The Movies Make It Look Easy

I wanted to dedicate this chapter to CaylaBernier for being an amazing fan. Besides listening to me go on about different chapters and telling me to relax and not to stress, she’s also been a great help. She helped pick out the dresses for this chapter and has also helped me with some of my other projects. So thank you! :)
Kaz xoxo

FINAL WORD COUNT: 16750

ENJOY!

Chapter 62

Mark’s P.O.V:

The loud clank of the weights all around us was utterly familiar, and I caught a glimpse of us in the mirrors across the room. I could hear the low hum of the treadmills in the next room, and wished I had a good view of all the women jogging in spandex.
I took a deep breath; ah the scent of manliness, I thought with satisfaction as I raised my arm to inspect my biceps; huge, of course.
“You do know what spotting is, right?” Nick grunted as he let the bar fall back onto the uprights.
I stared at him in confusion; “obviously.”
“Really? ‘Cause you seemed to be paying more attention to your arms than me.” He glared at me as he sat up.
I just rolled my eyes, “dude, relax, you weren’t even benching that much.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
I heaved a deep sigh of exasperation. He was so touchy these days. “Stop being a douche” I told him.

I felt sorry for the people who came into contact with him who didn’t know him well enough to put him in his place. He could be a real prick, especially lately.
He closed his eyes and sighed, twisting the navy gym towel between white-knuckled hands. “I’m sorry, it’s just…”
“I know” I interrupted quietly. I knew exactly why he was acting like this…you’d have to be very, very dense not to know why. “Just give it time” I said.
“Easier said than done” he told me through gritted teeth.

We slowly made our way downstairs to the changing rooms.
“Like, half of me wants to stay at home all the time so I can take any opportunity to spend time with her, but the rest of me can’t stand to be around her when she hates me, and things are so tense.
I can’t bear not being able to talk to her. I just don’t know what to do…”
He lapsed into silence and I didn’t break it; I mean what could I say? It was only after we’d showered, got dressed and were on our way back upstairs to the exit, that Nick spoke again. “I don’t think I’m up for tonight.”
I looked at him sideways; “But you’ve said all along that you were going to go; we go tickets ages ago!”
He shrugged, “that was when I was planning on taking Shannon. Now I just don’t really want to go.”
“Is it because you know she’ll be there?”

He just glared moodily at the receptionist when she lifted a hand to wave as we walked past. I sent an apologetic smile her way as her face seemed to crumple slightly. There was no need to be rude, and I thought he should know that. So I happily punched him, hard.
He reached up to grasp his arm while turning shocked eyes on me. “What the fuck, man?”
“You were being unnecessarily rude, and the conversation about tonight is over. You’re going whether you like it or not…just please do me a favour and stick to non-alcoholic beverages.”
“Can’t make any promises” he grunted, still clutching his arm (which I noted with satisfaction) as we walked down the street, heading for my apartment.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if she brings someone.”

I didn’t reply. I had no idea if Shannon had a date or not. Nikki was the only one these days who knew much of what was happening in Shannon’s life, and she’d been amazingly tight-lipped; even with Jay.
All we knew for certain was that Shannon would definitely be there tonight. I could only hope that she was alone, for the sake of keeping the peace – at the very least.

Shannon’s P.O.V:

I was so zoned out; I didn’t hear my phone until the last ring. My voicemail picked it up just as I reached out to grab it. I glared at the phone like it was somehow its fault that it hadn’t rung loud enough.
I wiped my paint-streaked hands on my old, faded t-shirt in the vain hope of cleaning them a bit before I checked who had called. Nikki. I hit redial and balanced my phone between my ear and shoulder as I cleaned my brush and dried it with the last clean corner on the wad of tissue beside me.
I surveyed the paper in front of me. I was painting a cityscape and I was trying to make it as colourful as possible. It may sound like an oxymoron, but I was taking inspiration from the many painters I’d once witnessed recreating the view of Paris. I’d loved Paris. It was hard though, trying to paint straight from my head – I was managing alright though...hopefully, anyway.

I heard Nikki answer the phone and I focused on our conversation, rather than on my art.
“Oh good, I was just calling to make sure you’re getting ready?” She sounded very excited.
I held the phone away from me to check the time – it was after five. Crap. “Umm, yeah, of course I’m getting ready” I answered hesitantly as I pushed my chair back from the table and stood up, jogging to my room. Art would just have to wait.
If she could hear the blatant lie in my voice, she ignored it. “Good, because we can’t be late” she said sweetly, before disconnecting.
I threw my phone in the general direction of my bed as I headed for the shower.

The apartment had been quiet all day – Nick had left early in the morning and not returned since. I wasn’t worried; he’d been going out – probably to the gym – a lot over the last two weeks. We hadn’t talked, not once, since the kiss. It was never mentioned but it was always there, hovering between us like a pink elephant. It resulted in a horribly tense atmosphere that I knew we both hated.
We were rarely ever even the same room anymore. When one of us came home or walked into the living room or kitchen, the other would slip out. We’d both feign obliviousness. Except for the times I felt him watching me when I walked away.
It really wasn’t how I’d envisioned college life would be. I couldn’t see how to remedy it though, so I was just going to have to live with it; at least for now.
I’d no doubt see him tonight, and I just hoped there wasn’t a scene – especially because of Peter.
He’d been like an excited puppy when we made plans for tonight, and I couldn’t help noticing how much his confidence had grown – and not just with me. It made me unutterably glad that I hadn’t said no. I didn’t even want to think how awkward he would have become in the face of rejection.

When I got out of the shower, I quickly dried my hair and curled it loosely. I honestly couldn’t be bothered doing anything fancy with it.
I’d gone through the motions of preparing for tonight; shopping for a dress and talking about it endlessly with the girls, but my heart hadn’t really been in it. Now that I was alone, I was going to do the bare minimum.
My only indulgence had been getting my nails done. But then again that wasn’t necessarily for tonight per se – just that I felt like treating myself after a crappy couple of weeks.

I couldn’t for the life of me decide whether or not I was optimistic about tonight. I had a slight uneasy feeling rolling around in my stomach and I had a horrible inkling that it was because I was nervous.
I hated to even think it, but had those first date jitters; despite the fact that I wasn’t going on a date. It sucked.
I decided I needed something to relax me, so I dropped my foundation brush and stalked half-dressed towards the kitchen. Because Nick was gone, I didn’t have to worry about covering up too much skin as I perused the fridge for the lone bottle of vodka that I knew was buried at the back. Ah, the wonders of college, I thought with satisfaction as I grabbed a tacky shot glass and headed back to my room.
I poured a measure of clear liquid out when I’d kicked my door firmly shut behind me. Yeah, Nick wasn’t home, but it would be just my luck that he would come home and catch me half-dressed with my door wide open. I’d only have myself to blame.

I checked the clock – damn, it had been over an hour since Nikki rang. Peter would be here soon, and something told me he’d be punctual; early even.
I needed to finish getting ready.
I knocked back the shot, grimacing as the fiery liquid burnt a path down my throat. I wouldn’t usually do shots while sober but I felt the situation warranted it – wine wouldn’t do anything at this point. Just why the hell was I nervous anyway? It was infuriating.

I placed the finishing touches to my makeup and ran a critical eye over myself in the mirror. It would have to do.
I’d laid my dress out on the bed and I now slipped it on over my head, careful not to brush the silky, jersey material against my face.
I adjusted the slight cowl neck of the dress so my lacy black bra didn’t show. Nikki had persuaded me to new buy underwear, even though the voice of reason in me protested, saying it wasn’t necessary; for any reason. However, she’d given me that look and I’d quickly shut my mouth. Who ever said that petite girls with long blonde hair couldn’t be scary?
The shopping trip had brought back memories of the last time Nikki had dragged me into that particular shop. When I got home, I’d immediately found the green corset I’d bought all those weeks ago and shoved it as far back into my wardrobe as I could manage.
I stepped into my new, sexy black heels (I was officially in love), and grabbed my clutch and black winter jacket just as a knock sounded on the door.

It was quarter to seven, and Peter was right on time; as I’d known he would be. I glanced down at myself once more before walking to the front door, flicking the lights off as I went.
My dress was sage green and was quite…form-fitting. It flowed down to the ground and had a slit up the left side; nothing too high or revealing though, just enough to show flashes of leg as I walked. The only adornment was a black silk ribbon that tied around my waist.
It was the kind of dress that made you wish you were just a few pounds lighter, just a little more toned. Nikki and Alyssa had reassured me when I tried it on in the shop though, that it was perfect.
I trusted their judgement, and I actually really liked it. It was simple but classy. There was something about wearing a formal dress that just felt, really good.

I opened the door and grinned as Peter immediately started to blush. He was too cute. The shots of vodka had done their job and my heart beat steadily, the butterflies well and truly gone.
I also felt suddenly impervious to the wall of cool air that hit as soon as the door opened. I hadn’t realised how hot the apartment was. I knew though, that going without a coat was just plain stupid in this climate.
Peter still hadn’t spoken a word as I did up the large black buttons on my coat.
“You look-” he stuttered out as he blushed furiously.
I stifled my laugh and smiled in reassurance as I stepped out of the apartment and turned to lock the door. “Thanks” I said over my shoulder with a wink.
He just stuttered some more, never quite getting full words, let alone sentences, past his almost feminine lips. I’d only just noticed that about him.

He offered to get us a taxi but I insisted on walking because it wasn’t too far to Nikki’s. We could get a taxi from there. We covered the distance in almost complete silence.
Any confidence Peter seemed to have acquired over the last few weeks, had vanished. I guessed it was due to the fact that for once I wasn’t dressed down in my plain work clothes. It was like he was suddenly out of his comfort zone.
Sometimes I found myself wondering how he managed in life with such crippling shyness, but the thought always ended with me feeling sorry for him.
I tried a few times to start a conversation, but I soon gave up when all I received were monosyllabic answers. I wasn’t one of those people who found it easy to talk to just about anyone. I needed some sort of response, or I started to get shy too.

So I was glad when we finally made it to Nikki’s. I’d only knocked once when the door opened. I looked her over with approval.
Her dress was creamy pink chiffon. It was square cut and had loose, short sleeves, the skirt pleated slightly. The dress made her look taller, but then that was probably just the heels I knew she was wearing. Her hair was done up in a loose bun, a couple of blonde curls hanging down gracefully.
She stepped back and ushered us inside, smiling at Peter. She’d met him last week when she dropped by the café one afternoon. She’d seemed a little sceptical at first, but the charm he probably didn’t even realise he possessed had soon won her over.
“Alyssa and Dean have already left, and I have no idea where Carla is” she said with a roll of her eyes as she closed the door behind us.
I hadn’t yet met Alyssa’s boyfriend; Dean, but from the way she gushed about him, I had pretty high standards. And as for Carla, well I was sure she’d make an appearance at some stage.
“When do we have to leave?” I asked, shrugging of my jacket.
Nikki was already heading for her room when she answered. “In a while; I’m not ready.”
She seemed perfectly ready from what I could see but I decided not to bother saying anything.

Her door had just swung closed when a figure strolled out of the kitchen. I looked him up and down in appreciation. “Well, well. Look at you all dressed up.”
Jay grinned; “Look who’s talking.” He came over and swept me into a tight, brotherly hug. “You look gorgeous Shannon.”
I smiled my thanks as I pulled away, briefly wondering why all guys couldn’t be as sweet as him. His gaze then moved to Peter who was standing uncomfortably behind me. It wasn’t a harsh look, but I wouldn’t exactly call it friendly. Damn.
I stepped back beside Peter and smiled nervously. “Peter, this is Jay; Nikki’s boyfriend and one of my close friends.” I paused but neither of them said a word. I gulped.
Maybe I was overreacting but this didn’t seem to be going too well…and Jay was literally the most relaxed, easy-going guy in the world compared to Mark and Nick. I cursed inwardly.

Maybe I could somehow avoid the two of them? I knew it was just wishful thinking on my part though. I decided to just take it one step at a time and continue with the introduction. “Jay, this is Peter. We work together.”
I felt the need to tack that piece of information on the end of my sentence; like it would somehow absolve me of any, personal connection to Peter. I really hoped it didn’t come off that way – I didn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings.
I blinked and realised I’d been daydreaming, again. Jay and Peter had just shaken hands and Peter was smiling in a way that could only be described as awkward.
“Peter just moved here” I blurted out, staring firmly at the floor. “I offered to introduce him around.” I looked up to see Jay watching me closely. I quickly looked away.
“You’re going to introduce him to everyone?” I knew exactly what he was getting at.
I stared up at him, jutting my chin out. “You think I’d be able to stop it?”
He slowly shook his head with a sigh. “I just don’t want any drama” he told me as he turned towards Nikki’s room.
“You’re not the only one” I said fervently.
He muttered something about going to check on his girlfriend before disappearing out of the room. Something told me he wasn’t happy that she hadn’t forewarned him about Peter.

I turned to the person in question and smiled sheepishly at him confused expression.
“I don’t think he likes me very much” he said quietly and I suddenly wanted to give him a hug.
Instead, I reached out and took his hand, squeezing reassuringly. “He’s just protective” I told him. “Most of my friends are.”
That, or just plain jealous, I thought. I tried not to let my feelings show – Peter was awkward and shy enough as it was without the added pressure of my friends being less than nice.
“And I’m going to the meet others later?” He sounded hesitant, and definitely nervous.
I nodded, “but don’t worry. If they’re rude or if you’re uncomfortable we don’t have to stay with them.”

I gave his hand one last squeeze, dropping it as Nikki’s door opened and she Jay appeared. Neither seemed particularly happy, and I felt horrible; knowing it was because of me.
I was kind of hoping someone would give me a reason to stay away from Mark, and especially Nick. Call me a coward, but I didn’t think the meeting would be pretty.

We left almost immediately after that, turning down offers of a drink. The near silence was just a bit too tense for my liking as the four of us stood in Nikki’s living room.
Jay held me back as the other two headed downstairs, chatting animatedly about something or other. “I don’t have a good feeling about this, Shan.”
My shoulders slumped as I redid the buttons on my jacket. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not a date. We’re just friends.”
We headed out the door and I noted with interest that he pulled a key from his pocket to lock the door. He had a spare key? That was a really big deal. I made a mental note to ask Nikki about it next time we were alone.
“You know Nick won’t see it that way.” Jay’s voice brought me back to the conversation at hand.
“He’s just going to have to” I said firmly.
Jay looked at me incredulously from the corner of his eye; “have you met Nick before?”
“Well, it really isn’t any of his business either way.” It sounded weak, even to my own ears.
He snorted as we walked arm in arm down the hall. “We both know that’s not true. Just like we both know you’re in complete denial.”
I didn’t think that statement deigned a reply; not even a sarcastic retort. So I kept my mouth shut.
He muttered something that sounded distinctly like; “you two are made for each other.”
I don’t think he meant it in a very complimentary way either. I pretended I hadn’t heard him speak but his sudden grin told me he knew better.

I was squished into the back of a taxi between Peter and Nikki, and I grew increasingly anxious as we drew closer to whatever venue had been rented for the occasion.
When we pulled up outside the large, stone-faced building, Peter nimbly hopped out of the car. He turned back, extending a hand to help me out so I wouldn’t trip over the end of my dress.
I smiled up at him in the near darkness, struck again by how polite and mannerly he was. Two virtues I’d once taken for granted but had learned the older I got that they weren’t necessarily universal traits. “Thanks” I said, turning to wait for the other two.
Together, we walked up the wide set of stone steps to the equally wide doors. It was a pretty impressive set up, from what I could see; but the large bunches of balloons to either side of the doors, and the large banner overhead gave the whole thing a cheesy feeling.
I fidgeted with the ends of my cuffs uneasily, my hands horribly clammy. I was surprised when Peter placed a hand on my back to guide me as we followed a group of three guys inside who looked like they were in their early twenties.

We had to hand over our tickets once we walked through the door and I was glad to hand over my jacket and clutch as well. The only thing I kept was my camera…no point in bringing it if it wasn’t going to be used.
The heat of the many people inside the building left me feeling flushed, but then, maybe that was just the nerves.
I looped my hand through Peter’s arm as we made our way to the main room.
To say it was huge was a gross understatement. The high vaulted ceilings just made it seem bigger.
There were balconies circling the entire room, but the lighting was too dim to see if anyone was up there, and my first, cursory glance around the room didn’t show any obvious ways to get upstairs.
What I did see though, were a lot of people. Men, women, guys and girls were cluttered around the place in groups, everyone dressed formally. At least we didn’t stand out as being overdressed.
Blue lights were placed at regular intervals around the edge of the room, lending a cool glow to the otherwise dim space.

At the right end was a small stage with lots of equipment set up on it, wires criss-crossing everywhere. I wasn’t going to even pretend I knew what half of the stuff was for. Before it was an empty area that I presumed was for dancing.
The rest of the venue was filled with white-clothed round tables, all laid out for dinner. I grimaced at the sight; wishing, not for the first time, that my dress was a little looser.
I was glad to see, though, that the inside wasn’t decorated as tackily as the outside had indicated. Thank God.
There were two large glass doors on the far side of the room that presumably led outside. I wasn’t entirely sure what was out there though.
Also, a good portion of the back wall was dominated by a fully-stocked bar.

I realised that Jay and Nikki had begun to venture into the crowd while I’d been taking in my surroundings so I quickly followed, pulling Peter behind me. He stared around him with something close to awe. I wasn’t exactly sure where he originated from but I was sure it was a small town, nothing like the size of London.
It was hard trying to push past people and keep up with the others. Peter graciously stepped in front of me and took my hand, creating a path through the crowd.
We finally broke through the largest group and I realised we’d made it across the entire room. I hoped we were staying there because I didn’t want to have to fight my way back through the tight knot of people. Pity the bathrooms were back the way we’d just come.

I smiled up at Peter and he grinned back down at me; “just thought you could use a bit of help.”
I rolled my eyes good naturedly before turning away from him. I saw a circle of all too familiar people standing straight ahead of us, some of whom were very interested in Peter and I.
Three guesses who.
Nikki and Jay were already standing with Nick, Mark, Alyssa and a really tall guy who I presumed was Dean. I forced myself not to stare, even though I was curious.
I squeezed Peter’s hand before letting go. “Good luck” I murmured, just loud enough so he could hear me over the chatter and music playing through speakers dotted around.
He nodded once, his gaze fixed on the people in front of us as he straightened his already perfectly straight suit jacket.

My eyes were drawn to the one person I’d been dreading running into the most. He looked good…like, really good. He was wearing a typical black tux, but no tie. The top two buttons of his snowy white shirt were left open, exposing just a hint of chest.
I’d always thought guys looked good in suits, but this…well, he exceeded all expectations. I swallowed as my eyes met his and it would have been audible, if not for the background noise – which didn’t seem as loud anymore.
I could see the intensity of his gaze, even from where I stood at least two metres away, and it was with immense difficulty that I looked away – just as a tentative smile began to pull at his lips. Damn, was it just me or had the temperature suddenly gone up?
I quelled the urge to pick and pull at my dress, feeling suddenly self-conscious. I kept my hands firmly by my side as Peter and I stepped forward.

I looked to Mark who stood beside Nick with an indecipherable expression on his face. His brow was furrowed though, which I couldn’t imagine boded well for me, at all.
He too was wearing a tux, but unlike Nick, had paired his with a bright pink and blue tie. I was surprised that thing wasn’t glowing. He looked good though.
It seemed to take an age to walk over, and I felt uncomfortable under all the scrutiny.
Mark pushed past Nick and Jay and stamped over, coming to a stop in front of me; hands on his hips. “Well Sweetcheeks, you clean up nicely.”
I ignored the fact that his eyes were somewhere south of my face and settled for raising an eyebrow. “You too; I’m impressed.”
He grinned, winking as he threw his arms around me, picking me up. It was a brief hug and when he set me on my feet again, he immediately turned his attention to Peter.
So I went through the introductions again, feeling increasingly nervous as I spoke. I just hoped it wasn’t as obvious to everyone else, and I was infinitely glad the lighting wasn’t bright.
I wasn’t daydreaming this time so I saw the awkward handshake, and the even more awkward; ‘nice to meet you’ on Peter’s part. Mark didn’t bother with such pleasantries, just nodded once before turning and walking back over to Nick without another word to me.

I stepped over to Nikki and she reached over to squeeze my arm. I fought the urge to wrinkle my nose in her direction to show how I thought this night was going so far. I knew she could tell how uncomfortable I felt.
I turned to Alyssa, who grinned at me excitedly before giving both Peter and I a hug. Like Nikki, she’d already met him. I was glad that I wasn’t the only one he knew because it meant that I didn’t have to look out for him every second we were here.
I looked up at Dean as Alyssa introduced us. He was tall, about the same height as Nick, but his shoulders were probably twice the width of me. He had sallow skin, dark curly hair and equally dark eyes. He was also from New Zealand, judging by his accent anyway.
He reached out to shake my hand and I couldn’t help but think that he’d be really intimidating if you were to meet him on the street. But his sweet smile and murmured hello pushed all those thoughts from my head. Aesthetically, Dean couldn’t be more different from Alyssa’s small, slight figure, but it seemed like their personalities meshed well.
Alyssa looked gorgeous in a pale pink, silky dress. The only decoration was where the material gathered over her left shoulder in an intricate knot.

An awkward silence seemed to fall over the group and I knew it was down to the last introduction that needed to be made.
Nick had somehow manoeuvred himself so he was opposite me. He stared at me expectantly. I cleared my throat and glanced up at Peter who was also looking at me expectantly. I could feel many, colourful curses on the tip of my tongue but I swallowed them with effort.
I introduced Peter as I had all night; as my ‘friend from work’, and I think everyone could feel the tension, resulting in more than a few feet shuffling and eye shifting.
Not Nick though, I wasn’t sure I even saw him blink. Peter leaned past me with a smile, seemingly unaffected; his hand outstretched in a peace offering. Not that he knew that. Nick didn’t even look at him, not once. He just kept his eyes on me with a not very nice, almost smug smile. He was daring me to say something, I just knew it.
It was Peter’s turn to clear his throat awkwardly as he slowly dropped his hand back to his side. I glared at Nick but he didn’t seem to notice. Smug bastard.
“Let’s go find a table.” Jay spoke up, presumably before I could say something that would inevitably start a fight. I was still seething at the whole situation as I turned to follow everyone to a table in the corner near one of the glass doors.
The only thing keeping my mood up was the shadow I’d seen cross Nick’s face when I introduced him as only my roommate, not even as a friend.

I felt a hand grasping my arm, jerking me back. I didn’t bother to turn around, I was too pissed off. He ignored the fact that I clearly didn’t want to talk to him and stepped up behind me, until there was only a sliver of space between us, and with each breath he took I could feel the material of his tux barely brush up against my arm.
I fought a shiver.
I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the feelings that welled up inside me at his proximity. I felt him lean close, his lips right by my ear.
I managed to stop myself from turning into him, instead clutching at the skirt of my dress, no doubt wrinkling it as everything seemed to fall quiet around us. Gone were the sounds of people talking and laughing, the steady beat of the random music being pumped through the speakers becoming muffled; and I knew it was because of him.
As soon as he was around, I became so focused on him that everything else just didn’t matter anymore. I knew it wasn’t a good thing, but I honestly couldn’t help the way I felt.
It seemed like we stood there forever, an eternity, but it could only have been a few seconds.
“You look beautiful” he whispered, his breath fanning my ear.
I opened my eyes and sought out the rest of the group who were just about to sit down at one of the tables. I needed to be there, with them; not here with Nick – it was too hard to be around him, too hard to remember why I shouldn’t be around him.
So, with difficulty, I took a step forward, away from him. I didn’t look back and with each step it became easier to forget just how he affected me.

I was almost to the table when I saw a familiar face waving at me as she emerged from the crowd, dragging somebody along behind her; Becky and Eddie – the third year Graphic Design major. He was on the short side, handsome but a little plain.
They reached me and I bent to give Becky a hug. Eddie had turned his head to mouth something to someone across the room and when he faced me again, I couldn’t help but stare.
Wow, he really did have beautiful eyes. They were framed by dark lashes and were a bright shade of turquoise, ringed in a darker blue. They were the kind of colour that you had to see to believe.
When he turned those eyes on Becky, all I saw was adoration and I immediately liked him. Becky obviously noticed his looks as well, because her cheeks flushed pink and she smoothed her hands over the flattering black dress she wore. I was surprised she’d chosen a dress with a plunging neckline, but it looked good. She’s also gotten a haircut – a sleek bob. I’d never before noticed how elfin her features were.

I smiled at her date; “hi Eddie.”
He grinned back boyishly. “Hey Shannon, it’s nice to meet you.”
My view of him went up a notch or two – he’s obviously done his homework. “Where are you two sitting?” I asked, glancing between them.
They both shrugged.
“Why don’t you join us?” I offered. If I’d calculated correctly there should be just enough room. I really hoped I had or it would be really embarrassing.
They shared a quick look before Becky nodded enthusiastically; “don’t mind if we do.”
I was right and there were three empty spaces at our table - to the left and right of which sat Peter and Nick, respectively. Without hesitation, I took the vacant left-hand chair, smiling at Peter as I sat.
Eddie sat next to me, leaving Becky to take the last free seat, beside Nick. He smiled and murmured something I presumed was ‘hello’, but all she did was nod once before turning away.
I stifled a snort of laughter, enjoying the sense of camaraderie between girls. As far as Becky was concerned, Nick was The Enemy. I almost felt bad for him – Becky’s wrath was not something to be wished on anybody. Not lightly anyway.
To my left, Peter nodded along as Alyssa chattered away. I swear that girl could have a conversation with a rock.

I took the time to look around some more. Each table was set for ten, and had a light in the centre, surrounded by a sort of wreath with fake white flowers. Other than the blue lights illuminating most of the room, the décor was mainly white, with a few black accents dotted here and there.
I remembered Nikki saying that it was usually held just before Christmas. It was clear they’d used the same decorations, even though it was the beginning of February.
I felt someone’s eyes on me and I looked up with a small sigh, already knowing who it was; a certain somebody sitting two seats away.
His expression didn’t change when I looked at him. He seemed to be deep in thought and I wasn’t quite sure if he was focusing on me. It was like he was looking through me.
I turned away before he came to his senses and caught me staring. I could still fell his eyes on me though and I had to force myself to think of something else.
As I’d been talking to Becky, other groups had begun to claim tables and it wasn’t long before everyone was seated. The place really was packed. Every table was filled and there’d been quite a few tables. I wasn’t going to bother even attempting to count everybody. It was a waste of my time.

Dinner passed by quickly enough. The food wasn’t spectacular and was similar to what would typically be served at a wedding.
I was kept occupied by Eddie though, who I liked more and more the longer I talked to him.
We had an in-depth discussion about Graphic Design. I’d always been interested but hadn’t applied to do any classes when I came to college. He recommended that if it was something that I enjoyed, and might possible pursue in the future, then I should take it on next year.
I pondered the thought when he excused himself to go to the bathroom. I’d already long ago decided to drop Art History, and there were a few other classes I wasn’t entirely happy with. Eddie had told me every little detail about his course, and I had to admit that his enthusiasm was catching.
I liked the idea more and more. I was smiling to myself when he sat back down.
He also seemed to be quite politically minded and I had to steer him away from topics like the economy and government policies, more than once. If there was one thing that was guaranteed to send me to sleep from boredom, it was discussions on politics.

During a lapse in the conversation, I took the time to look around the table. Everyone seemed happy enough. Peter looked up from his conversation with Alyssa and Dean, and winked at me before turning away again. I was happy to see that he was having a good time.
I’d told him that if my friends were rude, we didn’t have to stay with them, but I hadn’t really been sure of what we would do if that happened. I didn’t really know anyone else well enough to just barge over and ask to sit at their table.
There was no reason to think about it though, considering everything seemed to be going smoothly. I was just glad that there was a healthy distance between Peter and Nick.
I looked to my right to see Nick and Becky talking. He was smiling and she’d lost the almost angry downward tilt to her mouth.
I was amazed, and not for the first time, by the affect Nick’s charm seemed to have on anything female – and probably some males too.

He chose that moment to look up, whether by coincidence or not, I wasn’t sure. His eyes twinkled with good humour and a genuine smile pulled at his lips. He winked before looking back to Becky with his practically infamous dazzling smile that showed off his pearly whites. He should have that thing patented.
I felt myself smiling back, though he couldn’t see me. One look was all it took. I actually had to grip the edges of my seat to stop myself from standing up – I wanted to kiss him that badly.
Despite the fact that I missed being able to touch him, hug him, and most of all, kiss him; in that one instant, it was as if nothing had ever happened, that everything was alright between us.
Inevitably, reality came crashing down and I remembered all that happened. I scowled at the edge of the table, berating myself internally at the thought of what I’d been so close to doing, just because he freaking smiled at me.
A small part of my brain pointed out that those inevitable reality checks weren’t as instantaneous as they used to be, it was taking me longer to come to my senses.
That thought only made me scowl further but I forced myself to paste a smile onto my face when I realised that Eddie had begun to talk to me again.

All throughout dinner, a live band that I didn’t recognise had been playing an array of popular songs – both old and new. They were actually extremely good and hadn’t deafened everyone present by shouting into the microphone. We were still able to hold a conversation. Granted, whispering probably wasn’t possible, but I suppose that was irrelevant.
When dinner was finished, and the plates had been cleared by the unobtrusive waiters, the band left the stage amidst loud applause and cheers – to be replaced by a DJ.
People now began in drink in earnest, and there was a steady stream of people, all clamouring for attention at the bar.
Mark and Jay went up and brought back drinks for the table (how they managed to carry five drinks apiece, I’d never know). Everyone drank after Mark raised his glass in a mock salute.
The change in atmosphere was almost palpable. The noise of conversation and laughter grew louder, people had gotten up to dance and I’d already seen numerous people shucking ties and jackets.
As of yet, none at our table had moved, all of us content to watch the proceedings or talk amongst ourselves.

Our peace lasted only a few minutes before Carla waltzed over, two young men following her like lost puppies.
I actually did a double-take when I saw her. I couldn’t help but think that it was typical of her really to be the most dramatic person present, and to stand out the most in everything she did.
Her dress was yellow, and when I say yellow, I don’t mean the warm sunshine yellow many parents paint their new-born child’s bedroom. No, I mean glaringly bright canary yellow. The (plunging) halter neck bodice was studded all over with sparkling diamantes, which definitely didn’t help to tone it down at all – surprisingly enough; note sarcasm.
There was an excess of material in the skirt, so it swirled and billowed around her rather dramatically as she walked. Oh, yeah, and the almost indecently high slit up the middle of the skirt didn’t help either. And last, but definitely not least, it was completely and utterly backless.
I found this out when she helpfully twirled around to show herself off with one of her trademark high-pitched giggles. It was some dress alright.

I swallowed down the laugh that suddenly bubbled up. One glance around the table told me I wasn’t the only one who was slightly perplexed. I saw Nikki and Alyssa share an almost horror-filled look and though I couldn’t see Becky’s expression, I doubted it was pretty. Carla was the type of girl Becky hated.
Every single guy at the table (without fail) stared at her, their heads tilted, with a look that a scientist might give an unidentifiable specimen; confusion with just a hint of disdain. Though to give credit where credit is due, Nick leaned more towards a look that was filled with disgust, his eyes blinking rapidly as if it hurt to look directly at her.
I had to fake a coughing fit to hide my laughter, and Peter leaned over to pat me on the back. I waved him away, not bothering to explain that I was alright. She wiggled her fingers at the table in general, in what I presumed was a wave.
“Who is she?” I heard Peter’s voice whisper in my ear.
“Carla” I whispered back without looking away from the person in question. “She lives with Nikki.”
Peter made no response but I did see him nod out of the corner of my eye before he leant back in his chair.

Carla had moved around so she was standing behind Dean, enabling her to talk to Alyssa more easily. She stood up straight and sent me a half-friendly, half-bored smile before checking out each guy at the table, as if they were hers for the choosing - with the exception of Dean and Jay, of course.
She made a show of looking Mark over and I was half-expecting him to make the sign of the cross with his two fingers and hiss at her – I could so see him doing that.
She continued to stare at him but he just looked away awkwardly. I didn’t think she was his type. That being said, I wasn’t exactly sure what his type was, or if he even had one. Any liaisons he had weren’t serious, and most of time I probably didn’t even hear about it – I doubt I knew the half of it.
Next, Carla moved her gaze to Nick and nodded in greeting. He looked extremely bored, but I wasn’t sure if it was her or the whole night in general that caused it.
When her gaze reached Peter; he, of course, blushed furiously, making her smirk. I frowned in her direction, wanting to shield him from her, protect him. It was a feeling one might have for a younger sibling.
The others could take care of themselves, but Peter just seemed so, so naïve. Hey, just call me maternal.
Eventually, her scrutiny came to an end and she dragged Alyssa and Dean away to dance. Nikki and Jay soon followed suit.

After a while, I grew bored of sitting at the table, so I began to fidget.
I fidgeted for another minute or so, until I just couldn’t take it. I stood up and turned to Peter. He looked up, his glass of water frozen halfway to his mouth. Was it just me or did he look scared all of a sudden?
He set his glass back on the table and pulled at his collar. “I-I, don’t dance…” he began.
I just laughed, “It’s fine; let’s go to the bar. I just can’t sit here any longer.”
He nodded; looking relieved, and stood to follow me.

After entrusting my camera to Mark’s care (I knew I’d probably come to regret that choice later), I made my way away from our table and across the room, ignoring the stares boring into my back the entire way.
It was amazing how many people I recognised on our walk to the bar. Some I knew from class and others from around campus or from work. I tried to introduce Peter to as many of them as possible, but I could see him getting confused as he tried to remember names and faces.
When we reached the bar, we had to squeeze into a tiny space near the edge of the bar. There were two bartenders working as fast as they could, but we still had to wait. Sometimes I was amazed by peoples’ propensity for drink.
I looked to my right as we were waiting to be served, and saw a familiar face. “Nevaeh. Hey!”
The girl standing beside me turned and smiled when she recognised me. “Hey Shannon.”

Nevaeh was in my Art History class but I’d never really had a chance to talk to her properly. I was surprised to see how well she looked. She was pretty, but had always lacked any fashion sense whatsoever, and always had her hair pulled back and unflattering glasses perched on the end of her nose.
Tonight though, she was practically a different person. She’d lost the glasses and her inky black hair had been brushed so it fell in one sleek wave down her back. She was tiny and almost birdlike, and her champagne coloured dress clung to her small frame. Her dark skin and dark eyes made her look Spanish; but then, for all I knew, she had Spanish roots.
Her eyes flicked over my shoulder to where I knew Peter stood, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
“This is Peter” I told her, raising my voice slightly as the music hit a crescendo. She focused on me again and I saw something close to jealousy flare in her eyes. “He’s a friend from work” I added, trying not to laugh. I didn’t think she’d appreciate it.

Just then, I thought I heard someone call my name. At first, I thought I was hearing things, but seconds later I heard it again; louder this time. I scanned the crowd, searching for the face to match the familiar voice. I spotted him a few feet away, just beyond the crowd at the bar, and lifted my hand in greeting before turning back to Peter and Nevaeh who were silently staring at each other.
I took a moment to look at them, a no doubt devious smile on my face. “I’m going to go talk to my friend. Will you be alright here with Nevaeh?” I finally asked when neither of them seemed to even notice my existence.
Peter nodded distractedly, not paying me the slightest bit of attention. My smile widened. “Just fine” he murmured, so quiet I barely heard him over the noise surrounding us.
I opened my mouth to say something else, but realised there was no point; he probably wouldn’t listen anyway. So instead, I quietly squeezed through the crowd and made my way over to Ben, who was leaning against a vacant table.
He, like everybody else, was wearing a standard tux but his dark grey tie was just looped around the back of his neck, his top button undone. I couldn’t help but notice that while the look suited Nick, in that it just made him seem effortlessly nonchalant, like he didn’t care; Ben just looked like he’d put a lot of thought into how to make himself seem nonchalant.
No matter though, he still looked undeniably good.
He hugged me briefly but otherwise didn’t say anything.

Over his shoulder, I could see Nikki on the dancefloor. When she noticed me, she waved enthusiastically. I smiled at Ben; “wanna dance?”
He shrugged, “why not?”
He had just turned to go over to the dancefloor, offering me his right arm, when I saw a group of familiar figures over near the doors.
My heart dropped; I was hoping they wouldn’t be here. My eyes travelled from James to Robbie, to Emma, and finally to Natalie. At least Lee was nowhere to be seen.
The room suddenly seemed too small.
As if she felt me watching, Emma looked up. When she saw it was me, she raised her hand in a tentative wave, smiling shyly. Robbie looked up as well, and I was surprised when he too smiled.
I smiled in return – my problems had never been with them – but it dropped almost immediately as, in unison, they turned away when Natalie began to look up.
Thankfully, she didn’t see me. Or if she did, she didn’t acknowledge me in any way, for which I was glad. From what I could see, her dress was burnt orange and strapless. It didn’t suit her at all, but maybe that was just my subconscious being spiteful.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, taking Ben’s arm as we headed for the dancefloor.

We had a good time. Nikki and Alyssa soon left, and I learned that Ben was good at holding a conversation, even while dancing.
He grabbed my hand and spun me around before pulling me back to him. He slung his arms loosely around my waist, no longer moving much as he stared over my head thoughtfully. “You know” he began, his voice surprisingly serious considering he hadn’t been able to stop laughing only minutes ago.
I eyed him curiously, wondering what could be going through his mind.
“I’ve been thinking” he continued, “about us.”
I froze for a moment, stumbling slightly as I overbalanced. Oh God, I thought; what the hell is he talking about?
I prayed fervently that he wouldn’t make this awkward. “What about us?” I asked warily when he didn’t speak.
I probably should have made it clear that there was no us, but I was too curious to see what he had to say.
“I just think that at another time, we’d have been good together.” He looked back down at me with his usual carefree grin; “you know; if it wasn’t for Nick. Don’t you agree?”

After some thought, I nodded slowly; “perhaps. But then we’ll never know, will we?”
He shook his head, obviously in agreement. “Maybe if you’d never moved in with Nick…” he trailed off and I don’t think either of us really noticed that the music had changed to something much slower, everybody around us pairing off.
I was lost in thought, wondering what my life would be like if Nick and I had never been put together as roommates. While it was true that things weren’t exactly fine and dandy between us, and that he’d broken my heart completely, in a way I hadn’t thought possible (there was no question about that), I wasn’t sure that, given the chance, I’d change anything.
Nick had pretty much shaped my whole life at college – both the good and the bad. If it wasn’t for Nick, the chances of me ever befriending Natalie and Lee and all of them, were slim.
While I could think of a million different reasons why that would be a good thing, it would also mean that I wouldn’t have the amazing job I did, and I also wouldn’t have great friends like Mark, Jay and Nikki. Hell, I probably never would have met Ben either.
So no, I wouldn’t change anything – too much good had come from meeting Nick. It even outweighed the bad.
I smiled up at Ben, but didn’t bother to voice my opinion. It was just as well, because he seemed to have forgotten our conversation already as he manoeuvred us around.

He bent down to whisper my ear. “We’re getting a lot of evil looks. Well, I am anyway.”
I immediately whipped around, half expecting to see Natalie. Instead, I saw Mark, Nick, and Jay sitting alone at our table with their arms crossed. Not one of them was smiling, and they were definitely watching us.
I rolled my eyes, looking away from them. It was like I had three surrogate parents or something. Their disapproval was evident; whatever.
A minute passed in silence, and I was surprised when Ben suddenly leaned down and kissed me on the cheek; releasing his hold on me.
I frowned.
“It was nice talking to you, Darling.”
I opened my mouth but quickly shut it again when Nick suddenly materialised out of the crowd. They nodded at each other, Nick’s jaw slightly tense as they had some manly, unspoken conversation.
I rolled my eyes again.

Ben stepped away and I began to protest as Nick took his place – but he was already gone. I scowled, making a mental note to have words with Ben.
I was going to make my excuses and go, but Nick quickly got an arm around my waist before I could move, as if anticipating me trying to bolt. Accepting the fact that I wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon, I settled for having as little contact as possible and absolutely no eye contact.
When I was shuffling my feet in a desperate attempt to keep some distance, Nick’s grip tightened ever so slightly, obviously thinking I was pulling away. “Please Sweetheart” he whispered, “I just want to hold you.”

My mouth opened and I was speaking before I knew it; “well, I needed you to not sleep around. We don’t always get what we want.” Even I could hear the bitterness in my voice.
I ducked my head, feeling my face grow hot. Why the hell did I say that? I really wasn’t up for an argument right now. Actually, more like never.
“I’m sorry. You’ll never know how much I regret what I did.” He was close, too close, as he spoke too quietly for anyone but me to hear. “I’ll have to live with it for the rest of my life, knowing that I hurt you, knowing that I…cheated.”
Once again, I was speaking before I had time to stop myself. “You didn’t cheat. We weren’t together.” And here I’d thought I sounded bitter before. I’d make a freaking lemon seem sweet. Jesus! Why did I have to bring that up?
His arms tightened again and I suddenly found myself very close to his chest, as in; pressed up against it. “Fuck what anybody else says or thinks” he said angrily, his lips pressing against my hair. “We may not officially have said it out loud, but damn it Shannon, we were together. We both know it’s true. I had no right to do what I did, and I’m so sorry.”
I wondered what had been said to him to make him so angry. Maybe somebody had said the same things Ben had been saying to me when we went to lunch.

This time, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say. What I did feel though, was my arms creeping of their accord from their stiff position on his shoulders up and around his neck. It just felt right.
We were silent for a long time, neither of us really moving to the music. I guess the pretence of ‘slow dancing’ was really just an excuse for us to hold each other; one that could easily be denied.
Nick broke the silence. “So, who’s the tool?”
I’d have to be an idiot not to know who he was talking about. “Don’t be mean.”
“Who is he?”
I pulled my head away from his shoulder so I could look at him. “Well maybe if you’d paid attention, you’d know. That was really rude by the way.”
He just stared at me steadily, his arms hugging me close. “Shannon.”
I sighed. If I wanted an apology, I’d be waiting for a very long time. So I decided to take the high road and keep the peace.
“His name is Peter, and as I’ve already said a million times today, he’s a friend from work.” I paused and just looked at him.

His eyes were dark as he watched me, waiting for me to continue. I could see a muscle in his jaw tick and my fingers ached to smooth the tension from face. I flexed them, my thumb accidentally grazing the back of his neck. I both felt and saw him shiver.
“He just moved to London and I agreed to come with him tonight so he could meet people.”
His brow furrowed slightly; “really?”
I glared at him, able to read the thoughts crossing face as if he was an open book. “Why is it that you never believe me when I say there’s nothing there?”
I dropped my forehead against his shoulder with sigh. It really frustrated me that this was turning into the Conor situation all over again.
I felt him press a kiss to my temple and felt his sigh ruffle my hair. “Maybe I’m just insecure.”
I snorted slightly. He stroked a hand through the ends of my hair and I felt his shoulders rise in a shrug. “Seriously, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, Shannon. I don’t know how to act, especially when I fucked things up so badly.”
My heart stuttered slightly. “Everybody’s insecure about something, but that doesn’t mean you can take it out on other people!”
I decided not to broach the subject of his feelings for me. That way only led to more heartbreak. I had to believe that.
“I know.” It was all he said, and that was that.

We were silent for the rest of the song, his fingers on my back and in my hair, making me want nothing more than to curl up in his arms and fall asleep.
When the next song came on, I pulled away from him.
He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to. His face said it all.
I watched his fingers clench by his sides and I turned and left before I could change my mind.
I knew where I was going. I really needed to breathe fresh air. I needed a cool breeze to rid myself of Nick’s lingering warmth.

Mark’s P.O.V:

I saw Nick slump into the chair beside me.
I continued to spin an empty glass on its side, but now, I focused on my friend instead of my own boredom. Jay had been keeping me company but Nikki had soon come over and dragged him away. Stupid girlfriends, I thought with a small smile.
We hadn’t been the only ones watching Nick and Shannon dancing. Well, it had really been more of an extended hug, considering they didn’t move much. At least she hadn’t completely snubbed him or started shouting at him or something.
As far as I was concerned, that was progress.

I’d seen more than a few heads turn in their direction, though I’d bet money on them being completely oblivious. I was sure, as well, that it would have been noted by anyone who knew Nick that it had been Shannon who’d pulled away from him. Not the other way around. And after staring after her for a while, he’d made his way back over here.
He didn’t look too happy.
“Didn’t go well?” I asked.
He’d been fuming when Jay noticed Shannon dancing with Ben and had insisted on cutting in. At least Ben had had the sense to back away gracefully.
As far as Nick was concerned, Ben was on thin ice. As Nick’s friend, Shannon should have been off limits, but he continued to pursue her. We just weren’t sure if he wanted to be more than friends or not.
I think that was pissing Nick off the most; that he just didn’t know.

I tipped my chair back on two legs and it creaked ominously. The flimsy wooden chairs they’d brought in for the night probably weren’t built to take my weight on two legs.
Oh well. If it broke, at least I’d have a funny story to tell. So far, I hadn’t had a great night. All the girls were either taken or not worth my time. Who ever said being handsome was easy?
Nick sighed, “not too bad actually. I mean, we managed to have a pretty civilised conversation – no shouting or tears involved. That has to be a good sign; right?”
I shrugged, “I don’t know. Girls are weird.”
He shot me a look.
“Fine” I amended. “The fact that you had a civilised conversation is definitely an improvement.”
He only looked mildly placated but I didn’t know what else to say.

We sat in silence, the music almost being drowned out by the four guys talking, laughing and high-fiving at the next table.
I tuned into their conversation out of pure boredom. They were talking about girls, or more specifically, their assets - perfectly natural as far as I was concerned.
Something clicked in my mind though and I sat up straighter as I began to listen to exactly what they were saying, and who they were saying it about. So, yes, they were talking about a lot of girls, but one name stuck out in particular.
I cleared my throat awkwardly and frantically tried to think of something to say to Nick, anything to make him focus on me. Too late.
He slammed his hands down onto the table, pushing himself into a standing position. Crap.
I watched closely as he stalked past me and over to the table to my right. All four guys fell silent as Nick came to a stop beside them. They stared with equal parts confusion and wariness as Nick glared at them angrily. “I suggest” he said, “that you find something else to discuss.”

His tone was far too calm. I jumped out of my seat and walked over to Nick. I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away before he did something stupid.
He shook me off but turned away from the table. “I’m going to get a drink” he muttered, storming off in the direction of the bar.
The guys – I didn’t recognise any of them – were staring after him.
“What the fuck?” One said.
I shook my head. “Talk about whoever you like, just not her - never her.”
Understanding dawned and they stared in the direction Nick had gone in. I could tell, though, that they thought he was being extremely touchy and was overreacting completely.
Maybe he was, but then he’d never been rational when it came to Shannon. Impulse drove him and his voice of reason became almost non-existent.

What I found interesting was that they actually listened to him. There were four of them; and including me, only two of us. Even on a good day, they weren’t the best odds.
And yet, not one of them did anything. They hadn’t passed any comment, just immediately acquiesced. I wasn’t sure if it was because they knew who Nick was (not that that should make a difference) or not.
It had always been like that though, for as long as I could remember. I knew he didn’t ask for it, and did his best to discourage it; but right the way through school, even up until we did our A-Levels, he’d always been the popular one.
He was the one girls fawned over; the one guys admired and wanted to be like. He was seen as the ‘King’ – no pun intended.
Most of the time, I just felt sorry for him. He was a naturally private person and didn’t want that kind of attention.

It was then that I noticed the weird looks I was getting just standing beside the random table like the world’s biggest loser.
“Fuck it” I muttered to myself, turning on my heel and walking in the opposite direction. A drink sounded pretty damn good right about now.

Shannon’s P.O.V:

The night air left me feeling refreshed. I looked about me with interest. I wasn’t planning on staying out for long, knowing the cold would soon get to me.
The space wasn’t too big, considering the size of the building anyway, and was walled-in. Many small paths wove around, intersecting in places. Off the paths were well-tended flowerbeds, bushes and small trees. I couldn’t really see what was planted because of the darkness, but the red and green neon spotlights placed discreetly at intervals along the base of the grey stone walls gave the whole place a romantic feel.
Damn, I wanted to get away from anything even remotely romantic.

I was walking down a random gravel path, when I saw something out of the corner of my eyes. I backtracked, straining to see into a dark corner to my right.
Was that who I thought it was?
There were two figures pressed close together in the darkness, and they definitely weren’t discussing the weather, that’s for sure. I squinted as I tried to see, finally confirming to myself what I’d thought.
It was indeed Peter and Nevaeh; together. I couldn’t help but grin and struggled to stop myself from clapping in excitement.
Maybe I was being dramatic, but it put me in a good mood to see them together; even though, at the same time, I felt like the biggest creeper ever.

The whole point of bringing Peter was so he could meet new people. He’d definitely done that. I pressed my hand over my heart, feeling like the best matchmaker ever. Just call me Cupid.
I turned around to head back the way I’d come, feeling just a little bit too creepy; when I almost ran into someone, literally. I had to bite my lip to stop from screaming, my heart beating double time as Mark reached out to steady me. “Relax Shannon, it’s only me.”
I quickly put my hand over his mouth to keep him quiet, shooting a furtive glance back into the darkness to make sure nothing had been…disturbed.
Mark followed my gaze, leaning forward in an effort to see what I was looking at. His eyebrows suddenly shot up and I knew he’d seen them. I let my hand fall away, shushing him to make sure he wouldn’t speak.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him back down the path towards the doors.

When we were a safe distance away, I came to a stop and let go of him. He stared at me incredulously; “were you watching them? You absolute creep!”
His lips twitched almost uncontrollably and I glanced at him. “No! I was going for a walk and came across them by accident. I was just leaving when you came out of nowhere.”
“It’s cool, Sweetcheeks” he shrugged. “I just didn’t know you were into voyeurism, that’s all.”
I punched him on the arm, making him laugh outright. And here I’d thought Nick was the frustrating one. “Why are you out here anyway?” I asked suspiciously.
He shrugged again. “I wanted a drink but I couldn’t be bothered waiting in line so I came out here.”

I pulled him over to a bench partially hidden by a large bush. I didn’t want to go back inside just yet. I shivered, feeling just a little too cold in the thin material of my dress. Mark obligingly put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “So that was a, cosy scene back there” he said.
I chuckled. Cosy was a bit of an understatement.
“So tell me” he began, and something in his voice seemed hesitant, like he didn’t quite know how I was going to react. I didn’t know why though.
“Why aren’t you more upset that your date has some girl pressed up against a wall back there?”
I laughed; I hadn’t been expecting him to ask that. “Her name is Nevaeh and I introduced them earlier.”
He gestured for me to continue, so I explained my arrangement with Peter, and how glad I was he seemed to have hit it off with Nevaeh.

“Does Nick know?” he asked when I was finished.
Of course that would be the first thing he’d ask. “Yes. Well, I’m not sure he believes me. I did tell him though…when we were dancing.”
“Pshh, that was hardly dancing now, Sweetcheeks.”
I didn’t say anything. I was just glad he couldn’t see me blush.
“You know something?”
“What?” I shivered again, tucking my hair behind my ears.
“You make it hard to be mad with you.”
I felt my shoulders droop at his words. I didn’t know he was mad at me. Actually, I couldn’t recall a single time he’d ever been mad at me. I didn’t like it; it kind of made me feel like crap. “You were mad at me?” My voice sounded really small.
He rubbed a hand up and down my arm, warming me up. His sudden laugh startled me. “No, I wasn’t mad. I was kind of wondering what the hell you were doing with a guy who turns the colour of a freaking tomato when you so much as look at him. But no, I wasn’t mad.”
“You’re sure?” Mark was one of my closest friends and the last thing I wanted to do was piss him off.
“Yep; I’d probably have been mad though if I thought you were being spiteful. If I thought you’d just brought someone to piss off Nick.”
I shook my head, “I wouldn’t do that.”
“I know.”

For all that I tried to pretend that Nick and I were done and that I didn’t care…it just wasn’t true. I cared what he thought and I wouldn’t intentionally try to get back at him, or hurt him. I just didn’t have it in me.
“Do you ever think you and Nick will get back together?” He stared straight ahead as he spoke.
I sighed, “Please don’t ask me that.”
He nodded like he hadn’t been expecting me to say anything else. “You’re both unhappy” he said.
I tried to protest but he wouldn’t let me.
“And yet, when you’re together…well, you can’t deny there’s something there, even now. Anyone can see it.”

A couple stumbled out the door, obviously drunk. The tall, blonde, girl giggled loudly as her date pulled her away, into the darkness.
“It’s not as easy as that” I said, and it was true.
“Of course not” he agreed. “I’ve never seen Nick so torn up about something though” he continued.
I wanted nothing more than for him to stop talking.
“If he says he’s sorry, he’s sorry. I honestly don’t think he’d ever do anything like that again. Unfortunately for him, he just learned his lesson the hard way.”
I didn’t want to ask what that lesson was. I stood up abruptly. I didn’t want to listen anymore. “Let’s go inside” I said, “I’m freezing.”
I didn’t wait for him, just practically ran back inside. He caught up with me when I stopped just past the doors.
He slung an arm across my shoulders but thankfully didn’t bring up our previous conversation. “Bar?” he asked.
I shook my head, “no, I’m just gonna scope around.”
He rolled his eyes before heading off to the bar.

I gave the room a cursory glance but didn’t immediately spot anybody I knew, so I just started walking in the general direction of the dancefloor. It was quite difficult to make my way through the crowd. If anything, it seemed like more people appeared every hour.
Any coolness I’d felt from being outside evaporated within seconds. Within minutes, I was uncomfortably hot.
Like when I saw Peter and Nevaeh outside, I was pushing through the crowd and saw somebody I hadn’t been expecting. “Toby” I called, switching directions.
I saw him tilt his head as he looked around. It was probably how I’d looked earlier on when I heard Ben calling my name.
He was standing with a group of guys I didn’t recognise and I smiled when I saw his face light up like a Christmas tree when he noticed me. There was a reason why I like spending time with him.

When I was close enough, he grabbed me around the waist, picking me up and spinning around. I laughed, hugging him tightly. It had been weeks since I last saw him.
“Shannon. I didn’t know you were coming.”
I raised an eyebrow, “it’s kind of hard to tell you when I don’t see you for weeks on end.”
He placed his hands on my shoulders, staring at me gravely; “and whose fault is that? I’m at the café the same time every week, you know.”
I raised one hand, “Guilty. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Great” he smiled, pulling me into another exuberant puppy hug.
He was only a few months younger than me, but it seemed more like years. Most would probably class him as immature, and while that was somewhat true; to me he was just enthusiastic…about everything.
He introduced me to his four friends but I forgot their names almost instantly, so I just smiled politely at them.

“Let’s go dance” he yelled.
I was about to say yes when he literally picked me up and put me under his arm. He headed towards the dancefloor, people parting ahead of him to let us through, everyone turning to stare. He wouldn’t stop, despite my best attempts to make him put me down.
I was kind of gobsmacked that he was able to carry like that without any visible signs of exertion. I mean, I wasn’t exactly fat, but anybody my height isn’t going to be light. Must be all those boxes he carried in his job as a delivery guy. “Toby. Seriously!”
He just laughed. I glanced down and immediately tried to pull up my dress. Anyone who looked down at the right angle (basically any angle), were going to get an eyeful of cleavage.
Good thing Nikki made me buy that bra after all, I thought with some amusement. I mean, all I could do at that point was laugh. I shuddered to think what the slit in my dress was doing.
Of course we had to pass Nick, Mark, Jay, and Nikki. Their jaws dropped as one, and I was almost positive Mark mouthed; “what the fuck?”
I smiled and waved while still desperately trying to keep my chest in my dress. I probably looked like a freak; smiling and waving while being carried past, but I didn’t want them to think I was being kidnapped or something. I could just imagine how that would turn out.

Toby suddenly veered to the right, depositing me on my feet in front of Becky and Eddie. He kept a hold of one of my arms until he was sure I was completely steady.
I glared at him, avoiding the stares of the many onlookers as I fixed my dress and hair. He was oblivious though, stepping forward to hug Becky and shake Eddie’s hand.
She couldn’t stop laughing. Traitor, I thought as I glared at her too. She paid me absolutely no heed. Eddie just stared at us like we were from a different planet or something.
“Guess who I ran into?” Becky looked positively gleeful.
I frowned at her; “I don’t know. Who?”
“The Witch herself.” She scanned our immediate vicinity, as if expecting something to pop out at us.
I looked around too, but only half-heartedly. I would consider my night a success if I didn’t run into Jenny. Even the knowledge that she was here made me shudder with distaste.
“She’s wearing a baby pink…confection.” Becky wrinkled her nose at the memory.

I laughed. Becky absolutely hated Jenny, though I didn’t know why. I mean, besides her being a complete bitch, I disliked her because of the whole Nick fiasco.
As far as I knew, Becky didn’t really have a legitimate reason for hating her. But then, they’d known each other for at least a couple of years. That was plenty of time for Jenny to cause a multitude of problems.
No matter, I wasn’t going to go looking for Jenny, and if by chance I did run into her, she’d probably just ignore me anyway. It’s a win-win situation.
Toby tapped his foot impatiently against the ground. He always just sighed and got this long-suffering look on his face when the subject of Jenny came up. The way he saw it; we didn’t like Jenny, so why would we waste time thinking and talking about her?
Actually, that was a really good point. Girls like her thrived on attention. Ignoring her was the best option. Pity it was hard to ignore someone when you worked with them.
Becky opened her mouth, no doubt to bitch some more, but Toby didn’t give her a chance. He grabbed us both by the arm and began dragging us to the dancefloor. Becky barely had time to pull Eddie along with us. He’d been mid-conversation with someone I didn’t know as we’d been discussing the Witch, and the girl was left talking to herself for a moment before she realised what had happened and disappeared into the crowd. Poor girl.

Time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was going on two in the morning. It wasn’t late at all, but it just felt like it should really be midnight.
I had such a good time with Toby, Becky and Eddie, and it wasn’t long before Nikki and Alyssa joined us as well.
I found out that Toby was one of those people who love to dance, and yet hadn’t the slightest sense of rhythm. Still, he didn’t seem to care, or even notice, and he was certainly entertaining. Eddie on the other hand, despite his boring love of politics and slightly geeky exterior, was an amazing dancer. I really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
Becky stared at him wide-eyed at first, and I think I saw her fall just the tiniest bit in love with him, until she broke down in laughter when he started twirling her around.
The others all left at irregular intervals to head for the bar, but other than asking Nikki to get me a drink of water at one stage, I refused any drinks. I wasn’t really in the mood for alcohol, and frankly; I didn’t think I needed it. I was having such a good time as it was; there was no need to ruin it by getting drunk.

It was while Becky and Eddie had just left to make the trip, that I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. I jumped slightly, startled as I whirled around.
Mark jerked his head once to the right in a gesture for me to follow him. I frowned slightly, nodding towards Toby who looked slightly concerned – he’d never met Mark and didn’t know who he was – before following Mark through the crowd.
There were an increasing amount of spilled drinks on the floor as each hour passed. Most people were pretty locked at that point.
Mark only stopped when we’d broken through the crowd and reached a relatively quiet spot. A little bit away, I could see Nick slumped at our table. I turned my back on the sight, focusing on Mark’s tense features.

“What’s up?” I asked. I hadn’t really seen him much since Toby carried me past everyone, and I hadn’t talked to him at all since our conversation outside.
He shifted slightly; glancing away for a moment in what I was sure was Nick’s direction. “Nick’s drunk” he said eventually.
I nodded slowly, “okay? What does that have to do with me?”
He took a deep breath; “I mean; he’s really, really drunk. As in, I’m not quite sure how he hasn’t passed out already.”
I was racking my brains trying to think if he’d been drinking much the times I’d seen him, but I was coming up blank. As far as I knew, he’d had next to nothing at dinner, and he’d been completely sober when he’d cut in on my dance with Ben.
I glanced back at his slumped figure – he didn’t seem to have moved at all since I last looked. If he was as drunk as Mark claimed, he must have hit the drink hard in the last couple of hours. “Again I’m going to ask; what does this have to do with me?” I looked back to Mark.
“He needs to go home, Sweetcheeks.” I didn’t say anything and he sighed. “He’s been going on and on about Peter, and that guy who was carrying you around like a rag doll.” He paused, like he wanted to ask more, but soon shook his head and continued on. “If he doesn’t go home now, he’s liable to do something stupid – like start a fight.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to stop being ridiculous, but then I thought about it for a moment. This was Nick we were talking about; a very drunk, jealous Nick. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started a fight.
Peter didn’t deserve that. Though I hadn’t actually spoken to him since I left him at the bar and hadn’t seen him since, well, you know…
For all I knew, he’d long since left to go find a room with Nevaeh. I found myself smiling at the thought.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, changing tack. “And you came to tell me this because…” I was attempting to sound like I didn’t care, but I was pretty sure I was failing miserably.
“I need you to take him home, Shannon” he said seriously.
“Why don’t you?” I retorted.
He ran a hand through his hair with sigh; “bear in mind that I’m paraphrasing here Sweetcheeks, but every time I try talk to him, he just tells me to go away and leave him alone.”
I couldn’t quite contain a snort of derision. I’m sure he is paraphrasing, I thought. Quite a bit. “What makes you think I’d have better luck?”
He shot me a look. Okay, stupid question.
“Fine” I sighed”, “I’ll bring him home. Go get my coat and bag, would you?”
He nodded happily, pressing a kiss to my cheek before practically running off.

I turned back in Nick’s direction, and with another long, world-weary sigh, I straightened my shoulders and marched over.
I sat in the seat beside him, but he didn’t look up. He was utterly focused on the empty beer bottle in his hand. It looked like Becks. I tried not to wrinkle my nose too much – I wasn’t a fan.
“Nick” I said. When he didn’t immediately respond, I lightly pressed my fingers to the back of his hand to catch his attention.
He froze, his gaze travelling slowly from my hand, up my arm, and finally to my face. The way his eyes lit up when he saw me, made me smile. I couldn’t help it. “Shannon?”
It sounded like a question, the way he phrased it, so I nodded in response. His face darkened slightly. “Where’s your little lap dog?”
I struggled not to roll my eyes, knowing it wouldn’t be a good idea. Instead, I pasted a bright smile on my face, moving my hand to lightly squeeze his arm. “Not here. We’re going home.”
For a moment, he looked so happy that my heartbeat sped up at the sight, but he soon frowned, pulling away from me. “I don’t need to be taken home, Sweetheart. I’m fine.”

Normally, I’d start arguing – it was in my nature – but I knew it wouldn’t work. I’d just be wasting my breath; so I thought on my feet, or you know, my ass - whatever; semantics.
“I know you’re fine” I said, moving closer and placing my hand back on his arm. I was a master manipulator; cue evil laugh.
He didn’t look up, but I could tell he was listening. This was like reasoning with a child. “I just really want to go home. I’m tired and kind of bored. Can you take me?”
“You want me to take you? What about your date?”
I didn’t think it was possible for him to put more venom into the word. My lips twitched; “I haven’t seen him for hours. Can you please just take me home? I don’t want to go by myself.”
He stood up, stumbling slightly. “Of course, Sweetheart; you don’t even need to ask.”
When he looked away, I took the time to stand up and roll my eyes, deciding it was better not to point out that I had in fact had to ask.

Mark chose that moment to come bouncing over with my things. Nick snatched them from his grip before he had a chance to hand them to me.
Mark sent him a weird look, but otherwise ignored his strange behaviour.
When he came to a stop in front of me, Nick sidled over, slinging a protective arm around me. “Dude, she asked me to take her home. Not you.”
Mark stared at us in confusion; partly at the hostility in Nick’s tone, I was sure.
“Yeah, I’m really tired; I just want to go home.” I stared at Mark as I spoke and thankfully he caught on.
Nick tensed slightly as Mark pulled me into a hug. He rolled his eyes; “dude, relax; I’m just saying goodbye.”
He leaned in close. “Keep an eye on him. I’ve never seen him like this.”
I nodded in affirmation, pulling away. I attempted a smile but it probably looked more like a grimace.
Nick grasped my hand and began pulling me away. “Tell the others I’ve gone home” was all I had time to call over my shoulder, before I had to hurry to keep up with Nick’s long stride.
It was seemed he was steady now that he’d adjusted to the altitude of standing up.

Goose bumps immediately rose on my exposed skin when we stepped outside, the cold hitting me like a brick wall. Nick held out my jacket for me to slip my arms into. I smiled up at him as I wrapped it tightly around me.
He was the weirdest drunk I’d ever come across. I’d never seen him like this; ever. And the fact that Mark had said that he hadn’t either worried me more than a little bit. It was like he’d resorted to the mental age of a twelve year old or something.
Weirdly, his drunkenness seemed to hit in sporadic bursts. For instance, he was now looking around us, scanning for a taxi. His hand slipped into mine seemingly on instinct, and when he caught me staring, he winked. In other words, he was acting perfectly normal, sober even.
And yet, only minutes ago he’d been acting like a freaking territorial Neanderthal – and with Mark for crying out loud.

He flagged a taxi down and began pulling me down the many steps and onto the street. I took the opportunity to scrutinise him. His hair was messier than usual and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. Another of his buttons had come undone, whether on purpose or not, I wasn’t sure. The ends of the shirt had come loose from his trousers as well, and were completely wrinkled.
It made him look hot; but then, I was probably just biased. He probably looked like he’d passed out on the side of the road to other people. Did I care?
As I stared, he produced an almost empty bottle of beer. What the hell? Where had that come from?
He took a swig before tossing the bottle off into the darkness. I flinched when I heard the smash of glass breaking, just as we reached the taxi.
Every time I thought I had Nick figured out, he did something that completely threw me. Like tonight – he was just acting so strangely.

I slid into the backseat, surprised when Nick climbed in after me. I’d just buckled my seatbelt, sitting back as the car began to move, when Nick once again reached for me.
I stared at our joined hands, annoyed that I found it so comforting. His thumb stroked the back of my hand and my breath hitched involuntarily. I felt myself blush and quickly looked out the window, but I needn’t have bothered.
Nick seemed to have gone into drunken mode – again.
“You know what?” he asked, rubbing his free hand tiredly over his face.
“What?” I asked gently.
“I really didn’t like him” he replied.
I took my eyes off the street passing by us outside to concentrate on Nick. “I don’t know what you’re talking about” I said cautiously.
“That guy you brought. I don’t remember his name. There was just something about him, you know?”
I sighed. “Peter’s a good guy Nick. You just didn’t like him because he was with me.”
He just shrugged, but we both knew it was true – drunk or not.

“And that other guy; I liked him even less!”
“Who?” I asked, distracted by the anger in his voice.
“The one that was carrying you!” he spluttered - like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Toby? And why did you not like him?”
His fingers clenched around mine. “He touched you!”
He sounded almost accusing. Guess we were back to the territorial Neanderthal routine. Great.
He leaned in, his gaze flicking around the interior of the car suspiciously, like what he was about to say was confidential. “You could see your bra. I didn’t like it.”
He shook his head almost frantically, sitting up straight again. I quirked an eyebrow, suddenly finding the whole situation extremely amusing; “And why did you not like it?” I felt my lips twitch as I tried to keep my laughter in.
“Because” he sniffed, “if I could see it, then so could he. And that’s not allowed.”
My eyebrows flew up. “Excuse me? It’s not allowed?”
“Nope; I’m the only one with visitor’s rights” he pouted.
I’d missed that pout.

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or not. I would, except that he seemed perfectly serious. But I mean, come on! Visitor's rights?
It was then that I noticed the driver us a half amused, half ‘you’re weird’ look. I immediately blushed a no doubt fiery red, even though rational thought told me that this must be pretty tame on the scale of things a late night taxi driver would see.
Nick’s head lolled against the window, his eyes shuttered. I knew he wasn’t asleep though; by the sound of his breathing, and the way his thumb still rhythmically brushed against back of my hand.
My hand felt like I’d stuck it in a live socket – except it wasn’t painful, far from it actually.

We were silent the rest of the journey. We pulled up just outside the college gates, and Nick immediately scrambled out of the car. I pulled some notes and coins from my pocket, handing them over to the driver with an apologetic smile.
I followed Nick out the door, managing to catch him as he almost fell over. I wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling his arm across my shoulders. The lights from the taxi disappeared into the distance, leaving up in almost total darkness.
There weren’t too many lights on campus and many were broken. Nick clumsily bent his head to press cool lips to the top of my head.

We began to walk in tandem, like we were in the slowest ever three-legged race. It was so cold my teeth started to chatter, my hands and feet were like ice blocks, and an icy breeze whipped my dress up around my ankles.
I was glad of Nick’s warmth as we stumbled together up the path that would take us directly to our apartment. He was like my own personal heater. The ground was soaking, and my sexy heels were not the most comfortable walking shoes, especially after being on my feet for hours. They’d hurt tomorrow, of that I was sure.
My teeth were chattering so badly by the time we’d covered a few metres of ground, that conversation was impossible. I was kind of glad – I wasn’t sure what I’d say.
Besides, I was too busy peering into the darkness, expecting something to jump out at us, or scurry across our feet. It was only Nick’s comforting presence and warmth right next to me - well, more like wrapped around me – that kept me from freaking out completely.

When we finally reached our door, I breathed out in relief. Nick stood behind me, arms locked tightly around me as he did his best to shelter me from the cold. I’ll admit that it took a couple of tries to get the key in the lock, partly because of the cold and my almost out of control shivering. If I was honest with myself though, I’d admit that it was because of his lips; in my hair, pressing against my temple, my cheek, my jaw. He seemed completely sober again.
Maybe it was the fresh air (well, more arctic than fresh really) that gave him a clear head; I mused over the possibility as I finally got the damn door open.
I didn’t waste any time. “Come one” I told him when the door shut with a bang behind us; “you need to go to bed.”
He raised an eyebrow, “care to join me?”
I started pushing him towards his room. “In your dreams.”

He suddenly grabbed my hands, yanking me forward so I was pressed against his back. His strong grip didn’t allow me to keep any space between us. “Every night Sweetheart” he murmured; his voice pure seduction. Damn.
I closed my eyes as we slowly made our way into his room, inhaling the warm scent of him. Double damn.
This conversation was becoming far too serious, and dangerous for my liking. I didn’t reply.
I pulled myself from his grip - with difficulty - when we crossed the threshold into his room.
He leaned on me for balance as he kicked his shoes off. He shucked his jacket and belt as well before literally collapsing onto his bed.
He patted the space beside him, yawning. “The offer still stands, you know.”
I just folded my arms across my chest, as if to protect myself, one eyebrow raised in a failed attempt at insouciance. Apathetic I was not.
“What? It’s cold. You can help me warm up.”
There was that adorable pout again that I loved so much.

My arms dropped back to my sides and I walked the few steps to his enticingly rumpled bed, deftly stepping over the various items and articles of clothing that seemed to permanently litter his floor.
I grabbed the duvet that was in a heap at the foot of his bed and pulled it over him. “This will keep you warm.”
I saw disappointment flicker in his eyes but refused to let it get to me.
I was tempted (far too tempted) to take up his offer, consequences be damned – but I knew I’d regret it in the morning - and I wouldn’t even have the excuse of being drunk.
I could imagine it now; me crawling shamefaced from his bed, berating myself for being weak – even if we did nothing but sleep…on opposite sides of the bed. I couldn’t handle it, and I knew he’d never let me forget it.
It was hard enough saying no as it was.
I stood up straight and turned for the door but he immediately called me back. His words were slightly slurred but I ignored that.
I paused for a moment before continuing on. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

I stopped in the living room, once I was out of sight of his door. My heart was beating a lot faster than it should be. I took off my jacket with trembling fingers, dropping it on the couch.
Goose bumps lingered on my skin. All other attractions aside, I’d happily crawl into his bed just for the sake of his warmth. It was bloody freezing.
I ignored the cold – I could wait a couple more minutes until I could curl up in bed in thick, warm pyjamas – and pulled my hair up into a loose knot to get it out of my eyes, twisting it around itself so it wouldn’t fall down.
I returned to Nick’s room a minute later with a large glass of water and a box of aspirin. “Something tells me you’ll need these in the morning.” I smiled, placing them on his bedside table.

He’d rid himself of his shirt while I’d been gone, and I had to force my eyes not to wander.
“Thanks” he yawned. He focused his eyes on me, or at least tried to; it seemed he was having a ‘drunken moment’ again.
“Will you be here in the morning?” he questioned, his words even more slurred.
I frowned, “I’m not staying with you Nick.”
He nodded like I was stupid, “I know that. I’m asking will you be here, in the apartment tomorrow.”
I wondered why he was asking, but decided not to ask – he was drunk. “Yes” I lied. Well, half lied; I would be home, just not all day.
“Good” he smiled, his eyes falling shut.
I knew I should leave but I couldn’t help taking the time to just look at him. He was so relaxed. He blinked once, twice, and stared up at me; clarity in his eyes.

When he spoke, there wasn’t a trace of slurring as if he was stone-cold sober. “I love you” he murmured contentedly, his eyes falling shut once more; his breathing becoming deep and even.
I reached out to tentatively brush a lock of hair away from his face. He didn’t move.
With a sigh, I turned to leave, looking back only once. “I love you too.”