Better Kept Secret

chapter 6

It's been over an hour that we've been here and I'm settled in now. I'm even having a little bit of fun. There is a little voice in the back of my head though, reminding me that Claire is trying to set me up. She's ushering us into another room with two couches where people are just chilling. I have a feeling this is the moment I'm going to meet the mystery man.

"Don't look now but there he is," Claire whispers to me. I look around the room, trying to be discreet. I notice her boyfriend and a couple other people I recognize but I have no idea who she means.

"Who is it?"

"Mark. He told me he thinks you're cute."

"Mark as in the one from our Math class last year? The one who was always flirting with the teacher?" I also know him because he plays soccer with Ben.

"Don't judge him before you talk to him. He's nice."

I look around the room and notice him. He's cute, I guess. He's wearing a graphic tee with jeans and he looks like he always does, though I never really notice him. I stare for a bit, then he looks my direction and we make a second of eye contact. This is so awkward. She pushes me towards him and I have no choice but to stumble over towards him.

"Hi," I say. "You were in my m-math class, right?" Shit, I stuttered. So embarrassing.

"Ya. My names Mark if you don't remember. Oh, hi Claire," he says as she smiles and walks up beside me.

"Why don't you guys go get another drink?" I try to silently communicate to her, No! I don't want to have to be alone with him!

"Good idea," he says with a smile and I follow him to the kitchen. He grabs a drink for her and one for me and him. I take the warm drink from his hand with a smile trying to think of something to say to fill the silence.

"So, you're on the soccer team right?" He looks over at me, his eyes resting on my breasts for an awkwardly long amount of time before answering the question.

"Ya. Are you coming to the game on Tuesday?" He takes a sip of his drink and his eyes quickly roam up and down my body again, making me shiver but not in a good way. His glassy eyes just make me feel like he's looking at me like I'm a piece of meat. I've never had a guy interested in me before. Romantically or in the way that Mark seems to be interested.

"Mmhhm. I kind of have to because Ben forces me." He looks at me confused.

"How do you know Ben?" He perks up at the mention of his team captain.

"Oh, w-we've been friends since we were l-little." Why do I keep stuttering? Years of speech therapy, all for nothing when I get nervous.

"Ohhh. You're that girl he talks about sometimes." Now it's my turn to look at him confused. That girl he talks about sometimes? What does that mean? "He doesn't say anything bad," Mark adds.
"He just mentions you sometimes cuz I guess you hang out all the time." His eyes seem to light up. I worry he's one of those guys who worship Ben. I didn't believe there were any, but after seeing firsthand how desperately the freshmen wanted to be friends with him last year, I wouldn't be surprised. But his interest in Ben feels less like he admires him and more that he's jealous of him, judging by the curl of his upper lip as he talks about him. "So do you know a lot about soccer then?"

"Not really. I don't know a whole lot about it but he used to make me play with him when we were little, so I know the basics."

"Oh cool. Well then what team do you cheer for?"

He continues to ask me questions I can't really answer and he rabbles about soccer. I can tell he's passionate about it, and that makes me happy. I'm not judging him or anything for having an interest, but can't he tell that I want to change the subject? I keep on trying to bring other things up but he continues man-splaining soccer to me. I have to really force myself not give him the biggest eye roll ever. His eyes keep finding their way back to my chest as well, making eye contact with my boobs instead of my eyes.

For the next while we stayed in the kitchen mostly talking about soccer and Ben. Not because I wanted to, but because this guy seems obsessed, not in a wants-to-be-friends-with-him. He keeps asking questions about him too.

"So what else does Ben do for fun?" Mark says. I need to get out of here. I'm not helping him get weird dirt on Ben.

"I don't know... You know what, I actually have to go soon so I'm going to meet up with my friends. I'll see you at school."

"Okay. I had a lot of fun, maybe we can do this again."

"Maybe," I say with a smile while walking away, feeling just as uncomfortable as when I first said hello to him. I feel his eyes on my body again as I walk away and I pick up my pace. I can't get out of this room any faster.

✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦

For the last little bit of the night, I danced with the girls and in the end, it wasn't that bad of an experience.

"You liked the party, right?" Rachel asks me.

I smile. "It wasn't that bad." I see Ben walking towards me through the moonlight and I wait for a second before getting into Rachel's car.

"Where'd you go earlier?" He says as he jogs up to me.

"I went to go find the girls. I thought you would want some time to hang out with your friends."

"She was also hanging out with Mark!" Rachel says in a sing-song voice, followed by a few drunk giggles.

I feel a little mortified.

"Oh." He looks a little upset, but I'm not sure why. "You're still coming to mine tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, and I pinky promise I won't be late!"

"Okay see you tomorrow," he says while ruffling my hair.

"Bye!" I quickly head back towards the car so there's zero chance I'll run into Mark again and have to say goodbye.

"How was hanging with Mark?" Rachel says while giggling hard. Alex, Claire's boyfriend and our designated driver, pulls away from the party, the house slowly fading away in the distance.

"Awful," I say and Alex barks out a laugh from the front seat.

"He's one obnoxious fuck," Alex says. "I could have told you that Claire."

"He seemed nice when I was talking to him! I though you two would be a good match." She pouts, crossing her arms.

"It's fine Claire. It doesn't matter."

"Well sorry you had to hang out with him. It's okay though. You don't have to talk to him again." It would be nice if after tonight, I won't ever have to see him again too.