we can't be friends

3

As the night went on, the party started to simmer down after a ton of drinking and dancing. Everyone started to head out for the night except for the seven of us who once again took our places in the corner of the room on the jet black couches.

The atmosphere was much calmer now, the emptiness only being filled by the sounds of our voices and music playing lowly in the background. I was beyond relieved to be fitting in with such a pretty group of people so well, and it was nothing but a good time as we continued to talk and laugh at jokes that were being made.

Every so often, Robert and I would look each other's way and exchange playful glances. A small smile was plastered across his face the entire time and I took that as a really good sign in my head.

I couldn't help but to grin while I listened to them go on about their experiences and their plans for the summer, mentally kicking myself for not really planning to do much at all except go to the movies a few times and hang out with Ian.

They must've taken notice to how quiet I was for the majority of their conversation since Audrey snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Earth to the little miss. Are you still with us or are we boring you?"

She spoke in a tone that seemed to be pretty annoyed, causing me to sit up straight and clear my throat.

I looked over to Robert for a brief moment as he sent me another apologetic look and I gave him a reassuring nod.

I ran my fingers through my hair and crossed my legs as I finally found it within myself to have an actual conversation with the beautiful people that surrounded me.

"It's not that you're boring me," I rolled my eyes a bit before I continued. "I just wasn't sure what to say before now since I didn't really feel like I had much to offer up in the conversation. It sounds like you've all planned to have such amazing summers, and all I planned to do was read every Spider-Man comic I could get my hands on."

I looked back in Audrey's direction when I finished speaking, hoping that the fact that I wanted to smack the drink out of her hand wasn't showing on my face.

"That honestly sounds so freaking relaxing, Hazel. It beats having to run around getting prissy fashion designers lattes all day," Emma chimed in with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Emma, but I'm sure you'll be running the fuck out of that runway with your designs in no time."

Audrey gave me a hard look, her eyes scanning over my features as she tightened her jaw while she continued to glare at me. With a soft flip of her hair she leaned back and took another sip of her drink without looking my way again.

Even as he sat out of my direct line of sight, I could feel Robert's eyes on me. All I knew was that I wanted to be in his presence again even after I left this mansion big enough to fit several families in it.

My mind was swirling with the possibilities of what I could do to make that happen, and I didn't even have a few seconds to contemplate whether or not it was a good idea that finally popped into my head.

"I'm having a little graduation thing in a few weeks, and you're all more than welcome to come through."

The words left my mouth faster than my brain could even finish processing them.

Damn it.

I wanted to smack myself as hard as I possibly could for not keeping that thought to myself until I could get Robert alone again, since he was the only one I was really looking forward to seeing again. I let out a quiet sigh underneath my breath as they all turned to look at me.