Chasing Blue

4. People Like Me

Nothing much changed in my school life for the rest of the week.

I found out Blue's real name – Michael. I prefer "Blue," so I call him Blue. He doesn't respond to me either way.

I've gotten a bit closer to Harris and Tim, though. A little with George, too. Asher is hard to talk to, he's slightly like Blue.

Some girls tried to talk to me but I couldn't hang out with them. I've always gotten along better with boys than girls. The girls are also seemed to be only interested in me because I was talking to those guys.

I noticed that the five boys form a pretty tight group. Harris and Asher both have girlfriends, but I've never seen them hanging out with their girls when the rest of the guys are around.

I also think Tim is right about Blue not getting along with girls. Blue is generally aloof with everyone except his four friends, but he's even more so with girls.

All five of them are very handsome and popular, especially, Blue. He's by de facto the school's most popular.

He and Asher are in the football team. Team Southern Lions are local celebrities.

Blue is very similar to James in that aspect. James is the captain of my old school's football team. He is also the most popular guy in the school. But in a polar opposite to Blue, when it comes to girls, James is a player.

I do my best to get along with Blue. I sometimes manage to get some sort of reaction from him but nothing stable or notable.

On a Friday evening, I ask the guys if they have any plans for the weekends.

Harris tells me they're going out for a drink at a bar on Saturday night. I ask him if I can join them. He hesitates for a second but then texts me the name and address of the bar. He tells me it belongs to Asher's sister, Mary.

Saturday night, I get ready in dark jeans and green t-shirt and leave the house after renewing my oath to not get in trouble with my parents.

I take a cab to the bar. Even from outside, I can tell it's high end. My attire feels a little too casual when I see a group of women go in, wearing very disco appropriate dresses.

The inside of the bar is dimly lit and smells divine. I'm guessing the floor and the ceiling are the same color grey.

The waiters are wearing black and white like in a restaurant. The dark wood tables and leather chairs look comfy and luxurious.

I see the guys at a corner. Harris sees me and waves.

I take a seat beside George, opposite Blue. They all are having beers.

"What do you want?" Harris asks.

"Whisky," I tell him.

"That's a heavy drink for a small girl. Think you can handle it?" George jokingly says.

I'm not really a small girl. I'm the tallest girl in my class. But compared to these five, I guess I'm a bit small.

"I can handle it," I tell him then Harris orders a glass of whisky for me.

I first drank alcohol when I was fifteen. I begged my dad to let me taste his whisky. He gave in and I took a sip. Ever since then, I only drank whisky.

The waiter places a glass in front of me. I take it and turn it around in my hand. The glass looks very expensive.

"This is the richest bar I've ever been in," I tell the guys.

They all laugh. Well, almost all of them. Blue and Asher's expressions are same as before.

"I think Mary will like you very much," George says and I nod and take a sip letting the cold whisky slide down my dry throat.

The guys talk about sports. I'm not a sports person so I just listen while sipping my drink.

"Who's this?" asks a very beautiful blonde girl who had suddenly appeared at our table. She's wearing a sleeveless yellow satin dress, probably backless, and looks like an actress or a model. She has the same green eyes as Asher's.

"Oh, she's our friend from school," Harris says. This is the first time any of them acknowledged me as their friend. I'm happy.

"Really? What's your name honey?" she asks me like I'm six years old. I don't mind and answer her, "Dayna. Wow, you look very much like Asher, just more beautiful," I tell her the truth. If I didn't know she was much older than him, I would've thought they were twins.

Everyone laughs and I think Blue and Asher did too.

Still a little laughing, Mary says, "Yeah, I get that a lot, about us looking similar, but this is the first time someone told me I'm the prettiest of us two."

I look at Asher. He's smiling. I've never seen him smile before. He looks more handsome like this, his green eyes sparkle more. Then I turn back to his sister and tell her, "But you are."

She smiles wide and says, "Thank you. I really like you, Dayna. How about a hot lava cake? On the house."

I nod happily as some of the guys protest, demanding on the house services for them, too.

"Should've complimented me first," she smoothly tells them before asking a waiter to bring me the cake.

After she leaves, George says, "You're quite something, you know. First you pretty much stalked Blue till you became our friend, and now you managed to get free service from Mary. She never gives us anything for free!"

Although a little offended by the stalking remark, I'm happy again at being acknowledged as a friend.

"What can I say? People like me," I tell him the truth.

We drink till late night and in a rather miraculous turn of events, I take a cab with Blue and Asher to home.