WHAT YOU RUINED

“Max! Over here!” I turned toward the direction of Ria’s voice. With all the lights dancing across the club, it was almost impossible to see her clearly. A few seconds later, I finally spotted her waving from a large booth at the side. “Finally!” she shouted when I reached them. “I thought you weren’t coming anymore!” “Traffic, Ria. I didn’t exactly fly here,” I replied with a laugh. “Excuse accepted.” She immediately handed me a glass. “I’m the birthday girl. You’re not allowed to say no.” I looked at the glass suspiciously. “What’s in this?” “I don’t know.” “Ria!” “It’s my birthday!” I rolled my eyes but accepted the drink anyway. “Happy birthday,” I said before clinking my glass against hers. “Cheers!” “Cheers!” We drank at the same time. The alcohol burned slightly as it went down my throat, but the excitement of the night was stronger. The music was so loud that I could barely hear my own voice. Colorful lights flashed across the entire club while people around us were busy singing, drinking, and dancing. “Max, picture!” “Wait!” “Smile!” Click. “One more!” “Ria, how many pictures have we taken already?” “It’s my birthday. I get unlimited pictures today.” “You’re so dramatic.” “You’re just jealous.” I laughed. That was Ria. She could turn even the simplest things into something fun. That was why, even though I wasn’t really a fan of clubs, I still came. It was her birthday. And for one of my oldest friends, I was willing to endure loud music, crowded dance floors, and a few glasses of alcohol. Time passed without us noticing. One glass. Two. Three. Until I honestly lost count. “Max!” one of our friends shouted. “Dance floor!” “No!” “Liar!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me up. “Wait! Ria!” “Come on!” Ria laughed as she followed us. “It’s my birthday!” I had no choice. A few seconds later, we were already in the middle of the dance floor. A familiar song started playing, and we immediately moved along with the beat. “Max! Like this!” “I know!” “It doesn’t look like you know!” “Shut up!” We burst out laughing. For a while, surrounded by hundreds of people, I forgot about everything. No work. No problems. No tomorrow to worry about. Just us. The music. The lights. And that night. After a while, I noticed my friends slowly disappearing from the dance floor. “Ria?” She didn’t hear me. I tried to follow her, but people kept moving between us. “Ria!” Still nothing. I placed a hand against my forehead. Okay... I was definitely getting drunk. I took a deep breath and looked around. But somehow, everything became even blurrier. The lights looked like tiny stars. The faces around me started blending together, and the entire room seemed to spin. “Max?” I heard a voice. I wasn’t sure where it came from. I turned around. There was a man standing in front of me. Tall. Dressed in black. And somehow, it seemed like he had been dancing with me. “Hi,” he said. I gave him a small smile. “Hi…” “Are you okay?” I laughed. “Yeah.” “Are you sure?” I nodded. But honestly, I wasn’t sure anymore. The music continued around us. People moved in every direction, colorful lights flashed above us, and with every passing second, my vision became hazier. I looked at the man. I tried to see his face. But I couldn’t. “What’s your name?” he asked. I was silent for a moment. “Max.” “Max?” “Yeah.” He smiled. “I’m—” I didn’t hear the rest of what he said. It felt as though the entire world suddenly moved farther away. The only things I could clearly hear were the heavy bass of the music and the rapid beating of my heart. “Max?” I looked at him. “Hmm?” “Do you want to sit down?” I shook my head. “I’m fine.” “You don’t look fine.” I laughed. “You’re annoying.” “I’m serious.” “So am I.” He let out a quiet laugh. And for a few seconds, I didn’t know why, but everything seemed to go silent even though the music was still blasting around us. He was the only thing I could see. Or, more accurately— his silhouette. Because no matter how hard I tried to focus, I still couldn’t make out the face of the man standing in front of me. “Max!” I heard a familiar voice from behind me. Ria. I turned around. “Ria!” But before I could completely make my way toward her, the man suddenly reached for my arm. “Careful.” I looked at his hand, then back at him. “Sorry,” he said immediately, letting go. I simply nodded. And there, in the middle of a crowded club, beneath the flashing lights, I didn’t know why, but I had this strange feeling that something was about to happen. I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know where he came from. And most of all— I didn’t know that night would become the beginning of a story I would never forget.