Worlds Edge 22/5

I don’t feel like being here. Jess dragged me here kicking and screaming. Now I’m sitting alone in the corner of the room while people all around laugh, flirt and dance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the occasional party but I don’t even know most of the people here, I just wish I was back in my apartment with a good book and cup of tea.

“Oh come on grumpy pants. Quit complaining.” Jess slurs, snapping me out of my internal sulk fest. I continue to stare into full cup, after a few minutes of me ignoring her she sighs and starts mumbling something about how I should start paying attention to others so I would notice the hottie staring at me from across the room, before strutting her way back to the impromptu dance floor started in the adjoining room.

I roll my eyes at here as I look over and the boy she was referring to, I had noticed him earlier; he was standing almost directly across the room from me leaning against the wall. A half smile was plastered across his face almost as if he were in as much pain being here as I am.

Seeing me watching him he quickly drops his eyes down to his drink before chugging the rest of it down and wandering away to get another cup of warm bear flowing from the keg . Grimacing I turn to my own drink, I always make sure to bring my own drinks to party like these ever since my first uni party. Throwing up from too much beer is a major turn off, not that I enjoyed the taste that much to begin with.

Tonight I am sipping on vodka and orange juice. I’m usually more creative however I didn’t get much time to organise drinks as Georgia dragged me out the door.

A couple of songs later and I am still standing alone in the corner when Jess comes bounding over, Jamie in tow. Jamie is a good friend of ours, though I am pretty sure he is in love with Jess. Not that he would ever admit to her or anyone else, possibly even to himself. He’s a player and admitting to have feelings for someone would “ruin his rep” as he puts it.

Jess’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts once again. “Come on A you can’t mope the whole party; you’re bringing down the mood. You’re here now, suck it up, skull that drink and go mingle.” She says with a wink.

“I’m not moping I’m just not in the mood.” I pouted back at her.

“You just need more vodka in you!” Jess petitions as she pours another drink into my cup with three times the amount of vodka to juice. “Drink up you need all the confidence you can get to chat up the hottie sending you sex eyes all night.” Nudging her head in the direction of the boy from earlier. He was back across the room now with a full cup of beer. I could tell because when I turned to look at him he jumped knowing I had caught him watching me again, his beer had slopping over the rim and spilling down his arm. Sighing at his clumsiness as he wipes his arm, before glancing up at me with a smile and eye roll.

Giggling I decide to give him a chance, but first I need some liquid courage, downing my drink, shuddering as the after burn hits me. “Ugh I should have just done a shot instead” I moan as jess pushes me in the direction of the cute boy, she always seems to know what I’m thinking.

I stumble a little on my way over, the alcohol quickly taking effect. I’ve always been clumsy, alcohol just makes it worse. When I finally make it over to him I breathe a sigh of relief that I didn’t fall flat on my face in my way over. That would have been a conversation starter I grimace at the thought.

When I look up at him he is watching me with a shy smile on his face, I was just glad he wasn’t making fun of how uncoordinated bi was, as was usually the case for me with most guys I meet, and a total turnoff.

He clears his throat with an awkward foot shuffle. Oops, I’ve just been standing here in front of him completely occupied with me thoughts, as always happens when I try to be social.

Snapping out of my thoughts when I feel a hand on my shoulder, quickly realising, it’s his as he smiles sheepishly, “you were swaying a little bit, thought you might fall over.”

Great I really should not have downed that last drink, now I’m just going to embarrass myself. Glancing up through my eyelashes I murmur, “Yeh that last drink was a tad strong.”

“Well you drank it pretty fast too, can I get you some water?” his voice is soft, it has a soothing almost melodic tone. I would get lost in it if I didn’t just come to the realisation that he witnessed me down my drink for courage before coming over. Embarrassed I quickly shake my head, instantly regretting it when my head starts to spin. Clutching his arm top steady myself I realise he still has his hand on my shoulder his fingers gently massaging.

Noticing how disorientated I am he leads me over to the kitchen. Leaning me on the bench to stay upright he opens a cupboard for a glass before heading to the fridge pulling out a jug of water. He places the glass full of lovely cold water into my hand. Greedily gulping it down I already feel better. He refills my glass, I sip the water as he refills the jug and places it back into the fridge before leaning on the opposite side of the bench.

“How do you know your way around so easily” I ask as I feel my head clearing.

“My friend chase lives here, I live close by and spend a lot of time here. My place is a lot smaller so I can’t really invite many people over.”

“Ah okay I’ve never met Chase, my friend Jess said it was a party of someone in her marketing class.”
“That’s surprising, must mean he is actually attending class.” He chuckles before taking a swig of his own drink. “I’m Thomas, by the way.” I hold my hand out to shake his; he grips my hand softly in his. “I’m Amelia” I breathe as his thumb caresses my hand before letting go.

We stand there in silence giving me a good chance to really look at him up close. He is lightly tan with unruly brown hair falling into his hazelnut eyes. He is casual in a black shirt and ripped black jeans. 

Reviews

[Bryan Webb]

A good start but it still needs more as it feels unfinished just describing Thomas in the last couple of lines. There is a fair amount of detail to help paint the picture here and it could use just a bit more in the sections already wrote. Amelia had to hurry so why is Thomas eyeing her? Is it her outfit or her overall features which are not made clear.
I also only noticed a couple of errors in the ninth and tenth paragraphs.
"That would have been a conversation starter I grimace at the thought." I feel either needs a period or an "And" between "starter" and "I grimace".
"...I was just glad he wasn’t making fun of how uncoordinated bi was, as was usually the case..." has the one misspelling of "bi" instead of "I".
Other than that it seems to be a solid piece and a great start. Keep up the good work.