Being Invisible Read Online Free PDF Page A

window was open, and I
could hear voices streaming in from outside. Opening the kitchen door, I was
greeted by a group of about fifteen people mingling and laughing, while my mix
played in the background.
    “Hey! There’s our girl!” Annie
yelled, the alcohol making her slightly more excited to see me than I would
normally expect. Anna loved to work out as much as I did, with the exception of
running, which she called ‘long distance torture.’
    She also knew how to show off her
strong legs and thin frame. So, of course, she looked amazing in her mini skirt
and wedge heels. She wore her long brown hair in soft curls, which framed her
face
    “Lucy!” everyone yelled at once.
While half of the group seemed legitimately happy to see me, the other half
just seemed relieved that they could talk in normal tones and turn the music up
to party level.
    I found Liz laughing and talking
to one of our neighbors. Her hair, light brown with a few blue streaks, was
placed in a loose bun, showing off her multiple ear piercings. She had on a
bohemian skirt with a tank top.
      The general hotness of my roommates
reminded me that I was still wearing yoga pants and a Salty Dog t-shirt. I don’t even want to look at my hair, I
thought, suddenly mortified by my appearance. Just as I was about to bolt to
the shower, I heard Liz’s voice beside me.
    “Lu, you’re up. It’s about time!”
    “You could have woken me up you
know. I’d kind of like to participate in the party occurring at my own house.”
    “You think I didn’t try? You know
how you are. ‘Five more minutes, Liz.’ You said ‘five more minutes’ every five
minutes for an hour. I had shi-stuff to do.”
    “Sorry. I don’t even remember
waking up.”
    “Well you’re here now. The next
step would be making yourself presentable for the party. Unless eighth grade
sleepover was the look you were going for?”
    “I’m going. I’m going. Any sign of
Colin yet?”
    “No. But it’s really early for
anyone other than our party-crazed friends.”
    “True. I would just feel bad if
they do come, and I’m not even here to show them around. They don’t know anyone
else.”
    “Then I’ll show them where the keg
is and throw some chips their way. That’s about the extent of what they will be
expecting. Well, that and for you not to smell like day old yoga.”
    “I can’t hear you, I’m leaving
now.” I didn’t want to give her a chance to respond, so I jogged up the stairs,
leaving her to the growing crowd.
    When I stepped into the kitchen
forty-five minutes later, I felt much more party-ready. My hair was still damp,
so I threw it into two braids to make it less noticeable.
    Because I wanted Colin to have a
chance to see me outside of my get-straight-out-of bed-and-go-running look, I
took a little more time to pick out an outfit. I decided on my favorite pair of
jeans and a cream colored sweater over a black cami. I finished my look with
mascara and lipstick.
    The house was already becoming
more crowded, with music and voices filling every room of the first floor. I
took a brief tour of the house, looking for signs of my roommates...or maybe
Colin and Drew. Ok, so mostly I was looking for Colin. At that point, I had
decided to give myself a break and admit to myself that I was kind of excited
about seeing him.
    After a quick loop around the
house I was feeling disappointed. Annie was busy playing quarters with her
boyfriend and his soccer buddies, while Liz was playing pool with a few of our
neighbors. I had just given up my search and decided to hang back and watch Liz
hustle our friends when I felt an arm around my waist. I turned to see Colin
smiling at me. “Hey. Great party.”
    His hand fell away as quickly as
it landed, but he continued to stay close. I looked over his shoulder and saw
Drew behind him.
    “Hey, guys. Glad you could make
it.” I totally pulled off sounding casual, although seeing Colin outside of his
sweaty workout look was kind of really