Chapter 11: Sarah Starts a Collection
"Hi, I'm Ryan," said a lanky redhead, throwing himself down next to Sarah, in Jareth's spot on the couch. "Haven't seen you before. What's your name?"
"Sarah," she replied.
"Man, Sarah, that was some amazin' dancin'. Some of those moves -- baby, I didn't know a human body could move like that!" He eyed Sarah's slender form in appreciation, his eyes lingering on the hint of cleavage her off-the-shoulder top displayed. Sarah tugged it up a little.
"You must be pretty… limber," came another voice from the side. "Hi, I'm Ben." Ben wore an inside-out sweatshirt and a backwards ball cap. "You're sure something on the floor! Bet you'd be something in the sack, too."
"Nice, Ben. Always the gentleman," a third boy remonstrated. "Hey, Sarah." She recognized him from her English class. "Didn't expect to see you here tonight. Didn't think this was your 'thing.'"
"Hi, Bradley. It's not, but I thought I'd try something new."
"Looks like you sure took to it!" Bradley pushed Ben out of the way and sat down on Sarah's other side.
A fourth boy approached, and Sarah began to feel a little overwhelmed. Where was Jareth? "Sorry, what?" she asked, not paying attention to the redhead… Brian, was it?
"I said, you wanna go out sometime?"
"Uh, no thanks…" um, um, um, "Ryan." Yes, that was it! "I'm kinda… busy." The excuse sounded lame even to her own ears.
"Whattayamean, busy?" Ryan apparently got belligerent when he was drunk.
"Hey, if she says no, then you leave it alone!" Bradley defended her, and then ruined it by asking her, "If you'd rather go out with me, sweetie, you just say the word! I think you're awesome, Sarah. I mean it, I really do!" Bradley was apparently an affectionate drunk. He tried to put his arm around her.
Sarah, horribly uncomfortable, leaned away and opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a new voice. "Hey, babe. I'm Raoul. You wanna like - "
She'd had enough. "No, thanks!" She snapped. "And in case you've forgotten, Raoul, we've met! I got you your 'A' on the Western Civ. 'group' project, remember?" Disgusted, Sarah jumped to her feet and went looking for Jareth.
She found him by the pool table again, holding a can of ginger ale and surrounded by four women, two of whom were Paris and Cindy. Sarah rolled her eyes. Paris just never knew when to quit!
Another chapter on the way; I've got to hurry and upload it before the power goes out in this thunderstorm!