Melancholy in the Dead of Night

Bowling

After explaining to Sebastien where we were going, and explaining what was so funny to me, I pull into the buildings parking lot, noticing Alia's car a few spots over, thanking god that I don't have to sit awkwardly and try to talk to him until everyone arrives. We jump out of the car, walking towards the forming group, me with the expectation that Alia and Amy are 100% making out right now. Sebastien was coming off nervous, gorgeously so, but nervous and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how he could be worried. In hopes of easing a bit if his worry, I said,

"So, you're gonna meet Alia, Tristan, Amy, Jacob and Cat. Cat and Jacob are super nice, and the rest will take some time to warm up to you. We all grew up together so it's a little hard for them to get used to othe- HOLY CRAP." My thoughts go flying as I'm thrown over a shoulder. Quickly noticing it's just my boyfriends cute butt I'm looking at, I try to breathe as I pound on his back demanding he put me down.

Tristan just smiles and sets me down, pressing a kiss to my lips until his attention is turned to Sebastien. Just like a cliche jealously trope, he is instantly sizing him up, the 6'2 height, the black hair that looks like the gods hand crafted it themselves, the tanned skin and the dazzling green eyes that holds so many secrets yet can read everyone.

That was intense to notice.

Tristan is 6'0 tall and is a lanky guy, no body fat, brown eyes that pierce through you and a smile to light up worlds. But he, like anyone else, is easily insecure, and you can see the questions and thoughts running through his mind. That's something I loved about him, he was open, even when he tried not to be. We'd only been dating a year but god I hoped he lasted.

"Whose this Cam?" Jacobs voice is irritatingly smug when he asks, his arm slung around Cat. I met them through Tristan and Jacob has hated me from day one, but puts up with me for the friends he made through me, like Alia and Amy. Never figures out why either, I'm not in the business of caring.

"Guys this is Sebastien, my new neighbors son. Bash, this is everybody." I motion around awkwardly as Bash is just looking at me, intensely. I'm put off by the odd nature of his stare, and notice his eyes trail to Tristan's arm around my waist. Poor guy must be envious, our relationship unfortunately has created issues like that before.

Tristan and I met in year 5, hating each other from the get go. I hated the way he stole my vegemite crackers and he hated that I wouldn't share them. I can't remember exactly when it changed, but one day he was different, bam, I noticed and all of a sudden my thoughts and dreams were consumed by the boy in footy shorts poking his tongue out at me. Obviously they got a lot dirtier than that but for the sake of me keeping the 'I was a sane 17 year old without dirty dreams' idea I have of myself in my head, I'll ignore it.

Everyone waves at Bash, starting up conversations all through the night, his stare never wavering from me. Tristan and I speak with our eyes to have a conversation about this later, and I make a move to be as far away from him as possible because the stare doing things to my insides isn't safe, and it's not fair on Tristan.

Bash's intensity, his charismatic charm and the way he laughs so effortlessly yet holds no joy in his eyes, is something I've seen in myself before, a choice I made long ago to bury it deep down. Now though, his dominating appearance in my small world creates this fear building that the intense stares, the bubbling in my throat, the butterflies in my chest and the feeling that creeps up my spine at the sight of him, is unconsciously bringing back out scares me.

A lot.