Something, Nothing

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4 - PARTY TIME

I know if Jomar or his girlfriend spots me somewhere by myself, they'll catch my bluff, so I do approach someone. He is standing in a corner, eyes strictly glued to his phone, so most probably he would want to be left alone. So do I, so I'm just going to stand beside him silently.

"Hi," I greet anyways lest I come off as creepy.

He looks up from his phone and gives me an once over and then returns to his phone again wordlessly. Hmm, I think to myself and I don't really care. I turn to where I had been before.

I can still see all of them from where I'm standing and spot Sun Ling looking my way and give her a small wave — see, I know people here too, I hope my wave conveys.

But she just raises her eyebrows in what I can only read as being shocked. I roll my eyes internally; come on, I'm not that closed off.

"So, what's your name?" I hear from beside me and am startled a little by it.

I glance to my side. He has kept his phone away and is now looking at me rather curiously.

"Um, Aarvin,"

"Aarvin," he nods to himself, and turns to his side so that he's fully facing me, and leans his shoulder against the wall, and hand in his jeans pocket, "Freshman?" he guesses correctly.

I nod. I think for a moment if I should keep conversing with him or find another excuse so I can get away from him too. My eyes find their way to Ken — I want to be talking to him. I quickly avert my gaze but it's late, the guy before me notices looking at Ken (or maybe I could have been looking at someone else in that general vicinity) and gives me a knowing look. I narrow my eyes at him defensively — he does not know anything.

"What's your name?" I ask in return, before he can go on.

"Sriganes," he smiles at me, "You can call me Sri,"

So, he is Indian, I confirm to myself. He does look Indian with his brown skin, brown eyes, black hair, but you can never really tell, and it wouldn't really hurt to ask either, so I do.

"Indian?"

He nods, "Tamilian. You?"

I tilt my head to the side a little, surprised, "Me too," it is always nice to come across someone of your own ethnicity.

"Are you a freshman too?"

He lets out a small laugh, "No, I'm a sophomore,"

"Oh," I grimace, "But still nice to meet you, Sri,"

"Likewise, Aarvin," then he tilts his head to the side and raises his eyebrows, "So, what's the story?"

He's pointing at where I was looking at, and I remind myself to not be alarmed. He's just asking; he does not know anything.

"What?"

Sri does not say anything immediately but instead takes his time. He looks me up and down, just like I did when I first approached him and it's as if he's able to read me somehow. I have this strange feeling to cover myself instantly, but I don't move and try to appear unintimidated.

It takes a complete two minutes to respond, "They're your friends, right?" there's a hidden meaning in there, I'm sure of it.

"Yeah?"

I expect him to ask me something else, like why I'm not with them or why I'm hiding from them but strangely enough, he doesn't. He just nods, and pushes himself off the wall, standing straight, "Cool. So, I'll see you around?"

"Sure,"

He pats my shoulder twice as a goodbye and then walks past me. That was weird, I think to myself and am instantly proven wrong. It turns out he's not some loner as I had initially assumed. After leaving, he easily mingles with a bigger group who all seem to know him somehow and he chugs down a cup of an alcoholic drink I'm sure and lets out a big whoop. Not only that, only then I notice that everyone at the party knows him somehow and wants to be noticed by him. And a few of them even smile at me as if they knew me as well.

Okay, maybe it's time for me to leave this party. But just as I turn around to do so, I am faced with none other than Jomar and Sun Ling once again. At least this time Ken isn't with them.

"Hey, guys,"

Sun Ling looks at me with this bewildered look and then over my shoulders and then at me again. I look at Jomar and raise my eyebrows but he just shakes his head — there's a small smile on his lips though, so he definitely knows what this is about.

"Sun," I call out, getting her attention, "What is it?"

"Do– Do you know who that is?" she practically shouts at me, but it's okay since the loud speakers drown out her voice anyhow.

I look over my shoulder to see who's gesturing at, and it's undoubtedly Sriganes. I turn to Sun Ling again.

"Sri?"

"You call him Sri?" she shrieks, and Jomar has to pull her back a little before our noses can touch.

"Yeah?" I shrug, "He told me too,"

"Wha– I–" she starts but thankfully Jomar takes it up from her. She's clearly drunk and overexcited from whatever it is.

"He's kind of popular in this college," Jomar fills in for me, "And he does not talk to just anyone. This is his party; the guy I was telling you about; that's him,"

"Oh. Ohhh," I drag out the word for their benefit — I wasn't really listening to Jomar before so I have absolutely no idea of anything.

But guessing from Sun Ling's reaction and everyone's general response to Sri, I guess he might be sort of a big deal after all. But he seemed cool when he was talking to me, so I don't know.

"Cool," I continue nodding, not exactly knowing how I should be responding here. And I am aware that I have spent more than half an hour at this party, so it's time for me to leave.

I say the same to Jomar and begrudgingly he lets me leave. Not willingly, but still consciously enough I do a little scan of my surroundings to try and see if I can spot Ken somewhere. I don't find him but I do find Sri and weirdly enough, he is looking at me. So, I give him a little wave and turn around. That has to be a coincidence, I tell myself and leave the party.

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