In My Skin

Ch 2 || The New Guy

Thankfully nobody paid me any attention as I dodged through several hallways until I stumbled into a spacious kitchen. Snack bowls filled up the center aisle but they were empty aside from a handful of crumbs. Only a few guys were checking the fridge but nobody I knew. I didn't even know whose house it was. Chris had texted me the address and I had shown up. And what a waste of time it had been.

After rummaging through several cupboards I found an empty mug, filled it with water, and took a sip. Finally, I was feeling a bit better but it took two more cups for my stomach to calm down and my head to start clearing up.

My fingers twitched when I felt my neck crawling again. I pinched my arm, hard, until the pain overshadowed everything else. Scratching only made it worse.

It was definitely time to go home.

Heading to the front meant I would have to pass by Jessica and the others again, so I decided to leave through the back.

The hallways were filled with empty plastic cups, bags of chips, and other trash. The further I walked, the louder the bass boomed. 

I finally found a back door leading into a huge garage that someone had turned into a disco floor. Trance music blasted from the speakers and flashing lights briefly illuminated the cluster of bodies that were jumping and dancing. Across the dance floor, an open garage door led toward the front of the house. A second door on my right led into the garden.

That was my exit.

I was about to start pushing my way through the crowd when I saw him. The guy who might have overheard Chris and me just now. 

I had never seen him before, neither on campus nor at any of the other parties, but his demeanor stood out even among the crowd. Something in his stance communicated a clear don't-mess-with-me message and it seemed to work. People subconsciously moved around him. He stood close to the exit and I watched his mouth curve as he said something to the guy next to him.

What...if he had overheard our argument? 

I shook my head. On second thought, maybe it was better to go out through the front.

I turned and headed the other way only to be stopped by a girl barrelling into me. She instantly lost her grip on the cup in her hand and the front of my top and jeans dripped with a red liquid that smelled of strawberries and alcohol. Great. Just great.

Before the girl even got the chance to mumble an apology a guy stumbled into my back and I was pushed forward, right into her, and the rest of her drink landed on my hair and clothes.

"Shit. Sorry," the guy said from behind me but the grin on his face indicated that he didn't care.

The girl giggled. "I'm so sorry." Another giggle. "Maybe you should clean this up."

No shit.

"It's fine," I said, gritting my teeth. There was no use in getting angry at drunk people. I stepped around them but the space was filled with dancing bodies. There were so many I didn't even see the exit anymore.

I bit my lip. The other door seemed like the better option. I turned back and lifted my head to find a set of eyes trained on me.

My feet froze in place. Had he recognized me? Had he heard what Chris and I talked about? But even if he'd had there was nothing I could do. Plus, this was the first time I'd ever seen him, maybe he was just visiting. Right?

I broke our eye contact and started moving in his direction. I kept my gaze fixed on the exit but my whole body was tingling in awareness. What was it with this guy?