Rainbow Central Complete Series

Chapter 8

Jo

JoBefore I could chat more, Reggie appeared to my left and grabbed me by the hand. “Let’s get drinks and dance!”

She didn’t have to tell me twice. I followed her inside the bar, surprised by how full it was for a regular evening. It wasn’t even that late but the space was filled with dancing people. The beat of the music was contagious and I was bobbing along by the time I reached the bar.

“What are you drinking?” Reggie shouted over the music.

“Whatever you have!” I called back. I rummaged through the small handbag I brought for money and held out a tenner. “Here!”

Reggie waved it away. “First one’s on me!”

“But I owe you a drink!” I pushed the money in her hand. “First round is on me!”

My classmate seemed surprised but accepted my money nonetheless. She said something to the guy tending the bar and turned back to me with two cocktails in her hand. “Rainbow Central cocktail, house speciality. And the next one is definitely on me!”

I laughed. “Alright, alright.”

“Cheers!” Reggie said, holding out her glass to toast me.

I made sure to look in her eyes as I clinked my drink to hers, not wanting to break Ellie’s superstitious rules. “Cheers!”

Reggie held the gaze for a moment longer and I could feel the tension shift. I quickly looked away and took a sip from my drink, hoping that would get rid of whatever that was.

The cocktail was cold and fruity, the combination surprisingly refreshing. It wasn’t until I’d taken some careless sips that I felt the alcohol sting my throat.

“Good?” Reggie asked, gesturing to the colourful drink.

“Super tasty.” Not wanting to get caught in another intense stare, I moved away from the bar. “Let’s dance!”

Reggie caught my hand, startling me. Had I given her the wrong impression about us?

“This way!” she shouted, tugging me through the mass to the back of the bar where a raised platform held a group of extra enthusiastic dancers. Reggie gestured to the platform. “These are all Platypeople!”

A handful of them noticed her and hands were extended down to us, offering help up. Not wasting a second, Reggie climbed up on the platform and I reached out as well, letting two people pull me up.

Reggie greeted all the girls and guys like she’d known them for years and they welcomed her with just as much enthusiasm. Everyone looked slightly tipsy, or more than slightly, but the sentiments seemed genuine. It had to be, there was no other reason why my classmate would want to hang out with people she just met for a second time this week.

As she finished her round of greeting people, she introduced me and I shook more hands and kissed more cheeks than I ever had. Everyone seemed excited at the prospect of a new member in their club even if I insisted that I wasn’t sure I was joining.

A familiar song boomed through the speakers and everyone screamed as they sang along. The bass drummed through the bar, making the floor shake, and swept away by the rhythm I joined the Platypeople in their festive mood.

I belted out the words to the song while I moved along with the music, intoxicated by the vibe of the people around me. Nobody seemed to care that I only knew Reggie.

A girl I didn’t know caught my eye and we sang together for a little bit, connected for a brief moment by our mutual knowledge of the song. Another guy noticed us singing and joined in, pulling me to him for a little dance.

Under different circumstances, I’d have felt uncomfortable being approached by a guy like that but he was wearing heels. It was a fair assumption that he wasn’t interested in anything but having a good time dancing.

Before the song ended, the DJ already blasted the next song and the rhythm changed seamlessly. The guy I was dancing with spotted one of his other friends and moved away, making space for a string of people that all had their arms around each other’s shoulder. One of them roped me in and we sang as loud as we could, spilling our drinks all over the floor as we swayed back and forth with the shanty.

Plenty of songs and lots of dancing later, I was sweaty and hot. I’d never been to a party like this where I’d met so many strangers and it was so much fun. The more people I talked to, the more confident I felt. No wonder Ellie did it all the time.

I felt a little guilty that I’d chosen this party over hanging out with her but wasn’t that the point of college? To grow, meet new people, and figure out our own paths?

I downed my fourth or fifth cocktail and instead of joining the dancing mass again, I pushed my way to the exit. I needed some fresh air to clear my head and my legs were aching from all the dancing.

On my way out, I bumped into a familiar face and I froze.

The guy looked at me, recognition flitting through his eyes. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Jo… right?”

I nodded. “Yeah. You’re… Frederick. Ellie’s roommate.”

“Yes, I am.”

“What are you doing here?” I heard myself ask.

“We’re here to party.”

“We?” I asked, checking around. I hoped he didn’t mean him and Ellie.

“Me and Gaston,” he replied. He waved at a guy with a cap that was chatting to a girl wearing a rainbow shirt. He gave her a hug before running over and squeezing past me.

“I guess I’ll see you around!” Frederick managed to shout as the two pushed inside the bar, firmly holding each other’s hand.

Well, that was an interesting development. So Ellie’s latest interest was… gay? Not just gay, but in a relationship gay? Or maybe I was reading things the wrong way.

Unsure what to make of it, I stepped out of the bar and scanned the street, just to make sure Ellie wasn’t here. It would be hard to explain what I was doing at Platypus, especially after she called it a club that was basically about s*x.

“Jooooo!” a girl shouted.

From her massive boobs, I recognised her as Bab, the Recruit Manager of the club. I swayed over to the group she was part of and recognised a lot of the faces from inside, although I couldn’t remember any of their names.

Bab swung her arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “Are you having a good time?”

“The best time,” I replied honestly. “This is really fun.”

The group collectively cheered and I felt a blush creep up my neck. For some reason, everyone seemed excited to meet me. I didn’t know why but they just were. Was this what it felt like to be popular?

I gestured to the bar. “Hey, so do you know Frederick?”

“Freddie? Yes, he’s also a member.”

“Ahhh. And him and… Gaston, is that his name?”

“Yes, aren’t they a cute couple?” she replied, confirming my suspicions.

“Very cute,” I agreed. Ellie would be so bummed out.

“So what do you think, are you joining Platypus?” Bab inquired. She seemed drunk but it only made her more intense, focused. The way she was looking at me was very deliberate, like she had only eyes for me.

I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression, so I stepped back, creating some space between us. “I don’t know yet.”

“Think about it. We come together weekly for all kinds of activities and games.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it.”

Bab finally released me. “Whoop whoop! If you want to join, let me or anyone from the organisation know.”

“How do I know who that is?”

She gestured to the rainbow badge she had pinned to her dress. “We’re all wearing one of those.”

Embarrassingly, I hadn’t noticed the pin despite having looked at her large chest a couple of times. She was just very bouncy and lively and it was hard not to stare. She was gorgeous. A lot of the girls were, if I was honest. Every single one of them looked different but they all had their own appeals. The ones with the long hair were all so beautiful and feminine, while the ones with shorter hair had this cool and handsome quality to them. I liked the dresses, I liked the shirts, the pants, the ties, the skirts, the heels, the sneakers. I liked all of it. All of them.

Oh my god, I was actually into girls?

Struck by my realisation, it was like I was looking at the world with brand new eyes. Or maybe I was seeing things properly for the first time.

I scanned the group, looking at every girl individually. Bab was voluptuous and a little larger, but it was her radiant energy and confidence that made her attractive. Next to her, the girl from before. Her hair wasn’t short or long and it had a honey-brown colour. What was her name again… Harper? If she wasn’t intimately entwined with a darker girl with a nose piercing, I’d never have known she was into girls. She didn’t fit the stereotype, and even if plenty of girls and guys were stereotypes at first glance, it only took a single conversation to realise they were obviously so much more than that.

I caught myself watching Harper and the other girl with intrigue, feeling a little awkward for watching them kiss. They both looked so different from one another but the way they fit together was just perfect. I’d never realised girls fitted so well with other girls.

I always assumed that girls ended up with guys, just like in almost every movie, book, or couple I knew. But when I looked at the people around me, it was like I’d discovered a new world.

Girls that looked just like every straight girl I knew were flirting with each other or with girls that redefined the standard beauty convention. They were rocking shorter hair and different clothes and doing it with such confidence, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be like them or be with them. Maybe both.

It was weird and strange and refreshing not to be hit on by guys. Instead, their approaches were friendly and amicable. Non-threatening. The perks of being around gay men, clearly.

On the other hand, there was another type of guy that couldn’t stop leering at two girls kissing. Luckily, those seemed to be mostly passing by and the ones that didn’t were chased off by the bolder types in the club. Even after only one night with Platypus, I could see the appeal. There was something about it, a coherence that made me feel like it was a place where people really got a sense of belonging. And more than anything, I wanted to belong too.