i was falling,
but you looked the other way
.・゜-: ✧ :- -: ✧ :-゜・．
THE ORIGINAL PLAN DIDN'T LAST LONG.
Toby was the one who ended up giving me a lift to Tyler's. I knew from the way Tyler texted me 'ok,' meant that he wasn't at all happy with the changes, but I tried my best to reassure him that it was easier for us both to arrive together than separately. It wasn't that I didn't notice the subtle, side glances Tyler would shoot at Toby when he thought I wasn't looking, but I only guessed that Tyler was the protective type and I had always felt safe when he was around me.
"You look nice," Toby complimented as soon as I hopped inside the car.
I looked down at myself before grinning, "Really? I bought this top a few weeks ago, actually. I couldn't wear it to school because of the off-shoulders, so I decided, why not tonight?"
Recognition dawned on his face after a few seconds after we slowly pulled out of my driveway, "Is this when we went shopping together and the sales assistant made that comment about it being too expensive for you?"
Immediately, I rolled my eyes at the reminder, "You didn't need to bring that up, but yeah. She was rude, I mean, do I look like I don't have twenty dollars?"
Toby glanced over at me for a brief second, before his lips curled into a mischievous smirk, "Well. . . "
I held up a threatening hand and tried my hardest to glare at him, but failed when a smile graced my face, "If you weren't driving, I would hit you."
Unbothered, Toby belted a laugh, not taking his eyes off the road, "You love me too much to hurt me."
"That's what you think," I muttered under my breath.
"You're too adorable, Omi," Toby sang, ignoring my pointed glare.
"I need to be home by ten though," I added, "Dad was kind of strict on that, but let's make it half nine for brownie points."
Toby shook his head at my comment, but couldn't hide the grin that crept up on his face, "You Ryan's are all the same, you know that? Your parent's probably won't even count that as brownie points."
Knowing he was right, but not wanting to admit, I huffed under my breath, "Whatever."
"We're here," Toby chuckled when I lowered myself in my seat, pretending to be annoyed.
At that, I poked my head out the window as we began to pull in. My eyes immediately widened at the number of people that were already here. Even from here, I could tell that the inside was going to be immensely crowded. Some were already drunk, flailing around on his front lawn, paper cups being crushed and thrown about everywhere. Music boomed out from his house, so loudly, I could almost feel it in the car.
Both Toby and I remained silent for a few moments, just examining the scene in front of us.
"Well," Toby was the first to speak, "Small party, huh?"
I held up my hands in defense, "Hey, that's what he told me. He said it was only going to be a handful of people."
"His hand must be the size of this country then," Toby unintentionally snapped, and stepped out of the car. I followed suit, immediately sticking to his side.
"Don't you even dare think of letting me get lost here," I warned as I eyed some of the strange-looking people. We hadn't even stepped inside before my ears began to ring from the sheer volume of music that pounded out. My face scrunched up when I noted all the empty beer cans and glass bottles carelessly tossed outside his door.
"I thought this was only supposed to start at six?" I questioned to myself, "Why is there such a mess already?"
"You better not offer to clean up for him," Toby raised a sharp brow at me, "You can be so stupid sometimes. You're not his maid, let him clean his own mess."
"I was just trying to be nice," I defended myself, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, "Besides, we got to spend more time together, so I didn't mind."
"You didn't even go to the party, Omi," Toby deadpanned.
The music grew louder, if that was even possible. My face was scrunched up in irritation by the time we pulled the front door open. My heart rate quickly skyrocketed, beating in rhythm with the beat inside. Toby and I shared hesitant glances before we shut the door behind us. The music was so loud, I thought I saw the cutlery on the tabletops rattle. Neon lights were flashing everywhere like police sirens, but more colourful.
"I think I can forge a guess that you already hate it?" Toby leaned down to my height, talking louder so I could hear him over the noise, "I told you, you should have told him to shove his invitation."
I hadn't even realized I was pulling a face before Toby pointed it out. With hands clasped tightly in front of my stomach, I constantly fiddled with my knuckles, weaving my fingers in and out of each other. I shot Toby an apologetic grin, before my gaze drifted to a small group of people who had somehow managed to climb on top of the tables and were dancing freely. I wasn't sure how they hadn't broken the piece of furniture yet, but it was comical to watch.
"Naomiiiiiii!"
At the sudden, loud call of my name, I cringed at the elongation, and spun around to see Tyler coming over, a red cup in his hand. His large grin faded a little when he saw Toby standing protectively beside me, but with a blink of an eye, it disappeared.
"You came!"
His words were slurred a little as he slung his arm over my shoulder, dragging me close to him. I wrinkled my nose at the strong stench of alcohol coming from him and tried to angle my head as far away from him as possible.
"Yep!" I shouted over the music, patting his chest in affection.
He leaned his head towards me, bending to talk in my ear, "Do you want to dance with me a little? I missed you."
"You know I'm not good at dancing," I replied, shuffling uncomfortably at the little space I had around me. That, and I didn't want to leave Toby alone either. We locked eyes, but surprisingly, he gave me what appeared to be a strained smile and a supportive nod.
"Go ahead. I'll just wait for you guys over here somewhere."
Tyler tugged on my hand, jerking his head for me to follow. I stumbled on my feet after him, turning back for a split second to look at Toby. Guilt nestled its way inside my chest at the thought of Toby sitting alone. This wasn't the reason I had dragged him here, I had thought we could all get along and have a fun time.
My attention on Toby was distracted when Tyler placed his hands on my hips and gently began swaying us in rhythm to the music. Warmth seeped into my skin from his, and light tingles shot through me at our close contact, making goose-bumps rise on my skin.
"I don't think I tell you this enough," he started, his breath on my neck making me shiver, "But you look beautiful."
Like magic, I instantly felt a comforting sensation overwhelm me. A shy smile crept up on my lips and I tightened my hold on his shoulders. He pulled away from me a little bit, looking straight at me. Even under the dim lighting of his house, he could probably see how red my cheeks had gotten. The lights were twinkling with every step as he spun me around in delicate circles. I would be the first to admit that I loved things like this; the pressure of his warm hand on my back and the feeling of my small agile feet gliding along the floor. Gently, he swayed my body 'round and 'round, making me believe I truly was in Heaven.
"Thanks, Ty. You look beautiful tonight too," I mumbled out.
He raised a teasing brow at me, "Not handsome?"
"You're handsome," I agreed, despite the embarrassment that was flooding my system, "But as a person overall, you're beautiful."
A few silent seconds passed between us, to the point I began panicking. Had I said the wrong thing? Was he offended that I called him beautiful? I knew some guys didn't like being called beautiful - for it was mostly associated with woman, but to me, he truly was.
"God, you're adorable Naomi," Tyler eventually broke and smiled, making his dimples deepen, "You're too good for me, you know that?"
"Don't say things like that," I mumbled, stuffing my head in his chest. My cheeks were starting to ache from grinning. He chuckled, making his chest rumble, but it was a comforting feeling.
"See? There you go again," he pointed out, "You're going to kill me with your cuteness."
"I didn't even do anything," I laughed, but my voice was getting lost in the screaming crowd around us. Tyler shook his head and stood back, twirling me around before bringing me back into his warm arms.
"You don't have to," he shrugged his shoulders, "You were just born this cute."
"Okay, enough!" I laughed, and pushed myself away from him, "I'm just going to check on Toby for a quick moment, okay?"
Brief annoyance flashed across his face, but it melted as soon as he saw my pointed look. A desolate sigh escaped his lips and he nodded his head.
"Fine," he grumbled, throwing his arm around my shoulder, "Let's go."
"You know we're just friends," I reminded him.
"You two are close for just being friends," he muttered, hoping I wouldn't hear him. I pursed my lips at his tone and tugged on his arm to bring us to a quieter corner.
"How many times do we have to have this conversation?" I held in my sigh, "I've know Toby for three years and we live next door to each other. Of course, we're going to be close."
Tyler's face was impassive, not showcasing any emotion. He took his time to reply, turning his head away for a brief moment before he bit down on his lip and gave me a small nod.
"Right. Okay."
"Don't do this," I raised a hand to massage my temples, "Tonight is just supposed to be us having fun."
Tyler raised his hands in defense, "I didn't say anything."
He didn't need to say something for me to know that it bothered or annoyed him, but for the sake of keeping the peace, I offered him a final nod of my head.
"Now, come on," I jerked my head in the direction of his kitchen, "I don't want to keep him waiting."
We weaved in and out of the crowd, dodging the flying cups and clothing items that occasionally were aimed our way. It hadn't even been an hour, and all I wanted to do was go home. But, I knew Tyler liked these kinds of settings and I wanted to at least try for him.
As soon as we entered the kitchen, my eyes shifted over all the unfamiliar faces, looking for my best friend. Mild panic began to fill me when his curly hair couldn't been seen. I stepped forward to gain a larger view, but with the flashing neon lights everywhere, it was hard to recognize anyone.
"I'm sure he's here somewhere," Tyler said in an attempt to soothe me when he noticed my panicked expression, "He's probably talking to a girl somewhere."
"He's not like that," I unintentionally snapped back, not taking my eyes away from the crowd.
"No offense, but he's a guy," Tyler rolled his eyes as if what I was saying was ridiculous, "Of course he is."
"He's not the type to just leave me and disappear without telling me," I countered.
The bass thumped in time with my heart beat as though they were one, filling me from head to toe with the music. Over the loud roar of music, a distant, almost hazy chatter could be heard. I couldn't make out any words, but laughter rang in my ears and wouldn't seem to stop. I forced myself into the swarming crowd, pushing and shoving people aside to make way. Some shot me annoyed glares, while some tottered about, too drunk to even notice. Tyler was hot on my heels, following closely behind me so he wouldn't lose me.
Breaking out of the kitchen, a breath left me when a familiar mop of curly hair stood before me. I shut my eyes in relief to see him leaning casually against the wall, a bottle of water in his grasp. However, my eyes drifted to the person across from him. A girl, dressed casually in jeans and a plain top, suddenly barked a laugh at something he said, tossing her head back. I watched for a moment, perplexed. My heart twinged a little, but I ignored the feeling.
"What did I tell you?" Tyler's voice came from beside me and for once, I didn't want him to speak.
"I should probably get going," I glanced down at my watch, disappointment filling me when I saw it was barely past seven.
"Already?" Tyler frowned, looking put-off, "It's still early."
"I'm just feeling a little tired," I lied. I didn't want to tell him how much I hated these kinds of parties, and the fact that he lied and said it was only going to be a handful of friends, when in reality, it was nearly our whole school, irritated me. He knew I wasn't someone who was comfortable in social situations, and then, I was feeling too overwhelmed.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern taking over his voice, "Do you want me to drop you home?"
"I'll just go back with Toby," I shook my head, and offered him a small smile, "I don't want to cost you two trips."
He pursed his lips and glanced over at Toby who was now facing our direction. His eyes were dark as he watched our interaction and it was then, that Tyler decided to wrap his arms around my waist, tugging me closer to his chest. I fumbled forward, a quiet oof leaving my lips. Without warning, his lips came down on mine. Not innocently, like a tease, demanding. Yet, it was slow and soft at the same time, comforting in ways that words would never be. A surprised sound sounded from my chest, and embarrassment filled me as I placed my hands on his chest to signal for him to stop.
Understanding, he pulled away from me, his chest heaving up and down in the dimly lit hallway. My eyes were wide open, my lips parted in shock. I didn't dare glance behind me, knowing Toby would be sending daggers to Tyler.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked, chuckling at my expression.
"Right. . ." I managed to stutter out, feeling dazed, "Tomorrow. . ."
Tyler lifted a hand, ruffling my hair. That seemed to snap me out of my hazy state, and I let out a squeak, trying to fix hair back into its original state.
"Text me when you get home, okay?" he smiled, but once again, I found myself gazing, unfocused, into his eyes. When he stared at me, it was as if every ounce of breath was stolen from my lungs. Every time he held me close, it felt like he was untying all of my knots.
Tyler had cast his spell on me - like he did with all the other girls. But I didn't want to accept that he did because I knew I wouldn't be able to cope with the fact that I was like the other girls Tyler had thrown away.
I wanted him to feel different about me.
.・゜-: ✧ :- -: ✧ :-゜・．
Hello! I hope you enjoyed chapter three! How are you all liking Tyler at the moment? Toby? Naomi? And are you guys introverts or extroverts? Personally, I like to just stay at home and do something relaxing with friends. It's crazy how much this scene has changed - but it's necessary for now. Hope you're all staying safe and healthy!