The Night We Met

I

Roslyn

It's a breath of fresh air stepping outside from the packed club in Los Angeles. The club, Stella Vultus, is spacious, but not when there are hundreds of people crammed inside. After being here for nearly three hours, I needed a break from all the sweaty bodies touching mine and the stale air inside.

"God it feels good out here," my best friend, Grace, says to me as soon as we're in the club's fenced-in outdoor area. Luckily, it's not terribly crowded. There's a couple making out on the far side of the patio and about three other people smoking. But other than them, it's just Grace and I.

"It really does," I agree. "I thought I was going to pass out for a couple seconds in there."

I lean against the brick of the building and grimace as I pull off one of my shoes, quickly followed by the other. Usually, when I go out I opt for comfort over style but Grace convinced me otherwise tonight. I was fully committed to wearing my black Nike sneakers but Grace said they clashed with my outfit, which consists of black faux-leather pants and a sparkly champagne cami. I agree that perhaps the sneakers would have looked odd but my feet definitely wouldn't be hurting like they are now. The black platform heels Grace lent me are absolutely destroying them.

"Same," Grace comments, pulling off her own heels. She breathes a sigh of relief once they're off. "I always regret wearing these when I go out."

"This is why I wanted to wear sneakers," I comment, the corners of my lips twitching upwards because I know Grace hates that idea.

I crack open my eyes only to see Grace roll hers.

"You and I both know they clashed with the outfit," she says. "I'm all for comfort when it comes to like traveling and walking around and hiking or whatever, but not going out. I mean if we're not going to dress up then what's the point?"

I only half agree with that. My usual style is very laid back therefore I'm definitely more comfortable wearing sneakers or casual clothes, but there's also something very alluring about dressing up for an evening. Gives me a chance to feel different...to feel pretty and fake the confidence I wish that I had every day.

"I get it," I say. "I guess it's nice to wear something different from the norm."

Grace doesn't respond but she smiles at me, silently agreeing.

We met about ten years ago in high school. We were in band together - she played the clarinet and I played the flute. I didn't even know who she was for the first month or so but we got stuck rehearsing in the same practice room together during one of our free periods and the rest was history. We've been stuck together like glue ever since.

We ultimately went to different colleges but it was never an issue for us. I'd even argue it made us closer. Grace wound up studying business at Yale and then came back to California about three years ago when she graduated. I stayed local and went to the University of California in Los Angeles, near where I live, where I got a degree in psychology. I never strayed far from home, unless it was to visit my late father who lived in New York. My twin brother, Ethan, and I would visit during summers and holiday breaks. The visits were long but I would never say I lived there, per se. Just spent some extended time with Ethan and my dad.

Speaking of which, I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear my brother's familiar voice saying, "Look who decided to crawl out of her cave and join the human population for once."

"Jesus!" I shout, holding a hand to my chest. I shakily exhale. I wasn't expecting to see my brother tonight, especially at this upscale bar. This isn't his normal scene. "What the fuck are you doing here?"