Us Forever

Claire

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Sophia asks me one more time, grabbing her purse from the couch. "There will be lots of guys there. And who knows, maybe you'll find your perfect match tonight." Oh yes, that's right. The boys. Members of the male species. The humans who make me nervous at just the thought of waving hello. How exciting.

"You know, I didn't realize there were going to be boys there," I say, with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. "But now that I do, I really don't want to miss the view."

Sophia either misses the sarcasm or she's just too excited at the prospect of me going to this party with her. "OMG, are you really coming?" she asks, practically jumping up and down at the idea. "No," I reply with a smile, "but you should have fun with all the boys at the party."

She looks almost disappointed but quickly covers it with a soft smile. A smile that has a hint of pitty in it. One you can recognize only if you look hard enough. "Alright, but if you change your mind, just text me, okay? I'll see you there. Just think about it, okay?" I nod and wave my hand at her, shooing her out of the living room. "Go have fun, I'll be fine. Promise."

Sophia is my roommate and best friend. Apart from sharing our apartment and a love for a good romance novel, we couldn't be more different from each other. You see, while I'm a shy girl who prefers the company of well-written men in my romance books and the quiet of our apartment, Sophia is outgoing and never gets nervous talking to guys. It also helps that she looks like a Victoria's Secret model. With her long, wavy blonde hair and striking blue eyes, she's easily the most stunning girl I've ever met. She's already a ten, but her bubbly and open personality elevates her to a solid ten-plus.

Right now, I feel like a really shitty friend for not going to this party with her, because she truly is a great friend. She's stayed in with me a lot over the last few weeks, just because I wasn't in the mood to go to a party. I always get nervous at the thought of being in a house full of people I don't know. She always sticks by my side, but that also means she ends up turning down most guys throughout the night just to keep me company. Okay, now that I think about it, I really am a shitty friend. Always taking away her fun.

I watch her as she slips on black strappy heels that perfectly match her black leather skirt and red long-sleeve top. She blows me a kiss goodbye and closes the front door behind her. With the apartment now empty and no new books to read, I start to think that maybe I should go to this party. I could use the opportunity to practice talking to people. After all, I did say I wanted to start dating again. My last relationship ended almost six months ago, and I haven't dated since. I still remember the breakup and Joe's harsh words.

"I would say it's not you, it's me, but we both know who carried this relationship."
"You can be so boring, babe, but I know you have it in you to be fun. Maybe just not with me?"

Asshole.

I thought we were having fun. We were together almost every day, and I really enjoyed his company. So, I was completely blindsided by his sudden change of heart. He really broke me. It shattered me. Now, I can't even talk to guys without analyzing their every movement, searching for signs that they're not enjoying the conversation. I notice how their eyes quickly glance around the room before returning to me with a half-hearted smile. Or how they seem interested in me until they find the right moment to ask about Sophia. I don't blame them, though. Maybe I am boring. Or maybe Joe's words cut so deep that I've become too self-conscious about what I say, preferring to stay quiet.

But maybe tonight could be different. The party is at Niko and CJ's place. They share a four-bedroom apartment with two other guys. Niko is my childhood best friend, and CJ quickly became part of our group during the first year of college. Niko and I grew up together, and he's the only guy I can talk to without turning into a nervous wreck. So maybe it'll be easier to talk to people there since their house feels like a second home to me.

You know what, fuck it. I'm going to go to this party, I'm going to have fun. I'm going to talk to people, and then I'll be back home in no time. It can't be that hard, right?

I sigh and start rummaging through my closet for something nice to wear. My options are pretty limited. I can choose between a tight red dress, a yellow sundress with white floral prints, or jean shorts with a yellow off-shoulder top. I decide on the yellow sundress—it suits the warm summer night. The dress has thin shoulder straps and a bow in the middle of my chest, holding my breasts together. If someone were to tug at the bow, it could lead to a whole wardrobe malfunction. Below the bow, there's a small cutout that shows a hint of skin right under my chest. The dress flows to just above my knees, making me feel really pretty. I pair it with my white Converse sneakers.

I let my hair down, letting my brown curls fall to the middle of my shoulders. My curls are my most beautiful feature—so full and bouncy, with my curly bangs almost hanging in front of my eyes. It's almost like I can hide behind them. I put on my glasses, swipe on some clear lip gloss, and decide to call an Uber.

My Uber is two minutes away, and I'm already standing outside. It's a beautiful, warm, cloudless night, with the stars twinkling like fireflies in the dark. I should text Sophia to let her know I'm on my way, but I want to make sure I actually get there before getting her excited. God, what am I doing? This is ridiculous. I should just head back inside and watch a movie or something. Maybe I can just—

I'm startled out of my thoughts by a young man in a white car in front of me.

"Miss Duncan? My name is Trevor, I'm your Uber driver."

Well, I can't back out now. I draw a shaky breath and nervously smile at him before slipping into the backseat and thanking him. It's a short ride to Niko's house, only about ten minutes. When the Uber driver pulls over, I thank him again and quickly make my way to the front door. I can already see through the window just how many people are here. I take a few seconds to gather my courage, then open the front door, only to be greeted by blasting music and the smell of beer.

Come on Claire, you can do this!

Here goes nothing...