I followed Ren down the hall and back into the room where people were now
sitting at tables and waiting for food. We went our separate ways when I
found Louis, Twitty, Tom, and Allison. I went and sat by Allison on the
opposite side of the table as Louis.
"Tawny?" He said, unsurely.
"Louis, I'm sorry about everything, really."
He shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. I seriously should have listened. I just...I dunno."
"Yes, peace again." Twitty sighed, relieved, and put his arm around Allison.
Silence followed and I took the moment to observe my surroundings. I found Ren at a table across the room with Jason, Ruby, Monique, Larry, and Bobby. My thoughts came back to my table, and I looked at everyone, one at a time. Tom had taken his jacket off, and it rested over the back of the chair between me and him. He had also tucked a napkin in the collar of his shirt. He was dateless, but was happy. He was always pretty happy, or at least content and accepting of what he had, unlike Ren. Louis was next to him, and he was pondering something. Probably some scheme to get food or something on his sister's dress. Twitty was paying close attention to Allison, poking her nose and stuff. They were all into the cuteness and sappy stuff, that Louis and I were never much for, at least I wasn't, for obvious reasons.
I looked back at Ren, and a couple people were standing around and blocking my view. I wished they would sit down, and I took a sip of my tea non-suspiciously. I added a few more packets of sugar to it because it was the nastiest tea I'd ever drank in my life. The others at my table with tea soon noticed it too, and began dumping in the sugar.
"You look nice Tawny." Tom said, trying to start conversation.
"Thanks. You look nice too."
"Later, would you consider dancing with me...just one dance?"
That wasn't predicted, I look at him oddly, then looked at Louis.
"Dance with him if you want." He shrugged, "But dance with me once too for old time's sake, how about that?"
"Sure. I'll dance with everyone. Ren told me to be social."
"And you gotta listen to her, don't you, even if you can never have her?" He said to me curiously, "Don't you wanna do something mean to her like a harmless little prank or something?"
I shook my head, "No, Louis, I actually don't. I want her to be happy, and I don't hate her just because I have no chance with her."
"I don't hate her. I just want to ruin her and make her have just one good moment of imperfection."
"Ruining her dress or her hair or a speech or something of hers won't make her be not perfect. She'll still be perfect, but something of hers won't be."
"Still it's fun to make her mad, and somewhere, deep down inside you, you wanna make her mad, and you know it."
"Nope. I don't." I told him again. Then looked to Twitty to change the subject, "I'll dance with you too if you want, and Allison."
He laughed, "It's fine with me if it is with Allison. We can all dance together in a big group."
"It's fine, Allan." She giggled, and cuddled up next to him, cutely.
I smiled at them, the happy couple that they were. Maybe Louis just wanted me because his best friend had left him for a girl, again. He was trying to replace Twitty with me; he'd tried to do it before. That was probably what it was, and he realized it, then apologized. I personally thought he and Tom should hook up. I always thought that Tom had a man crush on him, and Louis was kinda weird. I think he somewhat liked Twitty. I think that Twitty and Allison were the only normal ones among us, and by normal, I mean completely opposite sex oriented, if that is even normal.
The food was delivered to us, and we all nibbled and proceeded to engage in small talk. I didn't pay much mind to it, I watched Ren as she and Jason fed each other, and she smiled and showed him off to other people. Some people at the table behind us were obviously watching them too, and they began to gossip and I listened intently, blocking out the chatter at my own table.
"Ren and that guy she's been dating since like forever, haven't even slept together yet, did you know that?" One girl said.
"No joke? Ren's still a virgin?" A second girl asked, shocked. "I was sure she had slept with him. He's so hot and he's an actor and all. I would've slept with him after like a week if I were going out with him."
"I'm so not joking." The first girl continued, "I couldn't believe it, but she was talking about it in class the other day. She's such a goody- goody still. She needs to grow up."
"Yeah...they've been together for almost four years...that's a long time for someone to not sleep with someone that hot."
"God yeah...he must have someone on the side. I don't see how he can go out with her and do her will all the time and not want anything for it."
"I bet he wants something for it and she just won't give it because it's so morally wrong." The second girl said with a lot of sarcasm in her voice.
Stupid sluts. I thought to myself. Ragging on a girl just because she was a virgin. Hell, I was a virgin, technically.
The first girl rambled on, "This is her senior year, ya know, and like she's still a virgin. The years almost over, she'd have to lose it pretty soon to say she lost in while still in high school."
"How much do you wanna bet that she'll lose it before they year's over?"
This was revolting. I leaned toward Louis and whispered, "Do you hear what they're saying about your sister?"
"Yeah."
"Doesn't it make you mad?"
"No, not really."
"How can it not, have you no feelings whatsoever?" I hissed.
"Look, I'm tired of my sister being perfect. I've always been tired of her being perfect, and now, she's so perfect that the girl I've liked for like...even wants her and not me."
I sighed, "Louis, I'm sorry. I just...I can't explain it right now..."
"Tawny, it hurts, alright. I knew we were over a long time ago, I did, but I never thought that you could like my sister like that. It's not like she's given you any signs that she likes you back of makes you feel like it could work out like you did me."
I slumped down in my chair and leaned back, "Louis, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done to you what I did, but..."
"But what? You used me to get to my sister and you didn't even get to her."
"Guys, stoppit." Twitty said.
"Yeah, you need to stop." Tom reinforced, and shook his fork at us.
I took a deep breath, "Louis, if you knew we were over a long time ago, then why are so mad that I like your sister?"
"Because I am, alright?" He crossed his arms and stared at his plate of food.
"You two both need to release your tension, and be calm." Tom said, knowingly.
I looked at him oddly again.
"The tension here is going to spread to everyone else and cause chaos." He nodded, "The martial arts taught me that."
"Uh huh Tom, yeah." Louis snapped.
Tom took it as a signal to be quiet, and began to fork his food around on his plate. It amused me to see how well he listened to Louis and did everything to please him, which added to my suspicions that he had a thing for Louis.
After a moment of silence, the small talk began again, and someone came and took our plates away shortly after that. The dancing would begin soon, and I dreaded the thought, but never let it show. I would continue my people watching for a while, and then be social whenever I imagined Ren would be looking.
"Tawny?" He said, unsurely.
"Louis, I'm sorry about everything, really."
He shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. I seriously should have listened. I just...I dunno."
"Yes, peace again." Twitty sighed, relieved, and put his arm around Allison.
Silence followed and I took the moment to observe my surroundings. I found Ren at a table across the room with Jason, Ruby, Monique, Larry, and Bobby. My thoughts came back to my table, and I looked at everyone, one at a time. Tom had taken his jacket off, and it rested over the back of the chair between me and him. He had also tucked a napkin in the collar of his shirt. He was dateless, but was happy. He was always pretty happy, or at least content and accepting of what he had, unlike Ren. Louis was next to him, and he was pondering something. Probably some scheme to get food or something on his sister's dress. Twitty was paying close attention to Allison, poking her nose and stuff. They were all into the cuteness and sappy stuff, that Louis and I were never much for, at least I wasn't, for obvious reasons.
I looked back at Ren, and a couple people were standing around and blocking my view. I wished they would sit down, and I took a sip of my tea non-suspiciously. I added a few more packets of sugar to it because it was the nastiest tea I'd ever drank in my life. The others at my table with tea soon noticed it too, and began dumping in the sugar.
"You look nice Tawny." Tom said, trying to start conversation.
"Thanks. You look nice too."
"Later, would you consider dancing with me...just one dance?"
That wasn't predicted, I look at him oddly, then looked at Louis.
"Dance with him if you want." He shrugged, "But dance with me once too for old time's sake, how about that?"
"Sure. I'll dance with everyone. Ren told me to be social."
"And you gotta listen to her, don't you, even if you can never have her?" He said to me curiously, "Don't you wanna do something mean to her like a harmless little prank or something?"
I shook my head, "No, Louis, I actually don't. I want her to be happy, and I don't hate her just because I have no chance with her."
"I don't hate her. I just want to ruin her and make her have just one good moment of imperfection."
"Ruining her dress or her hair or a speech or something of hers won't make her be not perfect. She'll still be perfect, but something of hers won't be."
"Still it's fun to make her mad, and somewhere, deep down inside you, you wanna make her mad, and you know it."
"Nope. I don't." I told him again. Then looked to Twitty to change the subject, "I'll dance with you too if you want, and Allison."
He laughed, "It's fine with me if it is with Allison. We can all dance together in a big group."
"It's fine, Allan." She giggled, and cuddled up next to him, cutely.
I smiled at them, the happy couple that they were. Maybe Louis just wanted me because his best friend had left him for a girl, again. He was trying to replace Twitty with me; he'd tried to do it before. That was probably what it was, and he realized it, then apologized. I personally thought he and Tom should hook up. I always thought that Tom had a man crush on him, and Louis was kinda weird. I think he somewhat liked Twitty. I think that Twitty and Allison were the only normal ones among us, and by normal, I mean completely opposite sex oriented, if that is even normal.
The food was delivered to us, and we all nibbled and proceeded to engage in small talk. I didn't pay much mind to it, I watched Ren as she and Jason fed each other, and she smiled and showed him off to other people. Some people at the table behind us were obviously watching them too, and they began to gossip and I listened intently, blocking out the chatter at my own table.
"Ren and that guy she's been dating since like forever, haven't even slept together yet, did you know that?" One girl said.
"No joke? Ren's still a virgin?" A second girl asked, shocked. "I was sure she had slept with him. He's so hot and he's an actor and all. I would've slept with him after like a week if I were going out with him."
"I'm so not joking." The first girl continued, "I couldn't believe it, but she was talking about it in class the other day. She's such a goody- goody still. She needs to grow up."
"Yeah...they've been together for almost four years...that's a long time for someone to not sleep with someone that hot."
"God yeah...he must have someone on the side. I don't see how he can go out with her and do her will all the time and not want anything for it."
"I bet he wants something for it and she just won't give it because it's so morally wrong." The second girl said with a lot of sarcasm in her voice.
Stupid sluts. I thought to myself. Ragging on a girl just because she was a virgin. Hell, I was a virgin, technically.
The first girl rambled on, "This is her senior year, ya know, and like she's still a virgin. The years almost over, she'd have to lose it pretty soon to say she lost in while still in high school."
"How much do you wanna bet that she'll lose it before they year's over?"
This was revolting. I leaned toward Louis and whispered, "Do you hear what they're saying about your sister?"
"Yeah."
"Doesn't it make you mad?"
"No, not really."
"How can it not, have you no feelings whatsoever?" I hissed.
"Look, I'm tired of my sister being perfect. I've always been tired of her being perfect, and now, she's so perfect that the girl I've liked for like...even wants her and not me."
I sighed, "Louis, I'm sorry. I just...I can't explain it right now..."
"Tawny, it hurts, alright. I knew we were over a long time ago, I did, but I never thought that you could like my sister like that. It's not like she's given you any signs that she likes you back of makes you feel like it could work out like you did me."
I slumped down in my chair and leaned back, "Louis, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done to you what I did, but..."
"But what? You used me to get to my sister and you didn't even get to her."
"Guys, stoppit." Twitty said.
"Yeah, you need to stop." Tom reinforced, and shook his fork at us.
I took a deep breath, "Louis, if you knew we were over a long time ago, then why are so mad that I like your sister?"
"Because I am, alright?" He crossed his arms and stared at his plate of food.
"You two both need to release your tension, and be calm." Tom said, knowingly.
I looked at him oddly again.
"The tension here is going to spread to everyone else and cause chaos." He nodded, "The martial arts taught me that."
"Uh huh Tom, yeah." Louis snapped.
Tom took it as a signal to be quiet, and began to fork his food around on his plate. It amused me to see how well he listened to Louis and did everything to please him, which added to my suspicions that he had a thing for Louis.
After a moment of silence, the small talk began again, and someone came and took our plates away shortly after that. The dancing would begin soon, and I dreaded the thought, but never let it show. I would continue my people watching for a while, and then be social whenever I imagined Ren would be looking.