Play the Game Boy (BWWM)

chapter 22

Faith

We pulled up to the party with our arms linked, walking in to the beat of a classic jam. We danced our way to the middle of the living room, where multiple Michael Jackson's, Diddy's, Destiny's Children, and Britney Spears' were already messing around.

The song abruptly stopped before the iconic chords of Tupac's California Love echoed out. How ironic given Brendan and I's costumes. We both caught each other's eye, large smiles enlarging as we began to groove together to the sound of the music.

For a single moment, everybody around us vanished and it was only the two of us, dancing to the song. I could tell he was doing his best to stay on-beat even though he kept slipping up from time to time.

I laughed as I looped his arms around my waist, guiding him to follow my rhythm. He smiled as he watched my hips snake to the flow of the song and he did his best to emulate me. I threw my head back in laughter at his attempt. He chuckled along, pulling me closer to him.

I loved how we didn't even need to get drunk to simply enjoy each other's presence and to be living in the moment. It felt innate to have fun with him. It was so simple to be at ease around him, so effortless to laugh. It was how I wanted to spend all of my days. Happy like this.

Brendan pressed me against him, inching his face closer to mine. I would've allowed him to kiss me if my stare hadn't caught Meghan's, from across the room. When her sapphire eyes met mine, I was compelled to angle my face away from Brendan's, making his lips graze my ear instead.

He frowned before he spun around and noticed my blond friend. He sighed. "Really? Are you actually going to let her ruin your night?"

"She's not ruining my night at all, Big."

Even though he tried to remain serious, his facade broke.

"Big? I don't want to be corny and all, especially since they're playing a Tupac song, but you know I'd kinda prefer if you'd call me Big Poppa."

I playfully hit his chest as he laughed out at his own really bad pun. I was about to say something witty when somebody tapped my shoulder. Brendan and I both looked behind me and saw the birthday boy himself. Mason. He hadn't even bothered to dress up.

"Hey!" Brendan and I both chanted as we engulfed him inside of a big hug. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks guys," Mason replied. He looked a bit nervous before settling his stare on me. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you Faith."

Brendan, as if clued in, slowly eclipsed himself into the crowd, and I was forced to follow Mason into the more secluded kitchen.

"What's up?" I asked him. Mason and I rarely spoke one to one like this. He was my best friend's boyfriend and by extension we were friends, but our conversations seldom went deeper than shallow prompts.

Somehow, I knew what he was about to tell me was important. I've known the kid ever since we were little and he always fiddled with the hem of his clothes when he was nervous, which he was doing right now. I was afraid the threads of his sleeves would unravel before he finally spit out whatever he was holding in.

"I wanted to apologize on my brother's behalf," he eventually said, and I could see the figurative weight being lifted off of his shoulders. "He made you feel responsible in some way for all of the people being exposed and that was horrible. He had a twisted way of dealing with his emotions and I'm so sorry it had to be through you."

I smiled understandingly. 

As much as I appreciated his apology, all I wanted to do was to forget about Xander. I couldn't care less about him anymore, he was in Europe somewhere and so were the feelings I once had for him. I couldn't stand being reminded of him by everyone else.