"Quit being such a bitch. Let me sit here."
I rolled my eyes at the rude comment, otherwise ignoring the pushy man's presence beside me. I was highly skilled at tuning annoying people out and the more he prodded, the more I physically began to shift my body in the opposite direction so that I couldn't see him. Lifting a blue solo cup to my lips as I relaxed from a comfortable distance on the swing bench on the deck, I let my gaze drift to the chaotic party going on inside of a neighbor's house. The only attractive guy who'd hit on me thus far, I knew had a girlfriend and I wasn't interested in getting mixed up in that mess. At the least the music was decent. I was in mid tap of my foot when I felt the bench begin to dip beneath me, the chains holding the bench up wheezing with the added weight of another person--an uninvited person. This final disruption to my peace caused me to whip around and demand, "Go away." The bothersome man opened his mouth to complain, but before he could manage I heard an unfamiliar girl speak up behind him.
"Dude, we both heard the girl. She very politely said 'fuck off'."
I leaned forward little on my seat, just as surprised as my unwanted companion, peering over at a tall raven-haired woman in black skinny jeans and a strappy gray tank top that did little to cover the dark bra beneath. She was fresh-faced, her long hair tucked back in two thick, messy braids, silver hoops the size of bangle bracelets adorning her earlobes. Her full lips somehow pursed into a sumptuous pout without her doing anything at all. She placed her hand on the chain of the swing almost possessively, silently daring him to say something else. The bewildered man and I exchanged looks, but clearly outnumbered, he sighed frustratedly and shrank backward. I nibbled the edge of my cup absentmindedly, unsure how to feel about the display but automatically turning my hips in this aggressive stranger's direction. I didn't say anything until the man was out of earshot.
"Um, you really didn't have to do that."
I noticed that my voice sounded unusually small as it came out of my mouth. I immediately cleared my throat, then took a sip from my cup to warm up my throat. Also, I averted my eyes briefly, so as not to stare.
"But, I did." She insisted, her lips curving enough to show her pretty teeth as she smiled at me; her gaze unfaltering as her fingers wrapped more securely around the swing chain. "Men are terminally hard of hearing." She shrugged, taking a step forward and lingering by the unoccupied spot beside me. God, she was intimidating. And effortlessly so. How was that? I swallowed, suddenly aware of the drifting of my thighs which thankfully were covered by a long, gauzy skirt. I pushed my knees together discreetly, the dark loose waves of my hair tickling my naked shoulders as I shook my head. "No, I mean--it wasn't like that. That guy's my brother."
The stranger's eyes widened a bit and her smile grew until an awkward laugh burst free. "Oh--shit. Sorry." She exhaled, glancing over her shoulder only to discover that my brother's skulking figure was long gone. I felt a weird twisting in my stomach when she turned back to face me, her smile apologetic and her stance visibly softer, her fingers going slack on the chain and sliding a ways down until she let it go. "I figured he was hitting on you." I scrunched my nose and vigorously shook my head. My brother was a creep often, but not that kind of creep and not towards me.