Butterfly Kisses

BBQ

Joey's P. O. V.

Perspective is a funny thing. How you perceive yourself and how others see you is sometimes quite different.

I had always thought of myself as a shy person. I liked to stand in the corner and watch other people rather than engage in conversation. I always felt bashful and uncertain when I met new people, partly because my Aunt was so particular, and partly because I didn't want to offend them accidentally.

The BBQ caused my anxiety to skyrocket. There would be twelve strangers plus the five brothers I barely knew in the backyard. I had no place to go if things went wrong, and I had no idea what my brothers would do if I offended or insulted their friends.

"Joey! Are you ready?" Chris called up the stairs.

I had decided to change before everyone came, just to make sure I looked decent. I quickly fixed my damp hair, sprayed my deodorant on, and then hurried downstairs.

"Yes, I'm here," I belatedly responded.

"Good! I want you to meet my friends, Jordan and Heidi," Chris introduced us. "Guys, this is my youngest brother, Joey."

Heidi was a brunet with large doe eyes, she was average height and had a curvy body type, and she seemed super nice. She smiled right away, going in for a hug.

"Hi, there! I'm glad to meet you!" Heidi grinned excitedly.

"Nice to meet you, man," Jordan casually shook my hand.

Jordan had stormy grey eyes, ash blond hair that had a slight curl to it, and he was also average height. I noticed how his arm rested on Heidi's waist protectively - boyfriend and girlfriend then? Perhaps. Sometimes it was hard to tell.

~

"Hey, Joey, come help me a minute," Michael called to me when it started getting dusky.

I popped up from my seat, relieved to get away from Chris's loud friends. Besides Heidi and Jordan, he'd invited Sarah, Drew, and Andy, his employees.

Steven had invited three people, Jeff, Olivia, and Stella. They had some fun stories, but were a bit less rambunctious than Chris's group.

Michael had invited a pair of newlyweds that he'd known since highschool, while Jayden had invited his work partner and his brother.

Theo only invited his college friend, Seth.

Suffice it to say that it was a bit wild in the backyard. There was a lot of talking, laughing, and general uproar. It honestly made my head hurt, but I didn't dare say anything.

I followed Michael into the kitchen, watching as he grabbed everything needed for s'mores out of the pantry. I grabbed a handful of skewers to put the marshmallows on, and quickly broke the chocolate and graham crackers up into bowls.

"What do you think?" Michael asked, gesturing to the patio.

"It's nice," I shrugged, focusing on the chocolate I was unwrapping.

"Good. I was afraid it was going to be overwhelming," Michael chuckled.

"It is overwhelming," I stated. "But it's nice to see everyone having a good time and cutting loose, you know?"

Michael shot me a smile and nodded.

I looked out of the back door, watching as Chris tossed his head back, a loud laugh escaping into the chilly night air. Theo's face was relaxed and calm as he chatted with Seth, both of them leaning in toward each other. Steven was smiling at one of his friends, lightly patting Olivia's shoulder as if to apologize for a joke at her expense. Jayden, Val, and Patrick were sipping beers and chilling out, occasionally exchanging words, but mainly sitting there and listening to everything going on around them.