Acumen: Riddling Life

3. The Party

I try my best not to let his words get to me as I stare at him with a blank expression, "You know, not everyone needs a rich dad to pay for their tuitions and fees, just because of their lack of properly working brain cells. And not everyone needs the approval of some spoiled rich kid to survive college, but the catch is, you won't understand this. Anyway, you might as well check the mirror to see who is the one in desperate need of pity, constantly." And I finish with the most innocent looking smile that I can offer, but from the inside, I'm trembling, my heart is racing, and I hardly manage to keep my breathing even.

I replay the things I said in my head and a microscopic bit of satisfaction blooms in me.

If looks could kill, I'd be dead ten times over by now. Ed opens his mouth to retort, but Adrien gives him a warning look which forces him to shut his mouth instantly.

That's weird. He almost always supported those who could come up with more hurtful things to throw at my face.

I need a break from them.

"I'm gonna check to see if Amelia has arrived yet or not," I lie to Adrien and he nods his head, thankfully not catching on it as I make my way out of the kitchen.

Just as I step into the living room, the smell of liquor fills my nostrils. Someone has dimmed the lights, the music is much louder, and almost everyone is dancing in weird and absurd ways that are only possible when you're drunk.

It's basically next to impossible to find anyone, even if I wanted to. The best thing to do is, find a place to sit and just look at these drunk people.

I push my way through the crowd of sweaty drunk girls and guys towards the sofas. My eyes land on an empty spot, I dart for it before anyone else finds it. A sigh of relief escapes my mouth as I sit down.

The music is loud enough that I can literally feel it bounce on my skin, vibrating every cell in my body.

I look around, on the other side of the sofa I'm sitting on, a girl is straddled on a guy's lap, busy eating each other's face out. Clearly they've forgotten the existence and usages of a room, not to mention the term privacy isn't defined in their circle of vocabulary.

I never understood what goes on in someone's mind when they end up sleeping with other people. In a relationship, it's understandable, even expected, but one night stands? What drives them in that direction?

As the minutes tick away, the pounding in my head keeps worsening, with nothing to do as a distraction the obvious downs on me, I'm not used to places like this, nor am I comfortable.

At first, it was fine. In fact, better than fine, it was great. I never realized it was so easy to hang around Adrien- if he's in the mood- almost as simple as his older brother Jayceon, but the key problem is his friends. I might one day be able to put up with chimpanzees and gorillas, but never these assholes.

Ed's words reply in my head, loud and clear amidst the deafening music. What if he's right? Maybe Adrien hung around with me out of pity. Looking at it practically, who would want to spend time with a girl like me? I can't even keep a conversation going for over two minutes! And who am I kidding, I truly am boring... I have nothing special or fun to contribute, so it's safe to say no one enjoys my company. At least my sister Avery made that obvious and always tries to avoid me at all costs.

Not having any friends while burying my nose in books got me here, made me who I am today; if I hadn't spent so much time studying, I would have had a better social life. I mean, I never realized how lonely I am- of course, from time to time the depth of loneliness hit me, but never like this.

Everyone in this room - no, this house - has someone to talk to, dance with, laugh along with. Not a single soul is sitting alone and watching others.