*COMPLETED* I still Do

I Still Do

So, I don't know how I ended up in this situation, but I guess it all started when my friend invited me to her and her newly-wed husband's housewarming party.

I rang the doorbell to this two-story home in a gated community and waited for someone to open the door. I was feeling nervous because I knew there were going to be a lot of people at the party; I'm not much of a socializer.

After I rang the doorbell for the third time, someone opened the door. "Mia!" I exclaimed, happy to see her.

"Chris!" Mia sounded excited.

My name is Christia, but everyone calls me Chris. I had been friends with Mia since junior high and I was so happy and devastated at the same time when I got the wedding invitation. It has been a month since the wedding and Mia and her husband were finally done unpacking in their new home. As soon as they threw out the packing boxes, they called up all their friends for a house-warming party and that is why I was there.

I gave Mia a big hug and handed her a basket of toiletries for the house-warming part and a bottle of red wine for the party part. "Come on in," Mia said letting me into her home. "You're one of the last ones to get here!"

"Great," I mumbled. I could already hear the chatter coming from the next room. I looked down as I took off my shoes and saw the many pairs that were gathered in the same area. 'That's a lot of people,' I thought. The non-social part of me was flaring up my anxiety. I don't do well with large groups, especially if I didn't know them.

I followed Mia into the living room where it seemed like everyone was gathered. Some were standing around chatting while some were eating and playing games. "Welcome, Chris!" Eli said with a wave through a crowd of people. "Glad you could make it. Grab some food and make yourself at home!"

"Yeah, Chris. Grab some food." Mia motioned me to the table filled with bowls and plates of food.

"Are you going to eat?"

"I already ate." I didn't want to keep Mia, the host, all to myself, so I told her to go join in with the other guests while I ate. I picked up a plate and piled on some finger food and a bottle of water. I walked to an empty corner of the room and stood there eating as I surveyed the room.

I knew some of the people at the party, but a majority of them were new faces. When I realized that, I felt so uncomfortable. I decided to not stay long and leave after about an hour. I continued eating and heard the doorbell ring. I saw Mia make her across and out of the room to let in the guest. Mia walked back into the room and behind her was a guy.

"James," I murmured as I swallowed my food. I recognized him; James attended the same high school as Mia, Eli, and myself. James was one of Eli's friends. I instantly felt the urge to leave the room, the reason being that I didn't want to be around James. James never did anything to make me dislike him, and that was exactly the problem: I didn't dislike James.

I liked James. Notice the past tense, or at least that's what I had concluded after we graduated high school until just now. It might just be that because I used to like him that the old feelings are resurfacing and I am confusing it for current feelings.