Sunsets and storms ✓

Chapter 10

MATTHEW

Going on a holiday with my friends, I wasn't expecting to socialise much with other people. Meeting Megan again after three years is enough for me to keep me up all night, but now I'm about to go to a party with her friends. I met all of them earlier but sitting at a table with a bunch of strangers usually doesn't lead to spending an entire night together.

It's safe to say that I'm freaking out. And my friends aren't helping. Logan is way too excited to meet new people and Evan is always in for a good party as well. I'm the only one who thinks this will be awkward as hell. I'm also the only one who has a hard time talking to strangers. I don't hate meeting new people, I don't even hate parties, it's just that it comes out of nowhere and I have no time to prepare myself. Maybe it's for the best, I would have been overthinking this for days instead of just a few hours.

Even though guys usually don't take as long to get ready, when you have to share a bathroom with three guys it takes surprisingly long to get ready. By the time we finally get out of our room, Megan is already waiting in the living room. I have to watch my jaw so it doesn't fall to the floor once I see her.

Tonight her curls aren't hidden in a bun, they line her face instead. Freckles start showing on her nose and cheeks. Her lips covered in red lipstick. The white dress flowing around her curves. If Evan hadn't poked me in my side I would probably still be staring at her.

Megan's friend doesn't live too far away so we walk there. Logan and Megan are walking in front of Evan and I. They're chatting lively and I see Logan swinging with his arms as he tells her a story. I've asked Logan about her so often after that party. Time after time he told me he didn't know her and now he's walking next to her as if they have been friends for years.

When we arrive it's obvious we reached the right house. You can hear people talk and music playing from a block away, but no one seems to care. There are not as many people as I expected. It's just the people I met earlier and maybe two others. It makes me feel a bit more at ease having met most of the people already.

A projector is already set up, we just need to settle on a movie to watch. The girls want to watch Magic Mike, but luckily us guys outvoted them on that idea. We end up watching some movie I've never heard of before but no one is too interested in it. It doesn't take long before everyone is talking and laughing.

I get talking to a few of the guys and to my surprise the awkwardness I was afraid of never comes. We talk about university and stuff for a bit but when we get to sports we really get talking. We easily fill the hours. Music fill the warm night air as we slowly get drunk.

I know I was hesitant before coming tonight but so far it's been the best decision yet. Megan has been talking to two of her friends for a while, not that I've been watching her or anything. And I just happen to notice her friends looking at me a few time the past ten minutes. I know if I look at a person like that I'm talking about them and the idea that they might be talking about me is enough to have my mind going crazy.

I'm glad when Colin offers me the bottle of whisky. I grab a coke to mix it with and down my drink. I know getting drunk just because I'm nervous isn't going to make me any less nervous but who cares at this point. I already know I'll wake up with a hangover, better make it worth it.

I don't think much of it when Megan's friend asks Colin and Nikolas to go with her. I start getting suspicious when Megan sits down next to me on the couch and I start to think that something is going on and Colin and Niko weren't taken away from this couch without a reason. It isn't helping that the alcohol is making my brain even slower.

We just sit next to each other for a while without talking. Just to people observing the rest of the party. It starts feeling an awful lot like the party three years ago.

"As if we're still at the same party from three years ago."

"Only this time there are less drunk people to make fun of."

"Would you make fun of your own friends when drunk?"

"Hell yes! Gotta get the blackmail materials someway."

We laugh at this. To be honest I would make fun of Evan and Logan as well. Who am I kidding. We're always mocking each other.

"Thanks for inviting us tonight. It's been better than I expected."

"No problem. You're not much of a social butterfly, are you?"

"Nah, I've got my friends for that."

"I can see that. They're really nice. Not as nice as you but still."

For a bit I'm sure I heard her wrong. Did she? Did she really just say that? She's looking away from me but I can still see a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She must have had plenty to drink as well if she's saying things like this.

We both ignore her comment for a bit, not knowing how to respond to it. We just sit back, looking at the stars. Occasionally pointing at one, trying to figure out some of the constellations with our drunken minds. All the worry fades the longer we just sit there together. Although I'm not going to deny the alcohol helped a big deal.

The sun is about to rise by the time we make it back to the house. Evan and Logan are walking a few meters ahead of us, not looking behind to see if we're still there. Megan and I just follow them on a slow pace, our hands occasionally brushing together. Every time my skin touches hers, I get a warm and tingly feeling all through my body.

Logan and Evan already disappeared into our room by the time Megan has locked all of the doors again. She leads us to the kitchen and hands me a bottle of water. I finish it without thinking about it. I know I'll be glad I drank it when I wake up.

Megan tries to walk out of the kitchen, but she stumbles over her own feet. I manage to catch her before she falls. We're both wobbly on our feet, clearly drunk. Her body is as close to mine as it's ever been. I thought my body was going crazy when our hands touched earlier, but having her body pressed to mine, damn. She pushes herself off me, bringing some space between us. Her hands are on my chest and I hope she doesn't notice my heart going wild in my chest. She looks up to me, her green eyes bright in the dark kitchen.

Without realising what I'm doing I lean in closer. When she doesn't pull back, I close the distance between us. Our lips slowly move together as I move my hands to her face. She bites my lip as she pulls away. We're less clumsy than I would have expected two drunk people to be. She smiles at me before she turns around and walks out of the kitchen, this time without falling. Leaving me in the kitchen, wondering what the hell is going to happen next.