Kevin doesn’t pay much attention to us, and then he’s gone.
Kai leans his hips against the counter, brushing his arm against mine.
I feel a rush of giddiness and excitement. My heart flutters, and a wide grin spreads across my face. I can't help but think this good-looking guy could have anyone, yet he's choosing to get to know me. Out of all the people, he's interested inme. I know I lack confidence, but I need to learn to open up, be myself, and recognize that I am beautiful and deserving of this good-looking guy.
“Cheers,” he says and raises his Corona toward mine. I clink my beer against his, and we both take sips.
“Is this like a weekly thing you guys do?” I ask.
He nods. “The parties aren’t always here. But we do party almost every weekend.”
“Sounds fun,” I say, glancing around at the lively scene. “Do you ever get tired of it?”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Not really. I get to see my friends that I don’t go to school with and meet new people.” He gives me a warm smile. “I’m happy you came out and we get to spend more time together.”
I feel a blush creep up my cheeks and look down at mybeer. “I’m happy I came too. I’ve never been to parties like this.”
“What do you usually do on weekends?” he asks.
“Hang out with Paige. We’re always together. We always end up at the mall,” I admit with a shy laugh because that is where we first laid eyes on each other. “I also like to read, watch movies, stuff like that.”
“Cool,” he says. His blue eyes shine, and I can’t help but think about how handsome he is. “Hopefully we can hang out more.”
“I’d love to,” I say, feeling a flutter of excitement. “What do you like to do?”
“Not much. I’m usually at school or work. And then the parties on weekends. I don’t know…” He sighs. “I used to do a lot more. Like fishing, hiking, and exploring the mountains with my dad,” he replies.
“Why don’t you do those things anymore?” I ask, taking another sip of my beer.
“My dad’s been going through some stuff, and he’s the one I would do those things with,” he says, looking a bit bashful.
“I’m sorry,” I say, genuinely saddened to hear all of this. “Hopefully things will get better.”
We continue to chat, the conversation flowing effortlessly. With each passing moment, I feel more at ease, grateful for the chance to get to know him better.
“Do you guys want to play beer pong?” Owen asks.
Paige and I both look at each other, shrug our shoulders, and head over to the table where there are ten cups on each end.
“How do we play?” Paige asks.
“Each player on the team takes turns throwing the ball into the cups. If the ball lands in the cup, one of the players has todrink the beer in said cup,” Owen says as he pours small amounts of beer into each cup.
“You want to be on my team?” Kai asks me.
“Sure.”
Paige and Owen are already on the other side of the table, lining the cups up in a pyramid shape.
“You guys go first,” Kai says.
Paige takes a ping-pong ball out of Owen’s hand and throws it our way. It hits the corner of the room and bounces to the floor. Paige bursts into laughter as she watches it roll away.
“Wow, Paige.” I giggle with her.
She puts her hands on her waist. “Let’s see you try.”
Kai hands me the ball. With a flick of my wrist, I toss the ball and watch it go through the air and land right into the cup.
