As soon as I walk into the gym, the sound of laughter, the lights twinkling above, and the distant smell of punch hit me all at once. Dahlia and Aadhi are already glued to each other, just as expected.
Great. Now what?
I lean against the wall next to some of the refreshments.
Why is it that anytime I go out somewhere, I always end up eating the food and not doing anything else?
I'm already halfway through some tasteless punch when I spot her out of the corner of my eye. Kiara, wearing a pretty green dress and silver jewelry, walks into the crowded gym full of people partying and dancing.
I wish I was somewhere cooler, rather than hunched over a bowl of chips. Adjusting my white button-up shirt carefully, I relax my shoulders. Then, to my extreme luck, Kiara glances over and catches me staring.
Great. Now I've got to pretend like I wasn't.
"Hey," I say, walking over, nearly tripping over my own feet.
She gives me a half-smile. "Hi."
We stand awkwardly for a few seconds.
Say something, say something, say something, you buffoon.
"Didn't think I'd see you here. I didn't even know you go to this school," I huff, gesturing to the people beside us.
"Frankly, I didn't think I'd see myself here," she replies with a laugh, heels clicking underneath us. Even with them on, I'm still 5 inches taller than her.
I scratch the back of my neck, silently scrambling for something more interesting to say rather than busting my ass talking about the weather, 'cause God knows that's cheap.
"I didn't know you go to this school in the first place, either." She meets her brown eyes with mine, and I nod.
"I'm a friend of Aadhi's," -I take a small breath,- "...His best friend." I gesture to him, effortlessly slow-dancing with his girlfriend, Dahlia.
As we wait patiently for one of us to say something back, a few more couples make their way to the dance floor.
Kiara glances toward the crowd.
"You're not much of a dancer, are you?"
Is this flirting? Or is it polite conversation? Unable to decide, I laugh. "Not unless you count tripping over my own feet as dancing."
She smiles, and for a second, it feels like we're not two strangers at all. Funny how something like that works, huh?
I glance around awkwardly.
"You know, this place is so crowded, I think I might just lose myself if I'm not careful," I say quietly, staring around at the crowd.
Kiara laughs. "Tell me about it. I'm still trying to figure out how to blend in without getting lost."
I nod sympathetically. "If you need a tour guide, I'm your guy. I promise I'm not too bad at it."
Her eyes light up, and she seems to relax a bit. "That might not be a bad idea."
I take a deep breath, trying to act casual when my heart is nearly pounding out of my chest.
"How about we exchange numbers? That way, if you get tired of the crowd or need a break, you can give me a call. Plus, it would be nice to have someone to chat with."
It's as if the room lost all air. I've never asked a girl for her number. Usually it's me who gets asked instead.
Kiara looks surprised but intrigued. "That sounds like a plan."
I pull out my phone and hand it to her. "Here, you can put your number in. And I'll save mine under 'The Guy Who Can't Dance'."
She laughs at my poor joke, taking my phone. "Alright, Theo. Let's see how this goes."
I feel the pit in my stomach slowly subside as she punches her digits into my phone. Phew.
I feel a lot better now that we've both relaxed a bit. We make our way back to the refreshments stand, grabbing chips and more punch.
"So, tennis," I say, picking up a cucumber slice. "We should play sometime, you know, friendly competition."
Kiara looks thoughtful, tapping her chin with her index finger before showing me a full smile with all her teeth. Even in the dim-lit setting, they illuminate the whole room.
"I might just take you up on that."
I don't know if I imagined this or not, but I swear I caught a glimpse of a small smirk and wink.
We fall into more general topics; what we want to do when we grow up, where we want to study, and what music we listen to. It's crazy how easy it is to talk to her- like talking-to-Aadhi easy.
Speaking of Aadhi, he and Dahlia show up right when we're nearly crying laughing at a joke I made.
Aadhi raises an eyebrow, glancing between us with a grin. "Looks like someone's having a good time over here."
Dahlia steps closer, her eyes sparkling like her dress. "Oh, is this where all the fun is happening? Theo, you didn't tell me you were a comedian!"
I chuckle, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Just trying to survive the dance, you know?"
Aadhi nudges me with a playful grin. "Well, if you're making Kiara laugh, you're definitely doing something right."
Dahlia pretends to think deeply. "And here I thought the dance was all about the slow dances and cheesy music. We have a comedy show to enjoy, too!"
Kiara laughs, clearly enjoying the teasing. "Oh, don't worry. Theo's just getting started."
I shoot Kiara a fake offended look. "Hey, watch it. I might have to put you in my next joke."
Dahlia wraps an arm around Kiara's shoulder. "You're in for a treat then, because Theo's humor is a class act. Just make sure you don't get too used to it. He'll expect a standing ovation."
Kiara grins at the playful banter and punches me gently in the shoulder. "Well, I'm glad I met you. Looks like this night might turn out to be better than I thought."
After the playful banter with Aadhi and Dahlia, Kiara and I manage to slip away from the group, in a quieter corner of the gym where the music's a little softer and the crowd seems miles away.
I turn to Kiara with a grin. "You know, this is actually the most fun I've had at a dance. Thanks for sticking with me through all the awkwardness."
She laughs softly, her eyes sparkling. "No problem, "
I can't help but smile and take a step closer. She smiles and brushes my arm gently, sending pinpricks everywhere.
The silence between us isn't weird; it's comfortable this time.
"Bye, Kiara,"
"Bye, Theo. Thank you for tonight."
I catch a glimpse of her glittering green dress and white smile before she disappears into the crowd.
