I don’t thinkI’d ever considered charcuterie boards or platters of chips and dip to be self-soothing, but I found a lot of comfort, standing by the kitchen island and escaping the waves of peoplecoming and going from the party. Esme and Isaac had been summoned for sorority pictures but I was easily keeping myself entertained with the copious amounts of food in front of me.
I’d taken a special interest in the mini burgers on the serving plate closest to me. When I say they were mini, I meant they were you-probably-need-a-microscope-to-see-them small but absolutely delicious. One just needed to eat about thirty to feel fully sated. I sipped on my new cocktail,The Pond Monster,something with gin and apple sours, as I watched a drunken girl stumble into the kitchen.
I know staring was rude. But when the “rules” about staring were invented, did we ever really take a moment to consider thewhybehind it? Because the girl in front of me proceeded to grab handful after handful of maki and shovel them into her mouth like she was part of some eating contest only she was aware of.
She had long red hair and a chest that would have stopped any man dead in their tracks. If it weren’t for her manners, I would have said she was drop-dead gorgeous. She was wearing an intricately detailed shell bra paired with a long shimmering blue and green skirt that jutted out in anaquatichemline.
Sushi platter cleared, but a California roll or two,crab or salmon maybe, still in her hand, she looked up at me and scowled. The look on her face was a cross between uninterest and mild disgust. “What the fuck are you looking at?”
Oh, good, conflict.
“Um, nothing.” I shrugged before holding my hands up.
“I’ve seen you at these parties a couple times.” She laughed to herself, a sound so jarring and clearly unkind. “You’re kind of fucking weird.”
She’s drunk, she’s drunk, she’s drunk. Still a bitch but she’s just drunk.I blinked at her, not really knowing how to respond. For a moment, we just stared at each otherbefore her expression evolved into something more disdainful.
“Oh my god, can you stop fucking staring at me? It’s making me like seriously uncomfortable.”
“Well, your cannibalism makes me uncomfortable,” I bit out before I could stop myself. Her face was like a fucking Pokémon the way it continued to evolve, this time with an added air of confusion.
“What…”
“I said your cannibalism makes me uncomfortable.” And this was the perfect example of why I didn’t go out. Because I seemed to find myself in unenjoyable conversations with people who were not worth my time.
She sneered. “No, I heard what you fucking said. I just don’t know why you said it.”
“Because—” I thought about not finishing the sentence. I thought about just turning around and leaving, but the situation had already nosedived into something more uncomfortable.
Might as well go down with the plane because the situation couldn’t get any more painful. “Because you’re a mermaid. And you just about cleared this party out of sushi, bar the two pieces still clutched in your hand. Fish eatingfish.”
And once again, we were staring at each other.And I was wrong; this is fucking painful.I wasn’t sure why I ever tried to come to things like this. I wasn’t good at beinga person and trying just seemed to make it worse.
Harley Quinn strode into the kitchen a few beats later, flanked by none other than Mario himself. The mermaid whispered something to both of them before they all looked up at me and gave me a look you’d probably make if you stepped in shit.
I offered up a weary smile and a mock cheers with my glass.I’m the dog shit, right?God, I would have thought with all theplumbingthey’d been doing upstairs, the two of them would at least be in a more jovial mood. Assessing Mario for a moment, Icame to the conclusion that occupation didn’t necessarily make you good in bed.
Bitchy mermaid said something else I couldn’t quite make out before they all looked at me again and laughed. They grabbed a few drinks, the muttered ‘freak’and ‘loser’not going unheard as they walked out of the room.
“Zeta, cappa, go fuck yourselves!” I called out before slumping against the kitchen island.
CHAPTER THREE
Alittle while later, the party had started to die down. People were staggering and stumbling out of the Zeta Sigma Noctura house in favour of a frat pool party down the street. Because nothing quite said sensible idea like drunk, high students and a body of water.
“Don’t let assholes get you down,” Esme pleaded before looking over at Isaac and holding up a singular finger for him to wait for her before following after me. “Please, please,please,come.”
I gave her an exasperated sigh. My social battery was gone. Dead. Fizzling away in a proverbial Creepy Eyeball as we spoke. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed with my new book. Maybe there would be a curse in the book that would turn bitchyArielintoUrsula. That would really show her.
“Hey, I did my time,” I said, putting on a cheery voice. “You saidoneparty.”
Esme sighed, giving me a weary smile in response, before looking back toward the door. “Well, you know where you’resleeping. Are you sure you don’t mind us going? We can stay. I don’t want you to feel like we are abandoning you.”
The sorority house had a spare guest room in the loft. It was simple, undecorated, and a lot more understated than a lot of the lavish décor and furniture that could be found littered across the house and in the girls’ bedrooms. Unlike the two girls who had accosted me earlier, most of the girls at ZSN were nice and welcoming, often asking me to attendmoreof their events.
“Ez, I don’t feel like that at all. Go and have fun. I do not need a babysitter.” I smiled, pushing her toward the door.
“If you do change your mind—”I won’t,“—the party is on Irvine Avenue.”
