Emerging

Chapter 10: Vincent

   I felt like Alice in Wonderland, I had no idea what I was looking at. I'm not saying I was completely ignorant as to what happens at parties, but I've technically haven't been to a non-work related party since I was fourteen and the standards have widely changed since then. I was out of my element and it showed, Jesse had taken me to what I assume was the living room by the large black leather seating arrangements and tv, but at the moment it was being used as a smoking section for the house.

I assumed Jesse knew the majority of people in this designated smoke-filled corner. I was introduced to the group and thereafter ignored. But after a few minutes of silently sitting and observing the crowd, with my untouched beer in hand, I felt a hand on my thigh. It wasn't Jesse because he was talking to the man he called C.J., animatedly about a matter unknown to me. I looked to the right of me and I realize that it is a man, I wasn't introduced to touching my thigh.

"So you work with Jesse?" He says in a low raspy voice, which I suspect is from the strange cigarette he was smoking. "Yes," I murmur while conspicuously moving away from his touch and closer to Jesse.

"I remember him saying he worked with a gay guy, but I didn't think you'd be this cute." He says while creepily shifting over to me, despite the apprehensive look I was sure I was displaying. He leans in and I smell the strange scent of his breath and I see the red tinge to his eyes, I immediately begin to freak out and I spill my beer on him, while I practically mush myself to Jesse.

   This gets the attention of Jesse and C.J., but the man freaking out over the spilled beer on his pants gets the attention of the rest of the smokers. "Dude, what the fuck, all I did was compliment you!"

    I really don't respond well to strangers yelling at me, I don't know anyone who does, but I began to close in on myself, whispering apologies. But just before I completely broke down, I feel Jesse's heavy arm around my shoulder, and I hear his husky voice, " Marcus, he didn't mean to, your creep ass probably freaked him out."

      "All I did was call the chink cute, I don't think that's a good reason to get beer on my new shoes." I immediately look at his shoes but I don't see anything wrong with them, they were just a little wet. And I was not necessarily bothered by the slur he used since I heard it all the time in high school, it just brought back old memories that made me tear up.

     Jesse grabs the front of Marcus' shirt, and gruffly, whispers in his ear after glancing at my face. He roughly let go of his polo shirt and grabbed my hand to drag me out, of the rap filled condo.

But after getting into the car, I realized what Marcus had said, Jesse knew I was gay, and he was telling people.