offer.
Maggie urged me on. “Go show him there are other guys out there that want you,” she said, knowing I understood the ‘him’ to mean Luke. She tilted her head towards the dance floor.
Brent came around the corner into the little hallway. It was starting to get crowded. In one hand he held a glass of what appeared to be coke, in another he held a flask. He looked at all of us one by one before saying, “Hey, what up?”
For a moment, I thought I just might grab the flask from his hand and down whatever contents I found there. But I remembered all too well what happened the only time I got drunk. My lips had been way too loose. And I’d confessed things that should have been kept secret. So I grabbed Brent’s coke feeling parched. I downed it instead. I should have asked first. The drink had been doctored already. The burn of the contents still stung in my throat. But it was too late to be mad. I had made the worst mistake. The contents warmed in my belly.
“Wow,” Brent said. “Take it easy, Webster.” I rolled my eyes at the nickname Flynn had given me. But a quick smile crossed my face thinking about how I’d earned it. Flynn was the kind of guy words rolled off of. So, I decided long ago to confuse him by using my extensive list of SAT words, I’d been studying in anticipation of the upcoming test, on him. He never knew what hit him. So now, I was affectionately called Merriam Webster by him.
“Let’s go,” I said to Kevin, ignoring Brent’s comment. Kevin took my arm and I followed him to the dance floor.
“What’s going on,” I heard Brent say to Maggie in the background as we left.
I didn’t turn around because I was confident my best friend would keep my confidence. “Luke,” she said. I closed my eyes for a long second. Maggie and I would have words later. Most girls assume that guys didn’t gossip. But they do. They talk just as much as girls, except they don’t analyze every detail like we do. Luke would know before the night was over that I was bothered by him being with someone else, great.
By the time Kevin and I made it through the paired couples, we spent an awkward few moments trying to figure out where to place each other’s hands. His hands ended on my waist and mine ended on his shoulders.
Too soon the song ended for our half made plan to take effect. That’s when I caught sight of the girl leading Luke by the hand away from the dance floor. He smiled at her giggling face not even noticing me on his way by. In his defense, he was turned in a completely different direction. Certain words, none of which were flattering to describe the girl, flew across my brain. My mouth was a thin straight line watching her with highlighted blond hair that didn’t look natural, trying to lead my boyfriend away. But wait, he wasn’t my boyfriend anymore.
Ready to give up the game, my face brightened when my best friend stepped up and stopped Luke. I couldn’t hear what she said, but I saw the blond bomber’s face tighten in frustration. Luke said something to the girl and she nodded in resignation. Then my very best friend in the whole wide world took Luke by the hand and brought him back to the dance floor. A smile bubbled in my chest. That’s what best friends were for. And just like that, her breaking my confidence to Brent was forgiven. Brent only shrugged, put his drink on a nearby table and tucked his flask in his suit jacket. He held a hand out to the girl now looking frustrated by being thwarted. Everyone was back on the dance floor.
Maggie was nothing if not persistent. She moved to the music while slowly guiding Luke to the point where we were nearly side by side. One thing Maggie wasn’t, was subtle.
A moment later, Maggie tapped my shoulder. “Eme, switch partners with me,” she directed.
I wasn’t expecting this and
Maggie urged me on. “Go show him there are other guys out there that want you,” she said, knowing I understood the ‘him’ to mean Luke. She tilted her head towards the dance floor.
Brent came around the corner into the little hallway. It was starting to get crowded. In one hand he held a glass of what appeared to be coke, in another he held a flask. He looked at all of us one by one before saying, “Hey, what up?”
For a moment, I thought I just might grab the flask from his hand and down whatever contents I found there. But I remembered all too well what happened the only time I got drunk. My lips had been way too loose. And I’d confessed things that should have been kept secret. So I grabbed Brent’s coke feeling parched. I downed it instead. I should have asked first. The drink had been doctored already. The burn of the contents still stung in my throat. But it was too late to be mad. I had made the worst mistake. The contents warmed in my belly.
“Wow,” Brent said. “Take it easy, Webster.” I rolled my eyes at the nickname Flynn had given me. But a quick smile crossed my face thinking about how I’d earned it. Flynn was the kind of guy words rolled off of. So, I decided long ago to confuse him by using my extensive list of SAT words, I’d been studying in anticipation of the upcoming test, on him. He never knew what hit him. So now, I was affectionately called Merriam Webster by him.
“Let’s go,” I said to Kevin, ignoring Brent’s comment. Kevin took my arm and I followed him to the dance floor.
“What’s going on,” I heard Brent say to Maggie in the background as we left.
I didn’t turn around because I was confident my best friend would keep my confidence. “Luke,” she said. I closed my eyes for a long second. Maggie and I would have words later. Most girls assume that guys didn’t gossip. But they do. They talk just as much as girls, except they don’t analyze every detail like we do. Luke would know before the night was over that I was bothered by him being with someone else, great.
By the time Kevin and I made it through the paired couples, we spent an awkward few moments trying to figure out where to place each other’s hands. His hands ended on my waist and mine ended on his shoulders.
Too soon the song ended for our half made plan to take effect. That’s when I caught sight of the girl leading Luke by the hand away from the dance floor. He smiled at her giggling face not even noticing me on his way by. In his defense, he was turned in a completely different direction. Certain words, none of which were flattering to describe the girl, flew across my brain. My mouth was a thin straight line watching her with highlighted blond hair that didn’t look natural, trying to lead my boyfriend away. But wait, he wasn’t my boyfriend anymore.
Ready to give up the game, my face brightened when my best friend stepped up and stopped Luke. I couldn’t hear what she said, but I saw the blond bomber’s face tighten in frustration. Luke said something to the girl and she nodded in resignation. Then my very best friend in the whole wide world took Luke by the hand and brought him back to the dance floor. A smile bubbled in my chest. That’s what best friends were for. And just like that, her breaking my confidence to Brent was forgiven. Brent only shrugged, put his drink on a nearby table and tucked his flask in his suit jacket. He held a hand out to the girl now looking frustrated by being thwarted. Everyone was back on the dance floor.
Maggie was nothing if not persistent. She moved to the music while slowly guiding Luke to the point where we were nearly side by side. One thing Maggie wasn’t, was subtle.
A moment later, Maggie tapped my shoulder. “Eme, switch partners with me,” she directed.
I wasn’t expecting this and
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