Sweet Evil(16)

“Thanks,” I said. Jay and Scott nodded at each other.

“What’s up, man?” Jay asked rather coolly.

“Not a whole lot. How ’bout you?”

“Chillin’. Chillin’.” A heavy silence followed. I’d never noticed the feelings between Jay and Scott were about as warm and fuzzy as a bald cat. But then again, I’d never been around them both like this. Their auras brimmed with jagged gray irritation. Scott took a big drink and I looked down at my reddish-orange juice.

“So, what are you kids drinking?” Jay asked, eyeballing my cup.

“Beer for me. I just threw together some different juices for Anna. No alcohol.” Scott turned to me. “You ready to go downstairs?” My heart sank.

“Oh,” I said. “Um, actually I came back up here because most of the seats are taken and there were some shady guys smoking up.”

His face fell.

“Jay!” We all turned toward the trilling voice of Kaylah, who was rushing at us and jumping into Jay’s arms.

“Whoa, hey!” He laughed.

“I think the band you were talking about just pulled up!” she told him.

“Ha!” Jay let go of Kaylah and turned to me, doing a funny little in-your-face dance with his tongue out. “What’s up now, hater?”

My heart raced and somersaulted as the two of them grabbed hands and left us. I did not want to see Kaidan Rowe again, did I? No. And besides, for the first time a boy was showing interest in me, and I was interested, too. I didn’t want to worry about some disrespectful guy messing things up.

I was suddenly parched, so I took a huge gulp of my juice. Yum. Tart, but sweet... and something else. I took another drink. What was that? I sniffed the liquid. There was no burning smell of alcohol.

I took another long gulp, then I chugged, knowing even as I did it that there was something in that drink, but I couldn’t—no, wouldn’t—stop myself. I waited for the panic to rise, but instead I felt myself relaxing. This party wasn’t half-bad after all, even if the most passive-aggressive, rudest, sexiest guy in Georgia had just shown up. I didn’t have to talk to him.

“What band was he talking about?” asked Scott.

“Lascivious. They’re Jay’s favorite.”

“Hmph. Never heard of ’em.”

Kristin Miller and Veronica from Spanish class made their way to us whispering and giggling, their cheeks flushed from drinking. They had similar haircuts, brown bobs that went up their necks and slanted downward in front to their chins. Veronica’s hair was darker, though, almost black, and she had new chunky red highlights. Veronica was the drunkest, her colors blurry. She slung her arms around my neck and let out a silly, happy squeal, slurring her words.

“Girl, can I just say you are the coolest little thing ever?! I’m so glad you’re here!”

Normally I would wonder whether she was making fun of me, but I was feeling very light and buoyant at the moment, so I found myself going along with it, even enjoying it.

“Thank you!” I shouted. “And I love your highlights, by the way.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, my gawd! You are so gonna be my BFF tonight. Come on! Let’s go dance!”

Kristin rolled her eyes at us.

“Wait!” said Scott. “Finish your drink so it doesn’t spill on the dance floor.”

Excellent idea. I finished every drop of the delicious juice and handed the empty cup to Scott.

“Come on! I love this song!” Veronica pulled my hand, and I let her lead me.

“Come with!” I called to Scott over my shoulder. He and Kristin followed. The four of us weaved through the people to the dance floor, where the music boomed, rattling windows with the bass.

My inhibitions dropped like bricks off of me. When Veronica hollered, “Wooo!” I threw my arms up and did the same. My head was so fuzzy inside. I’d lost my ability to sense other people’s colors, and it was freeing. The clouds were still there, but they’d become like extensions of the people, in my mind. Nothing could bother me at that moment. I didn’t care whether I saw Kaidan Rowe right then. Even he couldn’t bring me down.

Veronica and I danced. It was complete and utter bliss. Everyone was being so nice, not minding when I bumped into them. The warmth of close-huddled bodies was wonderful. I could feel each brush of my own limbs against others as I let my hips move and my eyes close.

I faintly heard Kristin talking beside me.

“She can’t be feeling it already?”

“Shut the hell up!” Scott’s voice hissed.

Veronica lifted her cup to her mouth, but someone fell into her, knocking the cup to the ground.