Olly And Ben

Part Three- My friends didn't choose me.

Game nights are a tradition my friends and I began during our university days. During my first year, I met Savanah in my anthropology class.  At that stage everyone was nervous and anxious about making friends. I wasn't looking. I had already decided that I was too weird and awkward to be going around and trying to make new friends so I sat back hoping they would approach me instead. That's when Savannah came along. Although I was relieved that someone actually came to make friends with me, I quickly realized that she was an acquired taste. She spoke a bit too loud and too fast which always drew in the attention of people around us, which I despise. I am not the spotlight kind of girl which is exactly what Savanah is.

At times when I wasn't in the mood to have someone talk my ear off, I would avoid her. However, over time she grew on me and now I could never imagine life without her.

When we got closer, I finally spent enough time with her to meet her boyfriend. That's when Ben came along. He was Evan's gorgeous best friend and a little out of my league to be honest. But that didn't stop him from going after poor old me. After growing up in a home and always feeling alone, I was skeptical about people. Especially when it came to romance. I spent an entire two months avoiding him. But Evan is not the type of person you simply decide to avoid. I don't think he had ever had to face rejection. I wasn't just playing hard to get. I didn't want to get involved and attached only to get hurt. I should have kept that attitude up. But alas, one day I found myself in his bed and the rest is history. His hard work at getting me payed off, and I had no clue I had sold my soul to the devil.

The moment I walk into the room, I know something is wrong.  Everyone seems to stop what they are doing to look at me. "Do I have something on my face?" I ask. Savannah chuckles nervously, "No you don't." She is standing in the kitchen area with all my other friends.

"How are you guys?" I ask, choosing to shrug it off. I don't hear their responses. As I walk further into the room, I see Ben standing there and he is looking right at me. This is my happy place and now suddenly one of the saddest aspects of my life is standing smack in the middle and I don't know what to do. All the emotions try flooding back but I am not having it. Suck it up, you're not a little bitch.

"Hey Olly." He greets me. I want to respond. I don't want to be that guy but something about him standing in my best friend's living room, where I am supposed to be with my friends having a good time, just irritates me to the core. I don't respond. "We were waiting on you to start." Savannah states. She has an awfully painful looking smile on her face as though someone has little ropes attached to her skin, pulling at it to force her to smile.

"What is he doing here?" I am never one to beat around the bush. "Well since we spoke the other day and we are sort of cool now, the gang thought it would be a good idea for me to join game nights again." Ben interjected.
"No you and Evan thought that" PK says under his breath while rushing behind his ears and looking away from us as though he can't stand the awkwardness. Neither can I.
"Oh really." Is the only response I can come up with.
"I can leave if you want me to." Yes but you don't want to leave and I would be the bitch who chased you away.
"No worries, it's okay." It hurts to say it but I will not play the villian so I smile. I smile so bright one could go blind if they look too long.
"Okay them, someone bring out the shots and the 30 seconds." PK shouts.

The night goes somewhat normally. I can feel the constant burn of Ben's eyes at the back of my neck as I help clean up afterwards. He has been watching me the whole night. What he's looking for, I don't know but I don't like it.

It is 1 am, we have just finished cleaning up and now I am falling asleep on my seat. I finally decide that it is time to go home. "Guys, I am wiped. I'm gonna go home now." I say right before a record breaking yawn claws it's way out of my mouth. "You should get an uber, you've had too many shots and you're too tired to drive." Savannah says. "And risk getting kidnapped? No thank you." I have never trusted uber drivers.
"I can drop you off." Ben offers.
"No thanks, PK lives closer to me so he can drop me off."
"I can't drive either, I was hoping to get a ride from Ben as well." PK says. Traitor, he didn't even drink that much.
"What about you August?" I ask.
"Micah is coming to pick me up." She responds. It must be nice to have a boyfriend who just pick you up.
"Can I ride with you guys?" I ask hopefully. "Sorry Olly, I'm sleeping over at his tonight."  Micah lives in the opposite direction. Fantastic.

"Sorry, looks like you're stuck with me." Ben says. He does this little shrug as he shows off his gorgeous smile. I can tell he's trying to be cute and funny. I don't respond. Walking to the car I whisper to PK: "Please sit shotgun". He only laughs and proceeds to get in the front. My hero. The world needs more Pks. As we drive, he switches on the radio and starts singing along to every song that comes on till we reach his house.

He says his byes and rushes inside. "Don't you want to sit up front?" Ben suddenly asks me.
"Why?" I respond.
"I feel kind of awkward with you at the back. It's like I'm a driver or something." He chuckles lightly. Well you are driving genius.
"No I'm okay here, we're going to get to my place just now."
"It's like a thirty minute drive."
" It's one in the morning, there's no traffic, we'll get there soon."
"Okay then." He gives in and pulls out of Pk's drive way.
As we drive along I realise that it is actually very awakward. I pull out my phone from my bag and see it's on 5%. Well isn't this just my day!