Dark Room

chapter 4

Granted ... I had quite a lot of stamina, some admired me for my patience. But at some point you just did not feel like it anymore. 

I was bored for the first time in a long time. 

I did not even know boredom from class. For the most part, I occupied myself in a reasonably comfortable posture and then let my thoughts wander. To ponder, from my point of view, why the planets in the universe were round, to philosophize about how humanity seemed to have changed, or just to recall memories. Think about what you might have done wrong and what you should change. 

In any case, I noticed that I finally wanted to have a date.

From me it could be just as messed up as with my cousin Avril. Her companion, for example, has been twisting her napkin in her hands all the while, trying to teach her what not all different folding techniques are. I think he'd had an endless monologue the whole time they'd been sitting in a cafe until Avril fled. 

She did not think it was so funny.

Me, yes. 

And I also envied her a little bit that her life was not as boring as mine. Guess, that's why I got the idea to show up here at this party.

Someone tapped my shoulder. 

At first I did not react, thinking that maybe it was just an oversight, but as that touch became more insistent, I turned demonstratively slowly in that direction.

Ace gave me a big grin.

Stunned that someone of them was standing in front of me again, my mouth was open again.

"Schnuffy, what's your name?"

I squeezed my eyes suspiciously. I did not want to be one of his party victims guaranteed. "Why do you want to know that?"

A boy, perhaps just fourteen years old, appeared next to him, a notepad in his right hand and a pen in his left. Unmistakably had to be the Ace 'brother, because both had the light brown, slightly almond-shaped eyes and the same short nougat brown hair. "And?", He casually asked Ace. "What should I write down?"

The question mark on my face continued to grow.

Ace kept looking at me. "Her name, Kyle."

"And?"

Waiting, the chewed pencil hovered over the paper of the tattered block. Invitingly, Ace's light brown eyes flickered back to me. "And what's your name?"

Pretty confused and yes, in this case, very overwhelmed with this situation, I did not answer anything until I pulled myself together blinking again. "What's going to happen here?" I asked skeptically as I frowned at the notepad. "What do you need my name for, please, and why do you all want to know them all?"

Kyle tapped his chin against the chin, chuckling, but said nothing else.

Ace, visibly amused, took the floor again. "So first I need your name, because Leandro and Ian want to have you and -"

"Where to have me?" My voice sounded strangely shrill because I could almost guess what was coming up to me now. I mean - the two probably did not explain the rules of their party activity for nothing.

Ace's grin grew wider with every word he said. "At Dark Room."

Fuck.

Because of my panic, I asked the first question that came to my mind. "Is it possible to unload again?"

Kyle chuckled. "Nah."

Ace was next to me and put an arm around my waist. "See it in acknowledgment that you're allowed to play, Schnuffy, and a few would be infinitely tormented -"

"I bet you do not even know who played it all on Monday -"

"Yes," Ace interrupted, convinced. "Some people still know that."

I watched his gaze, which slid to the rest of his group. 

Adrael, Adam, Adrian, Leandro, Victoria, Ian, and probably even ten more, relatively unknown people, had gathered at the entrance to the room. Not all, but some watched Ace and me attentively. My palms became wet as I realized Adrael and Adrian were also looking at us.

My stomach knotted with nervousness.Quickly I turned away from the direction, at the same time I withdrew Ace 's muscular arm. "I would be very interested in those who have not yet drunk so much that they could actually remember everything."

Ace beside me laughed amused. "Kyle, write it down as Schnuffy, I'll get the name later." 

As ordered, the presumptive brother wrote this down before he raised his head. "Okay, then I'll finish the little paper now. See you soon." Way too fast, he disappeared in the party crowd.

"Little paper?" I repeated questioningly.

Ace took a sip of my fruity cocktail, then grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the group I'd only been able to look at remotely. People who talked about rumors. They broke my head. The one made crazy because of her physique.

And with that I should now play a party game.

Shortly before arriving at Adam's side, Ace smiled and answered my question. "We're sorting out who's coming into a room with whose people, which is more exciting."

And more nerve-racking.

Damn it.