the instant the familiar face entered the room, jay's fingers uncoiled from the handle of the gun. his arm followed in the snake-like manner his fingers had initiated and slithered back to his person as his eyes gazed looking for something--anything--to say to the girl. every amount of pressure that had been settled on his chest disappeared just like that. it was numbing, light, void of any tangible feeling. and then it was pins and needles. ultra sharp sensations that pricked at the boy one by one and then all at once--because his anxieties never left him without a fight.
when the all but confusing feeling faded, jay found himself hurling back into the reality of the situation as eyes around him tried hard to read the room--to read what emotion either of the parties was projecting. it was hard to say, really, because no one here had all of the answers. not even the parties involved. silence filled the room as a result until someone finally spoke after stella. "
hi back," the voice began, the decibels warped in a fashion that suggested the speaker was smiling, "
i'm anthony," anthony finished, proud of himself. jenny smacked his chest with the back of her hand in an instant as everyone but jay (who was too focused on stella) sighed.
jay eventually stood up in an urgent manner, rushing towards the brunette to take the bags in her hands. "
let me help you with those," he said like it was normal--but it very obviously was not. when had he ever helped her carry the groceries? it was almost like he was really trying to push an agenda. a suspiciously desperate 'please forgive me' agenda that could only be hinted at for he wasn't going to beg anytime soon. everyone knew that.
the harlemite urged stella to follow him into the kitchen as he set the items down on the counter, his friends discreetly watching while trying to look like they weren't. he waited until the girl joined him in the small, tiled area--and then turned his back to his back to his friends knowing full well they'd try to read his lips, facial expressions, and anything else that would indicate emotion that they'd call him out for undoubtedly. after his careful positioning, jay leaned in closer to stella, a method of conversation control. he didn't want his words to echo. "
i... i'm sorry, stella." he said in a whisper, hand on the back of his neck as he spoke. "
for all that." he wasn't about to get specific, he was sure she would understand him. she had to have been thinking about the events they had gone through in such a short amount of time like he was. "
i'm glad you're back." he added in an attempt to lighten the heavy air that still existed between them.
as wholesome as the apology was, there were pairs on pairs on pairs of impatient eyes watching them, all respectfully quiet for the amount of time they weren't prepared for. however, it wasn't realistic for things to stay that way--not with this group of people. "
well?" nina spoke out, making it very clear that she had been watching whereas the others tried hard to keep the fact a secret. "
are you going to introduce us to your friend, jay, or are we going to have to guess her name?" her red painted lips curved into a friendly, welcoming smile as she viewed the other girl. she had her suspicions on who she might be, but toying with jay was always the option our beloved nina shot for.
"
i think they were having a moment," xen said not long after nina, his tone hushed and serious which made all of the surrounding parties unsure as to where they were supposed to go with this. it was clear in the way that xen spoke that he was trying to give the duo in the kitchen an ounce of privacy, but his efforts were all in vain--for jay ultimately heard xen just like he heard nina, but it seemed xen's words hit a much different cord than nina's.
a deep, internal voice called for jay to do damage control--and the boy reacted. "
uh, this is stella." he gestured to his roommate with a single hand. "
my roommate." he clarified before anyone could get any unfair ideas. "
and this is nina, xen, angel, jenny, and anthony. you don't have to remember their names. they won't care." jay pointed to each as he said their names, his tone serious and then light as a playful smirk adjusted itself on his lips whilst he addressed his friends.
"
'you don't have to remember my name', isn't that your pickup line, jay?" jenny replied, her lips curled proudly as she received an ample supply of positive, entertained reactions from the group. a high five was promptly delivered from anthony as a result.
"
it's nice to meet you stella!" nina said as the pockets of laughter died down. "
i've been telling jay to invite you to one of our parties for months now, but he's always coming up with stupid excuses." she knew very well she just had to throw him under the bus at least once. but it was justified--because nina had been asking that of him ever since she heard of the girl (which was an effort getting out of jay in the first place).
jay, although still faintly smiling, was slightly thrown off of any game he had at that point. however, it was all expected. that's what came with nina being included in new details of his life. he could always count on her for that. "
she wouldn't like that kind of stuff," jay began, recalling just how the girl responded to the bricks of cocaine. it was an unfair call to make, and it was even more unfair to use such an example for one's final call. a party and a drug deal were two drastically different things.
"
hm. didn't know you were her spokesperson..." nina replied, dismissing jay in the process. "
do you not like parties?" the girl turned her attention to stella expectantly. "
is jay right?" she dug deeper. "
why don't you come take a seat and tell me just how much you hate every kind of festivity ever like garcia insists you do?"