Social Butterfly's Heart! Shot 1. The Social Circuit?

Social Butterfly's Heart! Shot 1. The Social Circuit?

A Social Butterfly’s Heart
By Dragonstar
Shot 1: The Social Circuit? Flapping of One’s Wings.

A pair of brown eyes peered through the crowd as dark pinkish purple hair floated with the breeze of the spring season and the young woman swayed with the motion of the music. We were in a club that had all the doors and windows open because of the warm weather. I watched her for a few minutes before turning to the shorter tan man standing beside me. His piercing light green eyes stood out from his skin tone and he grinned up at me.
“What’s the matter Ladies’ man? Can’t decide on your next victim?” Carlos asked from beside me as Naomi danced with our friends Crystal and Lola. The three girls definitely stood out in the crowd of people with their multi-toned hair colors, high heels, and not to mention they were dancing with out guys. Perhaps I should take a step back and introduce myself. My name is Jerry and along with my group of friends, we are all students at the University of San Diego. We all stand out like sore thumbs because well the best way to describe us is we are eccentric.
Carlos is tan and Spanish, but his hair is dyed a bright pink color and the strange part is that includes his beard. Lola is a lovely African-American woman with streaming golden highlighted hair that she proudly wears in a style straight out of the 1970’s and believe me she can pull it off well. She has piercing deep chocolate eyes and oh yeah I guess I should say Carlos has green eyes. Crystal is well Crystal there is no other way to really describe her. She is a little stand offish and blunt with people but I think that is why all of us were drawn to her in the first place. Then there is Naomi Watkins, she has her hair that seems dyed but I have never actually seen her color her hair.
She may also be the only one who is actually with our group purely because she likes everyone and believes in people. She has no selfish motivation unlike the rest of us but that is another story entirely. Sometimes are group will grow in size and sometimes it will dwindle but every time it consists of the six of us. Although Markus is not here right now and it is a Friday night.
“You really do zone out a lot man. You worry me.” Carlos finally shot at me as he pushed his way through the crowd of people and landed where he finally wanted to be. I followed closely behind him as we joined the three young women and followed with the blare of the club music. I smiled at Naomi as she turned and said hello to another person that I had never seen before in my life but she seemed to know everyone and their brother. Literally!
“Naomi!” I screamed over the blaring hip-hop music as she locked her brown eyes with my light brown eyes and grinned at me with a questioning gaze.
“There you go again?” I teased with a sly smile as she tilted her head and rolled her eyes.
“Whatever Jerry, it’s not my fault you’re anti-social.” She yelled back before turning to push her way through the people when the song changed and I followed closely behind leaving Carlos to deal with Crystal and Lola. She quickly threw a comment over her shoulder “Why are you following me?” as we continued to leave the dance floor. I gave her a confused look and she rolled her eyes once again.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I shot at her as she glared up at me now. Naomi was a lot shorter then me but I adored her petite frame, of course I would never tell her that and so she just continued to eye ball me when I forced a fake smile of ignorance at the shorter woman with dark reddish purple hair. It was dyed of course, it had to be. Right? Ok I need to stop talking to myself and zoning out and focus on what she is saying.
“…so since we’re in college….” Naomi was in mid-rant when she noticed I had zoned out again. “JERRY! Are you even listening to me? God you’re worse then Carlos.” She ranted and pushed her weight up against the bar behind her and she turned and ordered a shot of rum then refocused her attention back on me.
“Listen ladies man.” Naomi began to catch my attention acid seemed to slightly drip from her voice when she used Carlos’ nickname for me. Of course, when she said it I always had a slight wince in reaction.
One dark-brown brow arched as I responded, “Is that really necessary…Butterfly!” I said in a teasing manner, in response a light pink tongue poked out at me as two feminine eyes shut in unison with it. “Oh that’s really mature, really proves you’re a college student.” I then shot back.
“Shut up.” She shot back before to thin fingers closed around an opalescent tiny glass and the golden liquid going past her pink painted lips, and down her throat in one swift motion.
“As I was saying Jerry, why are you so anti-social? Or worse why does it surprise you that I am not?” Naomi returned to the original conversation at hand, dropping the argument all together. I finally gave in as I took a seat on the stool beside Naomi and then turned to see Lola and Carlos still dancing but Crystal had disappeared somewhere with in the crowd. When I tried to focus my attention away from her questions Naomi reached out and placed her hand on my chin pulling me to look at her again, as I could smell the alcohol wafting from her breath.
“Drop it ok. Not all of us are like you Naomi.” I shot back.
“Are you kidding me? Jerry you’re the reason women join are little group on these social outings. Actually, I am pretty sure you are the reason Lola is still sticking around even if she won’t admit it. I swear you have more women then a boy bands fan club! Which amazes even me sometimes!” Naomi said and continued to babble as I looked away from her again and took a deep breath.
“Naomi one night stands and flirting is hardly the same as being friends with every person on campus!” I responded finally and received another eye roll in response as she ordered a Pina colada this time and then another shot of rum.
“Two at the same time? Really do you think that’s wise?” I questioned her.
“Only the Pina colada is for me you arse! The shot is for you. You need to loosen up Jer.” She replied with a tart voice and slid the shot glass over to me as I downed the drink hiding my grateful look, or at least I hope I hid it from her.
“So you want to tell me you answer to why you have so many friends?” I finally continued to my original enquiry. She looked at me and shrugged.
“It just comes naturally to me I guess. It isn’t hard for me to make connections and keep them with people because that is the purpose of college right? To meet new people?” Naomi responded with sincerity.
“Yea I guess. But it is one thing to meet new people but what you do is completely different in some ways. I mean let’s face it you aren’t a cheerleader or a preppy girl yet you blend in and stand out at the same time with people from many social circles.” I shot back.
“Well you are the one who labeled me from the start of college. So why is it surprising you now?” Naomi questioned me further, now with a suspicious look crossing her features. I looked her over once at the number she chose to wear tonight and licked my lips in mid-thought before returning my attention to her face. She was wearing a short black skirt with her black high-heeled pumps, and a purple v-neck top. Her nose piercing glittered in the light as she turned to look at Carlos approaching them now.
“I don’t know when I said that you spread your wings and bask in being a social butterfly Naomi I didn’t literally mean it. You freaking flap them through out campus and it just amazes me because you actually remember everyone’s name. That’s all.” I shot back with a tone of voice to drop the conversation all together.
Carlos ran a hand through his pink hair and apparently had heard my response because he had a mischievous grin and glared at me as he now forced his weight in to standing between Naomi’s seat and mine.
“What’s the matter Jerry? Are you still fixated on someone making social connections that go beyond jumping in the sack with someone? That is actually most people in society you know. Not all of us are like you with remembering someone’s name consists usually of you getting one night stands.” Carlos shot at me as he took Naomi’s Pina Colada from her hand and finished it off, she of course had no objection but hit him on the shoulder.
“Was that last part really necessary Carlos? You have no idea what we’re even talking about.” She said I think that was the best way she could defend me. But she had no objection to his statement not being true and I frowned slightly looking down at the floor. These two had known each other a lot longer and it reflected in the way they interacted all the time.
“He’s right.” I finally commented not focusing my gaze on either of them as I watched Lola dancing still now she found a new guy partner. “I guess we just all flap our wings differently to make the social connections that we make.”
Naomi smiled and nodded her head “There you go. So don’t worry Jerry, its ok to flap your wings in a social circuit. If we didn’t none of us would be here now. None of judge you for how you do it or how Carlos does either.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I heard Carlos mutter but Naomi waved off the question as I turned back to face the two in my bar stool and laughed.
“Yeah I guess. Besides if I wasn’t Ladies Man where would our little group be?” I shot with sarcasm and Naomi smiled sincerely at me.
“Lost and shattered.” She answered with her own sarcasm. She returned her attention to the female bartender as she ordered three shots for our trio at the bar. I glanced at Carlos who had tensed up after Naomi’s comment and I didn’t understand why. Nevertheless, we each took our shot downing the cool liquid that numbed us all for a few moments before we made our way back in the dancing circuit of people and rejoined with Crystal and Lola.
The End.