Life of the Party [Maris]

It's funny how different my life is compared to the rest of these people. They seem to have no worries, no real responsibilities, no attachments. If I weren't so objective, if my mind was not so analytical, I might think it were beautiful. But instead my mind is screaming, "Get out! Get out now!" and for a long while I find myself shifting and turning to stare at the doorway - escape. But my family is here and as far as I am concerned, I need to make sure we all get home safely. So I shift from one foot to the other in agony, swirling the alcohol in my cup.

A group of laughing girls catches my attention if only for a moment, thinking maybe one of my sisters had wandered back to me. No luck. Everyone was a complete stranger. I pinch the bridge of my nose as I feel a headache coming on. The music is too loud, bodies pressing much too close to me - I can only watch as every single person here gets drunker and drunker, losing any respect I may have had for them had I met them before tonight. I nod at a loner near me and he nods back before another girl latches onto him and pulls him away into the crowd, their lips locked and bodies plastered to each other almost instantly. Right.

What's wrong with me?

"Hey, why are you all alone? Surely someone as explosive and wild as yourself would have tons of people hangin' around you."

A girl approached him and he instantly flashed a smile despite his headache and discomfort - all out of habit. He was so used to being approached by someone he needed to smile at that he didn't even think about it when it came to meeting a stranger. He swung his arm awkwardly towards her, as if to shake her hand, only to swing it back into his pocket and giving a nod instead. That's what teenagers do, right?

He stood awkwardly for a moment, eyes averted to the ground. She playfully - or at least that is all I can think it to be - hits me in the stomach and I chuckle, looking back to her. She looked a bit too ... wild, for me. Though her dyed hair did make her seem exotic I guess. It was rather pretty.

"Ha, yeah. Well, I'm just here with my sisters. I don't have many friends my own age." And I can't take it anymore. I set down my drink, stand up straight, and extend my hand to her with a smile. "My name's Ezra Devereaux. Nice to you meet, Miss."

"Annie. Annie Maveles."

She smiled and I nod, raising a brow. "Miss Maveles."

I feel the weight lift off my chest and all the discomfort from earlier in the evening slip away. This handshake, this formality - this was all I really needed. I'm not particularly fond of anyone here, that much is true, but still I feel extremely rude not shaking hands and introducing myself to every stranger that walks past me. My sisters made sure to tell me that that wasn't "normal" at these sort of parties. But even knowing that I still can't stand not shaking hands.

Apparently it is now a really bad habit?

Miss Maveles squints at me, still shaking my hand and I finally release my grip, letting my hand drop again, bending to pick up my drink and shoving my other hand in my pocket. Her scrupulous gaze makes me smile a little harder and tilt my head just a bit. Curious. (Perhaps there is something on my face?) I wipe my face and stroke my chin just for a second, trying to play it all off like I usually do.

"You're...different, aren't you? Like, I dunno you just seem like you're not the most average kid on the block. Like there's somethin more going on, huh? Tell me, what's your story? Or, for instance, what do your parents do?"

He was very used to explaining what his parents did and who he was and what his goal in life was. It was a very common question amongst the older couples he usually chatted with. Thank Ripred there was a bit of sense in this night!

"My father owns a very big jewelry business. I'm hoping to take over one day." I explain, brandishing the wrist watch on my hand for her to see. Normally I would explain just hoe delicately crafted the diamonds encrusting the gold were, but a little voice (that sounded very much like all of my sisters combined) told me she wasn't necessarily all that interested in that sort of thing. "I'm not used to this kind of thing." I say, nodding and sort of chuckling as my eyes fall to my shoes. "I was raised differently, y'know?"

And when I look back up at her something tells me she already guessed at most of this. Of course I wasn't used to this, of course I was much too formal for this sort of thing, of course, of course, of course! But I could guess just as much about her really. The very high heels, the giggling friends, the blue tipped hair, the rather short dress - she was very used to this kind of party.

"And what about your story, Miss Maveles? If you don't mind my asking of course."

She takes a longer pause than I had expected. Clearly I tweaked a nerve. But at this point my question has hung in the air for too long. Taking it back now would only make this conversation more unbearable. I take a sip of my drink to defuse the tension; I only feel worse.

When she finally takes a sip of her drink and speaks I feel only relief. It was enough that I was poorly disadvantaged when it came to these sorts of conversations. Having her walk away because of my incompetency would deter me from ever subjecting myself to parties like this ever again. That sort of thing would be bad for business relations. I really did need to start making friends my own age.

"Well, my father also works for a business like that. Nothing quite as major I'm sure, but we assume one day he'll take over when his boss retires, and that eventually I'd do the same. Or, I would've, anyway. Doesn't matter, not really my cup a tea in the first place. I'm not really sure what I'm in to...I guess my life was never as planned out as yours was."

Planned.

I never planned to be a Career. I never planned to have younger siblings. I never planned to be here, sipping on drinks with an alcohol content that was through the roof and having someone pester me about my 'planned' life.

She laughs and I take another drink. Clearly I'm not drunk enough, otherwise her last comment would not have bothered me.

"To think, I could say I met the oh great Ezra Devereaux before he became the owner of the business!"

It's a joke; I laugh. But not even my buzz helps me to find it funny. For a moment there is silence as I watch the crowds of teens dance and sip some more on my drink.

"Uh, I was just kidding when I said that, y'know I...I just try to liven things up a bit around here."

I nod. Clearly I was in the wrong, taking the comment so seriously. "You could always ask me to dance," I say, throwing a smile and a joking tone right back at her. "I mean, isn't it obvious a guy like me would be great at it?"