Happenstance

Happenstance

"I would honestly rather die."

"Really?" Ivan glanced at Seth and Kyle who flanked him on either side. "I say, boys... get 'im!"

To my surprise, they lunged at me, grabbing both of my arms. I had a stockier build than both Seth and Kyle. They were several inches taller than me, though. I stopped growing my freshman year in high school at about five feet nine inches. Then everyone else shot past me and I remained my average self. So despite being stronger than two of my three roommates, they managed to get me out of our dorm, with Ivan opening doorways as they dragged me to my doom.

To be honest, I didn't really try to resist. If I really wanted to get out of this party, I could. I didn't want to overreact or hurt anyone over them trying to get me to some dumb event. Once we got outside our dorm room, I surrendered and willingly walked to the car.

While I wasn't entirely against going to the party, I still wasn't looking forward to it. My past experiences at large social gatherings, especially ones that involved dancing, have never been pleasant. Perhaps this would stave off the three stooges for a time. Who's to say?

My stomach wrenched the closer we got to the Commons Hall. Why me? What did I do?

The stomach pains only got worse as we approached the entrance to the building. I watched a dozen people entering, and there were at least a hundred people inside. The roar of conversation and laughter hit me like a battering ram as we walked in.

Seth and Kyle waved at some old friends and left me and Ivan to ourselves. Ivan, also being several inches taller than me, threw his arm over my shoulder. Why was everyone on this campus so dang tall?

"See? It's not so bad. Good music, lots of chicks," he said, laughing and shaking me. I stared off to the other end of the building, trying to convince myself to not jam a pencil in my ear.

"Let's get something to eat," Ivan said, slapping me on the shoulder. Maybe the food was good.

Ivan introduced me to several people as we hung around the concessions. I answered the usual questions: what's your major, where are you from, how long have you been here, etc. I've answered these questions countless times, as I'm sure every college student has. I reciprocated to be polite despite not really being interested in what most everyone had to say. My social battery was already running low, and it had only been fifteen minutes. Only a couple of hours to go... unless I could find some way out of here.

After a while, Ivan was off mingling with friends I didn't know, nor did I care to know them. I only need one Ivan in my life at a time.

I stood by myself for some time watching everyone mingle and laugh together. What a bunch of fools. Not that I'm any better. I shouldn't think that, but I could see right through their facades. Everyone faking excitement. Pretending to be interested in each other's stories. Feigning humility or intelligence. They were all just trying to impress one another and it made me sick.

A tap on my shoulder startled me. I turned almost not recognizing the woman before me.

"Hey, Ruby," I nodded.

"Eric. Finally gracing us with your presence? Or did you just run out of places to hide?" Her face bore a sinister little grin.

"I'll have you know I will never run out of places to hide," I said as I gave a toothless smile.

We stared at each other for a moment. Long enough for me to wish she had a slightly different personality because, dang, she was pretty. Her usual disheveled ponytail was now long, flowing, and slightly curled, draping across her shoulder and down her back. The plain t-shirt and ripped jeans were swapped for a dress that showed off her figure. My heart fluttered until she spoke again.

"Ah, that much is clear. It's humbling to be in the presence of the master of isolation. You must teach me your ways, sensei."

"It's not something that can be taught," I clasped my hands together mocking the old wise mentor stereotype. "One must desire no friends or company. Only then can he master the art."

"Well, master, I hope you're enjoying your noble solitude caring about no one and having no one care about you."

"Oh, I care. Just... from a distance." I had been avoiding her as of late. It looks like she noticed.

"Right. Because everyone knows when you care about someone you avoid them like the plague."

I thought Ruby was pleasant when we met. And very attractive, of course. We met in art history class. There were several group projects, one of which Ruby was a part of. I might have been too open too early on. I made my complaints known about how I hated Renaissance art. Greek and Roman styles, Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock--just a few things I voiced my dislike for. Ruby was vehemently against my takes. She pointed out the design elements, and I admitted they had good structure. I just hated the paintings and didn't get the appeal.

That sparked her... unique interest in me. She would find me during lunch or between classes, often by happenstance. Then she'd grill me not only about art but also music and entertainment. We found some common ground with popular movies, but our tastes clashed more often than not.

Her jokes had grown more biting as of late. I was never sure if she meant them. And she hung around me more and more. So much so that I couldn't get anything done. I started avoiding her. Eating in my dorm. Staying in between classes. Which ironically got me to this party.

Something about her countenance seemed off tonight. Over the months, I'd come to know her better than anyone else. If she didn't constantly berate me, I might have asked her out. But I figured she'd laugh and say no. Right now, though, she wasn't her usual quirky self.

"If you didn't want to talk to me, you could have just said so, Eric."

"It's that I didn't want to talk to anyone, I've just been..." c'mon, come up with something! "... really busy with classes."

"Uh huh. Sure. Well, not everyone can handle being challenged."

She rightfully called me out for that. I was never good at giving reason to why I thought what I thought. So, even though she was teasing, she was right. And it stung.

I quickly finished my cup of water. "I'm going to get another drink. Want anything?"

"No, I'm good. Have fun continuing to master your craft, oh wise one," she mockingly bowed as she walked away in that elegant black dress. Oh my goodness.

I blinked hard and focused. Give it up, Eric. She would never be interested in you.

Right now, I needed to focus on something that was possible. I started scanning for a way out without hurting Ivan's feelings or giving him ammo to drag me to another party.

As I returned to my lonesome spot on the floor, slow music started playing. Some kid got on a microphone.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the night is still young. Let those sparks fly," the smooth, deep voice he attempted was extremely cringe. Everyone proceeded to grab partners to dance with. I began to panic. I walked backwards as everyone else walked past me with their dance partners.

As I quickly searched for the exit, I saw Ivan standing between me and the door. He eyed me, pointing to his eyes with his two fingers and back at me. It was time to run. This was not going to happen.

I booked it further into the building. I skipped the steps of a nearby staircase and hauled up like my life depended on it. I saw Ivan pushing through the crowd after me. Not today, buddy. I frantically searched for any open door, jiggling every knob I passed. I finally came to a storage closet that was open. I whipped open the door and then closed it quietly in hopes to avoid him hearing where I took cover.

I put my ear up to the door with my hand on the knob, holding it firmly in place. I could hear Ivan along with one other person, probably Seth or Kyle. I heard Ivan try a few doorknobs. I took a deep breath and held the door handle as tight as I could. I saw a doorstop at my feet and carefully placed it under the door.

When Ivan reached me, he jiggled the handle and then hit the door. He could probably tell it was open. I held my breath, not making a sound. The door didn't budge. He and who I confirmed to be Seth moved on from the closet.

I exhaled a heavy sigh of relief, still hearing the slow music playing in the commons area. That was a close one. I'm going to have to start avoiding my roommates, too.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat behind me. A woman. I jumped.

"Woah!"

"Chill, weirdo, it's me," Ruby peeked out from behind a shelf full of boxes labelled with random supplies like 'holiday' and 'cutlery.' There was a rolled up rug leaned up against one shelf and a couple of stacks of folding chairs against the opposite wall.

Ruby pulled the chain hanging from the singular dim light source the closet contained. The room was incredibly tight. She was crammed in the only pocket she could possibly fit in. The shelves lined the walls and left only about an eight by five foot area of open floor space minus the rug, chairs, and scattered boxes. The little alcove Ruby was tucked into was just large enough to fit her, but not me.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked, still catching my breath and holding my aching heart.

"I should ask you the same question! Can a girl not get a moment of privacy?"

I hung my head in frustration. I took a few more deep breaths to calm down. Then I levelled with her.

"My roommates were trying to get me to dance."

"Ha ha! I figured. Good for them."

"Yeah, you may find it funny because your life isn't on the line," I cleared my throat, "So... why are you in here?"

She stayed in her little slot in the wall. She was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees with her face buried in them, causing her voice to be a bit muffled.

"I uh... didn't want to dance either."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You, not wanting to dance? I thought you attended every country dance club there was."

"Does this sound like country music?" she asked sharply. I was a little shocked.

"No, I guess not."

My back slid against the door until I rested on the floor. I sighed again. There was a long period of silence. We just listened to the slow music playing for some time. At some point it switched back to upbeat pop music, and then back to slow music.

"Bet we're missing a lot of fun."

Ruby sniffed, "Yeah, probably." Something seemed off. It wasn't like Ruby to not talk her head off. I wasn't sure how to handle it. Having been avoiding her for a couple of weeks, it felt strange to try and probe her into talking, but part of me was feeling bad.

I braced myself. "You okay, Ruby?"

She looked up at me with her big blue eyes. They were a little red from crying. Oh no.

"Yeah, I'm okay..."

I tried to think of why she could be crying. Maybe a guy refused to dance with her when she asked. Was it something I said? Our conversations had been like that for months. Was she upset that I've been distant? She didn't seem to like me anyway. It never even crossed my mind that that would make her upset.

"I know we've been at odds for a while, but, if it would help to get it out, I think we're stuck in here for at least another..." I pulled my phone out and looked at the time, "... another hour or so before people start to leave. We can talk about your questionable taste in music, or about how I'm right," I said in a lighter tone, trying to lift her spirits a bit.

Ruby sniffed again. "I don't know if it would help, Eric. I wanted to be alone."

Ouch. A pit grew in my stomach. I probably caused irreparable damage to our relationship, whatever relationship there was. If she considered me a friend, I was oblivious. I should not have assumed. Yet another relationship I have ruined.

"Alright." I stood up and brushed myself off. "Ivan and Seth should be gone, so I'm probably in the clear. I hope you feel better, Ruby." I kicked the doorstop out of the way and pushed the doorknob down, ready to open it.

"Wait." I stopped and let go of the knob, turning around to look at her. She stood up. The tight space made us stand closer to each other than I was used to. "It would help to talk, but only if you were sincere in wanting to."

Her condition for talking surprised me. I was rarely ever sincere in conversation with someone. Not that I straight up lied, but I would often feign emotions, like I criticized other people for doing only a few minutes ago. I have always felt the need to hide myself from the public. Anytime I was more open, it seemed to turn people off. Except Ruby. The more open I was, the more relentless she teased me and sought me out. How am I just noticing this now? I felt I was sincere this time for a change. I really wanted her to feel better.

"I am sincere," I returned to a sitting position and she sat cross-legged on the opposite side, only a few feet away from me. Her black dress hung over her knees and sparkled in the dim closet lighting.

"Okay then... Where do I start? Why do you not like country music?"

I raised my eyebrows. "We've been over this before," I told her.

"Just indulge me for a minute. Tell me again."

"Alright. I don't like country music because it all sounds the same. Especially modern country music, or 'bro country' is what I think it's called," Ruby chuckled, I smiled. "I don't know. It's not like I need super deep meaning behind the music I listen to. I rarely know the words to the songs I like. I just really like powerful, heavy music, or soothing music, and I find country to be neither of those with the exception of a very select few songs."

"Fair enough," she said, nodding her head. "So what about those exceptions? What about them do you like?"

"I like the fact that they have a soothing melody, they don't have the typical country voice, and a couple of them are upbeat and fun."

"Interesting. Is someone liking country music a complete turn-off for you?" she asked while snickering.

I thought for a moment. "I wouldn't say it's a complete turn-off. But it does make me question someone's other tastes if they love country music. There have to be some country songs you don't like."

"Oh, there are. Just as I'm sure there are orchestral pieces you don't like."

"There are some that are more bland and less memorable than others, for sure."

"So, you said liking country music isn't a complete turn-off. So what is? What sort of taste can you not stand?"

This line of questioning was making me nervous. I felt like I knew where she was going with this.

"A complete turn-off for me would be someone who likes trap music. That or heavy death metal. I know I said I like heavy music, but not death metal with all the screaming and such."

She paused and thought, sniffing again. "Okay... good. I'm not a fan of death metal either."

"What about you, Ruby? What tastes are a total turn-off for you?" I wanted to turn the attention away from me.

"What I can't stand is someone who isn't open to trying new things," she eyed me with lowered eyebrows and a playful smile on her face.

I exhaled a laugh through my nose and smiled. "I am very open to trying new things. I like a lot of different songs in different genres."

"What about art? What kind of artist doesn't appreciate its history?"

"You don't have to be an art historian to be good at drawing, or to even know the principles of design. You can't tell me that some of the old Renaissance paintings are better than those Russian art pieces I showed you. Realistic nature paintings and stylized, but realistic portraits are much more appealing than most everything from that time period."

"I'll admit, they were really good. But you don't seem to appreciate any of the old artworks."

"I don't see why it matters. What difference would it make in my drawings if I liked one artist or hated another? People have different styles they like. I hate a lot, if not most modern styles too. Even hyperrealistic drawings aren't my favorite. They have no character and no soul. It's just copying to an insane degree. But again, I ask, what difference does it make to you? Why do you care so much about what I do and do not appreciate?"

She quickly stood up and turned a full 360 degrees. "Because I like--!" she almost shouted. Her voice caught as she whipped around to face the wall. The last word escaped as a horrified whisper, "... you." A small, defeated sound. "Dang it..."

My eyes widened. That caught me totally off-guard. I raised myself from the floor, heart pounding in my ears.

"Dang it, Eric," she said again as her voice was on the verge of cracking. Oh dear. I did cause her to come up here. All this is my fault. I sat in stunned silence for several moments.

"Ruby... I am so sorry. I had no idea."

"Yeah, well... Now you do." Everything was starting to make sense, and I hated myself all the more. How could I have been so stupid and blind. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. Ruby spoke again.

"So, now what, Eric? Are you going to go back to avoiding me?"

Her words felt like a punch in the gut. I can't imagine how I made her feel.

"You must think the worst of me."

"I have for the past week."

"I really thought you hated me."

Ruby hung her head a little. "I can come off a little strong. I've never been good at keeping relationships because of it."

I audibly laughed. "That's funny because I haven't been able to keep a relationship for the exact opposite reason."

She responded with her own cute laugh. "It's almost like we were meant for each other."

We laughed for a moment, then suddenly her smile lowered. She dawned a serious, hungry look on her face. My smile dropped, and an insatiable appetite grew inside me. She took a single step toward me, a step which I mirrored. Our gazes were locked. Inseparable. I got lost in her bright blue eyes. She looked unreal. While I was admiring her, she attacked me.

With one more step past the folding chairs and over a rogue box, she stumbled into me, her lips planting on my own. Her momentum made us both stumble into the door with a loud bang. I winced and she covered her mouth to suppress her laughter.

I pushed myself up, hoping that nobody heard us. Some louder music was blasting, so there was a good chance we were in the clear.

Ruby planted another one on me against the door, which made another, softer bang.

"Wait... wait," I said in between kisses. I took a second to catch my breath. Holy moly. She smelled wonderful. The slight hint of fresh fruit radiated from her, complimented with the warm, natural scent of her skin. My heart raced.

While admiring her scent, she licked and kissed my neck, jawline and face, moving up and down like a starving mouse.

"We should move away from the door." I whispered to her as she devoured my neck.

She lifted her head and then jumped on me, hugging my neck and wrapping her legs around my waist. I supported her with my arms. She was so light, it almost felt like lifting a child.

I tried to walk us to the other end of the closet, but I failed to account for the chairs in my way. My foot caught in one, and we both fell to the ground. I twisted, so that I hit the floor first with Ruby landing on top of me.

I let off a groan that exaggerated the pain, which was minimal. Ruby flipped herself up on top, straddling me. She whipped her lovely blonde hair out of her face and laughed.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

She continued laughing and bit her lip. "Oh yeah."

She resumed kissing me aggressively. I did my best to match her intensity, but I wasn't entirely prepared for this. Our mouths moved in rhythm. Her tongue massaged mine. I couldn't believe what was happening.

An hour ago I thought this woman hated me. Now I was wondering how I resisted her all those months. A small knot ate at me from inside. How could I have been so self-absorbed?

After making out for a while, she pulled at my shirt, reaching under it and scratching my bare torso. She lifted it from the bottom and kissed me from my stomach up to my chest. I panted, failing to breath properly from the stimulation.

"Wait," I said, desperate for air.

"You and your waiting," she sat up and brushed her hair back. Then she leaned down and put her mouth right up against my ear. "No more waiting... Eric." The way she said my name made a satisfying and quite seductive click in my ear. I felt her fingers brush against my sides before she ripped my shirt off. She then shoved me flat on my back. My shoulder knocked the rolled up rug in the corner, causing it to fall on her. Using her as a fulcrum, it flipped and hit the stack of chairs I tripped over, knocking over several of them. More loud crashing followed.

While holding up the rug, Ruby slowly turned to see what happened, and then turned to me holding back more laughter by biting her lip.

Still flat on my back, I asked her, "Shouldn't we go somewhere more comfortable?" I gave her a sarcastic, yet playful look. "You wanna get out of here?"

She smiled bashfully, "Desperately."

She gave me one more deep kiss before hoisting the rug off of her and standing up. I grabbed her outstretched hand, and we both tried to straighten the closet as best we could before leaving. I put my shirt back on, and she repositioned her shoulder straps. I don't know if it's just the male instincts talking, but I have never wanted anyone or anything more than Ruby right now.

We slowly made our way out of the closet and to the top of the stairs leading down to the commons area. There, I eyed a direct line to the closest exit, and we made a casual break for it.

Once outside, Ruby started giggling uncontrollably. I laughed in response to her state of delirium.

"What?"

She hugged my arm tightly and sniffed my shoulder. "Your place or mine?" She asked without addressing my question.

"Well, considering we both have roommates, is there a third option?"

"We could make out in the public park if that would make you more comfortable."

I let out a nervous laugh. "No, that's alright. How about your place?"

"Perfect." She leaned her head on my shoulder and squeezed tighter.

On the way to her apartment we were mostly silent. I was lost in my own thoughts of how this could be possible. That someone could ever want me so badly, even after I royally screwed up the whole situation. What did she see in me? It isn't like we could bond over what we had in common. I wasn't very tall. She was maybe two inches shorter than me, so at least I was taller than her, but I wasn't like my roommates who were six feet tall and above. Maybe tall guys aren't her thing? I'm stocky, but not lean or muscular. I wouldn't consider myself obese either, but I don't have the ideal male physique. Without asking her directly, there's no way I would come to any conclusion of why she was so hungry for me.

It was roughly a fifteen minute walk to her dorm. It was a cool, summer evening. The warm scent of summer penetrated my nostrils and added to the homey feel of this whole situation. With her clamped to my arm, I felt wanted. Needed. Girls have shown interest in me in the past. I didn't mirror most of their feelings, and for those I did like, I felt more like an after thought for them. Others just wanted someone they could talk with their friends about.

It didn't feel like that with Ruby right now. She clung to me like I was the last person on Earth. And honestly, she was the only one I needed.

Once we reached her building, we quietly walked up to her second floor dorm room. When we reached her door, she paused.

"I'm gonna be honest with you. I was in a bad state today. I didn't want to go to the party. My roommates convinced me to go. They know I like you, and they convinced me to go on the off-chance you would be there. They wanted to embarrass you for avoiding me. The plan was to lead you into the middle of the dance floor and dump the punch all over you. I think they might have gotten your roommates in on it. But after talking to you, I couldn't go through with it. So... I am sorry. I was really hurt, but I kind of understand why you kept your distance. I can only imagine if I had gone through with the plan, you would hate me forever."

Ivan's, Seth's, and Kyle's insistence of me going to this thing and their pursuit of me now makes sense. But I couldn't blame Ruby.

"Well, I'm glad I found a great hiding spot before the plan was realized. I can't blame you for going along with it. I am the one who really needs to apologize, Ruby. I was a grade-A idiot who deserved to have red punch dumped on him. I wish I wasn't so stupid. I just assume everyone always hates me. I hope you can forgive me."

She grabbed my face and kissed me deeply. She looked into my eyes and opened her door.

I hesitated following her in. I sheepishly asked, "Are you sure you still want me around?"

She grabbed my shirt with both hands. "Get in here you big lug." She threw me inside into the living room. We kissed passionately as she led me to her private room.

She pushed me onto her bed, locked the door behind her and straddled me as I sat up. We stared into each other's eyes. I almost felt drunk. I guess there was some weight to the phrase, "drunk on love." Ruby stroked the sides of my head with her thin, delicate fingers.

"Tonight, Mr. Wallflower..." her hands traced my jawline, "... you're done hiding."

"I'm yours." I replied.

Our mouths met yet again--harder this time. Her moans were low and real. She yanked my shirt off and tossed it without looking, then shoved me down like she'd been waiting all night. Her mouth hit my neck, her hands were everywhere. She listened to my heartbeat like it mattered. She kissed, grabbed, breathed me in. It felt like she needed all of me--skin, breath, heat, everything. Like she wasn't just touching me.

She was taking me in.

I felt my heart pound against my ears as she unbuttoned my jeans. I started panting. She noticed my nerves and smiled mischievously. She slowly pulled down the zipper. She rubbed my waist and upper thighs and looked me in the eyes as her fingers hooked on both articles of clothing covering my lower region. Then she pulled.

Feeling the cool breeze on my exposed body with Ruby in the room brought in all sorts of arousal, embarrassment, and relief. It was very confusing.

Ruby stood over me, drinking me in. She licked her lips like I was dinner. I struggled to keep my breathing steady.

Ruby reached behind her and unzipped her dress. She slowly and seductively pulled her shoulder straps down, revealing her bare shoulders. I felt heat radiate from my entire being as I watched her. The dress slowly crawled its way down her shoulders and her upper chest until it fell entirely. My head buzzed looking at her in just her undergarments.

She slowly slid her lower covering down, letting it fall to her feet. She then unclipped her bra and let it fall to the floor. I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs. I started to get light-headed, but I couldn't take my eyes off her.

She crawled back on top of me. Her hair slid all the way up my body until our bodies touched skin-to-skin. I let out an unintentional groan. Wow.

I explored everywhere she would let me. My hands moved up and down her back, feeling the curves of her soft, warm skin. We couldn't get enough of each other. She playfully bit my neck at one point.

"Hey, ow!" I said with a surprised smile. She smiled back and continued to nibble, and I let her. She felt so good.

She was everything I ever wanted. She may have different taste in art and music, but I felt comfortable talking about anything with her. I felt like, whether she meant it or not, our conversations and debates over these silly things have helped me develop stronger opinions. I have looked at why I think what I do. Her challenging me helped me rethink some ideas and reinforced others.

Later that night, we lay in bed, her head on my chest and my hand brushing through her hair. Every few minutes she would kiss me all over, refamiliarizing herself with my body. Neither of us could sleep. Her body against mine was too intoxicating.

"Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you actually not like people?"

"I wouldn't say I don't like people. I just don't like how fake people are most of the time."

"I actually agree with you there."

"That's one thing you never were, Ruby. You were never fake."

She turned herself so she was resting face down on my chest. She looked at me with her big, blue eyes.

"And I never will be. Ever."