Wicked Wild

Have you ever noticed that in a room full of people, most turn inwards? I scanned the room to find three girls crowded around one's phone. The only true difference between their styles was in their hair, and, as one of them was drowning in curls, it seemed inevitable. Walking in the door, I passed at least four lone wolves either talking on the phone or killing time; regardless of the activity, away from the crowd. I wondered how loud we would all be if the music suddenly stopped. Nothing to chant to, would most fall silent? The groups of people scattered around mimicked each other and melted together as one medium-sized party.

And here I am, turned inwards.

But I'm not the only one. Those on their phones? They're hardly here. The closest I see to true attendance is the small group of my fraternity brothers gathered around in the kitchen watching each other play pong. I move into the next room with my lonely, watchful gaze bouncing from corner to corner and making a record of what I interpret. I find a brother on the couch, bong in one hand and a lucky girl's thigh under the other. He's explaining something to her:

"You see, when the opportunity presents itself, you have to take it. I don't care if it's answers for a test or a lone cigarette on the side of the street. Opportunity presents itself everywhere, we just gotta be bold enough to take it" Dan moved a little closer to her and puffed his chest like he was the Messiah.

"What if a homeless person put his mouth on the end of that cigarette and there were bugs living inside? You see that as an opportunity to catch disease and smoke bugs?" She cocked her head slightly and remained mostly expressionless beyond a coy little smile. She was taking his bong, but obviously none of his bullshit. I couldn't help it. The whole experience mixed with her mannerisms made me laugh. Dan took offense, immediately looking up at me.

But so did she. I got my first look beyond Dan's meaty hand hogging her leg. Almond shaped eyes that couldn't present their color in this lighting crinkled up as her face broke into a welcoming smile. Dimples played on her cheeks as she said, "See, he gets it," and then she sent a wink my way. "Listen, thanks for the weed, but I've gotta go back and find Hailey now". As she stood up to exit I tried my best to discreetly study her silhouette, but she carried herself out of the room more quickly and inconspicuously than I had entered it.

"Who's the girl?" I asked as I relaxed myself into a chair across from Dan. He handed me the piece and shrugged his shoulders.

"Not a good listener, I'll tell you that much," Dan laughed, his humiliation obviously subsided. I took a quick rip and handed it back. "Glad to see you finally made it. But why not the pregame?" He was working his grinder with his hands and tapping one foot impatiently.

"I had some catching up to do from being sick last week and just wanted to get it over with," I pulled a pack of Marlboro Reds from my pocket and held it between my lips. After lighting it, "Won't miss another one".

"Just cause your big is the president doesn't mean you get to participate less than anyone else," he condescended as he packed another bowl. Dan was the year above me, which only made him a straggling sophomore., but any superiority can be enough to turn some men into assholes.

Ignoring his comment, I continued to smoke in the seclusion. Picking tobacco flecks off my shorts, I had to ask "So really who was that girl?" I couldn't suppress the question, and that seemed to piss Dan off.

"Why don't you just go find her," he relaxed back into his spot. "Name's Bonnie. With a Hailey. Good luck".

Her attitude towards him had obviously left him bitter towards her, but at the same time it had piqued my interest. Of all the nights I've spent in this dirty house, I had never heard an end of a conversation like that. She was bold and obviously didn't care whether Dan liked her or not. That was unique. And she had flitted away like a dream that ends too soon. So Bonnie was her name. What a name!

Plugging my cigarette in the ash tray, I slapped Dan's hand and exited the space. The house was bigger than it looked from the outside, but townhouses usually carry that characteristic with them. So as I traversed from room to room in search of some Bonnie linking arms with some Hailey, it's no surprise she was gone by the time I had searched it all. I found my way back to the kitchen and put four beers inside of me before stepping outside for another cigarette.

With the smoke rising above me, I watched two campus police officers waltz up to the entrance of our town house. Party over, I let the crowd breeze past me. Right and left, they sorted themselves into a steady stream of traffic. In vain, I sat there waiting for the girl to bustle along, hoping maybe she had tucked herself into a corner that I just couldn't have seen inside the house. But nothing.

Elusive and an official occupant of the past, I let myself stop worrying about where she might be and started on my own way back to my dorm.