Aurora

Everyone froze, even the girl who was decorating the staircase, just to look at Paxton's reaction. The house got quiet waiting for him to react. After looking around curiously around the house for a while, with his mouth slightly parted, eyes wide, he nodded his head in realisation.

Looking around for another minute or two, he approached Adam and did their bro handshake.

"I will pretend I did not see that." was the first thing he said to me and Geena. This smarty-pants ruined everything for us.

"I will be going then, while you guys do all the work. Make sure I enjoy the party." He started walking outside. 

"Paxton, wait for me," I said following him outside trying to escape from this torture of arranging a party.

"Are you not needed there?" He opened his car door.

"I have been working there for a while. I need a break! I am not of much help anyway," the last thing I want is to concentrate on arranging those cups. I don't even concentrate so much on my homework.

"Thought so" he teased, "Where do you want to go?"

"How about my house? We can watch a couple of movies before we go to the party." There were so many movies I have been wanting to watch with someone for a while. Paxton is the perfect person to watch movies with. I remember when he was still in high school we used to watch a new movie every Friday after school. I miss those days.

"Your house?" He said, looking alarmed suddenly.

"Yep."

"How about mine?"

"No, offence but now that you aren't using your room anymore it's not the same it used to be. It's probably not very clean either."

"It is clean! I cleaned the last time I visited!"

"And that was weeks ago."

"You know what, I am a bit hungry. How about we go to a cafe or something?" He looked anywhere but at me.

He is acting suspiciously.

We have been very close friends since we were in middle school. By now, I knew most of his habits. He always scratches his ear when he is nervous, which is exactly what he is doing right now. Why is he nervous? He used to love hanging out in my house before. Something about my room being 'aesthetically pleasing' he said.

Suspicious, something is definitely up. And I need to get to the bottom of this.

"Okay but I get to choose the cafe."

*********

"Wow! Did guys do it for me? I love you so so much." Paxton covered his mouth with his left palm.

"You are a bad actor Pax," Geena commented from the side.

"What are you talking about Geena?" He blinked at her innocently. Wait. Paxton and innocent? These words don't belong in a sentence together.

"Stop!"

"Well, it does not matter if it was a surprise or not. I appreciate all of your efforts and this is no less than a surprise." Paxton said, hugging both of us.

"Pfft. Stop being all sappy."

"You are so sweet sometimes."

"I would like it if you are always this sweet." I would like that.

"It's not every day you guys throw parties for me." Paxton shrugged.

"If we throw parties every day, it would not be special anymore." I pointed out.

"Facts!" Geena exclaimed.

"If you throw parties every day, you will be broke before you even reach college." Why is he arguing with his statement earlier?

"I need to go, looks like my competitor is here." Geena looked at the beer pong table where two bulky guys were standing. They look like they are from the basketball team. She looks like a chipmunk compared to them.

"I should go too." Paxton started walking towards a group of guys.

"What am I gonna do alone?" Why do they always leave me alone?

"That's why you should make more friends." He said, patting my head.

And now my hair is messed up too.

The party looked like it was a success. Okay, maybe a bit too successful. The bar was crowded and so was the dance floor. Everyone looked like they were having a good time.

Adam too was looking like he was having a great time with Diana. They both were whispering and could not take their eyes off each other. He doesn't even know that Diana's personality is non-existent. There are many girls out there who are a hundred times better than her. Why is he looking at her like that?

Wait. Am I jealous? Nah. Nope. No way.

A drink would be of great help now.

Ordering a Tequila, I wait for the bartender to return. Paxton is nowhere to be seen.  Geena is still playing beer pong with the same guys from before.

"What are you doing alone?" A gentle voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Drinking." And you are the reason why I am drinking.

I chug down the whole drink in one go, which the bartender had brought earlier. Ordering for some more as soon as the bitter taste subsides.

"Easy there," Adam says, taking a seat beside me.

"What are you doing here? You looked very busy a few minutes back." I must have lost my mind. I shouldn't be so rude to him. But, I am angry….

"Huh?" Adam frowned, confusion evident on his face.

"You were with Diana. I didn't know you guys were close." Yep. I have officially lost my mind.

"Oh, yes we are close." Ok then.

I chug another drink.

"Adam! Then are we close?" My eyes narrow at him.

"I think you are drunk." He looks at me worried.

Or is he faking it?

"Nope, I am not. Answer my questionnn." There's no way I am drunk with just two glasses of alcohol.

"We aren't very close but we can be if you want us to. I mean…." He looked down, "I want us to be close." Then looked directly into my eyes. Too intense. His eyes are too intense.

"Then let's be close." I smiled brightly. Adam and me being close sounds fun. Very fun.

"That would be great." He smiles warmly in return.

Maybe it's not just his smile that is warm….

"Staph"

He raises an eyebrow at me when I blurt that out. Hot.

My weird thoughts make me shake my head. I may be a bit drunk.

Adam slowly takes the cup from my hand and throws it in the bin. Look at those hands. The veins. The things he could do with those hands-

It's hot here.

Getting up from the stool, I try to stand on my feet. Right leg down then left leg, then put your weight on them. Simple. Right leg down….where do I put my weight again? My hands? Ah no. The left leg then put weight on both.

Everything was fine till my legs decided that it was time for me to lose balance and embarrass myself. Adam was quick in his movements. One second he was sitting and the next he was holding me to prevent me from falling.

Why is he so fast? Is he a vampire? I narrow my eyes on him.

"Woah! Be careful." His hands tighten on my waist. It's very hot here.

"Outside. To get some fresh air." I look anywhere but at him.

"Let's go together then." He helps me stand straight. That's not going to help in any way. But, it's not like I can say no. I don't want to.

The cold wind calmed my racing heart down. There aren't many people outside. The lights from the party could be seen from outside. I am glad our hard work paid off.

"I didn't see you in school for a while. Is everything okay? Now that we are finally outside, I think I am getting sober.

"I was busy with something else." He replied sheepishly.

"I got worried. I thought you were not doing well."

"I am doing well now. Thanks for worrying about me." He smiled.

Now?

"My sister wasn't doing well actually." He said after a while.

"Oh. I hope she gets better soon." I didn't know he had a sister.

"I hope so too."

As the exhausting night slowly reached its end, I came to know many things about Adam. His favourite colour, his favourite movie and a bit about his father who isn't alive anymore. He was a doctor.

I shared a lot of things with him too. It had been a while since I had shared so many things about my life with someone else. He listened to them. My friends are there and I know they are ready to listen to any concerns. But, I always found myself having a hard time sharing my concerns with them.

Adam though was different. Although it hasn't been that long since we started talking, I found myself revealing all of my secrets to him.

I found Adam Wilson comforting.

                    _______________

Rewritten.