The Show Must Go On

Chapter Twenty-Seven: this is how you fall in love

Chapter Twenty-Seven Soundtrack: this is how you fall in love by Jeremy Zucker

'I really cannot overstate how much I don't want to play Twister,' is what I think I am saying, but somehow I only get through two words before I am dragged onto the Twister mat which is, unfortunately, sticky and, even worse, soon to be occupied by Nas fornicating with my school friend Qiang. Probably. If they aren't actually fucking, their eyes definitely are, and Qiang's hand is resting lightly on Nas's leg when it should be on blue.

I haven't noticed that because I'm jealous, or anything. It's just unhygienic. I care a lot about hygiene.

And Nas is very good at Twister, and so is Qiang, and I know Qiang is Nas's type. Everyone seems to be Nas's type, except, I guess, for me.

'Ellie, right foot green!' This contorts my ankles right under Mei's face, and she licks me. It's nearly enough to tip me over. I hate her.

Possibly I am just drunk though.

'Ellie!'

'I just went!' I argue. My legs are starting to wobble.

'Ellie, it's Sam!' calls Tom again, not the Twister caller, and I try to spot him around Qiang's back. 'She's setting beer bottles on fire in your bathtub.'

'Oh. Why?'

'To make a vase for you? She says she forgot to bring you a gift.'

'Did she move the shower curtain?'

'I think so?'

'Carry on.'

Mei interrupts. 'Ellie, are you sure?'

'Yeah, I never liked the bathtub anyway. And I need a vase.'

'Okay!' calls Tom. 'I'll tell her. And I'll also supervise. Just in case. Also, I have to piss.'

'Jesus, Tom,' groans Mei, who may actually hate him, but he's already left.

'Nas, left hand red.'

I hear a soft, 'Piss it', from Nas, and a deep chuckle from Qiang, and then a sharp exhalation behind my ear, and another one, and this time I feel his breath against my neck as Nas reaches up, around, and his arm wraps across my shoulder. He isn't quite touching me, and this close, I can see his bicep taut with the effort of holding him up, barely a centimetre, away from brushing my skin. He is nearly completely on top of me.

He is nearly completely on top of me.

He is breathing, gently, against my neck as he holds his weight off me, and I sink closer to the mat.

'Are you—' He begins to murmur in my ear.

My legs buckle.

'Well, that's me out!' I loudly announce to the room, and I tug my legs out harder than necessary, so that I sweep Mei down with me. I desperately avoid looking at Nas, whose body remained rigid above me, and I grab a loose glass of wine as I evacuate with my best friend. Some battles are better left unfought.

*

Mei's voice is a whisper in the dark.

'You collapsed just from his voice?'

'Well, he was whispering right in my ear!' I hiss. 'And I was drunk.' This second excuse, I realise, is more convincing.

'I mean, he has a sexy voice, sure, but your legs literally went weak?'

'It's not that sexy.' Criticising him is automatic by now.

'Ellie, you literally don't have legs to stand on there. You swooned over it five minutes ago.'