The Night We Met by Ruero

Chapter 24: You're... my favorite person ever

I was laughing at Angelica's sharp comment about Sam's questionable taste in music when I saw him. Jake. My stomach dropped. It couldn't be. But it was—standing there in his usual overconfident stance, looking like he owned the place.

I immediately turned my head, pretending I hadn't seen him. I can't let him bully me in front of angelica. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't notice me. 

Nope. Fat chance. Jake had this uncanny ability to sense my presence, like a predator honing in on its prey.

"Ethan!" His voice boomed across the room, louder than the music. I cringed internally as he made a beeline for us, grinning like we were old buddies.

"Hey, man! Long time, no see!" he said, clapping a hand on my shoulder like we were best friends. His grip was firm—too firm, like he was trying to assert some kind of dominance.

I forced a polite smile and shrugged his hand off. "Oh, uh... hey, Jake."

"What's this?" he said, smirking. "You forget about your old friends now that you've got new ones?"

"Old friends?" I thought. "You mean my former tormentor?"

I glanced at Angelica, hoping for a lifeline. She was already sizing him up, her eyes narrowing like a hawk spotting a snake. Jake might've been oblivious, but she wasn't. She knew jake and his friend has always been a bully. 

"You're so quiet, Ethan," Jake continued, leaning in closer. "Still shy? Or is it these two keeping you on a leash?" He chuckled, nodding at Angelica and Sam.

Before I could even stammer out a response, Angelica stepped in. She grabbed my hand and smiled sweetly—too sweetly—to Jake. "Excuse us, Jake. Ethan and I have some... urgent dancing to do."

"Wait, what?" I barely managed before she yanked me onto the dance floor.

"I don't know how to dance!" I hissed as she dragged me through the crowd.

"I'll teach you," she said, her voice light but determined.

"But I—"

"No buts!" She spun around and placed my hands on her shoulders, starting to sway.

I stood there like a lamppost, stiff and awkward. People around us were moving effortlessly to the beat, while I looked like someone had just told me to solve calculus.

"You've got to move, Ethan," Angelica teased, leaning closer so I could hear her over the music. "You look like you're trying to blend into the wallpaper."

"I'm trying not to trip over my own feet!"

"Just loosen up! Pretend no one's watching."

"That's the problem," I muttered, glancing around. "Everyone is watching."

Angelica just laughed and kept swaying, her energy infectious. Slowly—painfully slowly—I started to move a little, trying not to embarrass myself completely.

After a few minutes, Sam appeared out of nowhere, sliding onto the floor with his usual grin. "Look at you, Ethan! Cutting shapes out here!"

"Cutting shapes? I'm cutting my dignity in half," I muttered.

Sam laughed and joined us, turning the whole thing into some weird, chaotic trio of flailing limbs. Despite myself, I started to relax, even laugh a little. For a moment, I almost forgot about Jake.

Almost.

When we finally got tired, we made our way back to the table. Jake was still there, of course, grinning as he handed us cups of something that smelled suspiciously strong.