up a third. Austin and one of the B-team football players are holding up Charlie? What the hell? I barge through the door without thinking and all three figures look up at me in surprise.
“Brynn?” Charlie slurs before slumping over.
“What’s going on? When did this happen? Is he all right?” I spout off my questions in rapid fire to Austin who is looking back at me in anger? “What the hell is going on and why do you look so pissed, Austin?”
“Just get out of here and go home, Brynn. I got it, okay?” Austin says angrily.
“I’ll help. I can help you get him home. I just have to grab Melanie and let her know we’re going.”
“You’re the reason he’s like this in the first place. You’ve already done enough. Just go home.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Austin?”
“You come to the party and dance on a bunch of dudes all night? You have to know how he feels about you. Do you just not care? Are you using him because he’s a nice guy and totally in love with you?”
I’m shocked into silence. He was talking about me? Shit . He’s in love with me? How do I feel about this? We’re friends. I like spending time with him, and he’s a good friend. If we dated, it’d eventually end. I would lose him. The way things are is good. I don’t want them to change, I don’t think. No, I don’t want to lose him. We have to stay safely in the friend zone.
“Look, Austin. Charlie and I are
A few songs later, I decide to take a breather and grab another water. I signal to Melanie before I walk to the kitchen through the crowd. Charlie steps out in front of me blocking my route. He looks…pissed.
“Hey,” I say, taking the coward’s way out.
“Hey,” he says flat. Yep, he’s not happy. Too bad, neither am I.
“I’m going to get a water.” I start to push passed him. He follows me to the kitchen saying nothing while I grab a bottle of water. “Do you want a drink?” I ask in an attempt at conversation.
“Nope, I’m good with my beer.”
“Okay. Is everything all right?” I question, “You seem, I don’t know, hostile?”
“You seem to be enjoying yourself on the dance floor,” he states.
“School is over. It feels like something to celebrate and to let loose a little.”
His face softens a touch. “Just watch out who you let loose with. You do realize you were just dancing with Tim’s best friend, right?”
Oops. Nope, I certainly did not. “Look, I was dancing, no big deal. You don’t always have to protect me. So relax with the whole bodyguard mode, okay?” Embarrassed I had no idea who I was even dancing with and that he just schooled me, I stomp off, a tad self-righteously and back to find Mel.
I continued my childish antics the rest of the night, dancing almost the whole night and grinding shamelessly with Melanie and any guy who came up to me for a dance. A few times, I could feel eyeballs drilling holes in me, but I tried to ignore it and to enjoy my night.
I head to the bathroom shortly before we’re about to call it a night. When I walk by a door that is slightly ajar, I hear a slurring voice that sounds distraught coming from the dimly lit opening. I can’t help myself. I pause and listen in.
The person talking is so drunk, I can just barely make out what they’re saying. “I love her. Why doesn’t she love me?”
I peek in the door and notice three figures, two of them attempting to hold up a third. Austin and one of the B-team football players are holding up Charlie? What the hell? I barge through the door without thinking and all three figures look up at me in surprise.
“Brynn?” Charlie slurs before slumping over.
“What’s going on? When did this happen? Is he all right?” I spout off my questions in rapid fire to Austin who is looking back at me in anger? “What the hell is going on and why do you look so pissed, Austin?”
“Just get out of here and go home, Brynn. I got it, okay?” Austin says angrily.
“I’ll help. I can help you get him home. I just have to grab Melanie and let her know we’re going.”
“You’re the reason he’s like this in the first place. You’ve already done enough. Just go home.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Austin?”
“You come to the party and dance on a bunch of dudes all night? You have to know how he feels about you. Do you just not care? Are you using him because he’s a nice guy and totally in love with you?”
I’m shocked into silence. He was talking about me? Shit . He’s in love with me? How do I feel about this? We’re friends. I like spending time with him, and he’s a good friend. If we dated, it’d eventually end. I would lose him. The way things are is good. I don’t want them to change, I don’t think. No, I don’t want to lose him. We have to stay safely in the friend zone.
“Look, Austin. Charlie and I are
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