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Teddy really wasn't usually one to go to any big parties. He only had a few good friends and they didn't even really go out past 10 PM most of the time, so neither did he. It was when his best friend Jenny asked him to come with her to this party —she said some guy called Andrew had invited her— that he actually decided he should go. He hated the fact that he almost always ended up just being a wallflower and standing on the side with a red solo cup as he watched his classmates having fun in the crowd.
Though there were some fun aspects to just watching others.
One being the fact that he can tune in on any conversation happening around him. His mother said he probably had something called ADHD, which was the reason for why he can't just block out any and all noises around him. It was annoying, yes, but at least he got some good gossip and entertaining conversations out of this sometimes.
He hadn't seen Jenny around for a good moment. While Teddy was busy observing, she'd been getting dragged around by Andrew all night long. She kept trying to stand with Teddy, maybe even get him to join her. Of course, he was too much of a loser to actually do so. Too nervous… too sweaty… too awkward. It sucked. Jenny had mostly been in the living room or the hallway so far, but now he couldn't spot her anywhere between the people anymore. He wanted to take a sip of his punch, but found that it was already empty, so decided to go to the kitchen. Maybe that's where Jenny went as well.
He walked into the kitchen and saw two small groups of people. He thought he saw Jenny standing in one of them, but when the girl turned around he saw it was just Becky Barnes. Teddy never realised how similar the two look from the back. He headed to the table with the fruit punch and poured some into his cup when he overheard a certain name be mentioned in a conversation.
“Where'd Jenny go? Wasn't she with you just now?”
Teddy's head perked up and his eyes were focused on looking anywhere but at the people around. Without really turning his head to make it obvious he was listening, he thought he could hear Andrew's voice answer.
“She said she wasn't feeling well,” he heard Andrew say. “I'm pretty sure she went outside, dude… I think she drank too much.” Andrew's friend, who originally asked the question, hummed as a response and the two began to talk about something else. Teddy didn't listen though, since he had already left the kitchen to go outside and find his best friend.
He squeezed himself through the crowd of tipsy teens, muttering small ‘sorry’s under his breath until he made it to the front door. He opened it and stepped onto the veranda, where more teens were, loudly laughing and chatting. Teddy managed to get out and looked around in the dark. He spotted a girl with red hair leaning against one of the trees with her arms, her forehead resting on her forearms. Assuming it was Jenny, he quickly walked in her direction.
“Jenny?” He asked carefully. The girl coughed, looking over her shoulder with a slight smile.
“Hi Teddy… Is everything okay?” Jenny brushed her hair out of her face with her fingers and forced herself to stand upright again. Seeing that girl smile at him always made Teddy's heart melt. It made him feel all warm and he got butterflies in his stomach each time she even looked in his direction.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he responded. Teddy put a hand on Jenny's shoulder and for a second he thought he saw a faint blush on her cheeks. “I heard you weren't feeling the best. Something I can do for you?”
Jenny smiled, looking to the side. “I can't handle alcohol that well… Don't have a very high tolerance.” She laughed a bit to herself. Teddy hummed and looked at the ground next to Jenny where he spotted probably her cup on its side with a liquid pouring out onto the grass.
It was already pretty late from what Teddy could guess. The last moment he saw a clock was quite some time ago, and it said it was already 12.30 AM. Knowing Jenny, he assumed she was probably very tired as well. Whenever they would have a sleepover, the two of them would be asleep by this time already.
“We could just… go home? My house isn't far from here. You could stay at mine if that's easier,” Teddy offered. He watched Jenny consider it, biting on the inside of her cheek while her eyes moved from side to side as she went through all her options.
He had seen her enough by now to be able to recognise all of his best friend's little habits. She had the same thing though. Jenny could always tell when Teddy got nervous from how he would keep repositioning himself and wouldn't be able to leave his hands alone, constantly cracking his knuckles or wringing his hands while his eyes would dart to every other thing that made even the smallest noises.
Needless to say, the two of them knew each other better than most other people did.
“I don't mind leaving,” Jenny eventually admitted. “It's a bit too… much… for me anyway.” Teddy immediately nodded along in agreement. “But I don't want to be too rude and just leave when almost everyone is still partying. Do you think it would be a problem?” She was clearly thinking a lot about the others. Teddy didn't not care, but he certainly thought less about others and their feelings or thoughts on his decisions than Jenny did.
He gave Jenny's shoulder a light squeeze, smiling at her. “Who cares? Andrew invited you to this thing, and he still left you out here on your own when he knew you weren't feeling good. Besides, it's probably best for you to leave if you feel bad!” Jenny looked at Teddy with a small grin that she had whenever she wouldn't want to admit he was right.
She sighed with a bigger smile now and nodded. “Okay, Teddy…”
He just chuckled and wrapped an arm around Jenny's shoulders. “I'll call my parents to let them know that you're coming over, alright? I'm sure they won't mind.” Jenny nodded again and he began walking. Teddy eventually felt her leaning the side of her body against his own. He did his best not to get too flustered, hoping the dim lights of the streetlights wouldn't call him out on how red his face was getting.
Teddy knew this girl was perfect for him. She was everything he could ever dream of, but he also knew that she deserved so much more than him. Jenny deserved the world, and he could only give her so much. Despite his limits, he would do whatever to get Jenny what she wanted. He wanted her to be the happiest girl in the world. It would make him the happiest boy in the world.
Jenny knew this boy was perfect for her. He was everything she could ever dream of, but she also knew that he deserved so much more than her. Teddy deserved the world, and she could only give him so much. Despite her limits, she would do whatever to get Teddy what he wanted. She wanted him to be the happiest boy in the world. It would make her the happiest girl in the world.
If only they knew that about each other. If only they knew how identical their wants actually were.
Someday…
Someday they'll find out just how bound their souls are.
Because that's how soulmates work…
Right?