𝐄𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 | 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐦

𝙾𝙽𝙴

Today  was my first official day back home in Bristol after being away for  a while, I had yet to catch up with my best mate, Michelle. I've known her since primary school, we've always been close; but since I moves away, we haven't seen one another. Living in York wasn't exactly the best experience, to put it lightly. It was rather shit. I wasn't close to anyone like I was with Michelle, no one I attended college with had my back quite like her. I also ran into a lot of trouble with the other girls there, so to say I was ready to leave would be an understatement. 

Michelle invited me to a party as soon as she knew I was back in town, even though I wasn't sure I was ready for the whole party scene again, but she mentioned that it would be a great chance to get to know her new mates she met while I was gone. I was going to feel like an outsider, that I knew, but Michelle reassured me I would fit in fine with the others, everyone was dying to meet me, apparently. 

I snuck past my mum so she wouldn't ask questions and figure out I was going out to a party that involved boys. She despised the male gender, I am still shocked she stays married to my dad; she was convinced that all boys wanted to do was knock you up or give you drugs--something like that.

I approached the house that Michelle told me to meet her at, she was standing out front with another girl who appeared to be babysitting a bottle of vodka. "Evening," I said once I was within earshot of the two. 

The blonde who was with Michelle looked over at me, her eyes widening and she smiled; "Oh, wow, you're lovely," She said to me as she pulled me into a big hug. I was confused by her advances and reluctantly hugged her back, as to not be rude. 

Finally, Michelle spoke, "Cassie, this is my bestest mate from way back, Astrid!" Michelle managed to pry me away and engulf me in a hug, quickly pulling away, "Astrid, this is one of my new mates, Cassie, she just got out of treatment," Michelle did her best to catch me up on everything.

"Oh, well, nice to meet you, Cassie," I said as I tilted my head thoughtfully. Shortly after that exchange, two boys approached us. One wore a grey beanie and had glasses on that made his eyes look rather large, the other lad was pretty fit, by the look on his face, he knew it too. I could only guess which one was Michelle's boyfriend, she shouted his name and ran over to him, "Tony!" He just gave her a half-smirk once he was in her arms.

"Hey," He said as he came to stop, his eyes looking over towards me, he looked over every single one of my features and seemed to nod, pleased with it. He looked back at Michelle after doing this, it was like he was comparing us.

The boy in the beanie made a face and waved at the three of us, "Hey." Michelle looked behind the pair of boys, a confused look on her face, she furrowed her brows in a moment of thought and placed a finger on her chin.

"Where is everyone?" She asked Tony, that's when I remembered that there were supposed to be a couple of others joining us, but, there was a lack of them.

Tony cleared his throat and shrugged, "Not coming," He said with a sigh, his eyes landed on me once more, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your mate?" He was quick to change the subject to focus on me, making me feel a bit awkward.

"Oh, yeah," Michelle said, it was like she had already forgotten I was present once Tony showed up, this caused me to sigh, "This is Astrid," Her hand found a place on my shoulder as she introduced me, "Astrid, this is my ever so lovely boyfriend, Tony, and that there is his mate, Sid."

"Nice to meet you," I said with a smile, crossing my arms over my chest as I spoke, still feeling awkward being the new one. I always was the new one.

Tony looked back over to Sid, "So, here's the deal, Sid has to sell some drugs, or he's going to be in shit with his dealer," Tony said to us, Sid's eyes widened and he looked over at Tony, he appeared to be caught off guard by that statement.