Vodka, rum, tequila, gin and beer bottles were cluttered throughout the room as the party commenced. Five of my friends were sitting around a small card table playing Texas Hold 'Em and drinking. They turned the poker game into a drinking game by making the one who lost take a shot (alcohol of their choosing) instead of playing with chips; since none of them had thought to bring any them anyway.

I sat on the outskirts of the players, Heineken in hand and watching. Poker had never been my forte, but it was always entertaining to watch. As one of my best friends, Kyle, voted all in, I knew as well as the rest of them that he was bluffing. He wasn't being discrete about his hands and had no decent poker face that night. Aside from that, he had continued to eye the shimmering bottle of Jose Cuervo as if it were a hot Penthouse model. Jordan glanced over at him before looking at me. Baby blue eyes shining, he smiled. "Wha'chu think, Mia? Think I should call his bluff?"

Kyle acted astonished. "What bluff?" He asked innocently. Laughter echoed throughout the room.

"I would." I recommended.

"You would, would you?" Glancing over, a smile dawned my lips as my focus turned to my best friend, Ana. Cigarette held between her teeth, she shuffled the discarded cards in her hand (her playing the role of dealer). "Since you are so good at the game and all."

I smiled. "Well, I can tell when all Kyle wants to do is get smashed... and since he's a lyin' cheat, I would say: yea. Go all in, Jordan." More laughter ensued while Ana nodded her head. Pulling the cig from her lips, she mouthed with pride.

"That's my girl."

My grin spread like wild fire at her praise.

On my say so (and group agreement), Jordan went all in. Everyone else in the game folded, curious to see where the game was headed. Jordan got a pair.

Kyle couldn't even manage that.

"Awww... too bad," Kyle tsked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment. "Well," acting as "the big man" as he reached out for the tequila, he sighed and said, "I will take my punishment; as I did have it coming to me."

Everyone laughed at him as he oh-so-enthusiastically poured himself a shot of Jose Cuervo before downing it. Then it was time for another round; of both drinks and cards.

I was starting to get a little bored by the game. After watching seven games of them playing, it started to become a little tedious; not to mention that I still had difficulty understanding most of the hands and which one beat out another. Eyes wandering aimlessly around the room, I happened to glance over towards the TV. Cartoon Network had been running through it's Adult Swim shows and three of our friends (who chose to ignore the game of poker) were sitting there watching it. I saw one of them watching from his seat on the couch. As soon as my eyes met his, he turned his gaze away before raising the beer bottle to conceal his sheepish smile. Intrigued, I smiled myself before grabbing my lager and walking over to him.

"Hey, Simon." I smiled, reaching the couch. He was sitting on the end of it, so I sat on the arm beside him. "What's up?"

"Nothing." He tried to hide his ever-escalating smile, but it became a futile affair. Our other two friends (Chris and Leo) were sitting on the floor, watching Futurama and munching on popcorn. Neither of them were heavy drinkers (not like Kyle with his love affair of Mexican tequila) and they usually shared two to three beers between them. They were both getting involved in the re-run in which Bender lost his brain circuit. Simon tried to distract himself with the show, but I could tell his thoughts were otherwise engaged.

"So why were you looking over?" I asked nonchalantly. "Hoping to join in some of the poker action? I'm sure Kyle would love to have an excuse to lose another hand."

Simon chuckled softly before taking another sip of his beer. "I'm sure he would," he agreed. "But that's not exactly why I was looking." As he muttered his last statement, his ears followed suit with his face and started to grow red. My heart rose in my chest as I watched this unfold. It was the cutest thing to see him become disheveled.

"Then what was it?" I pressed, sounding sweet yet extremely intrigued into the subject. Knowing he had given too much away already, Simon completely shut himself off from the topic. Smiling, he turned to me.

"I love you, Mia." He replied sweetly. I pouted slightly in protest; I knew that was the end of that conversation; his way of easily closing himself off.

Yet there was something in his tone; something that sparkled in his eyes for even a second. It made me think he meant something other than what he let on. Gazing at him curiously, it was gone before I had a chance to examine it. Had he really meant anything other than I could leave him alone? Was there something else he wanted to tell me? Watching him, our eyes remaining locked, I sighed in submission. I knew there would be no way he would tell me if there had been something else to it. Shaking my head to shove away those thoughts, I smiled softly.

"I love you too, Simon." I replied, gently petting his head.

"Ew. Gross." He pulled away and glared at me; yet his kind, playful smile still remained. I laughed before ruffling his hair.

"You're such a nerd. But I love you anyway. What can I say? It can't be helped." To that, he only smiled and said nothing more.

Nothing else was needed.