My Bubblegum King - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Yo, you up for dinner? - received from Ry.
A text from Ry dropped in just as I was easing into Billie Eilish, Bad guy. I rolled on my bed with a little groan, thinking of what exactly to say. I was about to relax and then sleep, we had a venue issue today so lecture was kinda hectic but it was only one lecture and I've actually had time to rest since I got home and I guess I'm touched that Ry wanted to have dinner, unless she wanted me there for other reasons like taking her out of a date when things got weird and she wanted to leave.
Just us two - sent.
Her text came in immediately. No, remember those guys from the party, Fernando, Stellito and Nancy? - received.
I scrunched my face up, trying to remember. Not really, why? - sent.
Well, I kept contact and we've been chatting. They wanna meet up with you, Nancy says she remembers you being a fire bomb cracker on the dance floor. - received.
I vaguely remembered them now, the dancers from the frat party. Oh, okay. I guess I'm up for dinner - sent.
Great, I'll text you the address after I make sure, start dressing though. - received.
Oh okay, I guess I was going out afterall. I jumped out of bed, pulled on my hoodie and jeans and then Ry's text came in with the address on it. It was a place I've never really been to but I've seen on my way a couple times and it was named ROONIE'S. I was a bit looking forward to meeting this, even though we've danced before, complete strangers and still had my guard up. New people still kinda frightened me, especially since it wasn't a party scenario anymore and we'd be sitting down and talking and probably eating, yeah not all 'dinners' involve food in them.
"Paxton, you'd just have to be cool and cute as always," I told myself while walking out the dorm. "They want to meet you, how scary could it be?"
ROONIE'S turned out to be a place that college students seemed to love very very much. It looked like a party was going on with loud music and a dance floor for people. There was a bar with a bartender and lot's of drinks, there was also a stage where I could see a karaoke at a corner, mics on the stage and a DJ doing his thing and toned down neon lights. Then at the corners, near the walls and window, there were seats and booths where people could seat and talk and maybe eat. The place was loud and almost full to the brim with lots of people dancing and drinking, I felt my guard go down a little but that was until I heard my name.
"Pax," Ryder waved from where she was sitting at a booth, then got up to walk up to me. Thank God. "You made it, cool."
"Who the fuck is Fernando, Stellito and Nancy?" I poured out, grabbing her hand tightly. "And you've been texting them, you didn't even mention it."
"Relax, they are very cool people, brought us to this cool place right?" Ry gestured around. "I mean how did we not know a place like this exists."
"I knew it exists, I just haven't ever come in here."
"See, now you have an excuse too," she sighed, they are really cool Pax, really cool and they mean no harm. Just hang out with us a little, if you feel like going just send me a quick text or pinch me a little, very little, and subtle and we'll leave right away."
I nodded, "great, I'd pinch then."
"Very little," she pointed out before holding my hand and taking me with her. We stopped at a booth where the three people there who were involved in some kind of conversation stopped talking to look at us. "Hey guys, Pax is here."
"Oh wow, he's cute," The female with curly dark hair said, her eyes on me. I swear now, I really really tried not to blush. I failed.
Ry chuckled and entered the booth first, so I could enter last and it'll be easy to run if I wanted to. Although I didn't think I would be running, they looked like normal people and I was a kinda social bunny in highschool and I wanted to graduate from bunny to maybe, dragonfly?
"See, I told you he was hella cute," the petite girl—yeah I could tell she was small even while she was sitting— with red hair said, smiling and waving at me like we were buddies. I waved back because of all of them, she was the one I remembered most. She was the one I was dancing with who told me to come back when I was leaving under the guise to get a drink but was actually going to greet Diego.
"Yeah and a great dancer, we've heard it all," the guy said, shaking his head to himself and taking a sip of whatever he was drinking. He had long ash blond hair with a strip of green at the side. He also had earrings and lot's of rings on his fingers, he looked Mexican and I think I heard the Latino accent but I'm not sure. He also looked really tall and from what I could see from the dimmed lights, he was handsome.
The red haired stuck her tongue out to him just as Ryder decided to speak, "okay, are you guys going to introduce yourselves or should I have the honors?"
The red girl went first, "hey, you probably don't remember me but we had chemistry on that dance floor in the frat party."
"Oh my God," all three of the other people in the booth chorused at the same time while I just chuckled under my breathe.
"I swear she's in love with him," The guy said again and Ryder and the other girl nodded. "Just one dance Nancy. I don't even know which is more, how impressed I am," he nodded at me. "Or how appalled I am," now he looked at red haired Nancy. Okay definitely Spanish accent mixed with... British?
"I am not in love with him," she hissed at the guy, I'm just gonna give him Fernando, I don't think the curly haired girl is Fernando. Nancy turned to me with a sheepish smile, "I am really not in love with you, I'm just... wowed. Oh my God, I couldn't get you out of my head for days—"
"It's been more than a month," Ryder chipped in, her voice completely amused.
"—I've never had such a soulful sensual dance and at the same time, crazy and fun at a party before," she continued like Ryder didn't say shit, then she turned to the others, "and it was completely unsexual, like—"
"We've heard," they chorused again.
"Well, it's true, I swear Paxton we have to dance again," Nancy said her blue eyes fixed on me. I blinked.
"Okay pixie," the other girl said holding Nancy's shoulder and pulling her back. "Chill, you aren't here to win a soul for dance. Calm down before you freak him out." Then she turned to me, " her chocolate brown eyes really warm. "Hi, I'm Stella. You can call be just that or Stelly or Stel or—"
"Ella," Fernando cut in, grinning to himself like he knew what was coming after, which came by the way.
"Fern, that's not my name and I've said it million times. Calling me that is gonna make people thinking dumb things and asking dumb things like 'is it short for Isabella or Annabella or just plain Bella?' and then when they hear it's actually Stella, they'd be like, 'oh' with the awkward face and shit that says, 'does'nt fit in'," Stella rambled and it looked like something she has said a million times.
"I think you have as much right to Ella as every Isa and Annabella out there," Fernando said. "Why should other people dictate where your name fits in?"
Stella shrugged, "it's white girl name."
"Oh come on," they all groaned in chorus once more. "That's bullshit," Fern said.
"Well say what you want about it but I remain the only black person here, don't I?" She said, looking at all three of them. "I'm the only one who really knows what's white girl shit and black shit. And maybe the rich preppy blacks can have Ella's in their names but I can't and honestly don't want too, can we leave it at that please?"
Ryder and Nancy and even me nodded with a shrug, Fernando stayed silent for some seconds before he said, "I'm still gonna call you Ella though."
"Oh God," the girls groaned and I felt like laughing but held it in. "Fern!"
"What I like it," he said with a shrug.
"It's my name," Stella emphasized.
"Not when we became friends, it's not just your name anymore, it's our name," Fern stated. "If I hear someone call Stella when you're not there, hell even when you're there, I turn around too."
The table stayed silent as they looked at him like a crazy person. Then Nancy tutted, "and that's him Pax, the crazy guy Fernando."
Fernando saluted at me, "can be a mouthful so just call me Fern."
I nodded, "and you all already know my name and social security number I presume. Ry talks too much, I know."
"Yeah, she did almost give that out," Fern said, "and I was like Girl, what's up?"
"I didn't and you were never like that," Ryder said shaking her head.
"It's really nice to officially meet you Paxton," Stella said, yeah I was sticking to just Stella for her. "And we're not as insane as we seem, only Fern is."
"I will take that as a compliment Milady," Fern said, grinning at her.
"I don't mind insane, infact, if there wasn't any insanity, I would have bolted out of here the first five minutes," I said.
"Hm," Stella said, still looking at me with a smile. "Now I see what Nancy saw in you."
"His dance moves?" Nancy asked. "From his eyes?"
"No," Stella relaxed back into her seat. "I get why you're in love with him."
"I'm not in love with him!"
"And for the record, I might or might not have mentioned this," Ryder said, looking at me. I chuckled and nodded my permission at her. "But he's gay."
"See?" Nancy pointed out. "Wait, really? That makes so much sense, I mean relating to the nonsexual feeling and dance."
"Jesus, not everyone wants to get with you Nancy," Fern said, rolling his eyes.
"Um, you did."
"Ooo," we all said at that burn, myself included before we laughed.
"Once, just once," Fern said.
"And what do you mean, not everybody wants to get with me?" Nancy said looking at Fern like he was a crazy person. "I'm a hot redhead, petite—every guy's dream height— cute, amazing eyes, twerk-able, bounce-able, squeeze-able, incredible round ass, wonderful rack and the sexiest lips to ever wonder into this college," Nancy recited, silencing everyone at the table. "How don't you see, Fernando, that the sun sets and rises on my head?"
Now we knew she was just joking, we burst out laughing at Fern's expense.
"Yeah and regardless of Paxton sexuality," Stella started saying. "Straight girls would bang anything and anybody, in the right moment."
Now we really went silent. It was Fern who broke it after a minute, "wait, aren't you straight?"
Stella grinned, "point taken I guess."
"Oh my," Ryder and Nancy face palmed. "That's nasty, Stel."
"Pause, please," Fern drawled. "Define Anything?"
"Shut up Fern!"
Nancy touched my hand, "and you thought I was crazy, right?"
I nodded, leaning in to tell her, "aren't we all truly a bit crazy?" She laughed and I turned back to the group. "Wait, if your name is just Stella, where did Ry get Stellito from?"
"Oh that's just drunk Fern introducing us all at the party," Stella explained.
"And on that note of drunkenness, can we go get you a drink mate?" Fern said standing up, I followed suit.
"Sure."
"I want one too," Nancy rushed in. "Me too," Ryder said. "Me three," Stella added.
Fern put his hand around my shoulder as we walked to the bar, "girls, that most troublesome creatures to walk the earth. Am I right?"
"Yeah but that could also be raccoons," I said.
"I know right, the similarities!" He shook his head chuckling.
"What?"
"Don't tell them I said that," Fern said as we stopped at the bar. "They'd have my balls."
I nodded, "Of course."
We spent about twenty minutes at the bar because Fern saw the need to educate me on some exotic alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, introducing me to his favorites and telling me all about them too. He didn't want me to have a bad drink day and I really appreciated it. When we got back to the table, we had forgotten the girls drinks and went back to get it. See? I knew this dinner won't have food in them. We talked and talked and laughed our asses off in that booth and I've never felt more in my element than then— except when it comes to working in the lab or researching on some great discovery. I fit in quite quickly, talking and swapping ideas with them.
I found out everybody at the table was single except for me and Stella. Also Fern and Stella were sophomores but Nancy a freshman like Ry and I. But they have been friends for over two years because of their dancing. Yes, all three of them were looking to be professional dancers and Nancy majored in dancing, she's been in the school way before she got admitted, that's how she knew them. Fern and Stella said she was a prodigy. And this prodigy thought I had what it takes to dance, like really dance not just club dance.
"Like after all this praises, I can't wait to actually dance with you Paxton," Stella said.
"No," Nancy stated, quite loudly. "He's mine."
We all turned to her eyebrows raised.
"Okay... She's a crazy person." Stella said and like it or not, we all cheered to that.