3TS: The Chances of Starting Again

Me and Him

Being alone hurts you. Being alone in tears leaves you in much more pain.

This was torture. Bright lights. A crowded room with not a friend at your side.

I was seated on this chair, waiting for instructions. I clutched the neck of my guitar tightly seeing strangers around me. Where was Trent? Where was Arlene?

I moved slightly. The chair squeaked as it wobbled slightly. Maybe I should ask for another chair, because this one seemed as if it was going to break considering it was probably like a hundred years old. But I was shy because Arlene or Trent wasn't at my side.

We weren't even friends yet, but in the two weeks that passed Trent acted like a friend already. He's been saying hello to me in the hall and asking me to play some specific songs.

Arlene told me she just had to make a call. She said her and her mother had a misunderstanding, and now her mother was angry that she was at a stranger's house. Arlene was starting to explain that she was with me, that Trent's house was just down the street of the school, and Trent's parents were home for his birthday. So yeah, Journal, this was going to be a long talk between mother and daughter.

But why did it have to start now, when I was going to perform?

And Trent, why was he taking so long too? He said he was going to go grab a microphone for me, so it would be easier for me to sing.

Tapping my fingers on my jeans, I waited.

People were hanging out around me, drinking juice, chatting and laughing at things I will never know about. The room we were in was probably the size of my living room and kitchen combined. The lights were bright around us, lighting up everyone's faces. Which made me even more nervous because everyone could see my face clearly. There was no music playing, which was why I was here.

Suddenly, Juan and his friends simmered into the room. My skin crawled as they came in. And unfortunately, Trent wasn't with them.

Juan came up to me, "What are you doing here?" He tried to sound polite enough, but I could tell from his strained voice that he wasn't happy.

I placed on a small smile across my face, "Trent invited me."

Kind of...

I thought to myself.

He looked back at his friends and laughed. That's when I realized Trent had entered into the room, just then, walking up to his friends. I kind of felt relieved that there was someone I finally knew in this crowd, except Juan. Seeing that he had turned up empty-handed and covered in dust, he probably couldn't find anything...in the basement?

Juan clapped Trent's back, "Oh, so you invite strangers into your house...Trent? I thought this party was for your friends only."

Wiping away some dust off his shoulder, he looked at me and then back at him. "She is a friend, Juan."

My heart leaped for joy when his words settled over me. He counted me as a friend! But when Juan eyed me again, chills sparked through me as fast as lightning.

Juan came closer to me, looking me up and down, "No, this is a nobody."

He roughly hit my shoulder as he passed by. Suddenly, the chair gave way from under me. It slipped, I fell, and so did my guitar.