“How do you know Leighton?”
“Another party,” he says vaguely.
“Which party?”
Daniel doesn’t hear the question. Or he’s just ignoring me as he keeps looking around for his other friend. Then his eyes widen. “That’s him right there—”
I turn my head as he appears through the crowd, wearing an orange polo. Dark blond hair and blue-green eyes, reminding me of the guy from the baseball team Daniel was into. I stand there as the two of them hug each other. To my relief, he’s not much taller than me, maybe an inch and a half at most.
Daniel puts a hand on my shoulder. “This is my friend Eric,” he says, giving me a squeeze. “Eric—this is Leighton.”
Leighton holds out a hand. “Yeah, Daniel’s mentioned you before.”
He’s never mentioned you.I’m not sure what to make of this. “Nice meeting you,” I say, shaking his hand. It’s a decent grip, but nothing to write home about. He has nice skin, though. I’m sure it’s just the dim lighting in here.
“Leighton goes to North Side,” Daniel says with an eye roll. They’re our school’s adversaries. “He’s a senior, too. He’s also into film.”
“Photography,” Leighton says. “But I’ve taken some film classes.”
“You guys have a lot in common,” Daniel says, nodding. “Leighton’s also applying to Indiana.”
Leighton smiles. “You’re applying there, too? My brother goes there.”
“He can help get me in,” Daniel says.
“Imagine us all living together.” Leighton shoves him playfully.
“That would be sick. But we’d get nothing done.”
They both laugh. I say nothing. Daniel and I are supposed to be roommates together. Suddenly he’s bringing in some guy I’ve never met before?
Leighton checks his phone. “I need to grab some ice for Vince,” he says, looking at Daniel. “Wanna give me a hand? It’s just down the street.”
“Sure,” Daniel says. Then he turns to me. “Mind waiting here for a sec?”
I give him a look. “You’re leaving me?”
“Only for a few minutes.”
“It’s right down the corner,” Leighton adds.
I glance at him and back at Daniel. We just got to the party. I don’t know a single person here. But I don’t want to appear annoying, especially in front of his other friend. “Yeah, I guess. I’ll get us drinks while you’re gone.”
“We’ll be right back,” Daniel says. He offers a quick wave before following Leighton out the door.
I let out a breath, glancing around the room. Everyone is chatting in small circles, like their own lunch tables in a cafeteria. I feel like the new kid at school, looking around for an open seat. Maybe I’ll get a drink to hold in my hand, so I’m not just standing here awkwardly. I snake through the living room until I find the bar by the window. I don’t recognize half the bottles on the table. There’s a punch bowl with freshfruit inside. Are those kiwi slices? As I grab the ladle, someone speaks to me.
“I wouldn’t drink that.”
I glance up from the bowl. A guy with wispy brown hair stands on the other side of the table, holding a seltzer. He’s wearing a gray shirt, and he’s on the slim side, making him appear taller at first glance.
“Why not?” I ask.
“I just watched them make it,” he says, gesturing at the punch bowl. “Don’t let the fruits deceive you. I can’t imagine it tasting any good.”
“That’s too bad.” I drop the ladle and glance at the table again. There’s a box of seltzer, which seems to be the drink of choice around here. But I’ve never heard of this brand before. “Any flavor recommendations?” I decide to ask.
“Watermelon is classic,” he says.
