I watch as Andy’s back disappears onto the dance floor with some girl I've never seen before. It’s just like him to convince me to come here and then completely ditch me. I look around, the dance floor is a sea of moving colors, they blend together making my head spin. I’m probably the only one wearing black in this entire place I think to myself. I turn in my chair and swirl my drink around, watching as the amber liquid creates a brief whirlpool.
“You look lonely.” I jerk up to see a girl leaning up against the bar to my right. A girl that is also wearing all black. A girl who has the palest skin i’ve ever seen. A girl whose hair, I notice, is multiple shades of blue. It’s tied back in a braid and colored with everything from turquoises, to baby blues, and royal blues. I gape at her not sure how to respond.
She smiles, but doesn’t do anything else. Just stares at me like i’m staring at her. A few seconds go by, then a minute, and finally after what feels like hours I come to my senses and look away. I end up staring at the mess of colors and people again. I catch a glimpse of Andy kissing the girl I saw him with earlier and gag, the sight making me want to vomit.
I turn back to the girl to find she’s still looking at me, now with an almost curious expression on her face. Her eyes, I notice, are the same bright blue as her hair. She has a light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and she is wearing a thin layer of gloss on her full pink lips. Little gold balls dangle from her small ears just barely peaking out of her mess of fly-aways. Her outfit is completely black like mine with a black tank top and ripped black jeans.
“So are you going to tell me about yourself or are you just gonna stare at me all night?” she asks, surprisingly without the slightest bit of irritation. It’s almost as if she is teasing me.
“Right.” I say my gaze flickering back to the sea of people before resting on her eyes. “I’m Jay, and you are?”
“That’s for me to know and you to try and find out.” she says.
I narrow my eyes. This is why I never talk to girls they always end up confusing me to no end. It probably isn’t helping that I’m already on my third drink. I take a sip of the burning alcohol and scowl at the girl saying “Look if you just came over to be a pest I suggest you leave right now. I have no tolerance for people who want waste my time.”
“Fine. I’m Lillian. Happy now? You seem grumpy. Is it because your friend has a hot date and you don’t?”
“Yeah, no. I have no interest in dating anyone at the moment and I’m definitely not jealous of Andy.”
“Sure you’re not.” she interrupts me with a wink.
I continue on, ignoring her “I’m perfectly content with focusing on my studies for the rest of the year until graduation thank you very much.”
“Then why are you at a party drinking alcohol on a school night?”
“Because Andy made me come.” I say as if it’s obvious.
“Here’s what I think Jay, I think you are secretly enjoying this party and would love to parade around with a hot girl on your arm like your friend over there. You seem so lonely I’m sure you would like some company at some point, right?”
“Well I guess, but like I said I have a lot to focus on right now and I just don’t want a relationship.” My eyebrow knit together in confusion. What is this girl going on about. It’s too much for my intoxicated brain to handle.
“You don’t look like you have a lot to focus on.”
“Well I thought I would take a break from my schoolwork tonight.”
“So basically what you're saying is you have a free night tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“So why not pick up a girl?”
“Because I just don’t want to alright?” I say exasperated.
“Are you scared? I’m sure at least someone would be willing to go out with you. I mean you’re not ugly. You’re not great at conversation, but some girls don’t mind that. Hey, I’m still talking to you right? What’s holding you back? You can do it, just muster up some courage and ask. I’ll even help you pick-”
My ever drunkening brain is losing track of where the conversation is going. Something about dating. Do I want to date someone? Lillian is kind of pretty, I realise. Like really pretty. I like her freckles. Her hair is mesmerising as well. I wonder why she dyed it blue. Maybe I should ask her out. No, she’d say no. But then why would she talk to me if she wasn’t interested?
“Will you go out with me?” it slips out of my mouth before I have time to really think it over.
Lillian abruptly stops talking and looks at me calmly. She smiles softly and leans toward my face.
This is it, I think. She’s going to say yes.
“No.” she says and giggles pulling back.
It takes my brain a minute to comprehend what just happened, and when I do I feel everything from anger to confusion. She’s still just standing there smiling like she didn’t just completely reject me.
“What?” I say finally regaining my voice.
She giggles and says “You heard me.” she giggles again and turns around walking toward the sea of dancing people. I watch her go all the way over to where Andy and his new girlfriend are dancing - if you can even call what they are doing dancing. Lillian leans into Andy's ear and whispers something that makes him laugh and shake his head looking over at me. Do they know each other or something, I think. I tense as Andy kisses his girlfriend and leaves her with Lillian, walking over to where I’m sitting.
“Heard you tried ask someone out, good for you mate. Even if it kind of failed” he says with his thick australian accent. “Are you drunk or something? This is totally unlike you.”
I nod agreeing and answer “Not drunk enough.” while finishing off the last bit of amber liquid in my cup.
Andy watches this and then, with a gleam in his eye gestures to the bar and says “Well let’s fix that. Shall we?”