What is up with this girl?

Malachi pulls Rhea into an all encompassing hug. I'm trying to read him by his body language towards my best friend, I don't want her hoping for something if it's not there. She looks out for me, I want to re-pay the favour.

"Tay glad you could make it" Malachi says with an easy smile playing on his lips. I'm beginning to think we were specifically invited out today. I glance at Rhea and she rolls her eyes at me mouthing the words 'you're welcome'.

Malachi is wearing a loose fitting t-shirt in an oversized baggy style, with jeans and vans. His tall frame and attractive features make him look like a model.

I smile at him, Rhea is still holding onto his arm. Surely he can sense her affection? I know everybody else can, she's earning a scowl from a girl behind him. Rhea turns to face him and they look great together, their heights are well matched with her looking up into his eyes.

Before I begin to think about Tom I look away, surprised at the sting I feel. I should be happy for my friend and mostly I am, but my perspective on love is pretty damn pessimistic at the moment anyway.

"I'm Rachel" a blonde girl bursts into my personal space to introduce herself. Her hair is wavy and not styled in any particular way, it's a dirty blonde colour with dyed pink tips which makes her appear less of a plain Jane and more edgy and cool.

"Taylor, or Tay for short" I inform her with a warm smile. Maybe if I'm nice she will get bored of me.

She only smiles at me, sizing me up I guess.

"nice top, and I love your jeans. I never wear high waisted I always get worried you know" she makes a face whilst smiling. She's wearing a corset, leggings and trainers. 3 items that strike me as clothes you cannot put together and make them work.

What is up with this girl?

A girl that is her opposite appears behind Rachel as if she was standing in her shadow the whole time. With dark black/brown hair pulled into a limp ponytail and dark rimmed glasses that make her eyes look bigger than they are. She eyes me with an uninterested expression.

"Rach what are you going on about?" The new girl laughs along.

"Pippa, you know what mean. Camel toe" she laughs.

Pippa is shocked by Rachel's admission but I get the feeling they talk to other girls this way a lot.

"Not on you of course, Tay. You have a nice body it suits you" Rachel backtracks

"Thanks I guess" I say back eyeing their outfits.

It strikes me as a strange thing to mention to a girl you don't know, not sure I would have made that my opener to a newbie. The compliment is weird too, I feel like there's an edge behind the way she said it; 'not on you of course you think you can get away with anything'. Maybe I'm in a bad mood, I decide to brush it off. I'm overthinking again.

I notice Rachel eyeing Matty from afar, he is unaware of her. She noticeably sighs. With her too pink lips she turns to me.

"want a drink?" She ventures

"I could drink, what you drinking" I laugh

"White ace, it's shit but it does the job" Pippa informs me, I notice she appears young for an 18 year old.

"White ace?" I question

"Cider. Here we go" Rachel laughs at my naivety and hands me a can, she has rings on nearly all of her fingers and chipped purple nails.

After we sit down on the edge of a ramp Rachel reaches into her bag and pulls out a packet of what I assume is tobacco, a weird string of white things and a packet named rizla.

"Want a rolie?" she looks to me as I realise I am staring.

"Nah I'm good" I fluster

"Not a smoker." she justifies

Instantly I feel young, even Pippa is rolling up a cigarette for herself. I feel very out of place siting there with my so far untouched can of white ace. I long for Tom, I'm feeling out of my comfort zone and I want something that I know and understand.

Just as they light up their perfectly rolled cigarettes I feel someone sit next to me. Looking up I see Ross smiling.

"Hey stranger" he laughs. Damn that laugh, it adds to his carefree, playfulness.

Pippa rolls her eyes and takes a long drag on her cigarette. Clearly put out by Ross joining us.

"Hey again" I retort and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face reaching my eyes. He makes me feel at ease, in this foreign environment. Instantly I look down embarrassed that he might catch how happy he is making me feel just by his mere presence.

Rhea catches my eye, smiling and looking over at myself and Ross. She clearly approves of him. She too is holding a can of white ace and I'm taken aback seeing her holding her own rollie in her other hand. She takes a pull then she passes it to Malachi. He drags on it whilst she holds the cigarette to his mouth. He blows it out forming rings of smoke.

"You don't smoke, Tay?" Ross asks me.

"Never tried." He makes me feel so comfortable he could be asking me anything and I wouldn't feel stressed or cornered.

He leans forward, resting his skateboard down in front of him. Reaching in his pocket he gets out his own packet of tobacco, rizla and the white things he tells me they are filters. He explains he has menthol filters which make them taste minty.

He lays out his rizla on his skateboard, distributes the tobacco and begins rolling his own cigarette. He glances at me, smiling openly. He licks the rizla and seals his cigarette.

"That was quick" I say shocked

"That's what she said !" Rachel laughs butting into our conversation whilst chugging her white ace. Pippa snorts, clearly enjoying having a laugh at someone else.

"Practice" Ross says ignoring her and looking at me. His true blue eyes assess me whilst he lights up his cigarette and takes a drag. He leans back resting his free arm around me closer to my waist.