The Great Gatsby - Creative Writing: Party Scene

To be brutally honest, I am uncomfortable talking to people. I prefer to go on dates with fictional characters, hide whenever I see someone I know in the grocery store and linger inside for 30 seconds when I hear one of my neighbors in the hallway so I don’t have to talk to them. Whenever Elizabeth drags me to high-end parties, I try my best to leave within ten minutes by intentionally losing her in the crowd. Today was a whole different story.

Wearing heels so high and thin that I was ready for it to snap at any moment, I felt very out of place in my intricate sapphire blue dress, which shimmered with each wobbly step I took. The lightweight material of the dress floated in the air as the wind swept across my pin straight hair. For the hundredth time, Elizabeth’s scrutinizing eyes checked my outfit for anything out of place. Even a speckle of dust bothered her. Playing with the glass bead sewed on to my sparkly gold clutch, I squirmed uncomfortably. I was quite certain that there was nothing more to do since we spent the last six hours getting ready for a so-called “VIP/ invitation only” private cruise party. Being the sole heir to a major apparel company and the daughter of an internationally famous designer, Elizabeth has no motivation for good grades in college. On the other hand, I actually have to put in effort and time into my studies if I want to have a future. I was still pretty sour about being dragged into meeting new people and mingling, especially when exams were just a week away.

Elizabeth finally stopped fretting about the single strand of hair sticking out when the doorbell rang. A man wearing a crisp black suit with a black shirt and tie held the door open of a sleek white limousine for us. Too busy admiring the interior of the limousine, I did not notice that we already arrived at the harbor. The magnificent bridge spanning the entire ocean was lined with colorful lightings. The light reflected from the surface of the dark ocean danced lightly across the enormous cruise, and the moon provided a natural disco light. Inside the cruise, I was mesmerized by an elaborate fluorescent chandelier resembling a glistening stream of waterfall. The room was decorated with honey–scented candles and dried lavender bouquets were placed carefully on every dinner table, which was covered with a pristine white lacy tablecloth. In the background, soft, classical music created a serene and relaxing ambiance.

In my mind, however, warning signals were going off – it was anything but serene. Once again I lost track of time engrossed in taking in every delightful detail of the cruise that I also lost sight of Elizabeth. My throat constricted as about a million ways that I could embarrass myself in front of a large crowd of societal elites haunted my head. Without a guide that I can follow aimlessly until the party was over, I now had no one to rely on. Scanning desperately for a tall brunette in a crimson red dress, my eyes darted fleetingly across the room and locked with another pair of the darkest black eyes. My heart wildly beating, I quickly casted my eyes to the plush bottle green carpet and scurried out of the room.

I was now in the outdoor sun deck where the sea breeze tickled my nostrils. Leaning over the rails,