Found it! [ girlxgirl ]

||TWENTY-EIGHT||

It's dinner time. Well, almost.

We're setting up the table and checking the lasagna that has been in the oven for 30 minutes now. Everyone is here, except Avery and Rose. Yes, Avery was able to convince Rose to come.

Sarah and Greg are by the window, and Greg is tickling her. They look cute together and it makes me and Richard smile at the sight.

Richard and Oliver are helping me setting up the table, and Daniel and Kaylah are talking about the wine they bought for all of us.

I hear the doorbell ringing and I freeze. That earns a few weird looks and chuckles from my friends. They all know that Avery is my girlfriend, but only Sarah and Richard (and probably Greg) know about Rose's tendency to dislike me. Therefore, they are the only ones that understand my nervousness.

I have 6 plates on my hands and I start spinning around in the same place not knowing where to put them, because right now I'm not actually thinking about where to put the god damn plates. Richard laughs at my disorientation and grabs them from my hands, freeing me to go answer the door.

Before opening it, I take a deep breath and put on a smile. It's not a fake smile, because I'm really happy to see Avery, but it's disguising the uneasiness I'm feeling.

-"Hey!" Avery drags the words as she walks in and gives me a peck on the corner of my mouth. "This is Rose. You've met before, but still. Rose this is Emma."

-"Hi Rose." I say, awkwardly extending my hand to give her a handshake. "I'm glad you came."

-"Yeah, thanks for inviting me." She smiles and shakes me hand.

I hope my hands are not sweaty!

I introduce both Avery and Rose to all my friends, although some of them still remember Avery from that night.

We all share a nice conversation while sipping a glass of wine and waiting for the lasagna to be ready. Avery is sitting next to me with Rose on her other side but we haven't talked directly to each other. The conversation has been about where we're from and what we're studying, as a way of getting to know each other better before sharing a meal and a night out with a lot of drinking.

After a couple minutes, I take the lasagna out of the oven and it smells amazing. I'm proud at my cooking skills and everyone seems to love it.

The dinner goes by without any issue. No tension between me and Rose and no awkwardness between people who've just met. The wine surely helped on that.

After dinner, we play a drinking game to finish the drinks and everyone is already pretty buzzed. Some more than others, of course. Me included.

Avery seems to be amused by my slurred speech and my newly gained confidence to talk directly with Rose. Well, not really talk, since it's mostly to ask for the bottle of white wine that we're sharing.

We call two taxis to drive us all to Fitzold and once we get there, we find a table for 8. We're all squeezing against each other on the round table having the first round of beers, but shortly after that we get dispersed.

Sarah and Greg are in another table, with other friends. Kayla, Oliver, and Daniel are playing darts. Richard and Avery went to the bar to get us more drinks and purposively leave me and Rose alone at the table.

-"I like to see my friends getting along with Avery. It makes me happy." I say with my head supported on my hand, contemplating Avery and Richard as they walk to the bar, although my vision is blurred.

Subtle, Emma. Except you're drunk, and it's not as subtle as you think!

-"Alright, Emma. Hear me out!" Rose says, also feeling the power of the alcohol, I'm sure. I shiver at the threatening look she's giving me. "I liked you, when you and Avery met. She was happy. Then, you screwed everything up and you hurt her. As her best friend and flatmate, I cannot accept that. You cannot hurt her, and if you do, I hate you!"