Her roommate Adrian had insisted they both attend
the party that night. It was to be the last night that all the friends
would be able to get together. Most were graduating, even Elizabeth. She
had given into Adrian, not because of the pleading, but because she really
did want to see all these people she had spent so much time with over
the past four years. Elizabeth wasn't completely anti-social, after all.
She was only like that when she got in her funks. She looked around in disgust. Adrian had run off
again. Well, maybe she hadn't run away. She had been mesmerized and swept
away by a certain guy that just happened to be someone that Elizabeth
had known since freshman year. His name was Javin. Jay for short. And Elizabeth
had believed that she was in love with him since the day they first met.
But that didn't matter. He seemed to look straight past her every time.
This time it was right to Adrian. Elizabeth scowled down the hallway. She wanted
a drink. Not something too potent, even though she held a flask inside
her coat that Adrian had asked her to hold. Elizabeth felt that she was
past her "get drunk and stupid" stage. She just wanted this
evening to go a little faster. She stalked toward the kitchen wrapping her arms
around herself and pulling her leather coat tight around her torso. There
was a keg immersed in a tub of ice on the kitchen table. "Elizabeth! You came," Rob shouted over
the blasting music. He grinned as he poured her a beer. Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, not sure whether
or not to take the drink, but ultimately grabbed the flimsy cup and took
a sip. She really despised the taste of beer. It always brought back memories
of freshman year and all of its inebriation. The liquid, that reminded her of a combination
of old socks and dirty dishwater, swirled in her mouth for a moment before
she swallowed, holding back a wince. "What's going on?" "Nothin. Just drinking," he said smiling.
His cheeks were beginning to turn the same color as the set of red vinyl
chairs that matched the kitchen table. "Umm… That's cool." Elizabeth didn't
know what else to say. She stood there for a moment eyeing her friend
with all his insecurities. Elizabeth searched her brain for a reason to
slip away from a conversation she knew would go nowhere. "I'm gonna,
ahhh… I'm going to go back to the party." Rob felt his heart drop as he watched her walk
away. Four years of befriending her and he couldn't say anything at that
one crucial moment. |
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