I loved the monthly hangouts at Stacey's. It was a time to meet and chat with other people, a time to laugh and have fun without the added burden of alcohol and drugs that seemed to be at nearly every high-school party.
I walked inside, and was greeted by the noise of two hundred or so seniors laughing and talking together. People were everywhere; at tables, standing in groups, at the bar, by the pool tables. The restaurant was so full that it was impossible to see from one side to the other.
I squeezed through the crowd, hoping to find at least one person I knew fairly well. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw my friend Stephanie wave to me from one of the tables, smoothie in hand.
"Hey Gracie!"
"Hey, Steph!" I said cheerily as I slid into the booth across from her.
"So what have you been up to lately?" she asked me as she sipped her smoothie.
"Oh, nothing much, really. What about you?"
"Same here. Ethan took me out on the sweetest date the other day, though..." Steph went into detail about her oh-so-wonderful date with Ethan, and I nodded along, pretending to pay attention. Any other day I would be clinging to whatever juicy gossip she had to share, but my mind was still focused on the interview, the job offer, Roger's email, and what on earth I was going to do about it all.
Of course, had I actually wanted to listen to Stephanie's story, I doubt I would have been able to; three guys at the pool table to our left were shouting at each other and laughing so loud, I was barely able to hear myself think.
"They're so obnoxious. I wish they'd shut up," she said.
"Me too. They aren't even that good at pool; their aim sucks, and they keep hitting the cue ball too hard. They definitely have nothing to be yelling and cheering about," I said dismissively.
"Think you could teach em a thing or two?" Steph looked at me expectantly, a small, devious smile playing on her lips.
"I guess. I'll be right back," I said with a smirk, and with that I got up and headed towards the three pool players.
When they saw me walking up to their pool table, they started elbowing each other and pointing at me, muttering and laughing with each other. I turned back to look at Steph, who gave me a huge smile.
These boys had no idea what they were in for.
"Hi," I said in the shyest voice I could muster. I even gave them a little wave to add to the effect. "Can I play next round?"
The tallest of the three rolled his eyes at me. "Do you even know how to play, girl? Or are you just here to throw yourself at us?" His buddies smiled and nodded in agreement with him, and I did my best not to slap him across the face. Instead, I rolled my eyes.
"Of course I know how to play. Me and my friend over there just noticed how poor your aim was, and she bet me that I could beat you three in less than ten minutes."
Tall boy went on smiling, obviously not taking me seriously. "And what did you say to her bet?"
"I said I could beat you three easily in less than eight minutes, not ten."
That finally wiped the grin off his face. Good riddance; it was starting to get annoying. "In your dreams, girl. Stripes and solids?" I smiled at him innocently.
"Sure!"
Eight minutes later, all three boys marched away from the pool table, muttering curses under their breath as those around us laughed at them. They truly were terrible pool players. I flashed Steph a thumbs up, and she laughed, then turned to talk to a group of seniors who had come up to her. I turned back to the pool table, a triumphant smirk plastered to my face, reliving the memory of their shocked faces as I made nearly every shot I aimed for.
YOU ARE READING
How to Keep a Secret
Romance"I know your type," he said, piercing me with his unwavering gaze, as if daring me to contradict him. "My type?" "You don't know where you're going, or what you want to do with your life. And yet you have such potential," he said, suddenly leaning f...
