The Rotation

6 - He's looking at you

"Beth!" Darian urgently whispers.

"What?"

"He's looking at you!"

"Who is?" I continue to whisper, looking around me.

"Thomas! The hot waiter? It's too late now, he's serving customers again."

So his name is Thomas, huh? I guess that's a cute name. He doesn't really seem like my type though. I mean, when I was here the other day I was speechless when I saw him. I don't know what's changed. I guess after being a middle aged women anyone is attractive.

"Frankly, you suck." I laugh

Darian pulls an offended looking face at me, then we both laugh at each other.

"You're silly." she said bluntly.

"I know."

We walk back to Darian's house to get ready for Kyle's party, which started in an hour. We stand in front of we bathroom mirror wearing robes. Darian straightens her silky black hair while I apply eye liner to my eyelids. She slips into a red, slim fitting cocktail dress. As usual, she looks amazing. The dress flatters her perfect figure and makes her look like she's been copied and pasted from a Vogue magazine.

As we arrive at the party people that I barely know (or want to know) greet us, compliment us and offer us drinks. Neither of us actually drink alcohol at these things, Darian and I made a pact to wait until we are both the legal age. Until then we shall continue to pretend water is vodka and fill beer bottles with cordial.

I wonder if Ryan will come to the party. I made Kyle make the party open for anyone so that he would be allowed in. Why do I even care about Ryan's appearance here, anyway? He's made it rather obvious he does not value my company. I mean, he runs away from me as soon as I walk into a room, is that not a clear indication to not waste time thinking about him?

I sit on a plastic chair at the side of the dance floor and watch Darian dance in the middle of a group of basketballers. Kyle and I used to play a game where we would place bets on which one would try to hook up with her first. I think Kyle had an advantage, a lot of them would ask him if she would actually hook up with them before growing some and doing it themselves.

"Are you planning to sit there and watch all night, or are you going to go join in?" Ryan says as he appears to my left.

"Well, hello to you too." I say sarcastically, "I'm quite fine sitting here."

Ryan pulls over another plastic chair and sits down next to me.

"Then I guess I'll be fine sitting here too." he says quietly.

"You make no sense. One minute you're running away from me like I'm a monster and then the next you're wanting to talk to me."

"I know." he replies is a monotone.

"I know? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know I'm a difficult person to understand. I understand that you must be confused and I am confused as to why you you're even bothering with me."

"I don't get it either," I say, "but I trust myself enough to know that there must be a good reason for it."

Before Ryan could respond Kyle grabbed my arm and pulled me away to join some sort of party game that ends in everyone humiliating themselves. Ryan stayed in that same chair, watching me as I witnessed the stupidity of our peers.

"Who's that creep over there?" Darian says, slurring words together.

"For gods sake, Darian! Stop pretending to be drunk! It doesn't make you appealing in any way! If anything it will only make boys take advantage of you." I scold. As much as I love Darian, she can be really stupid.

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, do you know that guy that's looking at you funny?"

"Yeah," I reply, "I guess so."