"I didn't expect you to be here," Milana said, taking a small sip from her beer. "I thought you weren't one for parties. But I suppose it is Thomas' birthday. You two seem close."
I wanted to speak. I really, really did, but my mind was drawing a blank. I had no idea what to say that would be interesting, or funny, or engaging. Would she be disappointed if I said something boring, something stupid? Indecision itself made me scared to speak.
"We met around the end of junior year. The team manager got injured and our coach got Oliver to cover for him when we went to a tournament," Thomas said, appearing from the door and seamlessly entering the one sided conversation. "He's a man of few words, I'm afraid, but he can take action when he needs to." He grinned and patted me in the back. I didn't want to admit it, but I felt a bit more comfortable having him there.
"Is that so? I thought you'd known each other for longer."
"Nah, about five months or so, though we didn't see each other during summer break, so I guess that's even less." Thomas shrugged. "He's one hell of a reliable guy, though. He came in early today and helped me set everything up. Which brings me to why I'm here." He turned to me and put a plastic cup full of beer in my hand. "I noticed you didn't have a drink and I couldn't let that stand. Stop being so stiff and make yourself at home. If any of you need anything just let me know, okay?"
Without waiting for a response, Thomas just turned and left, leaving me alone with Milana once more. I didn't even drink at the time! Still can't handle my liquor very well these days, much less back then. Nevertheless, I drank. Small sips every once in a while. It tasted bitter and I hated it, but I still drank.
"Let's move from here," Milana said. "We don't want people going in and out of the house to interrupt us, do we?"
She wanted to keep talking to me? Despite me not uttering a single word the entire time? I knew I shouldn't, but I was getting my hopes up so I followed her and we sat at a round metal table some distance away from the bustling of the pool.
I was starting to feel like I was imposing on her, that perhaps she felt obligated to talk to me after Thomas had intervened or something. "Sorry," I said. The last thing I wanted was to make her uncomfortable.
"Sorry for what?" she asked, shrugging. "You scared off the guy that was hitting on me, and thanks to you being here no one else is bothering me." She drank from her cup and I did the same. "By the way, that look you gave him was cold," she chuckled. "He was actually shaking. Even I got a little scared."
I frowned in confusion. Was that how I'd looked at him? I was the one afraid!
"Hm? What's this? We arrive a little late and find you picking up a guy on your own?" The person speaking went up to us and took a seat at the table, resting her chin on her knuckle as she eyed me up and down. It was Sarah West, the slender blonde that was friends with Milana.
"And who's this hottie?" asked a second voice who sat at the table as well, only she sat closer to me. It was a mix of emotions hearing Grace Valentine ask that. On one hand it meant my former crush didn't know who I was, but on the other it meant she found me attractive.
"Really? You don't know him?" Milana asked her friends, raising an eyebrow. "Oliver is in our class this year."
Grace gave me a thorough look as well, and though she was smiling her words still cut deep. "Really? I didn't notice him."
"I mean, he looks familiar," Sarah said, "but I would remember a guy like him being in our class."
Not knowing what to do or how to react, I lost myself in my beer, hoping I was one of those drunks that suddenly got all social. I had already drank over half the cup and was starting to feel its effects, but I wasn't getting any more talkative. And yet... I started to feel something burn inside me.
My vision blurred only for a moment before it cleared just as quickly. I looked at the three girls at the table. Sarah, the blonde, was wearing a black top with spaghetti straps that showed her cleavage and midriff, an opened, light violet shirt over it and dark Capri pants that hugged her legs. Grace was dressed in a white shirt, a long red cardigan and black denim pans, her braid resting over her shoulder. Milana wore a white t-shirt with a low v-neck, a light, short brown suede jacket that ended around her waist and distressed jeans with only a few small holes on them that allowed me to see some of the porcelain skin underneath. All three of them were absolutely gorgeous. Their faces, their bodies, their very presence. Who was I to be sitting at the same table with them? But the more I thought that, the more my chest throbbed, the more aware I became of their every movement, the hotter my desire for them burned.
I was so conscious of them that I noticed when they blinked at the same time while looking back at me. I saw their cheeks blushing, I saw Sarah grinning, I saw Grace licking her lips and I saw Milana sucking in a breath.
"You know," Sarah began. "I'm not in the mood to have random dudes coming up to hit on me tonight. What about you girls?"
"Mmm, I agree," Grace said, her voice soft and sultry. "Not like any other guy here catches my interest, anyhow."
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"Then should we have Oliver escort us for the night?" Milana suggested. "He's been doing a great job so far at keeping bothersome guys away."
Only later would I find out the reason, but after that sudden burst of dizziness, I found myself... understanding. Somehow I understood the intentions of these three girls like it was a sixth sense. There was no logic behind it, simply a pure, strong and primal instinct that made me 100% sure I was right.
They were into me. God knows why, but they were into me.
"...I'd love to," I said. It was in a low but clear voice. I could hardly believe I had said it.