T's & C's (don't) Apply

33. Should (Not) Attend My Bosses Party

I agreed to attend Kai's party because he looked at me with hopeful eyes. I expressed my concerns about the first time I attended his 'party'. However, Kai assured me that things were now different. He also pointed out that the last time I crashed his party whereas this time, I was invited.

I'd never been to a party before, apart from Ethan's eighteenth bash. Ethan was very popular, so many people he knew showed up, including many from school. It wasn't my scene, so I left pretty early without anyone, including Ethan, noticing. Since then, I've accepted that parties aren't really my thing. 

I hated being in a crowd, and my energy immediately drained when I was around a bunch of extra loud and drunk people. 

Kai said he was only calling his closest friends so I didn't need to be concerned about crowds. He booked an entire private area in a high-end bar lounge. He also pulled the birthday card so I had no choice but to give in. 

However, by the next day, I already regretted agreeing to go. I felt anxious about it while Kai seemed pretty excited. He said birthdays weren't a big deal but it had been a while since he met all of his friends. I recalled some of his friends and that added to my anxiety. If my memory served me correctly, most if not all were high and drunk. I hoped it would've been different because the party wasn't in the privacy of his home but in a more public setting. 

I'd never been to a bar lounge before. I'd visited a few pubs and it wasn't my thing either because I wasn't a fan of alcohol. Kai said it was no different than a nice restaurant with a great skyline view and a huge bar with every kind of drink imaginable. 

By Thursday night, I found myself searching through my wardrobe. If I was going to this party, I needed a proper outfit. I rummaged through each hanger and nothing seemed appropriate. Even though Kai got me a whole lot of new clothes, everything was more fit for work. 

"One person can help," I muttered as I rang my sister. 

"Clo," Laurel's chirpy voice brought a smile to my lips. "I was just thinking about you." 

"I miss you too, little 'un," I replied. "I'm having an ignorant moment and need your help." 

"You're having an ignorant moment?" Laurel sounded surprised. "It's almost as if you're not the cleverest person I know." 

"You're being extra nice. What happened to trolling your big sister?" 

Laurel softly laughed. "I thought about it but it's been so long since we spoke that I miss you too much to pick on you but if you insist..." 

I smiled at her words. "I'm sorry, I meant to call sooner but work has been so busy lately." 

"You never have to explain, I know how hard you work," Laurel sincerely said. "I just wish you'd take some time off. You're not even twenty-five and you give yourself the responsibilities of a –"

"Is everything alright at home?" I changed the subject. 

Laurel sighed. "Don't think I don't know that you're changing the subject." 

"Just as you're doing right now." 

"Yes, Clo, everything is fine at home," Laurel assured. "And even if it wasn't, you know I can handle our parents." 

That was somewhat true. My parents were a lot  warmer and kinder to Laurel than they were to me. They had the mindset that because she was the youngest, she had to be given extra love and attention. As the oldest, I was raised to be the responsible, tough one. I didn't despise my sister because of it, on the contrary, I was grateful because it made me worry a little less about her.