LOOKOUT

PART 5 - RAGER

I press the buzzer to Aubrey's flat. I'm standing outside, shivering slightly from the breeze. The clothes I'm wearing don't help, a black tank top and black jeans. My hair is down, and my bangs are nearly long enough to cover my eyes. I'm gripping a bottle of white wine tightly in my hands, an anchor for my anxiety. I wait a few more seconds before I hear the door buzz. "It's open, come on up." A voice says. I suddenly feel my neck go hot. That's probably one of Aubrey's friends. I'm meeting Aubrey's friends. They might hate me.

I push the door and walk up two flights of stairs. The closer I get to flat 201, the louder the music and voices become. I knock and the door is flung open by a petite blonde woman. She's really small, her eyes meet my shoulder, and she looks up at me. "Hiya, you must be Aubrey's friend, the writer," she says, and I recognize it as the woman who buzzed me up. "Yeah, hi. I'm Bey. What's your name?" I flash her my most friendly smile. "Eden," she says. "Uh, I brought this," I say, handing her the wine bottle. She takes it from me. Then, she smiles at me but it makes me a little uneasy. I think it might just be nerves, though I'm not sure. "You can hang your coat there," She points to a closet at the end of the hallway. Without saying another word, she walks away.

I put my jacket away, and slowly make my way to the living room. The room is dimly lit, red and purple lights illuminating the room. It's packed, a bunch of people sitting in chairs, some on the floor, others standing, and a few on the couch. The music is loud, and no one notices me. I'm glad. I look for Aubrey and I see him around a group of people. I recognize Eden standing next to him as well. He's moving his hands dramatically, saying something. They all laugh, and then Eden looks over at me. She says something to him. He places a hand on her shoulder and leans close because he doesn't hear her. She tries again louder, and at the same time the song that was just playing finishes and transitions to the next song, leaving the room momentarily quiet.

"I said, your writer girlfriend is here!" She says, pointing at me.

In the sudden silence, it's loud enough to startle him and the group of people around them. He looks over at me, and I can see his face flush. His friends who are surrounding him are all looking at me too. Thankfully everyone else was still talking so it was just that group that noticed me. Yet, eight pairs of eyes looking at me is still a large amount and I feel extremely nervous. The music picks up again. He waves me over then, and I shuffle awkwardly past all the people. He pulls me into a hug. "Sorry, sorry, I don't know why she said that." He says, his breath warm in my ear. "It's okay," I mutter. He pulls away. I'm not sure he heard me.

He looks at me for a second, eyes roaming, and I notice his face is covered by a thin layer of sweat. His eyes are wide, and his face is still very pink. He claps his hands together and flashes a wide grin. "Okay guys, this is Bey," he says gesturing to me. "Bey, this is guys." He then introduces each of them to me separately. Eden tells him we already met. He then introduces me to Ciaran, Ahmed, Lana, Brett, Vincent, Jen, and Chloe.

"That's everyone. Anyways, Bey, I was just telling these guys about that time I..."

Then, he goes back to telling his story to the group. I feel comfortable being forgotten about as they all are captivated by him. I am too. I stand around quietly as he talks, while his friends interject in between to say something, or make a joke. He's saying something about a party he threw in London, and how out of hand it got. He says someone brought a monkey to it. He's moving his hands animatedly and talking louder than necessary. I can tell he's a bit drunk.

Aubrey is cut off mid-conversation when the doorbell rings again and Eden groans. "Seriously?!" She says loudly. "How many people did you invite?" She rolls her eyes and turns to go buzz the newcomers up. Aubrey stops her though. "Hey, it's okay I'm the host, I'll get that one." He says. "First time tonight!" Ciaran says, and the group laughs. Aubrey flips him off and leaves to get to the door, placing his hand at the bottom of my back when he walks past me. It's a fleeting touch, probably to make a bit of way and he would've done it to anyone standing where I am. It still feels like I've been electrocuted.