The World As It Is ; m.c.

Baby Steps.

"How do you like the party?" The Blond Tree asked.

"Not really into drinking or dancing or being around other people. I like the food though," I muttered, watching as the drunk people danced awkwardly with their red cups in their hands, grinding against each other as dark liquid spilled from their cups.

"You sound like the life of the party." He laughed sarcastically. Someone called his name from across the room and he left me alone in my corner, I felt awkward for being so bad at conversation. The Blond Tree seemed nice enough.

I wanted to leave this place, so I decided to leave my corner in search of Michael, feeling slightly like Bilbo Baggins. I'm going on an adventure, I thought, laughing at my lame joke as I made my way through the sweating bodies.

I walked into the other room, but I didn't see Mikey or his red hair. I did see another boy who I recognized from a million selfies on Michael's phone, dancing by himself in a corner. The boy looked over at me and laughed, or more like, giggled.

"Sophie!" He yelled excitedly, I groaned, trying to make a mental note to tell Michael to stop telling people my name was Sophie or Sofa.

"..Hey," I said awkwardly, realizing that Giggles was drunk.

"Your Mike's friend, right?" Giggles slurred.

"Yeah."

"I'm Ashton," Giggles told me, giving me an awkward handshake using both his hands that were questionably wet.

"Have you seen Mikey?" I asked him, wiping my hands on my jeans to dry them.

"He's looking for Sophie," Giggles told me.

"I'm Sophie."

"Oh! Michael! Michael, I found her!" Ashton began to yell to no one in particular. He hiccuped.

"Michael's not here," I shushed him before realizing no one was paying attention to us or had even looked in our direction when Giggles had been yelling. That's reassuring.

"I know, he's looking for his girlfriend," Ashton told me, giggling.

"I'm his-" I stopped, realizing what he said. "His girlfriend?"

"You're not his girlfriend, Sophie is," Giggles answered.

"But I'm Sophie," I told him, "Sophia, I mean."

"Michael! Michael, I found-"

"You don't need to yell, yes yes, you found me, okay," I interrupted him, "I'm not his girlfriend."

"He loves you though," Ashton told me, confused as he took another swig of his drink.

"I know he does."

"So, you're his girlfriend?"

"No, I'm not."

"Well, do you love him too?" Giggles asked, hiccuping.

"I-"

"Sophia!" I heard Michael yell behind me, I turned around and saw him walking towards Giggles and I. "Ash?"

"Hey Michael, Sophie is looking for you," Giggles slurred, pointing in a random direction.

"She's right-" Michael began.

"Don't you dare," I warned him, not ready for Giggles to begin to yell again that he'd found someone.

"Are you ready to leave?" Michael asked me, before I could ask him. I nodded and we headed outside towards Michael's very-very-very-very-old-piece-of-crap car.