It sure has been a while now! Well don’t let me waste your time now. On to the story!
The place was packed. Just what I wanted actually! I mean no sarcasm here. Maybe there is a tiny bit of sarcasm, but that is not the matter at hand now. We both occupied a table almost near the corner. By we, I mean myself and one of the popular girls from my class who happens to be a good friend of mine. If you think that I am also a popular person, then you are wrong. I am a typical nerd you would find in any class. But then I don’t stop myself from befriending people who belong to different categories. Heather is one such person who is popular but loves to hang out with nerds. She is sort of a nerd but then loves to party a lot which gives her a not-so-nerdy attitude.
Heather ordered the drinks. She knew what I would ask for so I distracted myself by looking around. I have always had the thing for observing people. Just observing them… Nothing more! But judging comes along with that right. So I try to make assumptions from my observations. I know I sound like a freak. But its how I have fun when I am doing nothing!
Heather was so much involved in the drinks that she forgot about the girl sitting across her. Well I knew she would do that. I slowly sipped on my mojito and looked around. It’s just the usual. Teenagers dancing, grinding into each other, getting drunk and stuff. But I should be glad though. The club that I had been to last week made me sick to my stomach, literally. It looked like a college party. People were dry humping on the dance floor and worst of all some guys started puking and none of the club staff did anything about it. People just kept dancing making the already filthy dance floor even filthier. I kind of shivered as the image flashed on my mind.
This club is a newly opened one and it’s in a walkable distance from my place. Heather almost lives on the other side of the town. But her boyfriend promised to pick her up later! So that is one thing I need not worry about. Apparently he had to deal with something at his work and that is the reason why I am stuck at a club in the first place!
It’s not that I totally hate being here but I am more of a person who would rather snuggle up under the blanket and read a book or watch a movie than go to a club and get drunk. Heather went on to dance and I was left all alone. So it was just me and my thoughts again. I looked around until my eyes fell upon a guy who was looking a little out of place. He was just standing in the farthest corner of the club leaning against the wall. He didn’t show much signs of having fun but once in a while he would whip out his phone and check out something. Probably he was texting someone or he was just noting down something. He looked really cute and I was wondering if he was waiting for someone to join him. Given that he had no glass in his hand I can safely conclude that he is just waiting for someone, probably his girlfriend or maybe just a friend.
Another sigh left my mouth. I looked behind me to see that heather was enjoying dancing there and diverted my attention back to the cutie. I spotted him just in time to see him turn down a girl. I could tell from the way he shook his head and the disappointed look on the girl’s face. Not only is this guy cute but he is also loyal! You don’t see guys like him much these days. Or he is just not interested in girls at all. But then he did not look like the kind of guy to check out other males.
Also something was just not adding up. He was still in formal attire. He did not look the least bit dressed for a club. Well neither am I, with my navy blue turtle neck and simple black jean. But then my case is completely different and I don’t completely look out of place. He was wearing a simple stripped shirt with his sleeves rolled up almost to his elbows. His shirt was tucked out and he was wearing a pair of black formal pants. Either he had come here straight from work or he didn’t bother to get changed to come here. May be his girlfriend asked him to meet him there and he came here right away. Wow!!! This guy is just too good to be true. He is cute, loyal and punctual. He belongs to an almost extinct species called gentlemen. And I am going to look like a crazy person if I don’t avert my gaze from him.
Breaking my calm thought process Heather came back to the table. She looked a little tipsy. The girl must have had shots while on the floor. She could never control the way she drinks. “Heeeey!!!! What are you looking at?” She said and looked in the direction I was seeing before she came. Looked in “his” direction. And being the smart/drunk girl she is, she identified the cute brunette. “Wow! He sure is hot! Lemme go and ask him for a dance…” She announced and made her way towards him.
I sighed again and looked at her anyways. I wanted to know what he would do. Heather is the kind of girl no guy has ever turned down! I mean she is not popular for no reason! And tonight she sure is hot in that outfit. I saw her say something to him. Probably “hey cutie… wanna dance?” or something close to that. He looked at her and said something that made her angry.
Ok! It’s time to interrupt. I quickly made my way towards them and tried drag Heather away. She was going on and on about how he is blind enough to say no to her and how stupid he looks to stand all by himself in a club. Then she did something I never expected her to do. She passed out in the middle of her sentence and was about to fall on him. But he caught her mid way. I quickly called up her boyfriend while this guy helped me carry her back to our table. He waited with me until her boyfriend came and helped me carry her outside the club. After sending her off he went back inside and stood in a different corner this time. I approached him and once I knew he was waiting for me to say something I said “Sorry and thanks!”
He gave me this confused look. “Sorry about my friend and what ever she said. Thanks for helping me carry her and stuff.”
He just shook his head “She was drunk. Not your fault really.”
Not able to keep my curiosity under control I blurted out “Whom are you waiting for?”
He chuckled a bit and said “I am not waiting for anyone. I am here alone!”
A thousand thoughts hit my mind at that point. So what exactly is a cute guy like him doing here standing in the corner of a busy club on a Friday night? But I couldn’t exactly ask him that right. So I just stood there next to him.
“Wanna head out?” He asked. I just nodded and followed him out. Now that I looked at him closely he looks way more than just cute. With that groovy hairstyle and slightly tanned complexion he sure is hot! Again I was filled with a lot of questions. We walked in silence.
“So what is a guy like you doing all alone in a club? That too on a Friday night?” I asked. My mouth is not obeying anything tonight!
“I came this side to grab a bite. Saw this club and just entered it!” He said.
That still didn’t make sense. “I mean I didn’t see you dance or get any drinks… So what exactly were you doing there?”
He smiled again. I noticed that he got dimples when he smiled and that just made him look even better.
“I came here to listen to new songs.” He looked at me and continued after seeing my bewildered look. “Random songs are soothing you know…”
It was my turn to chuckle. “You look like the kind of guy dunking down shots and having fun dancing”
“I am more of the guy who stands in a corner. Not the kind of guy you would find in the middle of the dance floor.” And then he added “You don’t look like a clubbing person. What were you doing there?”
“Well, I am more of the nerd who would sit at home right now watching movies. But I came here to give my friend some company. She said she was bored. That’s why!”
“And you didn’t drink also?” He asked. Now how did he know that I didn’t get any alcohol? Has he been watching me as well? Oh yeah! I don’t smell like alcohol or look like I have had any drinks right! For a moment there I thought a cute guy was checking me out. Who am I kidding!
“I believe that you can have fun when you are sober! So I don’t drink!”
He just nodded in an understanding way. We walked in silence. But this time it was a nice kind of silence. We reached my street corner and I stopped. “That’s me!” I pointed at my apartment that was visible from where we stood. “Bye then!” I waved and started walking towards my house.
“Wait!” He called out. I turned around. “I would be the guy on the dance floor if you were dancing with me!” He said which made me raise eyebrows. “So how about tomorrow? 7 o’clock?” He asked.
I just nodded. He turned around and started walking. “It’s Irene by the way.”
He looked at me when I said “The name is Irene Stewart!”
This story was kind of inspired by a person I miss a lot now. I would like to dedicate it to that person who had inspired me to write again and well we are not in touch actually. I know that they follow my blog once in a while and they would understand what I am talking about.
There is no big story behind this one. Just that, I wrote the draft of it at 1.40 am on a weekday and then only I could sleep. Sometimes the story in your mind struggles to come out that it won’t let you to sleep peacefully.
Hope you all enjoy it and comment on it!
Aratrika
this was so sweet.. it left me with a smile and i just loved it…
I liked it…would like to read more.
Hey 🙂 This blog is really good and I'm yet to read your novel. I guess it would be pretty good. I don't want to be a fierce critic, but still I would like to suggest you something. You have the magic wand to keep the readers hooked, so it would be great, if you could write something off beat. We ve too many love stories and vampires to rattle the shelves of Landmark.
I ve been writing (http://catchmehere-balaji.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/this-isnt-mine.html) for three years and not often I stumble good ones like this. Cheers..
love it love it love it! totally blew my mind.
Good one! Beautifully narrated.