"We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love." (Robert Fulghum)
Moving...
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Feeling uneasy about the situation I've willingly gotten into, I head to the bar, hoping Nevin hasn't done something foolish and that Lance has kept an eye on him. To my surprise, neither of them is there. This could be either a good sign—meaning they haven't been drinking—or a bad one, suggesting they might be in the restroom vomiting from what they've drunk, or perhaps have taken their drinks elsewhere. Currently, the latter seems more likely.
There's also a third unfavorable scenario: that after all this time, Nevin is still on the dance floor with Harlyn. Maybe I shouldn't assume they've been dancing non-stop since Lance and I left for Hale's booth, but my gut tells me otherwise. My mind can't reconcile the images my eyes capture. Nevin is clearly drunk enough to have no inhibitions, but there is no excuse to be found. And if he's the cause of another existential crisis for Nevin, it might be even more challenging than the last one. I don't even want to imagine it.
I see Raine sitting alone in a corner, drinking from a tall stemmed glass, looking lost. I stand beside her because her demeanor whispers that I should ask for permission before sitting. Raine looks up at me and signals with her free hand, her left, then leans back, crossing one leg over the other.
"Quite a strange bunch of guests," she comments.
She's right. I know that at a birthday party, not everyone knows each other, as one person may belong to multiple friend groups or know people from different backgrounds or even cities and hasn't had the chance to introduce them or they simply didn't seem compatible. I get that. But still, the selection is weird. It's also odd that my roommates were on the guest list because, among him, Harlyn, and Raine, they have absolutely nothing in common, barely exchanging a couple of words. Perhaps he needed people and had run out of ideas. Anyway, I'm glad to be accompanied by them because otherwise, I wouldn't have enjoyed myself as much.
So far, I've felt much better than I anticipated, except for the disappointment regarding Zayden or the constant concern for Nevin. I'm currently getting bored, but it's almost midnight, which means we'll all gather and sing "Happy Birthday" to Hale. I have no idea what activity we have planned for later, but we'll probably spend time like we have been, each engaging in whatever activity they want.
We chatted a bit with Raine about the possible existence of a cake and imagined together what flavors Hale might like. In the meantime, people began to disperse from the dance floor, and Harlyn made her way towards us, with a radiant smile, but Nevin was heading in an entirely different direction, joining some of his roommates.
"What were you doing dancing with Nevin?" Raine asked, curious, satisfying my need to ask as well.
Harlyn doesn't get the chance to respond, not that she made any attempt to try, as Zayden strides toward us, catching everyone's attention.
"Do you want to bring the cake?" Even though the suggestion is his, Harlyn claps her hands in excitement. Raine isn't too thrilled with the idea, and I'm indifferent.
