Emory Quinn, a curious introvert, and Colby Brock, a carefree adventurer, meet by chance in a town full of dreams. Together, they embark on an unexpected journey that shows them that even in the darkest shadows, laughter, friendship, and maybe a bit...
"Em!" I heard a high-pitched scream as I was grabbing my luggage. I couldn't tell where it was coming from, though. The Orlando MCO is always somehow packed to the brim.
"You're back!" I turned around. "Aoi, I missed you," I said dramatically. We literally only spent a weekend apart.
"Come on, let's get to the car. I can't wait to hear all about your trip." Oh... I still haven't told her about my encounter with Colby. She's going to absolutely freak. Not that I blame her.
"Yeah I actually have a lot to tell you," I laughed.
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"Are you serious?!" Aoi screamed. We were on our way to my house; it was about a two-hour drive.
"I promise. I couldn't believe it either. Honestly I still can't," I said, burying my face in my hands.
"He followed you? Can you show me?" She wiggled her eyebrows. I honestly haven't looked at my phone since I got on the plane.
"Holy shit," I said in shock. "He commented on my picture." I looked over at her.
@colbybrock I hope LA treated you well :)
"You're shitting me, right?" Aoi chuckled. I turned my phone screen and showed her. Her mouth dropped.
I liked his comment and decided to reply.
@emorysworld better than I ever thought it would :)
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Over the next few weeks, I focused on work and my friends. Florida life wasn't all terrible, but I miss how free LA made me feel. I wasn't the type to take on adventures or leave my life behind with ease. I truly only take 1 vacation a year, and just like this last one, they're normally a weekend long. To be fair, I live in a place where people come to vacation, so I guess I don't feel the need to leave.
"Hey, do you wanna come to a party with me?" Aoi asked as I picked up the phone.
"Where?" I asked. I heard a quick laugh coming from her end.
"Don't worry about that; it'll be fun. I'm picking you up at 8." She didn't give me time to answer as she had already hung up. I looked at the clock and realized it was already 6pm.
I took a quick shower, had my music blasting, and made myself a little pregame celebratory drink. Vodka and orange juice, my favorite.
(Outfit description)
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"You look hot!" Aoi looked me up down. "Can you make me a drink before we leave?" She asked.
"You're not driving?" I asked. She shook her head lightly.
"I know I said I would, but I got an Uber instead." She said.
I walked into the kitchen and asked her what she'd like. "Just make me anything with vodka." She plopped herself on the bar. "Alright, vodka cran it is!" I turned up the music a bit more, "SKIN" by Colby came on.
"Hey so... have you heard anything from him?" She twirled her drink around and took a big gulp. I shook my head, taking a sip of mine.
"I have to tell you something," she smirked.
"What did you do now?" I asked while laughing.
"This party... I think he might be there." I almost choked on my drink.
"You're lying!" I pushed her off the bar.
"I'm serious. I found out about it through Snapchat. Apparently, there's gonna be a whole bunch of influencers. I don't know that he will be there, but there's always a chance" she nudged me.
"What if he thinks I'm like... stalking him?" She finished her drink and grabbed my shoulders.
"Not with you looking like that he won't!"
We both laughed and grabbed our bags. It was about a 45-minute drive to this party, so we had time to relax and get in the right state of mind. There's no need for me to freak out, yet. Like Aoi said, it's not a guarantee that he will be there.
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"Aoi, you could've told me this party was at the beach!" I said, a little annoyed.
"If you get hot just take your jacket off," she laughed. I kept looking around as we walked through the crowd. There was a huge bonfire, loud music and almost everyone had a drink in hand. I couldn't recognize a single face, though. I shook off the feeling and walked towards the drinks area.
"Hi! Do you guys have vodka?" I asked loudly, trying to talk over the music.
"Sure thing! Do you want anything added to it?" He asked.
"Some orange juice if you have it, thank you," I offered a warm smile.
At this point, I had already lost Aoi. I grabbed my drink and walked around some more. It was starting to get pretty hot, so I took my jacket off and walked towards the water. Once I was a few feet away from everyone, I could finally feel the breeze.
I took my phone out and snapped a couple of pictures. Some of the view, some of myself.
@emorysworld "I guess Florida parties hit different"
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I met a couple of new faces, danced and let loose. I haven't partied like this in a long time. Most of my weekends were spent catching up on shows, hanging out with Aoi, and taking countless trips to the beach. This just felt different. It was dark and I was drunk. I could barely hear my own thoughts through this loud music.
"This is my song!" I yelled to my new friends. Except, I couldn't recognize anyone around me. They all looked like dark silhouettes. I was probably dehydrated. I started walking away, back towards the water. I grabbed a water bottle from the drinks table and took a couple of sips. Jesus, my feet hurt. I thought to myself. Who the fuck wears boots to the beach?
I was drunkenly trying to take my shoes off. And somehow ended up butt-first on the sand.
"Do you need some help?" I heard a voice say. A tall, dark shadow was approaching me from the crowd. I was too confused to say anything, so I didn't.
"Hey, you again... I thought I recognized you," he said gently as he was helping me stand up.
I shook off the sand off of my outfit. He was still holding on to me, making sure I didn't fall again.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I said, right before looking at this figure. His bright blue eyes locking into mine. "Oh, Colby," I said. A big wide smile plastered on his face.
