Virtual Attraction [COMPLETE]

10| The Party III.

I spun around and felt like I could just hug him. He was the only person at the party I knew—besides Brooke and Adam—maybe he could help me get home.

"Thank-k God it's you," I said, rushing to him. I lifted my hands up behind him and hugged him. He smelled and looked amazing. It was probably some rich people's euphoria, and the tux—dark and rugged. Handsome. I knew it was the sudden euphoria at seeing a familiar face, but I couldn't be bothered to chastise myself.

"Whoa," he said, laughing. "I don't think you were that friendly last time we met." His eyes crinkled in an interesting way, not like the way an old man's eyes would, but just in a way that was...interesting.

"I wasn't," I answered, smiling. "I've n-never been so happy to see anyone b-before."

His eyebrows lifted curiously, "Oh?"

"Nope," I replied, smiling brightly. "Listen, I need your help."

"Shoot," he said.

"I need to use your phone, to go home."

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Sure," I replied, gesturing to our surroundings. "I'm fine, this just isn't my forte."

He began feeling for his pockets, but his expression soon dampened when all he pulled out of his denim jeans was a few twenty dollar bills. He looked apologetic. "I think I left my phone upstairs."

I followed him through the huddled groups of people, offering 'sorry's and 'excuse me's at the people I bumped along the way. He took me up another flight of stairs, to a room above the main floor. A group of guys and guys whom I assumed were his friends, leaned against the wall.

"Liam," he said, holding his hand out towards a tall, brown-haired guy. "I need my phone."

Liam grabbed an iPhone 6 plus off a glass counter at the corner of the room and tossed it towards Elliot.

"Thanks man," he said, turning to face me. "Alright let's go."

"You leaving?" asked Liam. "So soon?"

I checked the time on the phone, 10:10. The high school parties I used to attend usually went up until three or four am in the morning. My decision to leave was putting me right up there in the grandma status. Grandma or not, there was nothing that was going to convince me to stay at this hideous party.

Especially when Brooke was hiding around somewhere. Maybe even Payton and Khloe. They never went anywhere without each of other—we had never gone anywhere without each other. Flashbacks from the past year flooded my memory and my fingers tightened their grasp on the phone.

"Yeah," I answered. "I've g-got somewhere to be."

"You should stay," Liam replied. "It's a Friday night, it's not like you've got school tomorrow."

I thought about lying and saying I had work tomorrow. But really I had no place to be.

"We need someone to moderate charades?"

"Charades?" I asked. That was an interesting twist to high school party.

Elliot turned to me imploringly. "You in?"

I sighed. I had no excuse. There was no school tomorrow, I didn't have a job, and an entire room of people were staring at me, expecting me to say yes.

"Sure," I said, completely and utterly unsure. "What do you want me to do?"

At this, a few people looked up. My stutter always caused people to stop and listen—it was jarring, unexpected.