“Voodoo” by Twisted Insane is blasting through the speakers coming from The Gathering room, overpowering the sound of students carrying on and having a good time. Caution tape extends from the top of the tunnel to the ground, making an X in hopes that students won’t cross it into the tunnels. If anyone else finds that room, we’ll all have a lot of explaining to do.
The Punks, who are in the middle of the hierarchy ladder, did a stellar job getting the party ready, and I’m sure the decorations are thanks to the cheerleaders. It’s dark inside the room, aside from the neon orange disco balls and the purple lasers shooting down from the ceiling, all moving with the beat of the music. There’s a guy on the same stage The Lawless use during meetings, and he’s spinning a disc with one hand while waving the other in the air.
My shoulders dance as we enter and Jagger places a hand on the small of my back, keeping me close while Crew stands on the other side, holding my hand. “This is fun,” I tell them, hoping it lasts. We could all use a night to let loose and pretend everything is okay.
Who am I kidding? Pretending isn’t an option. Not when Maddie is missing and we have so many unanswered questions. Guilt stirs inside me. We shouldn’t even be here.
"Don't leave me, ’kay?” Riley says with fear in her eyes. She’s terrified of the wannabe Elias, rightfully so, and there’s no doubt he’s going to attach himself to her tonight. After all, as far as he knows, they’re still a couple.
We step farther into the room, Neo already disappearing on his own. At least that’s what I thought. One glance to my left shows him sipping on a drink with his Darth Vader mask on the top of his head, while a girl grinds her ass against him to the beat of “Neurotic” by Three Days Grace. She looks like a trashy slut in a football jersey tied just below her breasts with knee-high socks and a pair of boy shorts. Smears of black paint are underneath her eyes. If she’s trying to pull off a football player costume, she failed miserably.
Crew leans down and whispers in my ear, “Want a drink?”
“Sure. Make it a strong one.”
“Stay with Riley. Jagger and I will be right over there.” He tips his chin at the beverage table that holds spiked punch bowls and cups. Two kegs sit on either side and both are surrounded by people.
Once the guys are a few feet away, I lock my arm around Riley’s. “Who is that girl?” I ask, nodding toward the slut rubbing her ass on Neo.
“I think her name is Carrie. Why?”
“No reason.”
“Does this have anything to do with your little moment with Neo in the records room earlier?”
“Little moment?” I laugh. “There was no moment.”
“Umm. Yes, there was. We all saw it. The stare between you and Neo almost caught the room on fire, and I’m pretty sure we were all holding our breaths.”
“Whatever. There was no moment, and there was no stare. I was just…challenging him, I guess.”
“Then I’d have to say you're an idiot because no one challenges Neo and wins.”
My shoulders rise, then fall sluggishly. “We’ll see about that.”
Riley slithers out of my hold and stands directly in front of me. “No fucking way! You’re falling for him, too?”
“Oh my god, Riley. No! Absolutely not. That’s insane. Gross. Impossible. I can’t stand the guy.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and pops a hip beneath her skimpy red dress, while curling her matching lips.
“What?” I huff. “I am not falling for him! Did you miss the part where I said I can’t stand him?”
“Oh, I heard you. I’ve heard it multiple times, but I don’t believe it.” With two fingers, she points at her eyes then mine. “I’m watching you, girl.”
I shake my head, hoping she realizes how ridiculous she sounds. “As you should be. You’re my Guardian.” There’s a nip of sarcasm to my tone that she picks up on right away.
“I’m not talking as a Guardian. I’m talking as your friend.”
Jagger and Crew return with drinks, giving one to Riley and the other to me. “Thank you,” I say to them. The first sip is heaven. “Mmm. This is good.” I lick the excess liquid of the fruity beverage from my lips. “What is it?”
“Strawberry lemonade with, I think, vodka.”
I nod, liking the sound of that, and take another drink. This time, a big one. It goes down so smooth and I can hardly taste the liquor, which makes it that much more quenching.
Riley sips on her drink leisurely, and after a few minutes have passed, mine’s gone and hers is still full.
“Be right back,” I say to her and the guys, who are standing around observing as if they’re waiting for something to happen. “I need a refill.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jagger says, resting his hand on my lower back. “You really shouldn’t be alone.”
I chuckle. “I’ll be fine. There are a hundred other people here.”
“Exactly my point. A hundred people and we can’t trust a single one of them.”
My eyes land on his. “I trust you.”
He tips a smile and curls his arm around my shoulder, so I lean into him. Jagger has a way of making all the bad things disappear. Being with him feels like home. It’s comfortable and it’s safe and it’s exactly where I want to be.
“I’m glad we got to that point. Ya know? Where you can trust me.”
I return his smile, feeling it in my soul. “Me, too.”
The farther we step into the crowd, the louder it gets, so I’m unable to say everything on my mind. If he could hear me, though, I’d say: I’m not sure there was ever a time I didn’t trust you. I know hurting me was never your goal, even if it was Neo’s. And that no amount of heat from the outside world, or anyone, for that matter, will ever make me choose because you and Crew are the best things in my life.
I’m actually glad I don’t have the opportunity to say all that because it sounds cheesy as hell. I’m not sure what happened to me, but these guys have brought out emotions inside me I didn’t know I was capable of feeling.
“Aww, isn’t this cute.” Neo bumps my side, causing me to knock Jagger into a group of girls, which sends liquid sloshing from their cups.
They all apologize in unison, as if they’re the ones who did something wrong.
“As you should be. Don’t let it happen again,” Jagger barks at them, before looking at me with a smile that drops quickly when he glances at Neo. “Thanks a lot, asshole.”
“For what? Getting you the attention of some other chicks? If Scar can sleep with other people, why can’t you?”
“Fuck off,” I grumble at him. Once again, wondering how there are times I see this jerk in a different light. The effects of my quick consumption of alcohol are starting to kick in and it hits me that Jagger didn’t give him a similar response. I squeeze his hip that I’m holding, grabbing his attention as we approach the beverage table. He looks down at me and I ask, “Do you wanna sleep with other girls?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize how ridiculous they sound, but it’s something we’ve never talked about. Mainly because I’ve never thought about it, but has he? I’m sleeping with Crew, too—does he have any desires of sleeping with other girls? Is what we have exclusive?