Finding Priya

Sneaking Out

PRIYA

I've never been so uncomfortable in my life. Which is incredible considering I spend about eighty-six percent of my time feeling out of place.

But truly, the soccer team's party to celebrate the beginning of the season is the last place I should be tonight. I was only invited because I'm the coach's assistant. And to be honest, I'm not sure why I came. Maybe I was trying to be brave – to expand my horizons, to push myself out of my comfort zone and finally socialize with the people that I've just sort of existed with for the past three years.

In my head, it all seemed so easy, but the reality is much less exciting. The reality is me sitting at the kitchen table in someone's off campus house, picking Skittles packets out of a bowl and organizing my candy by color as I try to summon the nerve to actually start a conversation.

It shouldn't be this hard. Technically speaking, I've known the six senior players at this party for years, but that doesn't mean I have relationships with any of them. I see them at every practice and game and hand them water bottles and tell them they're playing great, but that's pretty much the extent of our relationship.

And I know that's partially my fault. I really should have made more of an effort to be friendly, but the truth is, I've always had trouble starting conversations with people I don't know. They were perfectly good hosts when I arrived: greeting me with nods and friendly smiles and pointing me towards the alcohol. But once I'd safely been poured my first mixed drink, I'd been left to my own devices and had no idea what to do.

An hour later and the house is now packed. Not that I'm surprised. The Ridgewood University soccer team has won the national championship for the past five years in a row, which means the players are pretty much treated like royalty.

It also means it's hot as hell in here and I'm starting to feel a little claustrophobic. Popping the last of my Skittles into my mouth, I grabbed an unopened packet from the candy bowl on the table and decided to call it a night. Seeing as I haven't had more than a five minute conversation with anyone in my vicinity, it's safe to say my adventurous night out has been a complete failure. My next foray out of my comfort zone would have to be on a smaller scale.

Fishing my phone from the back pocket of my jeans, I ordered an Uber as I weaved my way through the dancing bodies and laughing groups until I reached the front door. Once outside, I breathed in the fresh air deeply, allowing the coolness to wash away my nerves. Being outside always helps me relax and I need the extra shot of calm right now because being in such a crowded space has left me exhausted and a tad stressed out.

After checking on the status of my ride home, I curl my fingers around my phone as I rip open a new packet of Skittles, only to startle at the sound of rustling from the bushes at the side of the house.

"Is someone there?" I call out before I can think the situation through. If it's a serial killer, they're not gonna warn me before causing me bodily harm and if it's a non-human, I'm just going to feel stupid.

Fortunately, or not so fortunately depending on how you look at it, a fully formed human emerges from the shadows along the side of the house, a deep voice muttering, "Yeah, sorry."

I don't have a chance to figure out who this mystery man is because the sound of a zipper catches me off guard and as I put two and two together, I blurt out, "Were you peeing in the bushes?"

It's too dark for me to tell whether he looks embarrassed as he slowly wanders towards me shrugging and saying, "I needed to piss and it was getting a little crowded in there."

"Charming," I snort, popping a red Skittle into my mouth and chewing away my rapidly rising nerves as he continues his approach.

"It's Priya, right?"