Ever So Slightly

‘Well, Dan obviously knows where he’s going,’ shrugs Mike, eying the couple who appeared to be quick-marching. ‘You coming?’

‘Yeah, yeah.’ I say, catching up with Mike and the other guy who had joined him whilst getting off the bus.

I walk a little ahead of Mike so I can see him properly - I may as well introduce myself, seeing as it looks like he’s going to be at the party all night. He flicks a look at me.

‘Hey,’ I say smiling. ‘I don’t know you so I’m going to introduce myself. Mike clearly seems to have forgotten, what with the incest jokes and all...I’m Hannah.’

He smiles, and I can almost detect nervousness even though he is quite clearly at least three years older than me.

‘I’m William,’ he says, in an American accent - I suppose it’s worth mentioning that I have a thing for accents.

I went on my university taster day not long ago and there was this guy there, who looked like a cross between Mike and this boy who is supposed to be my cousin ‘cause my mom remarried. Anyways, he had this unbelievably sexy Scottish accent, and I made a bit of a twit of myself thinking it was Irish…but yeah, it was hot.

‘Wow, you’re American,’ I reply grinning. He rolls his eyes, smiling.

I have to say, he’s ridiculously skinny, and just a bit shorter that Mike. He must weigh like what - 130 pounds?

Sorry, it’s just things like this that I notice - weight and looks and all. It’s not because I’m shallow…that much, it’s just my way. I judge people. You know what they say about first impressions.

I take another look at him. His jaw length wavy hair. A bony, but baby-like face. The warmest brown eyes with dark eyelashes that go on forever. His features are quite feminine, but in a nice way…in a hot way - and he almost looked as though he’d fallen out of bed and decided to go out. Not try-hard, but certainly not the mess that I would look had I done the same.

I was jealous of these kinds of people. People who didn’t have to try; to look smoldering.

‘Do either of you know who else is coming?’ I continue. ‘I asked Mark and he said the old gang obviously, and some new girls, and some other people he couldn’t remember. He’s terrible with names.’

‘The girls are called Laura and Sarah, and they’re Ash’s friends from Corbett I think - so there’ll probably be more of the Corbett lot,’ Mike shrugs, looking to William for confirmation.

‘I dunno about them,’ he says. ‘But I’ve got some buddies coming, just a couple of the guys.’

‘Oh cool,’ I nod. ‘So William, how do you know Mark?’

‘Um, I don’t even know Mark that well. My friend and I took a break to come down and scout some band’s gig for his label, and we got talking to the guitarist, who knows Mike, and turns out, he knows Mark. And Mark’s all talking to us and invites us to this thing. Doesn’t seem like our type of party, but y’know. It’s not like we had anything better to do.’

Wow, his friend has a label. That’s cool.

‘That’s cool,’ I say. ‘Which band were you checking out?’

‘Um…I think they were like, Seventh Day or something?’

I pull a face. It was only a local college band - doing covers of songs and stuff. William saw my expression.

‘Not into them?’ He asks coolly.

I pull my face into a non committal frown. ‘They’re not really my scene. A bit-’

‘Screamy?’ finishes William. I pulled a wry grin in agreement. ‘Yeah, that’s what Pete thought. They got recommended by his friend but I think he was looking for something that sounds a bit less…in pain, y’know?’

‘Yeah,’ I nod, still trudging down the lane, which was now coming into the cover of some trees. Conversation has kind of died, I need a reviver…quick, think of something cool to say.

‘This is where I got my first hole.’

What?