The Deal

A set of characteristics that summarizes a person. It consists of their motivations, their fears, the traits they've carried from their upbringing and anything else that has shaped the person they've grown to be. And it shapes what they want out of their life, their social interactions and themselves.

Some people are easier to read than others. It takes simple observation to notice that there are some dead giveaways for anyone to pick up. The subject knows it too, subconsciously. Nobody reveals more than they want to, however intoxicated, trusting or naive they are.

It's more often than not a calculated risk to gain the confidence of someone new, a concerted effort to prove themselves worthy of a clique, an attempt to gain the affection of a lover. Most pick up the superficial remarks and perhaps pay little heed to the inner meanings of those seemingly innocuous statements.

Parties are a great social construct where people drop their inhibitions much more than they'd like to elsewhere. If someone actually pays attention in these situations to people other than themselves, there's a treasure trove of personal information available. It also exposes people at their vulnerable side - their social interactions. People waiting to make conversation with someone in particular, trying to weave themselves in the vicinity of that elusive group. People who nonchalantly choose to ignore that person who seemingly doesn't get the message. People that surround themselves around any group or conversation for fear of coming off as a sociopath.

The loud music, the alcohol and the smoke. It makes your movements exaggerated, your actions dramatic. But it's a fast paced atmosphere, aptly summarized by the beats in the in-house music. People want to feel good about themselves. Others can't help but oblige in this symbiotic ecosystem.

Walk over to the nearest bunch huddled together and you notice the usual suspects. The under confident guy who could never get away from his overpowering Dad's shadow. The girl whose parents never thought her deserving of a boy's place in the household, who had to prove her worth every step of the way. The man who wants to prove that he's worthy of where he stands irrespective of where he's come from. The girl who's been the black swan thru her growing years and had to rely on overachieving in genres where people wouldn't pay attention to her being overweight. The mediocre girl who's reached where she never dreamt she would a few years ago - a respectable job, a boyfriend with a good degree and job.

It's a varied bunch of people, who seem like they're all alike at that instant. All they want is to enjoy their time, make pleasant conversation, shake a leg and not do something to damage their neutral reputation. Right?

Not exactly in that order, and not in the same measures. They had all tread a very different path to reach there.

Some had started off as enjoying this as naturally as they would a cool breeze on a warm summer afternoon. Others had thought of it as an acquired taste. Yet others thought of it as an opportunity to let loose and be a little less guarded than they often are. Others forced themselves to these events, promising themselves that this would make them look suitable for that promotion they had been eyeing for so long.

And yet, they all acted out their deal with conviction and unwitting naïveté. They would change gradually, their actions and experiences appending on to their present realities. But everyone has a deal. And it isn't as well hidden as you'd like to think..