You're Nobody Until You're Talked About

"We should probably stop talking in British accents or people might think we're a tad strange," I said in the British accent I had perfected years ago.

"Probably a wise idea," Sarah agreed, sounding straight out of Harry Potter as we stepped out of my car that was parked halfway down the block from the final destination of the night. We had already had a proper get-concert-glam hair and makeup session, followed by a delicious Panera bread dinner before we went to one of the best concerts either of us had gone to, and now we were making an appearance at my best friend Jen's birthday party. It was supposed to be a pool party, but the evening had grown unseasonably chilly and damp. The only plus to this was that I had my trusty leather jacket thrown over my shoulders.
My black leather jacket had been with me through everything major that has happened in my life over the past year. I had worn it to my second-ever college party (which had been a lot more legit than the first-ever college party), I had worn it all weekend when I visited Sarah at college with Jen, I had worn it the first time Jen and I ever went out together, and I believe it's the only piece of clothing that a grand total of two guys have taken off of me. It felt good to be reunited after a summer apart.
As we approached Jen's house, I saw her familiar form standing in the doorway, hugging someone who appeared to be leaving. We were a little more than fashionably late, the party had started two hours ago, but I had a feeling there were a few people there who were waiting on my arrival.
"Happy Birthday!" I called as I threw the door open.
"Shhh! My mom's sleeping!" Jen said with a smile as she turned to hug me.
"Happy Birthday, Jen!" Sarah echoed, at a much more appropriate volume.
"Thanks!" Jen said, hugging her as well. Sarah and Jen had met at the Coldplay concert exactly nine days ago, and I had told Jen as soon as she announced her birthday plans that I was bringing Sarah as my date. I was glad my best friends knew each other now, it would make a lot more sense when I told the stories of my adventures with one, to the other.
"Hey stranger," I turned to see Jon, one of Jen's friends, smiling in my direction as Sarah slipped into the bathroom.
"Xaylia!" called the voice of another friend as Jen and I leaned our heads together in hushed discussion. Some things are for best friends' ears only, not the entire party.
"See that guy over there, in the plaid shirt?" Jen said in a hushed tone.
"Yeah," I said, glancing out of the corner of my eye.
"He thinks you're really hot," Jen said.
I blatantly turned and stared at him, "I don't think I've ever seen him before."
"He stalked you on Facebook-"
"What?" my face contorted into an expression that wasn't exactly attractive.
"Yeah, kinda weird, I know, but do you think he's cute?"
I turned and blatantly stared again, "No."
"Who do you think's cuter, him or Kang?"
I bit my tongue to repress the 'neither' response at the tip of my lips and at the exact moment, Sarah returned from the bathroom.
"I've still got to do my birthday shot!" Jen said, heading toward the breakfast nook as Sarah joined us. "You've got to do one with me!"
I glanced at the clock, I would be driving in less than an hour again, but one shot couldn't hurt.
"Hey, its Xaylia, right?" said the guy holding a bottle of Three Olives.
"Yeah! How are you?" I asked conversationally, forgetting the guy's name. He worked with Jen, and one night the two of us had hung out with him.
"I'm good, hey, have you met Bryce?"
Plaid shirt guy was standing right besides him. Why did I have the feeling Bryce's facebook stalking of me wasn't exactly a secret?
"Hey Bryce," I said, smiling politely. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ian standing casually in between the kitchen and the breakfast nook. He was still wearing the neon green 98.7 staff shirt he had been wearing when I saw him earlier in the evening after the concert.
Jen handed me a shot glass and we exchanged smiles, mine and the one in her hand matched. I showed the "I heart LA" shot glass to Sarah, "Ian got us these," I said, motioning to Jen's, "Jen got us matching shot glasses when she was in Florida, and then Ian broke them, but he got us replacements when he was in Los Angeles," I explained.
I found myself in the kitchen next, giving hugs to Kang, Marcell, and Andrew, and introducing Sarah to the friend's who hadn't met her yet.
"Ring, ring!" Andrew said, leaning over to me and holding his hand to his ear like a phone, "The cheetah just called, he wants his skin back!" Andrew had his I'm-so-clevar smile on as he looked at my pants.
"These are not cheetah!" I said to a rousing laugh from the people near enough to hear, "This is python skin," I said with the air of explaining that 2+2=4 to a small child, as I pointed to my pants.
The topic turned to Andrew's wedding, and he began pointing out the various people that were in the wedding party around the room.
"Sarah," he said, throwing an arm around my best friend, "this is my best man, Ian,"
Ian waved a hello.
"Xaylia," Andrew said, drunkenly motioning to me, "this is Ian, he's my best man.
I laughed and Ian and I caught each other's eye for a fraction of heartbeat, "We kinda know each other," I said just as Ian also said something along the same lines.
Sarah giggled.
"Jen, you've got to open your present!" I said, swinging the Victoria's Secret bag tantalizingly from my fingers. Jen, Sarah, and I slipped quietly back into Jen's bedroom. I never thought it would be such an ordeal to open a present, Jen and I both ended up getting emotional before she even opened the lavender VS Pink zip-up. And the second she actually did open it, she ditched her white lace top for the new sweatshirt and spritzed on the shimmering body mist I had included as well.
"Smell me!" Jen declared, running over to Ian as the three of us rejoined the rest of the party, "And isn't this is coolest hoodie?"
"She looks gorgeous," I chirped from behind Jen's shoulder, and Jen and I exchanged a smile.
"Ian, how was London?" I asked when Jen skipped off to show her sweatshirt off to Gabi, "Glad to be back?"
"It was awesome," he said, "Yes, and no, it's a bit of a reality check being back home-"
We made small talk for a few minutes, I hadn't expected his sister's birthday party to be the best place for cozy catch-up. Before I knew it, Sarah and I had to depart. We made our way around the party, saying our goodbyes before taking our last journey in my car for the night.
"I would say that was decently successful," I concluded thoughtfully when the two of us were alone, "For a first time that Ian really gets to see me in a social situation, I'll take it."
"Good!"
"I give the best birthday present, walk right in and do a shot with Jen, he saw me chatting with Andrew, and had to see how everyone got excited when I walked in," I said with a slightly-sarcastic laugh.
A moment later, my phone buzzed and Sarah checked the text message from Jen, "Apparently Kang and Bryce were fighting over you after we left."
I really laughed, "Perfect! Conclude my evening with guys fighting over me!"
These things are all about making the right impression, and if they're still talking about me, or fighting over me, after I leave then I would say I succeeded. Mission indirectly-impress-Ian accomplished.