My American Boy

Chapter Four: The First Party

As we arrive at Eli's apartment building I notice a group of boys in front carrying crates of Budweiser up the front steps. As I look up at the building ahead I see disco lights projecting through one of the windows and people sat in the window laughing. I guess that is where the party is. I didn't go to many parties back home and I only drank a few times before I transferred so this will be a new experience for me. Being in a room full of people I don't know, with loud music and alcohol isn't exactly what I call a good time but Liv wanted me to come and she has been so sweet since we met, I don't want to distance myself from a potential new friend. We go up the front steps and Liv presses the intercom for us to be let in. We hear a continuous buzz and Liz opens the door for us to step into the entrance hall of the apartment building. As we stand in the lift going up to the fourth floor Liv notices my anxiousness and shifting feet and grabs my hand. As we step off the lift, Liv steers me to the right towards an apartment at the end of the corridor. She knocks the door a few times before a tall brown-haired boy with a nose ring opens the door to let us in.

"Hi Liam, sorry we're late. We were getting ready", Liv says as he opens the door wider to invite us in.

"That's okay don't worry, it's still early", he responds. I look down at my watch. 10 o'clock in the evening is not early. Does he not know what time it is?

Liv leads me through the crowded hallway into the main living space of the apartment. I look around at all the people stood around the tiny room. I begin to feel anxious and look to Liv.

"I'm just going to look for Eli, he should be around here somewhere. I'll be right back", she tells me.

She then walks in the direction of a narrow hallway and disappears. I look around at the apartment, with its large windows, exposed brick walls and tall ceiling. It is a lot bigger than our dorm room. It's obvious, Eli and his friends can afford to live out of halls and in their own apartment. I look back to where Liv disappeared but don't see her. Great, I'm at a party all on my own, surrounded by people I don't know with no idea what to do with myself. I start to feel flustered and claustrophobic, especially with all the people surrounding me dancing and shouting over the loud music, so I search for the door. The hallway is full of people drinking, dancing and talking, so I look around and go down the hallway I saw Liv walk down. I go to the first door in the hallway and try the door handle. It doesn't budge so I assume it's locked and move further down the hallway trying the second door. With some relief the door opens so, I peer inside and see that the room is empty. As I walk further in and close the door behind me a light breeze hits my face and I see that the window is slightly ajar letting in the cold New York breeze. I move across the room towards the window. Moving the curtain out the way, I see that the window opens up on to a fire escape - the perfect place to get away from an apartment full of people. I push the window up further to allow myself room to climb out. Stepping down on to the fire escape I look around. Looking up I realise abruptly that I'm not the only one out here. As I look up a dark figure is perched on the fire escape stairs, I stop in my tracks and wait for them to see me. For a while he doesn't seem to notice me, instead, he looks out over the tops of the other apartment buildings, taking a drag from his cigarette. He doesn't notice my presence until he turns around and moves his long fringe out of his eyes, running his hand through his hair. When the light from the bedroom shines on his face I get a sense I recognise him, but I'm unsure why. As I move in closer I take in his appearance. Wearing biker boots, a black leather jacket and black ripped jeans, along with his black hair he has a very dark silhouette. Scanning closer I notice his ear piercings and the tattoos on the hand he holds his cigarette in. As I look back at his face I have a flashback to my first night in my dorm, when I saw that guy looking up at our window from the street below.

"It's rude to stare", the guy comments, startling me.

"S..s.sorry I didn't mean to stare. I didn't realise anybody was out here....sorry", I stutter.