Trev and I bid Eva a good night and watched her drive away. I came to realize no one was interested in the pecan pie. We anxiously awaited any opportunity to skip dessert altogether. Afterward, we made our way to the car that I had parked a little further away since I couldn't find an available spot earlier. We walked in silence, resembling two marching zombies.
The tension between us was palpable, matching my nervousness. I could sense the overwhelming anxiety emanating from both of us. I, for one, couldn't help but feel on edge. As we walked, Trev trailed slightly behind me, with what seemed to be a whole step for me, but only half for him.
It wasn't too long until we reached our first destination. We entered the car, and I started driving. I felt as if we were sinking into silence, so I tried to turn the music on. Trev intervened in my attempt to fill the awkward emptiness and said, "You don't need to disturb this fancy silence. It is a rarity nowadays." I thought he was feeling the same awkwardness as I did, but apparently, he liked it. "Alright then, let's enjoy the tranquility of the night. " I said enthusiastically.
"I wanted to apologize for earlier. My mother is quite traditional, and she wants me to find someone and start a family as soon as possible," he said with a hint of defeat. "It's not necessarily a bad thing, you know! She just wants you to have someone who will care about you as much as she does," I replied, letting out a joyful chuckle. Eva's happiness was contagious! I could feel the overflowing positive energy, even though it wasn't typically me. That's the sole reason I decided to come here and see her. Only ended up here.
"I understand, but it feels forced," he added. I can see where he's coming from, but I believe he is exaggerating. From my perspective, Eva has always been caring towards everyone around her. It's not like she can compel him to date someone.
"What do you mean?" I asked. He took a moment to contemplate, then said, "It's not the first time she's tried to set me up with a girl of her choosing." Even though I have repeatedly told her that a relationship is not my current priority, she cannot seem to stop being restless. She keeps putting me in awkward situations with strangers. No offense to you."
"Non taken" I replied as soon as he finished his monologue. It was clear he had a lot of bottled-up feelings, and was genuinely upset with her. Although I don't fully understand their dynamic, I think there's just a misunderstanding going on between them.
"Don't be too harsh on her; after all, she's your mother " I added, "Doesn't she know you already have a boyfriend?" he asked with a hint of pleading in his voice, I looked at him for a quick second, his face showed a deep fear of betrayal, I'm not sure what he's thinking, his question came out of nowhere, but it was inevitable, this is how he's telling me that he has met Sam the other day, and may have interacted with each other. "Well, in fact, I don't but I'd like to think I am", this was an honest answer, I didn't try to hide my deception or anything, but it's a fact.
"What do you mean?" He asked, pausing the inquiry, "Then who was the guy who came to pick you up the other day?" He surely wanted to know more, then asked out of courtesy, but the interest was evident. "If you don't mind me asking?" who would have thought that Trev, the hottest of the hotties, would ever be interested in my love life? Life truly works mysteriously. "He's someone I like," I simply replied.
"Ah, so you're still in the early stages of getting to know each other!" he added, "No, we're past that, but it's complicated," I clarified, hoping he wouldn't ask any further questions. "Well I believe you deserve someone who doesn't make things difficult to explain," he stated, and he is right, can't argue with that, however, it's my fault, I'm the one complicating things. "And so does he!" I said as I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.
He was staring at me in deep silence; I didn't know if he was trying to make me say more, or if he was simply savoring the silence that we had finally offered each other. I stole a glance at him; before turning my face back, to focus on driving. His piercing gaze had transformed into one filled with inquiries and questions. "I'm the one who gave him hell, so now he wants nothing to do with me. But I'm trying to change that"
"Really, YOU! gave him hell! This world is full of surprises," he said with a hint of a chuckle in his voice. The irony in this life is no joke. Trev broke the pace of our weird conversation. Everything about this encounter is weird, I may call it different if I'm being nice. "We're nearly here," we were a few blocks away from our destination. Both relieved.
I called Al once I parked the car, and he was already at my house with V. They asked me to get snacks. I wish they had asked before I parked; it would have been less of a hassle. Al noticed some stiffness in my voice and asked, "Are you alone?" I replied no, opened the car door, and got out. I then told him it was Trevor.
When he realized which Trev I was talking about, he asked me to pass the phone to him. I thought things couldn't get any weirder, yet here I am. I can't shake off the feeling the shadows of whatever this is are following me.
"What was that about?" I asked as Trev hung up and handed me the phone; "I'm invited to drinks," he replied plainly, turning to look across the road, with a neutral expression. "Al needed something from the store, and I would go get it by myself, but I don't know the house address," he explained, sounding somewhat pleading, while maintaining his plain face.
"I'll go with you of course!" I said joyfully as I closed and locked the car door. We walked side by side to the store, which was just half a block away. I didn't try to look at his face, it would have been really obvious; since we were not talking and he could see me staring at him. So I could only look at his feet which seemed to be really big. Well, he is huge. He could be the tallest guy I've ever seen. He's a basketball player so it totally makes sense.
We needed to buy a few snacks, so I made sure to get everyone their favorites. However, I wasn't sure what Trev might like. As I walked down to the drinks aisle, I noticed him standing there; as tall as the top shelf, and seemed to effortlessly grab the bottles on the highest shelf. Meanwhile, I would be afraid of breaking one if I tried. He was deeply focused on collecting different bottles of alcohol as if he were shopping for paint for his masterpiece. Al had asked him to buy drinks, but I can't imagine being invited to something and having to pay for it.
"Do you have any favorite snacks you want me to get for you?" I asked, interrupting his journey of picking drinks. He quickly glanced at me, taking my appearance in a brief second, before turning his attention back to the shelf in front of him. "Some crackers and charcuterie would do, maybe some cheese too," he replied. He paused for a moment, then added with an apologetic tone, "I hope that's not too much." I shook my head and replied, "Of course not."
I turned my back to go get some more cheese. I already have the rest, but I suppose I'll have to get some gouda cheese. Maybe something else depending on what is offered and what's of good quality. Trev seemed to be way too comfortable after talking to Al. It made him feel a bit secure, knowing that he's welcomed into our kinda lame friend group. I take credit for the same factor.
The walk home was short. It was filled with shared laughter and jokes, I asked him about his plans for the alcohol he got, and promised me a surprise. I hoped for a pleasant one.
As we arrived at the apartment, I opened the door. Al welcomed us with a frown, clearly showing his impatience and not bothering to conceal his annoyance at our tardiness. What an ungrateful brat!
V changed into her pajamas: light pink shorts with a white silky top; adorned with flower prints. She removed her makeup, revealing her perfectly smooth bare skin. Although she remained silent, her wide, questioning eyes spoke volumes. She seemed taken aback by everything happening around her, but that's a story for later.
I changed into comfy pajamas, removed my light makeup, then did my skincare routine. Once I finished, the guys had already prepared some drinks, and with the guys I mean Trev, of course, he's the bartender; a good one, I can vouch for that. They were engaged in a deep conversation. I took a seat next to Al, who had claimed the large couch for himself, Trev was sitting in the chair on the left, While V went to the the kitchen to get something.
We spent the night chatting about our college lives, keeping the conversation light; No deep stuff. We shared jokes, embarrassing stories, all the tales that should never escape this room, or at least this group. however, we might be too intoxicated to recall them tomorrow.
It wasn't too long before I heard my alarm ringing. For a second I thought I was dreaming or maybe hallucinating. My head hurts like hell, and this sound makes it worse, reminding me of every bad decision I have ever made. Yet I can't help but think that drinking as much as I did yesterday was probably the worst.
As I opened my eyes, I found darkness enveloping me. It felt as though I was in my bed, my head resting on a soft pillow, lying on my stomach without any covers. Thankfully, the sound had ceased, granting my ears peace, but my head still suffered from a terrible hangover.
It was just a brief moment until the sound of light footsteps invaded my unsuccessful attempt to sleep, transforming it into a tormenting experience. Someone, out of nowhere was trying to wake me up by opening the window and pulling back the curtains, allowing the daylight to flood into my room, and pierce through my closed eyes.
V was the invader; she was so persistent that she didn't leave me alone until she saw me get into the shower. I tried to be quick since it wasn't a hair-washing day. I wore whatever I could manage to find with my eyes barely open. Then, I sat at the dining table and sipped a few spoonfuls of the soup V made for our hangover.
V claims to have a minor headache, while Al is just as lifeless as I am. However, Trev seems to be completely unaffected by the hangover ghost. "Did you slip some poison into yesterday's drinks?" Al complained to Trev. For some reason, Trev finds the accusation amusing and lets out a chuckle, instantly brightening up his entire demeanor. Or perhaps I've only started to notice it.
"I'm just immune to it," he said with a pleasant tone and a triumphant smile. V rolled her eyes at his response. "It didn't seem that way. Your face turned as red as a tomato right after your second sip," she commented. Al couldn't hide his slightly bitter smile and said, "What made it worse was that it didn't even taste like alcohol."
"Can't disagree with that. The alcohol was un-tastable," I said, as I started feeling capable of enduring the immense pain.
There was a playful vibe in the air, and surprisingly, Al seemed relaxed, which I didn't expect. V still had a lingering look of curiosity on her face, and if I get the opportunity, I'll definitely spill the tea. However, we both know this is a discussion that is off-limits for now.
It was time to leave the house, so we all went together since we had classes. Trev was showing me some of Eva's pictures on his phone. She looked so fabulous, almost unchanged. It's like the years haven't affected her at all. we arrived at the gate before Al and V, so we continued watching random videos, while he had his arm around my shoulders.
When I turned around, I noticed Sam leaning on a black Rover; I could feel my heart sinking, butterflies stirring up inside me, and my feet walking towards him without any control. My face was torn between expressing relief, joy, or surprise. In the end, I walked up to him with the biggest smile.
Once I was near him, I said with a pleased voice, " Good morning there!" He replied, as he got into his car " I thought it would be a good one. But here I am, yet again slapped hard by reality."
Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?" The smile on my face started fading away. "I thought you were sincere, but here we are. I'm just one of many, maybe the one you treat the worst," he said, closing the door and driving away.