Two Rejects

"Where Does Trust Lie?"

We get in the room, there are more people than when we left and everyone was busy talking to each other they didn't seem to notice us walking in. I instantly walked to were I was sitting, Britney and Nathan follow behind me. I'm looking out for Nick who isn't where I left him, I scan the room looking for him, but I can't see him.
I hear Ben calling for Britney and Nathan, I follow the voice just to see Nick laughing and smiling with the pretty girl. The three of us walk towards them, I don't notice myself walking faster and bumping my way through the people on the way.
-" What took you so long? Nick, they're back"  Ben scream to Nick who was a little bit distant from us. -"I see you've met Alina. Baby did you tell him not to try anything with her? She's Nick girl"
-"Nick's girl?"
Two voices say the same thing, and I turn to see that Nick and the pretty girl were now standing next to me. Nathan and the pretty are looking at Ben and me while waiting for the answer. Another voice is heard behind me.

-"You know Ben. I heard she's Nick best friend, not girlfriend"
-"I never said girlfriend, I said girl" Ben shouts
-"What do you think people understand from that Ben?"
-" Exactly what I said. Just stop being nosy Vanessa. "
Oh! So this is Vanessa, I can sense why Nathan dislikes her. I try to see any resemblance between Vanessa and I, but I can't seem to see any, apart from the ponytail and the dark hair, we're completely different. But if this is Vanessa, then the pretty girl must be the one Britney and Nathan called Mrs Popular. I think I can tell why she's popular.
-" Guys, guys, stop. There's no need to fight. Yes this is Alina, she's with me" There's a loud silence and everyone is looking at Nick. -" She's my best friend" He continues, and there's a sort of relief on everyone's face, specially on the pretty girl.

-"Hi! I don't think we've been presented before, although I believe you already heard about me. My name is Camilla, Camilla Rives."
She says reaching her hand out. I look at hand and I'm sure I heard Nathan saying "not everybody cares about you" when she introduced herself, and she definitely heard It too and gave him a deadly stare.
I sensed a lot of tension between them, but I thought he hated Vanessa.
-"Hi, it's nice to meet you. This is actually the first time I see you, sorry!"
I hear few voices laughing, I guess not many people are fan of her.
-"I'm Vanessa"  She says to break the small laughs.
-"Oh, hi, I've heard of you, nice to meet you"
-"Oh really? I hope they are only good things, otherwise they are lies"
-"Don't worry, only good things."

For the rest of the time I was there I couldn't stand seeing Camilla being all over Nick, she wouldn't leave him alone. I spent some time talking to Britney, but then she disappeared with Ben, and I decided to sit on the couch scrolling on my phone. I was starting to feel bored and uncomfortable, people were getting drunk and more agitated. Nick was nowhere to be seen, he wouldn't reply to none of the the hundred texts I sent him, and I really wanted to go home.

-"Hey baby, why are you sitting all alone?"
One of the drunk guys said while sitting next to me, too close for my liking.
-"Oh, it's nothing, my friend just went to get us some drinks."  I lie.
-"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be left alone in a place like this, what if someone tries to do something bad to you? I'll stay here and protect you."
-"Don't worry, my friend won't take long, and I know almost everyone here, it's fine"
-"I insist." The drunk guy says as he place his arm around my shoulders. I feel tears building up in my eyes.
-"Oh, look, my friends are there, I'm going to meet them." I lie as I stand up, I should go and look for Nick, I really want to go home.
As I start walking the drunk guy grabs my arm and tries to pull me back to the couch.
-" Please let go of my arm, I really need to go."
-" Don't be like this baby, let's have some fun together."
-"I'm fine, I'm actually going home now"
-" Great, I can take you there"
The drunk guy grabs me by my waist and pulls me close to him waving his car keys in front of  my face. I try to release myself from him but he's too strong, until another pair of arms grab me and pulls me away from him, the next thing I see is the drunk guy on the floor holding his cheek. People start to gather around us as starting at us. I'm tearing up, I couldn't hold it anymore, but the guy who saved me holds my face with both hands and makes me look at him, it's Nathan.
-"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
-"We were just talking, I didn't do anything wrong with her"
-"You were obviously not talking, she wouldn't be crying of you didn't try to force her"

I see everyone looking at me, Nathan is holding my hand while shouting to the guy on the floor. More people are coming to see what was happening and at last Nick shows up followed by Camilla, Vanessa, Ben and Britney.  He looks at the guy on the floor, and then at Nathan, and he finally sees me right behind Nathan crying. Seeing him coming with that girl made me want to cry and puke, everyone was looking at me.
I abruptly release my wrist from Nathan's hand and run to the door, I hear Britney and Nathan calling my name and coming after me, Nick was still the in the crowd grabbing the drunk guy, punching him and yelling asking what he had done to me.
I lock myself in the bathroom and cry of embarrassment and pain, Britney and Nathan are calling my name outside. After few minutes I ask Britney to go and call for Nick, she immediately walks back to the karaoke room. Nathan is still outside, but another pair of feet steps approach him.

-"You don't miss the chance of being the center of attention do you?"
-"What do you want?"
-"This is the ladies bathroom. But I'm glad we met here, I need you to stop causing all this trouble just to get my attention. I told you I reject your feelings"
-" Ha! You think too high of yourself Camilla. I understood that, and honestly I accept your rejection. I don't know what I saw in you to grow those feelings. It's in the past, I won't bother you anymore."
-" I don't think you can just get over me that quickly Nathan, I'm mean look at me. Or else why would you provoke all that?"
-" It wasn't for you! I was helping Alina who was being harassed."
-"Oh right! As if you cared. But I think I know why you did that. Is it because of Nick? Are you jealous I spent the whole night with him? Are you trying to get back at me by flirting with his best friend? Don't bother, they are just friends, he wouldn't care if you two date."
-" Stop this nonsense Camilla. I see that you are definitely not who I thought you were."
-"Don't worry baby, I'm not dating him yet, but I will because you saw he's all over me. You still have a chance with me just until I start dating Nick. Bye"

Camilla walks in one of the restrooms. I was so shocked from what I've heard I didn't realised I wasn't crying anymore. I now understand why there were tension between them earlier, I didn't imagine it was something like this though. So, did Nathan save me because of that? Is he trying to get back at Camilla who's flirting with Nick? But most importantly is Nick really all over her like she said? I shouldn't have left home today, anything that would have happened if I had confessed my feelings to Nick would be less terrible than this.
I walk out and Nathan is still there, he walks few steps towards me, I stop, and he also stops. He knows I heard everything.

-"Is it true?"
-"What exactly?"
-"Did she rejects you?"
-"She did"
-"Are you trying to get back at her? Are you trying to date me?"
-"What!? Of course not, I'd have done that even if it wasn't you."
-" But she said. Then why?"
-"Look, just don't..."
We're interrupted by Nick who came with Ben and Britney. He looks terrible I can tell he was fighting back there.

-"Al, are you okay?" Nick says approaching me and holding both sides of my head.
-" What happened to you?"
-"It doesn't matter, I'm so sorry" Nick hugs me, and I can't help but crying again. At this moment I don't know why I'm crying, but it's the only thing I can do.
Camilla walks out and place her hand on my shoulder, I shrink deeper into Nick's arms, I simply dislike her.
We say our goodbyes to the other guys and we walk to the parking lot. Nick isn't letting go of me until I'm in the car, on the way back home, he keeps his hand on mine, giving it small rubs. The drive was even shorter now, and very quiet.
As we get home Nick pulls me close and hug me again.
-"I'm really sorry Al, I'm sorry I wasn't there, I shouldn't have left you alone."
-"But you did" I say as I push away from him. -"You abandoned me the whole time we were there. You saw Britney wasn't with me anymore, and you didn't even try to look out for me, all that because you were busy flirting with Camilla."
-"Al" Nick tries to get near me.
-" No Nick, you promised we'd leave if I felt uncomfortable in anyway. And I tried to stay there longer just so I don't be the boring friend. But if you had read the texts I sent you none of this would have happened."
Nick search for his phone on his pockets just to see the messages and missed calls from me.
-"I didn't... Al, I didn't see them, I was..."
-"Busy not paying attention to me. You said you'd protect me but you weren't there. And maybe I'm being unfair to you right now, I should have just stayed home, but I chose to go there."
-" No, Alina it's not your fault, look..."
-"Good night Nick"
-"Alina!!"
-"I need to stay alone."
Nick tried to talk to me almost all the night, but I just wanted to stay alone, and he knew it was best to leave me alone.