Stacy

The Night Of Disasters - 1

Ahhhh! I am so excited to finally write again! I have been gone for a long time but the good news is that I am back, with an awesome story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please Read, Vote, Comment, and Enjoy!!

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Sitting on the uncomfortable bar stool, Stacy's eyes wandered around the hall. She could feel their stares. She wasn't supposed to be at her ex's engagement party and she wouldn't have been, had her mother not insisted on it. Swiveling in her chair, she spotted the bartender. Though she wasn't keen on drinking tonight, she decided it wouldn't hurt to have one.

There was chatter around her, people milling in circles, each group thrumming with the latest gossip. These socialites considered nothing sacred. Every piece of information was up for a price. Having grown up in the town Stacy knew, how important it was to partake in these vain conversations. Alliances were formed, enemies were made and judgments were passed at such events. Stacy sat there at a safe distance , sipping her drink, savouring the burn, hoping that nobody would notice her smudged liner from the secret crying fest she had in the bathroom stall.

It had been months since her last break down and she wasn't expecting one to hit her now. But seeing Greg had triggered it. All the emotions she had buried deep within were resurfacing. It had taken her months to get over Greg and now sitting in the beautifully lit room, with its crown moldings and glittering walls, she could feel her own dam cracking, caving in from the pressure. It was not love for Greg. It was not the dislike for Alicia. It was none of those things which made her restless. She didn't love Greg anymore and she didn't expect him to realize that she was the one, it didn't work that way, at least not for her. She had accepted that and it was this acceptance that was scratching her insides, bleeding her, causing her to spill over.

Her eyes caught Greg's from across the room and he gave her an awkward half-smile. It wasn't new, they had exchanged such smiles whenever they ran into each at events . Stacy, however, couldn't bring herself to return the smile, so she resorted to titling her half-full glass in his direction. Done with her drink, she circled the rim of the empty glass with her finger, before placing it on the pristine counter. Ordering another drink, Stacy focused on the bartender making the drink as she swished the light pink liquid in the glass before shaking it and creating froth which bubbled over to the rim but never left the glass. The bar was empty, people had crowded the dance floor, swaying like puppets to the orchestra's beats.

She talked to the bartender mindlessly, all the while wondering whether the bartender could tell that she had been crying. The girl acknowledged another stray customer with the nod of her head and sped up her easy motions in an attempt to finish Stacy's drink. Stacy smiled wryly, it seemed as if she couldn't hold on to the genuine company for more than a few minutes.

Stacy picked up her drink from the shiny white counter, excusing herself from the relief she had granted herself. You could either be a participant of the rumor mill or be the subject of it, and however taxing it was, Stacy decided she would rather be the former.

As she drifted in and out of the clusters of chatter she caught a word or two about her. Mrs. Little wanted to know why she hadn't taken up medicine like her parents. Mr. Brown pitted her against Alicia, Greg's fiance. And one Denise Bergman, wondered if Stacy was a natural blonde. They hushed as she passed them by. They wanted to discuss her with everyone except her. Stacy was used to this. Growing up a Lewis, she had learnt how to tackle these social intricacies early on. She knew which rumors she should be ignoring and which rumor she should be addressing, however it never made dealing with such people easy.

Stacy stood in the group of middle aged women and was being interrogated by Mrs. Jacques when a deep voice resonated behind her, causing her to break the conversation and look at the owner of the voice. "Enjoying the party?" He asked, it was a harmless question, but the tone of his voice made it anything but that. For a brief moment she wondered if he had managed to see through her act. It was tempting to reply with a retort of her own, but she doubted that Mrs. Jacques, who was waiting for her to answer the man's question, would be able to handle the comment without feeling offended. Especially since it was on the lines of how charming her company actually was. So Stacy settled with a simple 'Yes' and a well-practiced smile.