My amber eyes opened to the sun shining through a window above my head. I raised my pale hand to shield my face from the morning light. Sitting up slightly, I reached for the black blinds and slid them closed, covering the entire window until the room was once again cloaked in darkness. I sighed softly, laying my head back onto my soft, comfortable pillow. My rest was short-lived, though, as a soft feminine voice came from behind me.

"Hey, Palva, wake up."

I opened my eyes and looked up. It was my best friend, Emily. I sat up, rubbing my tired, baggy eyes. She shook her head at me, looking disappointed.

"Didn't I tell you to get more sleep, not stay up all night drawing?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like it's a school night. It's Saturday, and we're on winter break. I'll stay up as late as I want."

Emily sighed. "Alright then. But don't complain to me later if you can't focus in art class."

She walked over to grab a white T-shirt. "Get dressed. You promised we'd go out today."

I stared at her, confused. "I didn't promise anything. I don't even go out much, so what are you talking about?"

Emily tilted her head, giving me a look. "Yes, you did. Yesterday, you said, 'Alright, I'll go out with you, Emily, so you can get your ass out of this room and actually live life instead of sitting here drawing all day.'"

I looked away, feeling a little guilty. She wasn't entirely wrong. My art made me feel alive-it connected me to something deeper. But was that enough?

Emily crossed her arms and gave me a knowing look. "Look, I'm not trying to be a jerk, Palva. I get that you love art, but there's more to life than just sitting alone in a dark room. Going outside, hanging out with your friend-who happens to be your only friend-is living too."

I sighed, laying back down. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're my only friend, dickhead."

She smirked. "That's what friends are for-reminding you that there's more out there and that I'm your only friend."

I looked away, a bit hurt. Was I really living? Art was my passion; it made me feel like I was creating something meaningful. But maybe Emily was right-maybe I needed to experience more of the world outside.

Emily sat beside me, causing the bed to creak. "I'm not trying to be mean, Palva. But come on-you can't stay in here forever."

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I closed my eyes and sighed. "Fine, I'll go out."

Emily smiled and hugged me tightly. "That's the spirit! Now get dressed, and let's go live a little!"

Soon, we were leaving our college dorms. I wore a plain black T-shirt, black sweatpants, and a blue hoodie with a bear holding a drink printed on it. Emily, on the other hand, wore a white crop top and black leggings that hugged her curves, her hair cascading over her shoulders. She always dressed confidently, while I preferred to keep covered, hiding from the world.

Emily unlocked her 2020 Chevrolet Equinox and got into the driver's seat as I slid into the passenger side. She gave me a teasing look. "So, going for the 'homeless' look, are you?"

I rolled my eyes as she smirked and started the car. "And you're overdoing it. We're just going out why all the makeup?"

She giggled. "Some people would kill for a body like mine. Besides, we're going to a friend's party later, and you're going to have to be social."

I looked out the window as the bright morning sunlight filtered in. "Emily, I don't feel comfortable-"

She interrupted. "Yeah, I know, but how else are you going to make friends or maybe even meet someone? You did say you wanted to be an illustrator, right?"

A cold sweat crept over me. "Well, yeah... but I still don't feel-"

She cut me off again. "Look, if you want to make it in art, you're going to have to be able to communicate. It's one of the most important skills, and you, my lovely friend, don't have much of that."

I blushed and hid my face. "Shut up, Emily. I'm not even that pretty. I look like a New York rat next to you."

She reached over and playfully smacked the back of my head. "Ow! What the hell, Emily?"

When we finally arrived at the party, loud rap music blasted through the house. I sat on the couch, holding a red plastic cup, and sniffed the beer inside. It smelled bitter, and the taste was even worse. I swallowed reluctantly, trying not to grimace.

I wandered around the house, feeling claustrophobic, like everyone's eyes were on me. My heart began to race. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply to calm myself, but then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Emily, smiling with a drink in her hand. Her expression quickly shifted when she noticed how tense I looked.

"You okay? You look like you're about to pass out."

I forced a smile. "Yeah... just finished... throwing up."

Emily raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. She crossed her arms. "Sure, you're fine," she said, her tone sarcastic. "Come on, follow me. We're going to dance."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the center of the living room, where people were jumping and dancing to the music. My heart sank. Nobody was paying attention, but I felt like if I made one wrong move, everyone would notice.

Emily, on the other hand, was moving effortlessly, her body flowing with the rhythm. She didn't seem to care about anyone's opinions. She looked at me and grinned, urging me to dance. "Come on, Palva. Nobody's watching you-just move and have fun!"

I hesitated, but finally, I let go and started to dance. I probably looked ridiculous, moving awkwardly to the beat, but Emily's smile reassured me. Little by little, I felt my shyness fade away. Laughing, I raised my hands, moving to the rhythm, and we both made silly hand gestures, laughing like idiots.

The dance floor was getting crowded, and the music blared even louder. Emily spun around and leaned back against me, squatting down as she started twerking on me her curvy hips and Big butt bounce on me as she twerks and grinds on me

My face went beet red as my heart raced in my chest. Hesitantly, I placed my hands on her hips, trying not to let my embarrassment show.

Something felt strange, though-was I actually enjoying this? The thought startled me. I wanted to push her away and tell her I'd had enough, but I stayed put, my hands lingering on her hips as she continued dancing. Am I attracted to Emily? The question scared me, and I didn't know if I was ready to find out.