i can see you - tsitp

ten.

NATE LOOKS around at all the people in the backyard. It's a sizable backyard, and he assumes that's why there's almost a hundred people in it.

"Damn," whistles Steven proudly as he looks around, "I did good, didn't I?" he elbows Carlee with a grin.

"I'll hand it to you." she shrugs plainly, brushing off his ego. "It's decent."

"It'll be even better when you see the band play!" exclaims Taylor, shaking Carlee with excitement. Her eyes have been scanning everyone at the party since they arrived, looking for Milo, her boyfriend. He makes Nate sick.

"Oh, my God. Milo!" Taylor's voice rings out, and all Nate can think is Speak of the Devil. She races over to him like there's a timer, tapping his shoulder until he spins around, grinning when he sees her.

"Oh, God." Nate gags, making Steven grin, almost sympathetically, in his direction. Milo wraps his arms around Taylor and lifts her up into the air into a tight embrace.

"Thank God you're here." Milo says with a grin. Nate wants to punch it off him. He sets her down, staring at her when he does so. "So I need to be able to see you when I'm up onstage." Taylor nods enthusiastically. "Alright. So stay up close?"

"Okay." she nods, smiling flirtatiously at him.

"My boy!" shouts Spike, grabbing Steven and shaking his shoulders roughly. Nate feels a sense of relief wash over him, because Taylor is now staring in Nate's direction. "Uh, you call this a party? Where are all the hot ladies you promised?"

"Uh, we're literally standing right here." Taylor rolls her eyes, motioning between Carlee, Belly, and herself.

Spike winces awkwardly, "Oh, uh, no offense. I'm into older women. Personal preference."

"Hey, babe," Milo's annoyingly grating voice is back, "I'm gonna go help the guys finish setting up, alright?"

"Okay." he and Taylor share another kiss before he stalks off, heading to the makeshift stage a few dozen feet away.

"Okay, well, have fun, everybody." Steven speaks up, grinning pridefully. "I gotta go make the rounds, entertain the people. You know, host shit." he bows dramatically as Carlee scoffs. "Come on, Spike." the boys walk away, leaving only the four others.

"Come on, let's go get some drinks." Taylor says to the girls, smiling like a fool.

"I can't drink, I'm driving." Belly raises a hand, but Taylor and Carlee drag her off anyway. Nate sighs, trying to look around the party for someone to talk to, but everyone already seems to be involved in their own conversations.

He sits alone for a few minutes, scrolling through his Instagram timeline with a blank expression on his face. Then, someone sits down beside him.

"Hey," says a girl— she's blonde, and Nate recognizes her from his Calculus class. Her name is... Layla? He can't exactly remember.

"Oh, hey." he nods in return, looking around anxiously for any sight of Steven or Carlee. "You're in my Calc class, right?"

"Yeah," the girl smiles, "Lauren." Nate's guess had been close enough, and the name sounds vaguely familiar. "I've always thought you were cute, and I just graduated, so... you have a girlfriend or are you free tonight?"

Nate hesitates for a second, his eyes flickering back to the house. Taylor isn't his girlfriend. Taylor isn't his girlfriend. Taylor isn't his girlfriend.

"Yeah, fuck it, let's go." Nate shrugs, nodding his head towards the house. "You wanna get a drink first?" Lauren nods, and Nate wraps his arm around her waist, leading her into the house, then into the kitchen. Taylor, Belly, and the rest of the girls' volleyball team are all lingering around the counter, taking long drinks from their Solo cups.