Bad Taste (Part I) // Colby Brock

55 - Rebecca

          Buzzed, going down the stairs was much more difficult. Surprisingly, though, two male members of staff came to Katrina and I's sides, helping us go down elegantly. They barely touched either of our hands, as if we were delicate flowers. I thought it had more to do with Sam, since he was so important. I remembered the easily-made jealous attitude of the boy in the group I had dated and figured if anyone touched us, they would lose their heads.

A little bit of cheer flowed through me from that even though I no longer fit being 'Powerful Person's Girl—Do Not Touch'.

The dance floor was no emptier than it had been when we walked inside. In fact, there was a chance that, like the line, it was actually busier.

Tara was my guide again, leading me through the countless sweaty bodies towards a space close to the DJ-esque booth, but not so close that it made our ears bleed. Down here, music was all you could hear, paired with feeling it under your feet.

I didn't know what happened after we started to dance, but I knew that Tara was constantly on my ass — literally. She and I were giving the people around us a brilliant view as we danced with each other to the music. I noticed that Devyn and Xepher were the same while Katrina and Cassie were spinning each other around. We looked like a tight-knit group of girls — it was sort of right. But I couldn't help but feel a little like the odd one out. I was single, which meant that if I really wanted to, I could find a guy and rid of this frustration.

If I did that, none of them would be distracted enough not to notice me. I doubted they'd let me leave them with a random guy — a part of me said their loyalties lay elsewhere.

Still, I was having an amazing time. I had to admit it. The buzz was letting me smile and giggle just as much as the rest of them were, even pulling Katrina in to dance with us at one point because I could. She had been surprised, and it took her a moment to realise it was just the alcohol in me that made me happy.

I lost track of time when we were dancing. The songs were the only cursor, but I'd lost count of how many had been on since we'd started.

My buzz was dying down, though my energy wasn't — surprisingly. I felt like I could keep going for hours; like nothing could stop my good time. And I was starting to believe in that, too, because the other girls didn't seem to tire either. Katrina looked a little bit out of it, but she was still sprite on her feet.

My body moved this way and that, distracted from the feeling that somebody was watching me. As Tara let go of my hips, however, to dance solo for a little while again, I somehow ended up glancing at the VIP balcony where we had once sat. And when I met a pair of blue eyes with a silver ring around them, I panicked... until I realised it wasn't Colby. It was Sam, leaning against the railing and staring down at us.

I could see some other heads above the couch next to where we had sat.

My head snapped to Tara accusingly. I smacked her arm and she looked bewildered, frowning at me. My hand pointed straight at the balcony. When she looked up, her face completely changed. She looked hostile. Has she not invited them, whoever else is up there?

She whispered something in Cassie's ear before starting through the crowd. Cassie wrapped her arms around Katrina's shoulders and then mine, using it as leverage to spin us on the spot. She was trying to distract us as Devyn and Xepher followed Tara up the stairs.

I thought they were going to confront the boys — my buzz allowed me to have faith in Tara as a friend.

Cassie spun me again and this time, I let the distraction work. We danced together in the little circle, holding hands with one another as we moved to the beat. Whatever was going on up on the balcony, I didn't want to know. I certainly didn't want to know if Colby was here, because with all the frustration built up in me, I knew I would go up there and we'd have no chance of making the break up stick.

So I kept myself distracted with Cassie and Katrina, and soon enough, I forgot that we had even come with three other girls.

"I'm getting us all another drink!" Cassie yelled as she brought Katrina's and I's hands together. Katrina intertwined her fingers with mine as if it was important, pulling me into her body. Cassie was walking away by now, and I was trying not to think about what was happening.

I couldn't keep it up for very long — the lack of the buzz brought back my attitude and with it, my accusatory tone. "Did you invite the fucking boys?"

"No!" Katrina exclaimed, frowning at me. "I don't know why they're here!"

I narrowed my eyes at her, not believing her one bit. I couldn't do with the boys. The girls were one thing, but the boys- I needed to get out of here if they came down to the dance floor. It would leave me alone anyways, since all the girls would dance with them. I could get a cab and just go home and-

"Stupid fuckers!" Tara appeared next to me, making me almost jump out of my skin. I controlled the urge in my body as I stared at her, faking a frown. She looked furious as she threw her hands in the air vaguely at the balcony. "Jake knew I'd pick here and came on purpose!"

"Why?" Katrina called over the music.

Tara glanced at me before she stepped a little closer to speak. "Colby let them off their jobs tonight, apparent-fucking-ly. They wouldn't shut up about us going out and unless he wanted to go against his entire cl- group, he had to just let them 'fuck off'."

"Who's here?" I snapped, feeling my stomach twist.

"Just our boyfriends. Colby let them come, but not the single guys." Tara looked me up and down for barely a second. "I wonder why."