We are preparing the apartment for the arrival of these "someones" whom I have no desire to see. But I try not to show my displeasure and to give her friends a chance. After all, this is her wish, and I don't want to ruin her mood. Though inside, I am boiling with resentment.
They are supposed to arrive at ten in the evening and leave by morning — unless, of course, they decide to stay and sleep until the next evening. This infuriates me, but Katrin promises that no one will sleep in our bedroom except us. This at least provides some comfort: the bedroom is our sanctuary, a place of solitude, and I don't want anyone intruding into our space.
We are setting out the alcohol and snacks — chips, crackers, candy sticks, and other "junk food." We bought candies for the girls, soda, and, of course, beer. Everything looks like a typical party, but I feel like an outsider at this celebration of life.
"It seems everything is ready. They called and said they will be here in a couple of minutes," Katrin informs me, peeking out from the kitchen. "Behave yourself and don't be sarcastic or rude to them," she warns me with a slight reproach.
"When have I ever been like that? I have always been your good boy, or have you forgotten?" I begin to distract her from the lecture by kissing her neck.
Her skin is soft, and I feel her shiver slightly at my touch. But our moment is interrupted by the doorbell. I sigh heavily, and Katrin goes to answer it.
"Remember what I told you!" she calls out before disappearing into the hallway. "Hi, so glad to see you!" I hear her voice as she greets the guests.
They come in: three guys and two girls. They all look like typical partygoers — nothing out of the ordinary. I immediately feel that there will be a distance between us.
"Meet Max. Max, this is Stas, Vlad, and Peter. And with them are Masha and Tanya. Okay, get acquainted, I will be back in a minute," Katrin says quickly and heads toward the bedroom, leaving me alone with this company.
I stand in the middle of the room, feeling slightly awkward. They look at me, and I look at them, with silence hanging between us.
"Hi, I'm Vlad. Nice to meet you!" one of the guys extends his hand, and I smile and shake it.
Inside, everything resists — I don't want to get to know anyone, but I do it for Rebel Girl. She simply wants us to be friends, and I can't let her down. My smile is forced, but I try to make it seem natural. His hand is warm, and his handshake is firm, as if he wants to show his confidence.
"Nice to meet you," I want to just leave this room, but I know that is impossible.
We sit at the table. Or rather, they settle around it as if they own the place. I silently swallow this ignorance, feeling my irritation grow. My fingers clench into fists under the table, but I try to remain calm. I don't want to ruin the evening for Rebel Girl, even if her guests act as though this is their territory.
Katrin returns to us. They turn on music from a phone, and what I feared most begins — noise, laughter, alcohol. I sit with Vlad, the other guys nearby. Across from us, Rebel Girl sits with the girls. She smiles, laughs, and her eyes are full of satisfaction. Katrin is happy, and that keeps me going, even if I am uncomfortable.
"Have you known each other long?" Vlad breaks the silence that is beginning to hang between us. His voice is friendly, but I feel that there is something more behind this question. Maybe it is just curiosity, or maybe an attempt to find common ground.
"A month and a half. And you?" my fingers involuntarily tap on the table, betraying my inner tension.
"We aren't particularly close with her. We first met about a year ago."
"Where?" I don't really want to delve into this topic. But I understand that silence would be even more awkward.
"In one of the bars. She came with one of the girls in my group, and that is how we met. And how did you meet her?"
His question catches me off guard. I don't want to openly talk about our history — it is personal, something I don't want to share with strangers. But I also understand that brushing him off would be unwise. It would offend him, and I don't want to ruin Katrin's evening. She is trying so hard to make everything go well.
"We are classmates, we met at the institute," I reply briefly, trying to sound as neutral as possible. My words are true, but they don't reveal the whole story. Vlad nods, seemingly satisfied with the answer, and I feel a slight relief.
I continue talking with Vlad, occasionally glancing at Rebel Girl. She is having fun with the girls, laughing, joking, and her eyes are full of genuine pleasure. At the same time, she barely talks to the guys, and I am glad for that. It is unpleasant for me to see how she interacts with them, how her attention might switch to someone else. But my girl is happy in the female company, and I try to keep up the conversation, to smile, even though inside, I am tense with unease.
In the end, I only managed to connect with Vlad. He is the only one who seems normal among this company. The other guys look at me with arrogance, their eyes full of hidden animosity. They don't talk to me, as if I am empty space. But I don't care. I know that they are outsiders here, and I am the one who is with Rebel Girl. And that is what matters.
Suddenly, the girls stand up, and I look at Katrin in confusion. She comes up to me, her eyes sparkling with fun, and a slight smile plays on her lips. Leaning in, she pecks me on the lips and whispers in my ear:
"We are going to the kitchen with the girls to smoke. Don't miss me."
She leaves, leaving me sitting at the table with the guys. I nervously look at them, hoping that no one decides to follow her. I don't want anyone to invade her space.
Glancing at the guys, I notice the anger in their eyes. They are clearly unhappy that she kissed me. Their looks are full of envy and irritation. But I feel superiority over them. She is mine, and she will kiss only me! Let them shove their desires far away. Rebel Girl is my girl, and no one can change that.
"So you have that kind of relationship…" Vlad says quietly, his voice sounding with slight surprise, but without malice. He is the only one who doesn't seem to feel animosity toward me.
I smirk and reply:
"I would say even more."
I know they hear this, and I say it to emphasize my position. Let them know there is something more between us than they can imagine. My words hang in the air, and I notice how their faces distort with displeasure. But I don't care. I feel confident, knowing that Rebel Girl chose me.
Twenty minutes later, the girls return, chatting and laughing. They sit back at the table, and the atmosphere eases a little. All this time I keep an eye on the guys so that no one gets up and goes to the kitchen. I know that I must be near her, to protect her, even if it means just sitting and watching.
"Pet, let's go and smoke too, now that the girls are done?" Stas suggests, as he is already getting up from the table. Apparently, he can't wait to leave and continue the fun in a more "intimate" setting.
"Okay," his friend replies shortly, and they head together toward the kitchen where Katrin and her friends recently returned from. Their departure doesn't cause much surprise, but I feel slight tension.
"Why didn't you go with them? You are their friend too," I am surprised that he wasn't invited, and I become interested in why.
"They know that I don't smoke and don't like the smell of cigarette smoke," Vlad replies, shrugging his shoulders.
A couple of minutes later, I need to go to the toilet. I stand up and approach Rebel Girl. She is sitting at the table, laughing and chatting with her friends, but seeing me, she turns and smiles. I lean toward her, whispering in her ear:
"I am going to the toilet and will return, baby."
My lips touch her ear, and she laughs when it tickles her. Her smile is so sincere that for a moment I forget about my irritation.
"Okay, just don't get lost," the girl replies, and I feel her hand lightly touch mine before I walk away.
I head to the bathroom, which is in the bedroom. Leaving it, I pass by the kitchen. The doors aren't closed, and I hear strange words that Stas says:
"Did you see that guy? Neither fish nor fowl. Where did she even find him?" his voice sounds with contempt, and I feel anger boiling inside me, but I stop to hear more.
"Oh, just forget it. We are having a good time," his friend replies, but his words don't sound very convincing.
"No. That kid ruined my plans. I was already happy that she invited us. I thought now we will get drunk, and I will finally get something from her, but she is with that nerd. Now hell she will spread her legs while this one is walking around like a guard dog."
I am furious, blood rushes to my face, and my fingers clench, digging into my palms. I barely restrain myself from bursting into the kitchen and causing a scene.
"I am generally surprised that this bitch hasn't slept with anyone from our company yet. I've already had her friends a few times, but her — not once. She acts all unattainable, the slut!"
At these words, I can't take it. My patience snaps. I open the door, and it hits the wall with a crash. My face distorts with rage, and I feel how every cell of my body demands action.
"What did you just say?" I step forward, ready to fight back against these scumbags.