Eclipsed Echo

CHAPTER NINE

                             

  SYHA

"Guys!" Aafia shouts, running over to us. "If I'd known organizing a party was this hard, I would've taken Baba's help and hired a whole team!"

She's been rushing around all evening, organizing chairs, making sure the food's served properly, checking that everyone's having fun. Aafia hasn't had a moment to sit down and chat with us. I now, realized why she was glued to her phone earlier. She was juggling it all, ensuring everything was going smoothly, even when she was downstairs with me.

"Relax, just take a seat and enjoy." Tai gestures to an empty chair.

"If only I could! Nothing's going according to the plan. If I stop checking on things every few minutes, this whole party will fall apart."

"Fuck the plan, Aafia. Not everything has to be perfect."

Aafia sighs. "Yeah, you're right. I need a break."

Just as she was about to sit down, her attention snapped toward the background music.

"Oh no, why are they playing such a boring song?" 

"No, Aafia, don't__" I try to say, but it's too late. She's already halfway to the music setup, determined to fix yet another "disaster".

"Ah, this girl doesn't know how to rest." A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth.

Not long after Aafia's departure, the music changed into a slow, romantic, soothing tune. We witness one guy playfully dragging her partner to an empty space. As they starts dancing, their laughter rang through the air. Soon after, others joined in, drawn by the gentle rhythm. They swayed slowly, their movements tender and intimate, lost in their own world as they embraced the moment's charm.

Earlier, when I said it felt like nothing had changed, I take it back now. As I let my eyes roam over the dance floor, I realize that my two closest friends, my best friends, somehow managed to find their man.

The way their partners hold them, arms wrapped protectively around their waists, and the way they gaze into each other's eyes, it's unmistakable—they're in love. Pure, unguarded, all consuming love.

"Why do I feel like I've seen him before? The guy Inaya's dancing with," I ask Tai, curiosity taking up my mind.

"Of course you have. That's Ridz, Inaya's childhood friend. They've known each other since they were kids, practically grew up together."

"Oh, right. I remember him now." My oblivion starts to clear up. "But... they're dating?"

"Yeah, started in their second year of college."

"I thought they were more like siblings." I shot Tai a disbelief stare. 

"Siblings my foot. Just look at them. You can see how much they're in love." We both glance over, just in time to catch Inaya scolding Ridz for messing up the dance steps.

"Okay, maybe not that much in love." Tai grimaces and I burst into a laughter

"Now that's more like them. They bickered every single time I saw them. How did they even go from that to... this?"

"Well, if you'd seen how many times Ridz got down on one knee, begging for a chance, you'd get it." Tai's laughter mixes with mine. "He was persistent."

"I never would've guessed Ridz liked her that way. Though, I didn't really know him all that well."

"I thought you two were close, too, as you've known Inaya since middle school."