Chapter 1 : Hangout

Alyssa's POV 

The colored lights, the waitresses were dressed skimpily with glowing trays of drinks and the live stage, where the dj was mixing a recorded song, I kept looking around as I felt like a fish out of the water.

"Someone is not liking the vibe, huh?" Came the teasing tone of Eve, one of my friends. 

"It's not that, I mean," I said, biting my lips to gather my thoughts, "It's just too lousy. If not for Ivy, I wouldn't have agreed to come here," I informed.

"Sweetie, it's just a little celebration after our graduation. Ain't you happy to be a graduate?" Atlas, Eve's boyfriend, asked me.

"Of course, I am," I said with a small smile as I kept rubbing my arms together.

"My baby is still a newbie. Just a little push then she would get used to this lifestyle," Ivy, my best friend, said as she filled my glass with some liquor. 

I rolled my eyes at her, we are totally opposite in personality but I still love her.

"Let's play a game," Jeremy, one of our friends, said as he cleared some parts on the table. He spinned the bottle.

"Hwooo.." we all squealed and laughed as we faced the person the bottle turned to. "Lily, it is your turn now," we all started clapping to cheer for her.

'Too bad, Ivy and I are the only single ones here. Lily is Jeremy's girlfriend,'

"I am super ready for any tasks," came the drunken voice of Lily as she drank from her glass again earning a chuckle from us all.

'Partying is not so bad after all,’ I thought.

"You are dared to dance at the center of the dancing floor, gaining all attention for five minutes," Atlas said with a lot of excitement in his voice.

"Go baby, show them what you have got," Her boyfriend, Jeremy cheered for her and we all screamed her name, clapping again.

I found myself enjoying the show, she stood up and went to the center of the dancing floor. She was twerking and got all the attention.

'Geez! I can never do that,' I thought inwardly.

When her time was up, she stopped slowly acting as if she was tired from all the twerking before walking back to us. I was the first to squeal when I saw her advancing. 

"Girl, you really got some nerve, uh?" I admired her courage with a bright smile on my face.

"Just a piece of cake," she stated arrogantly, making everyone chuckle.

Jeremy spinned the bottle again, it was Ivy's turn.

"Yeey!" I cheered for her. She chose the truth , making me roll my eyes.

"Why did you break up with your boyfriend?" I intentionally asked that question.

"I guess I will just go for a drink," she said and was about to pour a cup for herself.

"Hey, don't be a party popper," I said with a pout.

"Fine!" She gave up and looked at me, "He is not so good down there," she whined.

"That's hilarious," Jeremy commented and I found myself laughing. She never dates a guy for more than a month.

"And?" I urged her with a wink.

"He has a poor fashion sense,"

"What!" I asked in disbelief with widened eyes.

"Wasn't that what you said you liked about him?" I remembered clearly she told me his fashion sense was top-notch.

"Hear yourself, Was and now, I don't like him anymore," she analyzed cunningly.

"You are so crazy, girl," Eve commented, holding her laughter.

"How can you all be laughing when I am the only single one here?" She asked with fake imaginary tears.

"A quick reminder. I am also single," I told her.

And we chuckled at this again, "I ran into him days ago," Lily said to us. She was referring to Ivy's ex.

"And?" Jeremy nudged her to continue.

"It was so embarrassing, I accidentally met him at the mall. He was asking for my help to talk to her on his behalf and how to win her love again," she said as she pointed at Ivy.

"Eew, I won't go back to my vomit," Ivy scrunched her face in disgust. 

"You are just full of drama," I told her, shaking my head at her statics.

The bottle was spinned again, it was Eve's turn. Her task was for her boyfriend to kiss her without her kissing him back. I was a bit flushed at their absurdity.

"Get a room, please," Ivy stressed her last word as she banged the table.

"Single life can be so boring," Lily said sarcastically. 

"Not so boring for me, though," I defended.

"Well, you are the boring type. Short and sexy," Jeremy said in a mocking tone.

"Love is a beautiful thing when you're with the right person," Atlas said, his words obviously directed to Ivy. 

"I have to start hunting for a boyfriend. Dog food is so bitter," Ivy proclaimed as she chugged her liquor.

"You are just so unbelievable," I commented as I took a sip from the liquor. 

"Gosh! This is so bitter," I said and they all laughed at my naiveness.

"You are so pure," Jeremy said and I rolled my eyes. The bitter taste still lingered on my tongue.

"Ugh! I need to wash my mouth," I said, excusing myself and stood up from there. 

I found myself singing with the thought of being a graduate.

"No classes, no assignment, no projects, just free…freeee," I kept singing to myself as I took a left turn to the restroom.

"I am free…'' my words got cut in my throat when I saw Ivy's ex. 

"What! What is he doing here? Oh no! This can't be," I said with a squeezed face. 

"Do I really have to get entangled in their love story?" I asked no one in particular.

When I saw him advancing in my direction, I hastily tried to escape from his clutches, only for me to inadvertently stumble into the crowded men's restroom.

To my utter astonishment, I locked eyes with bright jewel eyes twinkling in the light of the restroom, who was at mid-urination. We both froze in disbelief,our cheeks turning various shades of crimson.

"Haaaa!" I shrieked and closed my eyes shut from seeing too much.