Jeremiah Colchester.
It's sunset now, around the same time Sean and I had our first kiss on a busy New York street. Well, for him, it was the first. For me, it's a hundred and first if you count my dreams and imaginations.
We are back inside with everyone else— Not quite everyone, though. Anna's team left a couple of minutes ago, so it's just Rahul, Amery, Ada, Anna, Sean and me. Today was a day free from work so we managed to clear some tables and gather around a few chairs to form a circle wide enough for us all to fit.
Amery suggested that we play a game, to which Sean had been firmly opposed to, but I somehow managed to convince him on the third attempt. That's quite an accomplishment for me.
He doesn't like Anna, I can tell because he makes no effort to hide that fact. But Anna is a no-strings-attached kind of girl so it doesn't bother her much. I can tell she's fascinated by him; though, he just doesn't know that.
Sean sits in a chair close to me and next to Rahul. He likes Rahul. But he's directly opposite Anna and is constantly shooting her burning glares,
"I would tell Anna to fuck off since as your soon-to-be boyfriend doesn't seem to like her much, but I really like her, and I think there could be something." Amery leans in from beside me and whispers just loud enough for only me to hear.
I turn to look at Sean, but he's scribbling intensely into his phone, occasionally chancing Anna with glares full of disdain.
I give Amery a resigned smile.
I won't lie— I love that he's jealous. That should mean something right?
"Okay, handsome lads, and glamorous ladies, I've got only one game in mind for our purely intuitive gathering." Rahul speaks up.
"Oh, come on... we are barely hormone-driven kids anymore." Ada interjects.
"Speak for thyself." He replies. "Here's our holy weapon." He raises the bottle of dry gin we'd mixed with the aged wine earlier into the air like its some prized trophy before lowering it to the ground at the centermost of the circle. "Now we swing the goddamn bottle and demand the wickedest truths— no dares because we are apparently adults." He scoffs at Ada.
"How about this instead?" Amery suggests, "we do this the old way. No chairs or bottle. Everyone each gets a round of two truths and a lie. Whoever catches the lie gets to uncover an embarrassing secret they can use as leverage forever."
Everyone appears to consider the idea— everyone except Sean, who looks uninterested, just... still and quiet. He's neither immersed with Anna nor his phone anymore. He simply sits back in his chair, calm and observing.
"Sean?" I call. He looks at me, his face emotionless. "Are you alright?"
He nods, takes a deep breath, then "I only know how to negotiate and strike deals. I'm not about to butt into something I know nothing about."
Rahul chuckles."The rules were clear to you, weren't they?"
He nods again.
"That's pretty much all there is, Sean. Come on, you'll slay this like any other business deal." He smiles, and mimics Rahul, getting on the floor with his legs wrapped together.
I can't help but smile too. It's surreal, this moment. I never would have thought Sean would eventually warm up to the people who have become more than family to me. He looks... peaceful, as if he doesn't have to feign formalities and just be himself. His carefree, uptight self.
I look over to find Anna's eyes on me, there's a small smile lighting up her face. It's as if she can see right through me. Like she knows just how much I would give up if it meant that this boy would fall in love with me just as I am with him. A strand of her hazel bob hair melts against her forehead. She's truly beautiful, like an Asian Victoria's secret model. Maybe she'd have been my type if I were straight. Maybe my type will always be Sean, because how could there ever exist a world where I wasn't loving him?
We all gather around on the floor, pushing aside the chairs. Amery rubs her hands together and sighs. "I'll go first." She says.
" Okay, I spent ten consecutive nights in prison when I was fifteen. I dropped out of an Ivy league college to pursue a dream that never came true. I miss my second grade teacher, Ms.Frankestein."
"Oof, that's too easy. You don't miss Ms. Frankenstein because she never even existed." Rahul says confidently. Amery shrugs, darting her eyes toward Sean.
"Dropping out of an ivy league school is a dream come true already. I can't see where another dream fits in." He says.
"Well, yes, that may be true, but in what universe do minors go to jail again? Yeah, that's right. Not earth." Ada replies.
"Or maybe Rahul is right and there was never a Ms. Frankenstein. I mean, even the name sounds made up." I add, Rahul and I exchange handshakes and smack shoulders briefly; I see Sean stifling a laugh from the corner of my eyes.
"I'm with Sean on this one." Anna says.
Sean looks bemused; the expression on his face toward her isn't hate, it's confusion over conclusion. Maybe he just needed to get to know her to understand that first impressions are often wrong.
"So, what's it going to be?" Ada prods. Giggly. Perched on the edge of her seat.
Amery's eyes are locked on Anna's, as though stolen— or more precisely? Captivated by the sheers copper flecks dancing around her orbs. "I went to a community college in Pennsylvania; Ivy leagues is the lie. Sean and Anna wins the embarrassing secret."
Rahul grunts, "I can't believe there really was a Ms. Frankenstein."
"You've seen her in my year book, dum-dum!" Amery exclaims.
"Oh, that Ms. Frankenstein." He mutters, realising.
Amery shakes her head in equal disappointment and disbelief, and we all laugh.
"My turn." Ada says, charged with excitement. "I hate pizza. I suspect that Harry may propose to me. I love Sean."
Sean is the first to respond, "Oh there goes the obvious one. No one likes me. Love is is stretching it. Plus, it's far-fetched."
"That's not true." I say without thinking, and instantly, my throat tightens. I clear it. "I mean, Sean is very likeable, so that's not the one." Suddenly, I feel hot. I pop a bottle of water sitting next to me and take a long swig.
I can sense the knowing eyes are on me, smiling. I'm not sure why I'm suddenly embarrassed. Just a few minutes ago, I wasn't afraid to flaunt my feelings for Sean, yet now, it feels too soon to let him see that he means so much to me. More than just a plus-one. I'm not sure he's ready for that just yet.
"You hate pizza." Rahul says, saving my ass. "It's Jollof rice or nothing with you."
"And Rahul gets to hear my embarrassing secret." Ada announces.
"Yes, that was quite straightforward."
"What's a Jollof rice?" Sean asks, confused. Genuinely curious.
Ada gasps in mock offence. She scoots closer to where Sean, invading his space, but he doesn't seem to mind. " Honey, come with me." She hauls him up leading him straight into the kitchen, and just like that, they're gone and the game is over.
"What happened to the winners getting the embarrassing secrets?" Rahul whines.
"Shut your ass, Rahul, obviously that was the first lie." Amery retorts,. Anna and I laugh, and she gestures for me to follow her outside.
I do. The street is more than alive, still. One of the perks of NYC is that you're never really alone. There's always a sea of people who don't care but are always watching out for you.
The air is colder, so I offer my Jacket to Anna. She takes it and then pulls out a cigarette. "You smoke?" she asks, extending one to me.
I decline. "Not since my college years." I offer her a lighter instead.
"What made you quit?" she asks, puffing smoke into the cold air. I stiffen. My head swirls with memories.. Details of everything that night.
"Nothing." My voice betrays me. I cough. "Just decided dropped it."
She nods. She doesn't buy it; Anna is wise, and can see through a white lie when she hears one.
"Both your father and mine are expecting us to be love birds after today." She remarks.
"My father is full of shit." I reply.
"So is mine." We both laugh. "besides, I've got my eyes on someone else. Sorry, Pretty boy." She adds.
"Care to share details?"
"I'm sure they aren't anything you don't already know."
Yeah, she's clever.
"I hope you do plan on letting Sean know how you feel eventually."
I sigh, running a hand along my buzzed hair, "I would hope that's the plan too."
She takes another puff, and then swing her free arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. I don't mind it. It doesn't feel uncomfortable; despite only knowing each other for a few hours, I can already tell she's the kind of friend who comes along and steals you without caution.
"I think you both would make an awesome pair."
I blow out a hefty breath, throwing my arm around her shoulders also. A small smile curls its way up my lips. "I think so too."