It had been two days with no reply from Laney.
So this is what it feels like to be ignored. It fucking sucks. But maybe I deserve this. I ignored her, didn't I? But that was before... why is she ignoring me? Does she regret what we did?
"Red!" Ken waved a hand in front of his friends face. "Did you hear me?"
"What?" Red looked around, all his friends were staring at him. He hadn't realised they'd been talking. "No."
"He's fucking high, bro." Tom laughed, taking the spliff from Red's hand and taking a few puffs.
"I was saying let's go out tonight."
"I don't know," Red began, "I don't know if I feel like it. Why don't we just stay in?" He wouldn't have minded smoking himself into oblivion and playing some PlayStation.
"Jesus, what happened to you? When did you get so boring?" Scoffed Diego, his Columbian housemate with curly hair who was sat on the sofa beside him, opening a beer bottle with his clipper lighter.
"Come on, Red. What's gotten into you?" Ken shared a look with the other boys, "It's freshers week. All the slutty first years will be drinking too much, dancing all night, and dying to fuck a third year."
"Yeah, what happened to the other night? You disappeared. Did you leave with one of the freshers at Ken's party?"
Red almost blushed. "No. I mean, I don't know. It was just some girl. I don't know if she was a first year."
"Becca was so mad at you," Diego laughed, "stringing her along all night and then leaving with another girl."
"What?" Red tightened his grip on the arm of the leather sofa, "Did she see me?"
"I don't think so," Ken replied. Tom handed Red the spliff and he sucked it eagerly, trying to quieten his nerves. "That's what she heard at the party, though. That you went off with another girl."
Fuck.
Red panicked.
Who could've seen us? I should've said I picked someone up after the party. What if someone saw me leave with Laney? What if they put two and two together. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
But outwardly Red tried to look calm, he sat back on the sofa, kicked his leg onto the coffee table and said casually, "Fuck Becca anyway. Let's go out tonight."
"My guy." Diego grinned.
"Well someone might fuck blondie, now that you mention it." Red passed the spliff to Tom while Ken spoke, "She went home with Sam."
Red raised an eyebrow. "What is it with Sam? He's supposed to be my friend. First he goes after my sister, then he goes after my girlfriend. Well, he can have her. She's not that hot anyway."
Diego disagreed strongly, "What are you talking about, Red? I thought you were a man of taste. Look at Becca," Diego pulled out his phone and scrolled through Instagram. "Look at her! Look at those breasts, the milk white skin, the red lips, cock sucking lips. Those hips, that ass. She's a ten." Diego gestured with his hands, making an hour glass figure, then held up ten fingers. "Ten."
"He's not wrong." Tom laughed. "But Red, you never told us your sister was a hottie. You'd better be careful. Sam would have happily taken her home instead."
Red clenched his jaw. He reached out for the spliff. He needed it.
"Yeah," agreed Ken, "he was pissed when she disappeared. Thought he had her for sure."
"Okay, I will admit," Diego eyed Red, "don't get mad at me, Red, but your sister is hotter than Becca."
"Is she?" Red tried to sound disinterested and smoked the spliff all the way to the end. Then when it was clear it was done, he stubbed it out on the coffee table and began to roll another one. "Where's the grinder?"
"Here," Tom passed it to him, and chucked him the bag of weed.
"Guys come on, don't talk about the poor man's sister like that for fuck's sake." Ken gave them all looks, "Anyway tonight. Where are we going?"
...
Three hours later and they were in town, vodka in hand, drinking it straight from the bottle and queuing up to get in the club. Red welcomed the burning sensation as he gulped down the clear liquid.
"Clubs are so lame." Tom complained. "If it's not a house party I'd rather be home smoking and gaming.
"Shut the fuck up, Tom." Diego cuffed him behind the head. "You do nothing but game. Look at all the sexy sexies in the queue. It's warm tonight, I never felt such a warm September in the UK, you know what that means? These girls are wearing nothing. Look," he pointed ahead of the queue. "I can see that girl's knickers."
Red laughed, Diego had picked up so many British mannerisms and phrases in their past two years living together.
Ken was checking his phone. He was always checking his phone. "There's a house party later anyway. Let's find a few girls here and bring them, or it'll be a sausage party."
"Look," hissed Tom, "there's Becca." He looked at her from head to toe then eyed Red, "I think you'd call that a revenge dress."
Becca was wearing a tiny black dress. She looked a little Marilyn Monroe with her blonde hair and red lips. Red almost felt sorry for not fucking her, but she had nothing on Laney. With a twinge he remembered his sister had been wearing a black dress that night. "Yeah, she looks hot." Red admitted.
"Smokin'" Diego said, and wolf whistled.
Becca saw them and smirked at them all, making heavy eye contact with Red. Then the queue moved along and the bouncer wanted to see IDs. He confiscated their vodka, and then they were inside.
It was hot and sweaty and dark. Strobe lights flashed all around them. The club was already heaving. Ken went to buy the first round and the others began to dance.
Diego could move. His hips did not move like other mens hips. He flowed like water across the dance floor and already several eyes had begun to follow. Girls noticed Diego even when he didn't dance. He had dark skin and curly hair and perfect lips. He was well built and always dressed well. If Red was gay he'd probably have gone for Diego, too.