I couldn't take my eyes off of her. It had been an hour, and I couldn't stop glancing up at her, studying her smile.
She was laughing with a group of friends, the dim lights bouncing off her blue dress. Unlike most everyone else here, her smile was real, not forced. Easygoing and genuinely happy. Her laughter was natural, filling her with light. She seemed to flicker with life-like fire, and she had the hair to match, like a glowing warm flame.
"Taylor. Earth to Taylor. Hello?" I snapped vacantly back to reality, still gazing across the room.
"Hm?" I murmured, forcing myself to halfway look at the speaker, still focused on the other side of the room out of the corner of my eye. The person addressing me was my friend Liz Huett, a member of my band The Agency, and a years-long acquaintance. Liz rolled her coffee-brown eyes.
"You know, you could just go talk to her... I could introduce you." I shook my head, now focused on Liz, but not in thought.
"No... I have a boyfriend..." I replied, regretfully. I threw another glance over my shoulder.
"Her name is Hayley." Liz smiled knowingly, her tiny dimples and a light blush appearing across her face. "Shes single. And an amazing girl." I sighed, longingly.
"Liz, you know I cant."
"You could..." I shook my head.
"Do you remember what happened with Camilla? And Cait?" I heard a sharp intake of breath. Those memories were painful. "Do you?" A sigh. A pause. Silence. I inhaled. "You, Liz? Remember that?" Silence again. I exhaled. Tucked my hair behind my ear. Fixed my necklace. Adjusted my dress. "It wont work." I said finally, as quiet as a summer breeze.
"...I know." Silence again. "But Taylor, you're miserable..." Painful silence. "At least go talk to her."
"Liz. Stop.
"Just say-"
"Liz." I said pained. "Stop."
"Just-"
"Fuck off, Elizabeth!" I snapped, vacantly realizing how loud I was. I threw my plate down, and ran outside, hot tears blurring my vision. It was a cool summer night, and all was shockingly still outside. No traffic, no voices, no music, just silence.
Silence louder than any I had ever heard.
I sat down on a bench.
I didnt cry.
I heard the door open, and footsteps behind me. Barefoot footsteps. Not the telltale clicking of heels. Someone slipped their arms around my neck. They were shorter than me, I could tell.
Liz, I thought.
"You alright?" Said an unfamiliar voice. The person rested their head on my shoulder. I looked over at them, and was greeted with a pair of light hazel-green eyes, almost a greyish, and a beautiful smile.
Not Liz.
"You ran out of there awful fast..." I smiled back, weakly, blinking back tears.
"I'll be okay..." I shrugged. Hayley. I turned a little on the bench, so I was facing more towards her. Her hair seemed to glow in the streetlights.
"Anything I can do to help?" She asked, maneuvering around the bench and sitting down next to me, her hands now in her lap. The back of my neck still tingled from her touch.
"I kinda just wanna get out of here." She was looking at me thoughtfully now, her smile still there.
"Really?" She pressed her palms against mine, lacing our fingers together. "So soon?" I liked the feeling of my hands in hers, the way they fit. I could certainly get used to this. But, I couldn't. I started to try and unlace my fingers from hers, but my hands wouldnt let me.
"You don't really, do you?" She smiled now, almost a grin. My throat burned. It wouldnt allow me to answer. My lips wouldnt open to speak. Felt like a highschooler with a crush. Teenage boy at a loss for words. No. I don't really. "Come on," She stood up, hand still laced through mine. "I know places they'll never find us."
