Chapter 6

"Wow Muna, she IS hot"

I stared down at the picture of Miss Rose on my phone screen. Hot? An understatement.

"How didn't you even know she was your CEO before your first freaking day?" Amanda asked as she turned the corner.

We were in her Volvo on our way to a party that Amanda had convinced me that I needed. I still wasn't entirely convinced but she said I needed to reunite myself with College life before I headed back to California. I had agreed because as much as I hated to admit it, she had a point. I did little to no going out in California, this was due to the fact that I was practically always tired after work and on the weekends, as well as the more important factor, being that I didn't really have any friends.

I leaned my head against the car seat as the wind from outside attacked my face, "she likes to be pretty private I guess. There are hardly any pictures of her online."

"I mean, fair enough, being the CEO of a company that big?" Amanda said, taking her eyes off from the road temporarily to look at me, "whew, otherwise she'd literally be mobbed everywhere she goes. Especially being THAT hot!"

"Okay Amanda, we get it!" I said laughing crazily, to which Amanda threw both hands up in defeat, I responded by yelling at her to get her hands back on the steering wheel.

I looked out of the window taking in the familiar scenery before me. This was in the neighborhood I had grown up in and I knew the street where I lived was up ahead. My throat seemed to close up once I caught sight of my old house. It still looked exactly the same as it had been when my family was there, except the red paint had now been changed to a dull grey color. I stared at it a little longer wondering what type of family lived there now. I wondered if they were happy.

"You okay?" Amanda asked as she took a quick glance at me.

I nodded my head not trusting my voice and we drove in silence for a few more seconds. Amanda was the only other person that knew the history I had in that house, some of my very worst memories had been formed there.

"How far is this party anyways?" I asked, changing the subject , "we've been driving forever."

Amanda shook her head laughing, "twenty minutes is not forever Muna, and besides...here we are."

I looked up as Amanda turned a corner and we arrived on a narrow street, turning another corner, we were parked right outside a simple looking house. I could already hear the music blaring on the speakers from outside. Once again excitement and anxiety began to bubble inside me.

"Don't worry about anything right now, " Amanda said turning and smiling at me, "tonight is going to be fun, we're paying tribute to the old times."

She was right. It did feel like the old times; I felt like I was back in College as the music pounded against the walls. The front door of the house was open and Amanda and I walked right in. We immediately found ourselves in a dark room which was packed with a significant amount of people. There were string lights sprung up haphazardly at the corner of the room in the name of 'decorations'. People were yelling over the music, people were dancing, some people had already begun making out against the walls. The party was in full swing.

Amanda was pulling on my arm as we made our way through the mass of sweaty bodies and the stench of alcohol before reaching the bar.

Amanda shouted out orders at the bartender whilst I just sat back and watched the party unfolding before me. I smiled, trying to take it all in. This was the last bit of 'party' I was going to be having in a while, not whilst working under stern Miss Rose that is. Speaking of Miss Rose...I remembered I was going to have to share a cabin with her next week and I instantly felt my heart start to quicken in it's pace.

"Here you go." I turned a bit distracted as Amanda shoved a drink into my hands, "now take a gulp of this and stop goddamn worrying about whatever it is you're worrying about this time."

I smiled at Amanda gratefully as I took the drink from her hand. She knew me so well, she was able to tell what I was thinking, she knew that I was worrying about something without me even having to tell her. I guess that's the thing about best friends, they just know.

I felt the liquid in the cup slowly seep down my throat, it was vodka mixed with something else I couldn't place. It burnt as it went down my throat but I welcomed the feeling, I welcomed burn.

"Bartender!" Amanda yelled once again and began giving orders.

I giggled as I watched her, Amanda was so meticulous when it came to her alcohol. I kind of felt bad for the bartender who had to follow her orders precisely as he mixed the drinks together.

"Drink up," Amanda said shoving another drink in my hands and I did just that.

This one was a lot sweeter than the last, it had a delicious orange taste to it.

"Mmmm," I said once I had finished the contents of the drink, "can i have more of whatever that was?"

"Bartender!" Amanda yelled once again and I burst into full blown laughter.

I was a terrible lightweight and I could already feel the alcohol working in my system.

"Hey Amanda, aren't you going to have a drink?" I asked once she placed the refilled cup in my hands.

"Nope, designated driver remember," Amanda responded, "besides tonight is all about you"

I took a sip of the drink in my hand relishing in its sweet taste.

"Now go." Amanda said as she softly pushed me towards the crowd of people, "go socialize. Make new friends. Hey, who knows, maybe you'd even get lucky"

I walked over to a group of people, all the while thinking about how my idea of "getting lucky" was purely Miss Rose- nothing less. However, it appeared that all the people on the dance floor were in fact just that. Less.

I was the good type of drunk. Just drunk enough that I had acquired this veil of new found confidence. Not sloppy drunk or depressing drunk or outright annoying drunk which was good. I mentally gave myself a pat on the back.

All through the night I found myself talking to different people about whatever. It was relaxing and refreshing moving from crowd to crowd.

"Hey Muna, is that you?"

I turned around coming face-to-face with the last person I had expected to see here, Giselle. Giselle was someone that I had a fling with back in my college days, it was very brief and ended because Giselle wanted to take it further. But I had too much on my plate to deal with a relationship so I had turned her down.

She was dressed in a black denim jacket and black ripped jeans. Her hair was still cut low, how it had always been, it was now dyed a blondish-brown color in contrast to the bright colors she always used to dye it.

"Hey Giselle," I said smiling back at her as she reached over and embraced me in a hug, "how have you been?"

"I've been good. The usual. Hey, um I heard you moved to California,"

"Yeah, I did," I said hyper-aware of the alcohol in my system, "I got a job promotion so I had to move"

"Oh, that's amazing, congratulations," Giselle said as she smiled down at me.

She was an attractive girl- there was no doubt about that. That was probably what had drawn me towards her initially.

"Um, can I buy you a drink?" Giselle suddenly asked.

"Oh um, I think I've had enough to drink," I replied smiling cheekily, "how about I buy you a drink instead?"

"That's fine by me," Giselle retorted as a smile crept upon her face.

We began walking over to the bar. I caught a glimpse of Amanda at the back of the room talking to some guy. From her body language I could tell she was interested in him and I smiled to myself.

"So, what drink would you like?" I asked.

"Surprise me," Giselle answered with a gleam in her eyes.

I laughed at this, I felt really light, "hey Bartender, could I have that orange juice thing you gave me earlier?"

The Bartender nodded at me and began mixing different drinks together.

"Tell me about California," Giselle said leaning in closer to me, "you're gonna feel really lucky not having to deal with snow once winter comes around"

"I guess," I said smiling at Giselle, "I do really hate the snow"

"Yeah, I remember that about you."

There was a moment of silence which was broken by the Bartender bringing the drink over. I mumbled a quick "thank you" as I took it from him and handed it to Giselle.

"It's amazing they have an actual Bar in here, these College house parties are really evolving."

"I know right," Giselle said as she took a drink out of her cup, "mmmm, this is really good. What is it?"

"I have absolutely no idea." I responded which sent Giselle bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Hey!" Amanda said suddenly appearing out of nowhere, "oh my gosh Muna, it's Giselle!"

I burst out laughing and Giselle did too. I felt really happy at that moment, I didn't have to worry about anything at that moment.

I was genuinely happy, I just wished it could be like this forever.