Post by SETH MATTHEW GELLAR on Jan 16, 2013 22:22:34 GMT -5
New Year's was one of Bridget's least favorite times of year. This was largely because of the pressure to come up with (and then adhere to) resolutions. Most years, she was like everyone else, resolving to eat better, to get better grades, or something of that sort. This year, though, Bridget felt compelled to make a resolution requiring her to actually make a decision about Rosewood Academy. It was infinitely more stressful to make this decision than she'd assumed it would be. More so because she had yet to tell Seth about her pending acceptance. She blamed that stress for her decision to attend a party.
Most years, Bridget rang in the new year with a bottle of sparkling cider while cuddling up to a cushy pillow on her well-worn couch. It was comfortable, which made her happy. This year, though, she'd been distracted enough to actually agree to go to a party that Seth had invited her to. She'd spent hours agonizing over what to wear. Having never attended a party (aside from a few silly birthday celebrations when she was much younger), Bridget had no idea what to expect. Eventually, she settled on a pair of dark-wash jeans, a pretty sweater, and a pair of trusty ballet flats. She brushed her hair, took her time adding just a little makeup, and finally resolved that if she didn't leave, she'd let herself skip the party entirely. It was after eleven already, and she'd probably missed much of the "party" experience as it was.
Bridget's stomach tied in knots as she sat in her parked car outside a house that was crawling with teenagers, most of whom were much more scantily clad than she was. She held her breath, silently giving herself a pep talk, and forced herself out of the car and into the mess, her eyes searching every corner for Seth. When she finally found him, she made her way through the crowd, holding her breath all the while. Stopping at last in front of Seth, she let out a long breath and made a face at him. "I can't believe you convinced me to come to this thing," she told him, preferring to blame her choice on him. Shaking her head, she let out a chuckle and stepped behind him to a cooler, full of drinks, none of which she could legally consume. That seemed to be her only option, though, so she hesitantly reached for a brightly colored one. If she was lucky, it wouldn't affect her too much.
Seth had been looking foward to this particular part for weeks - New Years was one of his favorite holidays because it was literally a turning point in one's life eery year. It made him want to change, be better, and to start over again for that year. He wasn't one of those people that made crazy and irrational resolutions or anything... he couldn't even remember the last time he'd made one. He just makes it a point to 'live' his life each year and that tends to work for him. This new year meant time to talk to Bridget about how he feels... make his move. He'd been crushing for a while, but he wasn't even close to sure if she felt the same way or not...
He was hoping to get the sign at midnight tonight.
He and Bridget had been getting closer and closer lately, and he couldn't deny the feelings he was developing for her. He'd always considered her out of his league, but now he just wasn't so sure. She'd agreed to come to this particular bash, and that had been just his first step. He still would have come without her, but her being there made it so much more exciting. He quickly got dressed in his newly printed 2013 black tee, throwing on a red plaid short on top with some jeans and chucks. He'd arrived at the party hours ago, helped tapped the keg and was already having a good time... but kept checking his iphone for the time, and watching the door, wondering if she'd actually show. It was already 11:25 and he had yet to spot her. He'd been pushing girls away all night, hoping that his kiss would come from Bridget.
Then, like a flash of light, she was there, in front of him. "I'm glad I did" he smiled at her, leaning in for a quick and semi-friendly side hug. The beer in his red solo cup sloshed some while he leaned, and then he took a large swig. He was going to have to be a little sloshed to actually go through with this brilliant (not so much) plan of his. 'What have I gotten myself into?' he thought to himself. She looked cute in her sweater and jeans. He had always admired her figure in some blue jeans. In a tipsy manner, he glanced in closer to her gold earrings, touching one he said, "I like these, they suit you." Although he really had no clue what he was talking about. He was surprised he was even thinking very clearly right now. He'd been drinking for about two hours already. His parents were going to kill him if he wasn't sober by the time he made it him.
The moment she found Seth in the crowd, Bridget felt better about being there. Nothing, however, was going to make her feel completely at ease in this group of people she hardly knew. Except maybe for the brightly colored drink in her hand. Letting out a sigh, she removed the lid from her bottle and took a hesitant sip of the beverage, which was decidedly fruitier and less toxic tasting than she'd anticipated. With a small smile, she turned back toward Seth, who was staring at her. Usually, Bridget was able to convince herself that she wasn't actually being stared at, that whoever she was with was staring at the hot girl behind her or at something she couldn't see. But Seth's gaze was blatantly directed at her ears.
Before she could really process what was going on, Seth's fingertips were grazing her earlobe. A deep blush colored Bridget's cheeks, and her eyes focuses on her toes as she tried to focus on what he was saying. Once she registered his compliment, though, her blush only deepened. Forcing a nervous smile onto her face, she looked up to meet his eyes. "You're drunk," she replied, unable to comprehend any other reason for his compliment. "But thanks anyway."
Taking a small step away, Bridget willed her breathing to return to normal. After a couple of small sips from her drink, she finally indulged in a long pull from the bottle, reveling in the way it seemed to soothe her nerves. She figured she could see why people made a habit of drinking. "So what do people do at these things, anyway?" she asked, casting Seth a sidelong glance. She felt a little silly just standing around with him with another half hour before the ball would drop.
Seth was completely used to the scenes around him at the party... the typical funnel on the beer keg, people cheering them on; the girl in the bathroom ralphing; and even the couple on the couch in the corner going at it. This was part of his normal weekend. The typical high school party where cliques hung out with only their kind and made fun of others at the party. He had never realized considered how out of place Bridget might feel at this particularly outrageous event. Tonight seemed to surpass all the parties he'd been to all semester. He still couldn't believe that he couldn't come up with something better than a lame comment on her rather dazzling earrings. Stupid, he thought.
"I am a little buzzed" he smiled at her, hoping she'd not realize how much he was downplaying that fact. He was definitely 'drunk' by all means, but he had never been so around her, and had not really intended to be tonight. He'd let his thoughts get the best of him, and he'd lost track an hour ago on how many beers he'd had. "You're welcome" he added for good measure. He had to keep up some normal conversation, and not seem so nervous about the fact that she had actually showed. She'd never come to any party he'd invited her to before. Why now, he wondered.
"People do all kinds of things here, as you can see" he said, waving towards the other end of the room towards the couple who were making out on the sofa. "But we, my dear, are going to dance" he added. He put his drink down on a table a few feet from them. "Come on", he grabbed her hand with his sweaty palm and lead her to the center of the room where a group was already dancing to a new song by Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe. He started to move a little to the beat, unsure if she'd actually join him or not. He was doing it to be funny, but it could be fun as well. He started singing the lyrics, clearly off key, smiling at her. "See, isn't this fun." He couldn't tell by looking at her if she was even having a decent time or not, so he hoped that lightening the moment might help.
It certainly seemed like Bridget was the only uncomfortable person in the room, but she figured the alcohol was at least partly to blame for that. She'd only consumed half of one drink, and she could already feel herself starting to relax. So much so that she nearly forgot that she shouldn't guzzle down the rest of the drink. Even with the slow buzz starting to creep up on her, though, she could tell that most of the other guests were drunk, including Seth. He claimed he was only a little buzzed, but even Bridget could tell the difference. "Right. Just a little," she teased, shaking her head. Ordinarily, she might have told him just how silly he was being or how he was jeopardizing is future. As it was, though, all she could do was give in to the smile she was plainly failing to hide.
She felt a little silly having to ask what she should be doing at this party, but it wasn't entirely clear. It seemed that a lot of people were satisfied just to exist in the same room with the other drunken partygoers. That didn't have a lot of appeal to it. Following the direction of Seth's gesture, she stared at the couple on the couch, stricken and mildly offended. A moment later, a blush was creeping into her cheeks as she wondered if it might be nice to be so wrapped up in someone else that you didn't care if the whole world was watching you. Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, she returned her attention to Seth, who had announced that they were going to dance. Letting out a short laugh, Bridget finished her drink quickly. Too quickly. But she wasn't stupid, and her parents had always told her not to leave her drink unattended in a crowded place.
Dancing was, most definitely, something that Bridget could agree to. It was a tremendous comfort that she could do so even in a room full of drunken teenagers. Letting out a short laugh, she watched as Seth moved toward a group of dancing guests, starting to dance a little himself. She'd just moved to join him when he started singing. A half smile tugged at her lips. "You're a terrible singer," she told him, hoping her smile would soften the comment. "But yes. I guess it's fun." Her body had picked up on the rhythm of the song and she was casually moving along to the beat, wondering whether actually letting go and really dancing would draw too much unwanted attention. "Thanks for inviting me," she murmured, unsure of what else to say at this point.
Her eyes flickered around the room, fixing momentarily on the couple on the couch again before returning to Seth. She was vaguely aware of feeling fuzzy and felt a boost of confidence that she could only blame on the alcohol. "You don't have to coddle me, you know. If there's someone you'd rather be with..." she offered, pointedly turning to look at the couple. She didn't want to force herself on him, and Bridget knew she'd never be up for as much of a show as those two were putting on.
He watched her take a few swigs of her fruity colorful drink, he mentally tried to recall the last time he’d seen her consume any alcohol. He couldn’t come up with a memory, ever. “Jusssst a little,” he replied to her, again, letting his ‘s’ in the word just run a little long as if he was thinking about something else while saying it. He couldn’t believe he’d allowed himself to get so drunk waiting on her was he really that nervous to be around her? He was also a little surprised that she wasn’t hounding him for all the alcohol in his system; she had to of known he was way more than just buzzed.
He watched as she downed the rest of her drink before following him to the dance floor, his mind on watching her move in those jeans more than anything else. He wasn’t sure what she thought of the party as a whole, and he was afraid to ask, or to let her get bored for fear that she might leave. He wanted to share this with her, midnight, the New Year. He wanted to start off the New Year with her.
Dancing, obviously, came easily to her, he watched as followed him into the center of gyrating teenagers. He knew he was off key, but usually he had no problem hitting the right notes. He smiled back at her, “I know… I’m only decent in the shower when no one in the world can hear me,” he blushed a little with embarrassment and stopped singing. He was enjoying being this close to her, he put his hands on her hips, well more above them, and he didn’t want to see too creepy to her. “You’re welcome, I’m glad you came.” He smiled at her again, pulling her a little closer.
He watched her eyes glance around the room, then she spoke again, and he was taken aback. He was surprised and kind of hurt by her comment and suggestion that he’d invite her here and then want to spend the night with someone else. That didn’t make any sense. He tried to calm him temper before speaking again, tried to even out his breaths. He dropped his hands from her sides and crossed them over his chest. He was sobering up now, very quickly in fact.
“Seriously, Bridge?” He knew she would hear the edge of anger in his voice; he could feel his face getting red and stares from people in the room. He wanted to pull her out of her, kiss her and take her home for them to be alone… he wanted to slap himself for drinking so much and inviting her to a party she had no interest in attending in the first place. He calmed a little, pulled her in closer for a slow dance, the music suddenly changed to a balled by Taylor Swift. “I don’t want to be with anyone but you” he whispered in her ear. “I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I’d planned on being with anyone else in the world tonight.” He pulled his face back to look her in the eye, he wanted her to see his face, to see that he meant the words that he was speaking
Shaking her head at Seth's obviously drunken state, Bridget let out a laugh. Ordinarily, she'd reprimand him for being so careless or remind him that his parents were going to kill him. But, feeling rather cozy herself, she figured she had no business pointing that out. Her own parents would kill her if they knew she was drinking. The more she drank, the more comfortable she felt, and the less she really cared about what her parents would think. After all, she was young, and she ought to be able to enjoy one night of fun.
As she'd hoped, Seth didn't react too badly to her critique of his singing. Instead, he agreed with her. Once he started talking about showers, though, she found that she couldn't focus on anything he was saying. She'd never really thought about him in the shower, but now that he'd introduced the subject, she figured it was a fair time to start. Instantly, her cheeks warmed with a tell-tale blush. The fact that he followed it up by pulling her in close didn't exactly help her embarrassment. The contact only made her blush deepen.
Before she really knew what was going on, though, he was angry. Bridget frowned, trying to figure out what she had done to deserve his wrath. He'd obviously tried to temper it, but it was there in his voice. All she'd done was let him know that he didn't have to entertain her. She knew she wasn't like his other friends, and even if he had invited her, he might have only done so for her benefit. She'd just opened her mouth to ask him what the problem was when the music changed to a slow song. Somewhat hesitantly, Bridget let him pull her close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. When his breath tickled her ear in a whisper, things suddenly started to fall into place. He wanted to be with her. Slowly, Bridget passed the idea through her mind, wondering if he meant only in this moment or if he actually wanted to be with her in more than a platonic way.
Brow furrowed, her eyes searched his when he pulled back. At last, she decided that she wasn't misreading him. "You're serious," she murmured, thinking that staying so out loud might help her digest the notion. She'd been fawning over him silently for so long that she hadn't ever really considered his potentially feeling the same way. Grabbing his hand, she tugged him away from the other guests, who were still swaying along to the song. She didn't stop walking until she'd reached the back door and let them into the mostly empty yard. "You want to be with me?" she asked, almost bewildered by the realization. "Like just coexist with me? Or be with me?" The concepts sounded similar, but she hoped he would understand the difference she was implying.
He almost felt like he could read her mind, typically in this situation she’d bring up his parents, like she had so many times before. He knew he’d be in trouble if he showed up like this at home, which was why he planned to wait until as late as possible and sneak in to his room, in an attempt to avoid them completely, or at least until he could sleep off his drunken stupor. On the other hand, he was glad she’d not brought it up, and instead was seemingly enjoying herself as well.
Seth felt a little embarrassed when she mentioned his terrible singing talents, but he was even more embarrassed by his own shower comment. He couldn’t believe he’d said it, but it was out there so he just ran with it; trying to keep his facial expressions smooth and not think about the shower as he felt himself get a little excited below the belt now that the subject of nakedness had suddenly come up. He just hoped that she wouldn’t ‘catch on’ once he started to pull her closer to dance.
Then, like the flip of a light switch, he felt the anger coming on. He’d never allowed himself to get angry around her, sadly he’d inherited his father’s temper which most of the time was a very terrible thing. He’s been known to throw things and punch walls, break glass and wreck cars. He’d always tried to keep Bridget out of that part of his life, but her comments had sent him over the edge, almost literally. How could she think he wanted to be with anyone else when he was here with her? He’d personally invited her to come… He was glad that she let him pull her closer, he wanted this conversation to be very private within this very public setting.
He knew she’d understood when their eyes met for the first time after speaking those words of wanting to be with her. “Of course I’m serious, Bridge.” He said, quietly to her before she managed to tug him away from the dance floor, their friends, and the party itself. He just let her lead them away, not saying anything else until they’d made it to the back yard and she started to grill him for answers. “Yes, I do. Why is that so hard to believe Bridget?” He was confused as to why this was so hard for her to understand, he thought his gestures had been clear, but apparently not. “Coexist? Bridget, I’ve always wanted to BE with you,” he said, clearly pouncing and enunciating the word ‘be’. “I thought you knew… I just thought you didn’t want to be with me… but then you showed up here, tonight” he threw his arm out pointing to the house, still unsure if she was feeling the same way or not.
That’s when he realized that the people inside the house were counting down,
5… 4…
and he knew this was his moment; he wanted to seal his fate.
3… 2… “Bridget,” he said finally.
1… and then he leaned in, surprising his self with how real this felt, and kissed her, lips to lips. She tasted sweet and like alcohol. He let his tongue touch her lips as they parted for a few seconds; he put a hand on her cheek, as if to finalize the connection. Then he pulled back to look at her, he wanted to see her reaction; all he could hear were the cheers from inside the house. He smiled at her, “Happy New Year.”
Most years, Bridget rang in the new year with a bottle of sparkling cider while cuddling up to a cushy pillow on her well-worn couch. It was comfortable, which made her happy. This year, though, she'd been distracted enough to actually agree to go to a party that Seth had invited her to. She'd spent hours agonizing over what to wear. Having never attended a party (aside from a few silly birthday celebrations when she was much younger), Bridget had no idea what to expect. Eventually, she settled on a pair of dark-wash jeans, a pretty sweater, and a pair of trusty ballet flats. She brushed her hair, took her time adding just a little makeup, and finally resolved that if she didn't leave, she'd let herself skip the party entirely. It was after eleven already, and she'd probably missed much of the "party" experience as it was.
Bridget's stomach tied in knots as she sat in her parked car outside a house that was crawling with teenagers, most of whom were much more scantily clad than she was. She held her breath, silently giving herself a pep talk, and forced herself out of the car and into the mess, her eyes searching every corner for Seth. When she finally found him, she made her way through the crowd, holding her breath all the while. Stopping at last in front of Seth, she let out a long breath and made a face at him. "I can't believe you convinced me to come to this thing," she told him, preferring to blame her choice on him. Shaking her head, she let out a chuckle and stepped behind him to a cooler, full of drinks, none of which she could legally consume. That seemed to be her only option, though, so she hesitantly reached for a brightly colored one. If she was lucky, it wouldn't affect her too much.
Seth had been looking foward to this particular part for weeks - New Years was one of his favorite holidays because it was literally a turning point in one's life eery year. It made him want to change, be better, and to start over again for that year. He wasn't one of those people that made crazy and irrational resolutions or anything... he couldn't even remember the last time he'd made one. He just makes it a point to 'live' his life each year and that tends to work for him. This new year meant time to talk to Bridget about how he feels... make his move. He'd been crushing for a while, but he wasn't even close to sure if she felt the same way or not...
He was hoping to get the sign at midnight tonight.
He and Bridget had been getting closer and closer lately, and he couldn't deny the feelings he was developing for her. He'd always considered her out of his league, but now he just wasn't so sure. She'd agreed to come to this particular bash, and that had been just his first step. He still would have come without her, but her being there made it so much more exciting. He quickly got dressed in his newly printed 2013 black tee, throwing on a red plaid short on top with some jeans and chucks. He'd arrived at the party hours ago, helped tapped the keg and was already having a good time... but kept checking his iphone for the time, and watching the door, wondering if she'd actually show. It was already 11:25 and he had yet to spot her. He'd been pushing girls away all night, hoping that his kiss would come from Bridget.
Then, like a flash of light, she was there, in front of him. "I'm glad I did" he smiled at her, leaning in for a quick and semi-friendly side hug. The beer in his red solo cup sloshed some while he leaned, and then he took a large swig. He was going to have to be a little sloshed to actually go through with this brilliant (not so much) plan of his. 'What have I gotten myself into?' he thought to himself. She looked cute in her sweater and jeans. He had always admired her figure in some blue jeans. In a tipsy manner, he glanced in closer to her gold earrings, touching one he said, "I like these, they suit you." Although he really had no clue what he was talking about. He was surprised he was even thinking very clearly right now. He'd been drinking for about two hours already. His parents were going to kill him if he wasn't sober by the time he made it him.
The moment she found Seth in the crowd, Bridget felt better about being there. Nothing, however, was going to make her feel completely at ease in this group of people she hardly knew. Except maybe for the brightly colored drink in her hand. Letting out a sigh, she removed the lid from her bottle and took a hesitant sip of the beverage, which was decidedly fruitier and less toxic tasting than she'd anticipated. With a small smile, she turned back toward Seth, who was staring at her. Usually, Bridget was able to convince herself that she wasn't actually being stared at, that whoever she was with was staring at the hot girl behind her or at something she couldn't see. But Seth's gaze was blatantly directed at her ears.
Before she could really process what was going on, Seth's fingertips were grazing her earlobe. A deep blush colored Bridget's cheeks, and her eyes focuses on her toes as she tried to focus on what he was saying. Once she registered his compliment, though, her blush only deepened. Forcing a nervous smile onto her face, she looked up to meet his eyes. "You're drunk," she replied, unable to comprehend any other reason for his compliment. "But thanks anyway."
Taking a small step away, Bridget willed her breathing to return to normal. After a couple of small sips from her drink, she finally indulged in a long pull from the bottle, reveling in the way it seemed to soothe her nerves. She figured she could see why people made a habit of drinking. "So what do people do at these things, anyway?" she asked, casting Seth a sidelong glance. She felt a little silly just standing around with him with another half hour before the ball would drop.
Seth was completely used to the scenes around him at the party... the typical funnel on the beer keg, people cheering them on; the girl in the bathroom ralphing; and even the couple on the couch in the corner going at it. This was part of his normal weekend. The typical high school party where cliques hung out with only their kind and made fun of others at the party. He had never realized considered how out of place Bridget might feel at this particularly outrageous event. Tonight seemed to surpass all the parties he'd been to all semester. He still couldn't believe that he couldn't come up with something better than a lame comment on her rather dazzling earrings. Stupid, he thought.
"I am a little buzzed" he smiled at her, hoping she'd not realize how much he was downplaying that fact. He was definitely 'drunk' by all means, but he had never been so around her, and had not really intended to be tonight. He'd let his thoughts get the best of him, and he'd lost track an hour ago on how many beers he'd had. "You're welcome" he added for good measure. He had to keep up some normal conversation, and not seem so nervous about the fact that she had actually showed. She'd never come to any party he'd invited her to before. Why now, he wondered.
"People do all kinds of things here, as you can see" he said, waving towards the other end of the room towards the couple who were making out on the sofa. "But we, my dear, are going to dance" he added. He put his drink down on a table a few feet from them. "Come on", he grabbed her hand with his sweaty palm and lead her to the center of the room where a group was already dancing to a new song by Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe. He started to move a little to the beat, unsure if she'd actually join him or not. He was doing it to be funny, but it could be fun as well. He started singing the lyrics, clearly off key, smiling at her. "See, isn't this fun." He couldn't tell by looking at her if she was even having a decent time or not, so he hoped that lightening the moment might help.
It certainly seemed like Bridget was the only uncomfortable person in the room, but she figured the alcohol was at least partly to blame for that. She'd only consumed half of one drink, and she could already feel herself starting to relax. So much so that she nearly forgot that she shouldn't guzzle down the rest of the drink. Even with the slow buzz starting to creep up on her, though, she could tell that most of the other guests were drunk, including Seth. He claimed he was only a little buzzed, but even Bridget could tell the difference. "Right. Just a little," she teased, shaking her head. Ordinarily, she might have told him just how silly he was being or how he was jeopardizing is future. As it was, though, all she could do was give in to the smile she was plainly failing to hide.
She felt a little silly having to ask what she should be doing at this party, but it wasn't entirely clear. It seemed that a lot of people were satisfied just to exist in the same room with the other drunken partygoers. That didn't have a lot of appeal to it. Following the direction of Seth's gesture, she stared at the couple on the couch, stricken and mildly offended. A moment later, a blush was creeping into her cheeks as she wondered if it might be nice to be so wrapped up in someone else that you didn't care if the whole world was watching you. Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, she returned her attention to Seth, who had announced that they were going to dance. Letting out a short laugh, Bridget finished her drink quickly. Too quickly. But she wasn't stupid, and her parents had always told her not to leave her drink unattended in a crowded place.
Dancing was, most definitely, something that Bridget could agree to. It was a tremendous comfort that she could do so even in a room full of drunken teenagers. Letting out a short laugh, she watched as Seth moved toward a group of dancing guests, starting to dance a little himself. She'd just moved to join him when he started singing. A half smile tugged at her lips. "You're a terrible singer," she told him, hoping her smile would soften the comment. "But yes. I guess it's fun." Her body had picked up on the rhythm of the song and she was casually moving along to the beat, wondering whether actually letting go and really dancing would draw too much unwanted attention. "Thanks for inviting me," she murmured, unsure of what else to say at this point.
Her eyes flickered around the room, fixing momentarily on the couple on the couch again before returning to Seth. She was vaguely aware of feeling fuzzy and felt a boost of confidence that she could only blame on the alcohol. "You don't have to coddle me, you know. If there's someone you'd rather be with..." she offered, pointedly turning to look at the couple. She didn't want to force herself on him, and Bridget knew she'd never be up for as much of a show as those two were putting on.
He watched her take a few swigs of her fruity colorful drink, he mentally tried to recall the last time he’d seen her consume any alcohol. He couldn’t come up with a memory, ever. “Jusssst a little,” he replied to her, again, letting his ‘s’ in the word just run a little long as if he was thinking about something else while saying it. He couldn’t believe he’d allowed himself to get so drunk waiting on her was he really that nervous to be around her? He was also a little surprised that she wasn’t hounding him for all the alcohol in his system; she had to of known he was way more than just buzzed.
He watched as she downed the rest of her drink before following him to the dance floor, his mind on watching her move in those jeans more than anything else. He wasn’t sure what she thought of the party as a whole, and he was afraid to ask, or to let her get bored for fear that she might leave. He wanted to share this with her, midnight, the New Year. He wanted to start off the New Year with her.
Dancing, obviously, came easily to her, he watched as followed him into the center of gyrating teenagers. He knew he was off key, but usually he had no problem hitting the right notes. He smiled back at her, “I know… I’m only decent in the shower when no one in the world can hear me,” he blushed a little with embarrassment and stopped singing. He was enjoying being this close to her, he put his hands on her hips, well more above them, and he didn’t want to see too creepy to her. “You’re welcome, I’m glad you came.” He smiled at her again, pulling her a little closer.
He watched her eyes glance around the room, then she spoke again, and he was taken aback. He was surprised and kind of hurt by her comment and suggestion that he’d invite her here and then want to spend the night with someone else. That didn’t make any sense. He tried to calm him temper before speaking again, tried to even out his breaths. He dropped his hands from her sides and crossed them over his chest. He was sobering up now, very quickly in fact.
“Seriously, Bridge?” He knew she would hear the edge of anger in his voice; he could feel his face getting red and stares from people in the room. He wanted to pull her out of her, kiss her and take her home for them to be alone… he wanted to slap himself for drinking so much and inviting her to a party she had no interest in attending in the first place. He calmed a little, pulled her in closer for a slow dance, the music suddenly changed to a balled by Taylor Swift. “I don’t want to be with anyone but you” he whispered in her ear. “I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I’d planned on being with anyone else in the world tonight.” He pulled his face back to look her in the eye, he wanted her to see his face, to see that he meant the words that he was speaking
Shaking her head at Seth's obviously drunken state, Bridget let out a laugh. Ordinarily, she'd reprimand him for being so careless or remind him that his parents were going to kill him. But, feeling rather cozy herself, she figured she had no business pointing that out. Her own parents would kill her if they knew she was drinking. The more she drank, the more comfortable she felt, and the less she really cared about what her parents would think. After all, she was young, and she ought to be able to enjoy one night of fun.
As she'd hoped, Seth didn't react too badly to her critique of his singing. Instead, he agreed with her. Once he started talking about showers, though, she found that she couldn't focus on anything he was saying. She'd never really thought about him in the shower, but now that he'd introduced the subject, she figured it was a fair time to start. Instantly, her cheeks warmed with a tell-tale blush. The fact that he followed it up by pulling her in close didn't exactly help her embarrassment. The contact only made her blush deepen.
Before she really knew what was going on, though, he was angry. Bridget frowned, trying to figure out what she had done to deserve his wrath. He'd obviously tried to temper it, but it was there in his voice. All she'd done was let him know that he didn't have to entertain her. She knew she wasn't like his other friends, and even if he had invited her, he might have only done so for her benefit. She'd just opened her mouth to ask him what the problem was when the music changed to a slow song. Somewhat hesitantly, Bridget let him pull her close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. When his breath tickled her ear in a whisper, things suddenly started to fall into place. He wanted to be with her. Slowly, Bridget passed the idea through her mind, wondering if he meant only in this moment or if he actually wanted to be with her in more than a platonic way.
Brow furrowed, her eyes searched his when he pulled back. At last, she decided that she wasn't misreading him. "You're serious," she murmured, thinking that staying so out loud might help her digest the notion. She'd been fawning over him silently for so long that she hadn't ever really considered his potentially feeling the same way. Grabbing his hand, she tugged him away from the other guests, who were still swaying along to the song. She didn't stop walking until she'd reached the back door and let them into the mostly empty yard. "You want to be with me?" she asked, almost bewildered by the realization. "Like just coexist with me? Or be with me?" The concepts sounded similar, but she hoped he would understand the difference she was implying.
He almost felt like he could read her mind, typically in this situation she’d bring up his parents, like she had so many times before. He knew he’d be in trouble if he showed up like this at home, which was why he planned to wait until as late as possible and sneak in to his room, in an attempt to avoid them completely, or at least until he could sleep off his drunken stupor. On the other hand, he was glad she’d not brought it up, and instead was seemingly enjoying herself as well.
Seth felt a little embarrassed when she mentioned his terrible singing talents, but he was even more embarrassed by his own shower comment. He couldn’t believe he’d said it, but it was out there so he just ran with it; trying to keep his facial expressions smooth and not think about the shower as he felt himself get a little excited below the belt now that the subject of nakedness had suddenly come up. He just hoped that she wouldn’t ‘catch on’ once he started to pull her closer to dance.
Then, like the flip of a light switch, he felt the anger coming on. He’d never allowed himself to get angry around her, sadly he’d inherited his father’s temper which most of the time was a very terrible thing. He’s been known to throw things and punch walls, break glass and wreck cars. He’d always tried to keep Bridget out of that part of his life, but her comments had sent him over the edge, almost literally. How could she think he wanted to be with anyone else when he was here with her? He’d personally invited her to come… He was glad that she let him pull her closer, he wanted this conversation to be very private within this very public setting.
He knew she’d understood when their eyes met for the first time after speaking those words of wanting to be with her. “Of course I’m serious, Bridge.” He said, quietly to her before she managed to tug him away from the dance floor, their friends, and the party itself. He just let her lead them away, not saying anything else until they’d made it to the back yard and she started to grill him for answers. “Yes, I do. Why is that so hard to believe Bridget?” He was confused as to why this was so hard for her to understand, he thought his gestures had been clear, but apparently not. “Coexist? Bridget, I’ve always wanted to BE with you,” he said, clearly pouncing and enunciating the word ‘be’. “I thought you knew… I just thought you didn’t want to be with me… but then you showed up here, tonight” he threw his arm out pointing to the house, still unsure if she was feeling the same way or not.
That’s when he realized that the people inside the house were counting down,
5… 4…
and he knew this was his moment; he wanted to seal his fate.
3… 2… “Bridget,” he said finally.
1… and then he leaned in, surprising his self with how real this felt, and kissed her, lips to lips. She tasted sweet and like alcohol. He let his tongue touch her lips as they parted for a few seconds; he put a hand on her cheek, as if to finalize the connection. Then he pulled back to look at her, he wanted to see her reaction; all he could hear were the cheers from inside the house. He smiled at her, “Happy New Year.”
