Off Camera

Whats your age

"Liza, you ready?" Gabbie's voice rang out from my unfurnished apartment that i had just moved into. i grabbed my over shoulder bag from my bed and flung it over my head, giving my outfit one last check before we leave.

"yeah, I'm coming now" her jaw dropped once she saw me. 

"wow! Liza, you look amazing! i wish i looked that good in jeans!" i gave her my 'don't put yourself down face' and left my apartment, locking the door on the way out. this was my first party ever in LA. Gabbie practically begged me to go to this party with her, apparently for moral support, when really i knew she will ditch me half way through the night and expect me to mingle with cute people. but i guess its better than staying at home alone! 

we turn up outside and the apartment lot is packed. i turned to gabbie with a bemused look on my face.

"gabbie, i thought you said that this was going to be a small quite party! this isn't small nor quite, its like the whole of LA is here!"

"this is small in LA speak! oh come on Liza, meet a few people ok, in a big world like this you're gonna need as much as you can get! now come on, Zane's here and theres someone i want you to meet."i just rolled my eyes and chuckled at her as she pulled my arm up a flight of stairs, knocking into people on the way up. i felt so bad for these peoples neighbours! i didn't even know who's party this was! 

"yo! Gabbie" a tall, slightly unfit man walked up to us and high fives gabbie, then wrapping her in a tight hug. gabbie turned to me with a smile. 

"Liza, this is Zane, Zane, Liza. now you guys are all introduced!" gabbie then turned back to Zane and asked if a guy called David was here. i felt so awkward, just standing listening in on my best friends conversation. thats when Zane beckons over a guy, looking around my age, wearing tight black skinnies and a black t-shirt. i had to admit he wad pretty cute to look at. he came over to zane and gave gabbie a hug, thats when i heard gabbie say his name. 

"David! heyyyy, i knew you be her, I'm glad you made it!"

"yeah same! and i didn't really have a choice weather i came or not, this guy right here (pointing to Zane), needed a designated drive and apparently I'm the man!" gabbie suddenly disregarded every word that David had just said and changed the topic.

"oo! David i have someone you have to meet, she just moved her to La and is one of my best friends, i think i mentioned her a couple times before, but David this is Liza, Liza this is David" David held out his hand to shake mine and i gladly accepted, instantly feeling sparks the minute our hands touched. wow, i was being cheesy! he flashed me this handsome smile, and put his tongue between his teeth, making my heart beat excel. why was i swooning over this David guy that i had just met, i mean he's not that cute. oh who am i kidding, he's irresistible! before we realised to, Gabbie and Zane had ditched us and gone off somewhere to drink. it was just David and i now. 

"so, your new to LA? where you from?" small ok, this is a good start. this is a good start right? argh, Liza come on stop overthinking things, this is a good thing. 

"yeah, i officially just moved in last week, and Houston Texas. what about you, where did you move from" 

"Chicago Illinois." then the weirdest most stalkerish question popped into my head. 

"so ah, how old are you? if you don't mind me asking" i asked through a chuckled and i could already feel my face burning red with embarrassment. god damnit Liza! instead of getting all freaked out though he just laughed with me and answered so casually. 

"im 19, what about you" 

"oh my god, no way, I'm 19! now that i think about it, i think i saw you in a vine with gabbie a few days ago! your vines are pretty good, i followed you." 

"thats where I've seen you, i saw your vines and followed you to! haha what a small world" he then proceeded to do the same tongue smile as before which like clockwork my heart fluttered. 

"so you wanna go grab a beer? i mean like a beer thats not a beer, like the fake shitty beer? sorry I'm probably rambling!" i laughed at his awkwardness how could two compete strangers be so close already? 

"haha i think i will pass on the fake beer, but i will grab so Pepsi with you?" he bit his tongue again and led me to the drinks table and poured me a red solo cup full of Pepsi before he poured himself one. 

as it got later, David and i had gotten closer. it didn't even take any time at all to feel comfortable with him. the music was getting so loud and i swear the party just kept getting more crowded. thats when i came up with an idea. 

"so, would you want to come up to the roof with me, the view is really pretty up there!" he gave me a goofy smile and agreed to go up there with me, but to be perfectly honest, i lied. the view up here was not good at all, it was terrible, but at least i could finally properly hear David. 

when we reached the top, i felt like he knew that i lied because his face said it all, although i know he was just going along with it. did he know that i wanted to so badly kiss him? what was he thinking? did he like me? and there i go again with the overthinking of things! we made our way to the edge of the concrete barrier on the roof, and we just looked out over to all the lights that were faddy ever so slowly. i kept telling myself to make the mode and just kiss him but i felt like my whole body was frozen. i was such a wimp. a guy like David would ever want to be with a girl like me. but then everything changed, and for the best. before i could comprehend what was happening and i feel like David was the same, our faces became closer and then wham! our lips were together. thank you god for getting David to make the first move, and thank you for this very shitty rooftop view that was now my most favourite place on earth, even over chipotle! 

we pulled away for a second before both intensifying the kiss again and going in for a second time, this time our tongues were introduced. we pulled away a bit later and looked into each others eyes, he bit his lip that made me want to faint! 

"we should probably get back down to the party, its getting late and Zane will probably want to go home soon. come on lets go." we started to walk back to the stairs but before i did, i quickly bent down and picked up a handful of pebbles laying on the ground, this was going to be my keepsake. little did i know that David had seen this and stopped in his tracks, then came closer to me, reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful as well. i gasped with surprise . then i had just had to make a joke. 

"dude! you have a rock collection to!" we both laughed as we placed our rocks in our pockets and returned to the party. David was right about Zane wanting to go home, and since Zane was going, so was Gabbie, salty both of them were drunk. David and i were going to have an interesting ride home. we helped each other get them down the endless flight of steps and down to our cars, which coencidentally were parked next to each other. this night just keeps getting better and better! both of the drunks were safely in our cars now and we were just about to leave when David stopped me, pulled out his phone and asked for my number.

"ill give you a call tomorrow and hopefully hang out soon!" 

"yeah, i will like that" i could feel us both leaning in again but before we could Gabbie and Zane started drunk talking really loudly. David and i laughed. 

"well, i guess thats my cue to leave and to get the baby to bed" David joked pointing to Zane, i agreed but pointed to gabbie. 

"so, i ll see you soon, night David" he looked at me one last time before responding,

"yeah, i guess you will goodnight Liza." then before we both could blink we drive off into different directions. this was the best night of my life. 

gabbie was staying with me for the night, she was way to drunk to be on her ow in her apartment. as she tossed and turned in my bed, i played awake staring at the ceiling, memorising Davids facial features, the sound of his adorable laugh, the way he bites his tongue when he smiles. whoever said that there is not such thing as the perfect man, well they were so damn wrong!