Us After The Fallout

Part 8

I haven't seen Mia in four days. Well, I have seen her but only from afar: in the halls, walking out of school, at her locker, sometimes at lunch. Everytime I look at her I catch her eyes on me and she quickly looks away, but today I notice she is avoiding looking at me completely. I don't know why, but the act of her still looking at me and searching my eyes allowed me in some odd way to rationalize my distancing. She has tried multiple times to call, and even has cornered me a few times trying to talk to me. But I see him; lurking and waiting after school everyday since we last spoke in his black Audi. Mia wasn't lying when she was saying he had a good looking face. He screamed model. Not to mention the oozing charm he seemed to possess. His wealth along with it. Mia is rich and I know just by these times I have seen Lucas that he is probably wealthier than she is. I'm not poor, but I'm also not naive. Mia is in a very different social class than I am, which never really rattled me until now. 

It was always just Mia; never her money or her popularity, but I can't help to see that difference now. She holds one of her rare genuine smiles that she would only ever give me every time she gets into his car after school. He has a smirk plastered on his face, eyes sparkling green in return. That's why, when she isn't looking at me today, I feel my stomach flip and sink as if a fifty-pound dumbbell is chained to it.

I keep my head down leaving my locker when I accidently bump into someone. Catching my notebooks before they drop, I look up to see one of my classmates, Julia, standing there fumbling with her stuff.

"I'm sorry I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going," I say guiltily.

"No my bad Vada. I was rushing to try and get to my class. We have a quiz today in Bio," she says smiling. Just as I was about to walk away she caught my arm. "Hey I'm having a party at my place tonight, my parents are gone. Starts at 9pm you should come!"

I stop and hesitate: all I have been consumed with recently is Mia. I should go and hopefully the drinks will help me forget about her for a while. I also know Mia hates party scenes and most certainly will not be there.

"I'm down," I say with a growing smile. "Sounds fun."

"Oh my gosh, YES yay party Vadaaaa I'll see you tonight!" She says excited and runs off to her class.

This will be interesting.

~

Cheers erupt around me as I feel a dozen hands come down, slapping me on my back. Somehow, a shock to me, I just won my 5th consecutive game in cup pong. I managed to beat two guys on the varsity football team, and I'm clueless as to how because I've only played a handful of times before. A large portion of the party has congregated around the table since I started playing and every time I've won they have given me a tequila shot in celebration, defeating the purpose of me theoretically drinking less because I was the winner.

But I didn't care. I gladly accepted the liquor that was handed to me. It was making me light, at ease, and most importantly distracted. 

Distracted from thinking of her.

I had a few seltzers when I got here and now downed my 5th shot. It took a bit, but I'm feeling the tipsy effects turning to full-blown drunk building up quickly.

I pause to look around at the party surrounding me. When did all these people get here? I focus in on the back patio with a sliding glass door leading out to it. There are even more people out there; Julia's family has a giant backyard and an even more enormous pool complete with a slide and hot tub as well. 

Because whyyyyy not. 

My vision is starting to go in and out of focus more I notice, and I also notice a flash of blonde waves at the pool catching my eye.