Luminous Nights

IX: Strange Feelings

Full of nerves, I sat on my couch waiting for a text from Corwin telling me that he was here to pick me up. Did I make a mistake accepting his offer on going out tonight? I've only been to a few social outings before, and I hated every single one of them. For example, Logan took me to his friend's party after we all graduated high school—let's just say I found the emptiest corner of the room and got comfortable with my book. I get really anxious when I'm around large groups of people, so I hope that wherever we're going isn't too crowded.

My phone chimed, showing a text from Corwin signaling that he was here. "Here goes nothing..." I mumbled aloud, as I locked the door to my apartment on the way out. I wasn't sure where we were going, so I wore my usual type of attire: torn skinny jeans, a black tank top with my army-style jacket, and a pair of black combat boots. It was a bit chillier tonight, so good thing I wore my jacket and boots. I made my way outside and found a familiar dark-orange muscle car parked on the side of the street. Corwin stepped out of the car to wave me over. "Ay, there she is! The one and only!" I rolled my eyes at him as he held the passenger door open for me. "You're a weirdo, you know that right?" "I take pride in my weirdness, so I'll take that as a compliment!" He winked back at me. We began driving through town, towards our destination. "So, are you going to tell me exactly where we're going, or are you leading me to my death?" He chuckled at my comment. "Wow, and I thought you trusted me? Ouch, I'm hurt. Actually, it's a surprise." He ran a hand through his messy, medium length hair. "You like surprises, right? " "It just depends, really. But I guess I'll just have to trust you." I replied with a smirk.

We were now on the other side of town, the historical district, with its preserved buildings and museums from ages ago. What kind of place could he be taking me to on this side of town? "Almost there..." Corwin began slowing down for a left turn. "So, do you think your friend will like me? I-I don't know how I feel about meeting new people. He might think I'm strange..." He parked on the side of the main strip, where rows of bustling businesses lit up the area. I looked over at him, and once again saw that caring look in his violet-colored eyes. "Don't worry about it, trust me. He will love you. In fact, I've already told him a lot about you." I raised my eyebrows in disbelief and cackled. "That's hard to believe. What good things could you have told him about me?" He shook his head as he came around and opened the door for me. "You really don't have much confidence in yourself, do you?" He said with a sigh. I flushed at his comment and tried to respond. "I-I-" He began walking away, waving his hand for me to follow. "Well don't just stand there, we've got places to be pipsqueak." What was that reaction about? He acted somewhat bothered by my response. "Hey, wait up!" I shouted as I tried to catch up to him. "...and don't call me pipsqueak!" I added.

As we walked down the strip, I noticed how lively everything was: different types of music playing all around, the scent of spices and deliciously cooked food, and crowds of people coming in and out of all the businesses. This part of town was kept in pristine condition, preserving the colonial style houses and buildings, as if keeping that era alive. There were some people even dressed the part. Although I've lived in this town for over a year, I've never been to this area before. "I take it you've never been here before, based off your reaction? Pretty neat, isn't it?" I nodded as we kept walking. I began feeling a little nervous with all the crowds swarming around us, but I kept on trudging through with Corwin, until we stopped. "Alright, we're here! You ready?" Looking up at the old, brick building, the sign read: The 'Ol Dusty, est. 1872. My eyes went wide in surprise as I looked up at Corwin. "A bar? You brought me to a historical bar?" I asked nervously. I've never been to a bar before, nor have I ever drunk much alcohol to begin with. He chuckled, "There's something new for everyone, right? This is mine and Keegan's main hangout spot these days. Besides, how do you think I felt when you brought us to a fast-food place for 'drinks.'" He said with a raised brow. I play punched him in the arm and we both laughed.