Natalie nodded shakily, leaning on the counter for support. Her head still spun from all the noise, the smoke, the transition from neon lights in the darkness to calming, even white ones. "Me– me neither." She attempted a laugh, making sure her hair covered her brown eye. "I don't– as you can probably see I'm not– I'm not a people-person. I don't do– do so well with– with crowds. Or talking."
"Yeah I'm not huge on parties either but somehow I always get dragged into them." He laughed lightly.
"I usually fake– fake sick. I felt really bad this time– so… here I am…" Natalie looked uncomfortably off to the side, painfully aware of how ridiculous her costume looked.
"Do you know the host?" He asked setting his mask down on the counter. He went over to one of the coolers and looked inside, mostly beer but there were some pops probably meant for mixing with other liquor. "Do you like soda?" He asked.
"Y-Yeah, Ruby and I go back a few– a few years. You?" Natalie forced herself to breathe deeply. "I think I'll just have water."
He grabbed a waterbottle out of the coolder and offered it to her. "Yeah I've met Ruby, shes dating a friend of mine." He answered and mixed himself a drink.
“Th-Thanks. She won’t stop talking about- about her new girlfriend, I’m beginning to think she’s getting me— getting me excited for nothing.” Natalie too a deep gulp from the water bottle, the cool water easing the pain in her dry, tightening throat.
(Where are the others?)
(Still in the main party room I think)
(And in the bathroom)
(Ah okay, we should probably try get them all together soon)
(Yeah)
(I don’t think anyone else is on rn)
(Maybe they could slowly group in the kitchen to get away from the chaos?)
(Yeah probably a good idea)
"Yeah Jess talks about Ruby all the time." He laughed lightly.
“How did— how did you and Jess meet.” Natalie swallowed, mentally tallying Nixon down on her list of good people. So far, he had been nice, gentle, non-judgemental, and non-homophobic. At least something good came out of all of this.
"We met in music class in grade 9, there was a manditory talent show very unnecessary if you ask me but we partnered up since neither of us had any other friends in the class and she sung and I played the piano." He explained "How did you meet Ruby?" He asked taking a sip of his drink.
“You— you play piano? S-Same.” Natalie took another gulp of water. “We joined knitting club in Grade 8– to avoid socializing out- outside. We ended up— we ended up going to the same high school and now… Remind— remind me, how old are you?”
"Really? I never meet other piano players thats awesome!" He smiled "I'm 17, you?"
It felt unusual, to be this comfortable, to talk this much. “I play guitar too.” Natalie was mildly surprised that she’d made it through a sentence with a stranger without stuttering. “And I’m— I’m nineteen.”
"Nice the guitar sounds so cool, I have a drum box that I use for fun but I really want to learn how to play a drum set." Nixon added, he was glad he had found someone to talk to so he didn't spend the whole night watching drunk people by himself.
(I might have elizabeth escape to the kitchen or cave and get drunk and then maybe stumble across a few people and just break down? idk yet)
(Nice)
Alrighto. Small issue in her plan. Very mild. Food. She couldn't starve herself - didn't need another disorder to add to her list, she thought wirely. Creeping alongside the wall, Opal felt like a spy in her mermaid costume. Where were the kitchens? Silently cursing the layout of the house, she began to awkwardly move back to the bathroom. Sighing, she decided she'd have to, like, walk.
Natalie nodded nervously. “Cool. Where— what high school do you- do you go to?” Her nerves were easing, she was slowly becoming less and less jumpy.