Wanderlust ✓

15. Bitter

The elevator dinged and slowed down to a stop on our floor, the doors peeling open. Parker and I stepped in to the half packed lift and my bag swung around with a jingle as I put my sunglasses on my head.

I leaned against the right side wall as a familiar girl turned around after fixing her lipstick in the reflective metal and gave me a sweet smile.

"Hey! Paige, right? And the cute boyfriend! Aw, it's you guys. What a coincidence that we're staying at the same hotel."

I returned her contagious grin, "Hey Natalie. Good to see you, on your way to day two?"

"Hell yeah. Gotta get there early for Bazzi, Lindsey is meeting me there in a bit. She's still sleeping, we stayed out pretty late last night."

I grimaced, thinking back to the night I had. "We left early, just got too crowded for us North Carolinians. Hoping to stay for all of Florence and the Machine tonight, I've heard she's an awesome performer."

I almost missed her response as people piled out into the hotel's lobby. I could sense Parker following behind us as Natalie hooked her arm into mine and babbled on about today's bands as we headed towards the entrance.

Wearing a mesh top, with a black lace bra visible and booty shorts, it wasn't too hard for Natalie to call us a cab as she waved one on from the sidewalk. Soon after, we all piled in and an amused Parker watched quietly as she talked on and on at me and all I did was sit there smiling.

•••

"Thank you, Wanderlust!" The lead singer of Cage the Elephant yelled out to the enthusiastic crowd as I clapped along with them.

We've been here for a few hours and now it seemed like more and more people were showing up to the festival.

"I'm gonna go grab us a round of drinks while we wait for the next band. Paige wanna come with me?" Natalie cheered, dragging me off to the nearest alcohol stand before I could interject about leaving Parker alone and being underage. You see, I had just learned that she just turned 21 and was "ready to party" as she mentioned to me.

"So, what's the deal with you and Parker?" She immediately asked me as we joined the line for the bar. I was confused and frazzled by her question, not knowing if she was insinuating something.

"What? Wha-what do you mean?" I stumbled on, "We're just friends."

She gave me a pointed look, stepping up as the line moved forward.

"Oh come on. You guys aren't fooling anyone. It looks like he's visualizing taking off your clothes every time he looks at you!"

My cheeks lit up thinking about that. "I don't know what you're talking about. He would never go for someone like me."

"Hun, you guys have chemistry whether you see it or not and I think you should go for it. Take a chance and make a move, girl!"

I shook my head silently, disagreeing with her comments.

Come on! Nope. Never. He could get any girl. Why go for a boring one like me?

There was still that slight glimmer of hope, deep down in the pit of my stomach that said maybe I was wrong about my assumptions and maybe he feels the same way I do. Maybe he feels that spark when we smile up at each other or maybe he feels it when my clammy hand grips his in nervousness (as it has many times in just a few days).