As Bizarre as It Gets

''Yes, yes. I'll be there,'' I was reassuring Strify over the phone.

''Promise?'' he was still a little suspicious.

''Promise.''

''I can send Kiro to pick you up and drive you here.''

''Umh... No, thanx.''

''And you don't have to worry about going home alone in the middle of the night, someone will definitely take you home.''

''Great.''

''Or you can just crash here. You won't be the only one.''

''Been there, done that.''

He giggled and said: ''We're looking forward to seeing you tonight. Bye, Carl.''

''Since when are you calling me 'Carl'?''

''Oops, sorry. I meant Vodka Beauty.''

I groaned and said: ''Goodbye, Strify.''

I hung up and put my cell phone on the kitchen table.

''Talking to one of those boys again?'' my aunt said.

''Yes, they're having a party tonight.''

She lifted her eyebrows at me and thought deeply before saying: ''I am not your mother so I won't tell you what to do. And you're not a child anymore. The boys gave me their address last week when they took you out, so I know where you're going if nothing else. But be careful.''

''Please, aunt Mary-'' I started to explain that she had nothing to worry about.

''I know'' she interrupted me, ''You'll say that everything is under control. The boys are pretty determined to get you to the party, aren't they?''

''Yes. They are great guys and I'm very happy and excited to have such wonderful new friends.''

She sat down on the living room couch and tapped the surface next to herself, signalling me to sit down.

When I sat down, she smiled a wicked smile and asked: ''So, what's his name?''

''Who's name?''

''Come on. I was young once, I still remember how it goes,'' she teased me.

''Alright. There is this one boy, his nickname is Shin. His friends are plotting to get him and me together.''

She looked at me for a second and said: ''But you like somebody else.''

''Aunt Mary!'' I shouted and felt my face heat up.

''Well, do you? I didn't hear you say no,'' she wouldn't let go of the topic.

''I kind of did. Shin has his friend... I thought that maybe... Whatever. I liked someone but he wasn't interrested. I was upset about it for two days but I got over it. Moving on.''

''Will you let those friends set you up with that Shin boy?''

''I don't know. I'm not sure. We talked on the phone yesterday and I felt like I was talking to a very dear fiend I've known for years. I don't feel that thing, you know. Heart racing, weakness in the knees, butterflies in my stomach,... I don't feel any of it. But I'm not ready to say no to him either.''

''You have a long night ahead of you, dear.''

''I sure do.''

@}--,---

I arrived to the apartment around ten o'clock. Nobody said anything about a dress code so I wore a simple black dress. Short sleeves, no cleveage, above the knees, zipper in the front. I wore purple fishnets and black high heel shoes. I kept my makeup simple: mascra, eyeliner and strawberry flavoured lip balm.

I was standing in front of the door and and lifted my hand to knock but right then some guy opened the door and I almost hit him in the face. We both took one sudden step back.

''Oh, I'm sorry,'' I said, feeling embarrased.

''That's ok,'' he said and looked at me like there was something very intersting about my face.

He took a breath to say something but before he could, Strify shouted from the inside: ''Heeey, Carly! You made it. I didn't think you would make it. But, look, she made it.''

Strify was babbling away with a mild slur in his speech. He had a little something to drink but not too much. When he was walking towards me, he tripped even though there wasn't anything on the floor. I tried not to laugh at him. He was wearing pointy black shoes, black pants and a tight white shirt. He looked good but a few lipstick marks on his cheeks were ruining the overall image.

He gave me a hug and said: ''Have you met Romeo?''

''Huh?'' I replied.

''This is Romeo,'' he said and pointed at the guy I almost hit in the face.

Then Strify looked at Romeo and pointed at me saying: ''Carly.''

''I thought you might be Carly. I heard about you,'' Romeo said when we were shaking hands.

Then the guy left, I didn't understand where to, and Strify led me by the hand into the apartment. There was about twenty people inside but they were making enough noise for at least fifty. They were mostly guys. Kiro and Yu were dancing around with a group of boys to a Japanese song I didn't know. In one corner there were four girls, sitting and talking. I didn't see Shin or Luminor anywhere.

''Would you like a beer, sweetie?'' Strify asked me.

''Yeah, sure,'' I answered and followed him to the fridge. He opened a small bottle of Bavaria and handed it to me.

''Thanx,'' I said and took it.

The bottle was so pleasantly cold I pressed it to my cheek and said: ''It's getting awfully hot tonight, isn't it?''

''I have a feeling it will get even hotter,'' he replied and winked at me.

I smiled but suddenly I felt my throat tighten a bit. A wierd feeling came over me, something like anxiety.

''Hey, Carly...'' Strify got my attention again.

''Yeah?''

''Nothing. You seemed far away. There's nothing to worry about. The people we invited aren't mutant serial killers.''

''I'm not worried about anything. Everything is fine,'' I said.

He looked at me knowingly but what ever he had to say, he kept it to himself. I took a cigarette from my bag and put it between my lips.

''Damn. I don't have a lighter,'' I groaned.

''Hmm... Go ask those girls over there,'' he suggested.

I walked over to the four girls who were sitting on two armchairs between which there was a coffee table.

''Excuse me, girls. You wouldn't happen to have a lighter, would you?'' I asked.

Before I could even finish the sentence, one of the girls moved over a bit so I could sit down, another one offered me a light and a third one moved the ashtray closer to me.

''Thank you very much,'' I said.

''You're welcome'' the girl who was next to me said and continued, ''I'm Nadine, this is Kristina, that's Sabine over there and across from you is Natalie.''

They all waved at me, one at a time.

''I'm Carly.''

Nadine gave me a strange look when I said my name and there was a very heavy moment of silence.

''It's cool to finally meet some girls around here, I've been hanging out with the boys the whole time,'' I said just to break the silence.

''How did you meet them?'' Natalie asked me. She was looking at me with a stunning pair of blue eyes. All of them had blue eyes and blond hair except Nadine. She had long dark hair and brown eyes.

''We met at a bus stop about two weeks ago,'' I told Natalie.

''Oh. We've known them for years. They're so much fun and they make new friends easily.
They often introduce us to new people,'' she said.

That stung me a little. It made me think I was really irrelevant. I was nothing special to them. The boys obviously had a million people they call friends and I was easily replacable. My heard sank.

My eyes roamed around the living room. The hyperactive boys were still dancing but Strify, Kiro and Yu were sitting on a sofa and talking. Actually, Strify and Kiro were talking, Yu was just staring at a drink in his hands with his mind obviously being somewhere else.

Shin appeared out of nowhere with a smile on his face and said: ''Carly! You sounded so strange on the phone the other day, I didn't think you'd show up.''

''What do you mean 'strange'?''

''Like ... You weren't in the patry mood.''

''I'm always in the party mood. Except when I'm fainting around, you know.''

We laughed but the girls were just exchanging looks and listening to us like they were at a theater.

Then Shin said something to Nadine and they wandered off. The three remaining girls were looked at me curiously.

''You didn't think you were the only one, did you?'' Natalie said like she was trying to make me as upset as possible. There was something evil in her voice.

Before I could answer anything, I heard Strify shout from the sofa: ''Carly! Come here!''

I got up and marched across the room, not letting the girls see the tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I sat down between Strify and Kiro. Yu was still sitting next to Strify but he was still stuck in his own thoughts.

''I'm sorry, I really didn't know it would come to this,'' Strify said to me quietly.

''What are you talking about?'' I was confused.

''I'm talking about Shin and Nadine. I'm sorry.''

''That's ok. If they're happy together... you know, we should be happy for them.''

''It's normal to be a little disappointed, Carly,'' he said and took my hand.

Strify turned to Yu and I noticed how quiet and nervous Kiro was by my side. I wanted to let him know I didn't hold a grudge, so I told him: ''If you need to have any makeup removed, I'm here for you.''

When he saw a silly smile on my face, he laughed and, what's more important, finally looked me in the eyes. He didn't say anything, but I could understand he was relieved now when he was sure there was no bad blood between us.

I felt better now that the tension was over but I couldn't shake that feeling I had earlier. The feeling that something bad was coming my way. I wasn't listening to that short conversation Strify and Yu were having, but it ended with Strify saying: ''What the fuck, Yu?! You asked me twice if she was coming to the party and now you won't even ask her for a dance!''

The three girls in the corner couldn't hide the evil smirks on their faces.

''I'd better go,'' I said and stood up.

''Bye, Kiro,'' I sad to the boy whose eyes curiously followed me.

''See you later, Stirfy,'' I said to the one who was still trying to fix the damage.

I walked out of there quickly and by the time I got to the elevator, the gate opened and Luminor stepped out.

''Get her!'' I could hear Strify shout.

I tried to push past him but Luminor grabbed me in such a tight grip I couldn't move an inch.
''Let go of me, you fuckin' freak!'' I was shouting and felt warm tears that started running down my cheeks.

I wasn't trying to free myself anymore. I held on to Luminor like he was my only chance for survival and burried my face in his chest. His grip loosened and he strarted stroking my hair gently. Strify came to me from behind and took both of us in a hug.

''I'm so sorry about everything, I don't know what to say,'' Strify whispered.

We stood there motionless of a few minutes. I pulled myself together and slowly tried to skwirm away, letting them know I wasn't trying to run anymore. They let go of me. Luminor didn't say anything but from the look he gave me, I could tell he knew what was going on. Maybe he knew it better than I did. Strify told him to go into the apartment and that everything would be ok.

Lumi gave me another look of compassion and walked away, closing the door behind him.
I was suddenly aware of how quiet he hallway was. Neon lamps on the ceiling were blinking lazily, making a low humming sound.

''I would suggest sitting down but this concrete floor isn't...'' Strify said and ran out of words.
I was wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.

He was watching me do it and said: ''This is the second time you're leaving this place looking like all hell broke loose.''

''I made a scene, didn't I?''

''You did call Luminor a fuckin' freak but other than that... No harm done'' he took a deep breath and continued, ''I had no idea that you would be so much upset about Nadine and-''

''I'm not that upset about it. He is a wonderful guy but but I tkink I liked him more because you tried to bring us together.''

''I did... but only because he was so shy around girls and you seemed cool. By the way, he said you were a babe, I never heard him say that about anybody before. That's the reason why we all wanted to meet 'the mysterious girl from the bus stop'. But then Nadine got into the picture and I didn't see her coming. You know.. I thought you'd get over it quickly because I know you like Kiro.''

''I-''

''Don't try to deny it. I see it in your eyes. And he told me. He was being weird after you left last week and I got the facts out of him.''

''I'm not trying to deny anything. I'm just not proud of myself. It's all very embarrasing, '' I explained.

''You know, I think it's better you didn't hook up with Kiro. Evrybody would look at you in the street and say: 'Watch this! There go Snowhite and one of the seven dwarves!'''
I laughed and let him pull me into another hug.

''You're right, that's a pretty good reason not to be with him. Is there a reason I should be glad I'm not with Shin?'' I asked.

Strify moved away from me just enough to look into my eyes and said: ''No. That idea just didn't work. But we should be happy for them, as you said.''

''If two people want to be together, nothing can keep them apart,'' I added.

''Exactly,'' he said and kissed me on the forehead.

The apartment door opened and we saw Yu walk towards us. Strify let go of me and tried to tell him something but Yu not-so-gently brushed against his shoulder and continued walking towards the elevator like he didn't see us.

Strify turned to me and said: ''I'll deal with him later.''