"Wow, hold on a sec guys, one at a time. I have a confession to make. I've been spying on you. I know it goes against our friendship code, but I was so anxious to know what was happening."
Luke looked so sad it nearly made me cry. "So you know?" He reached for my hand.
I switched to our special language. "Yes, I know about the baby and about Drake."
They hugged me again—the way friends hug when words just aren't enough.
"We can talk, but we have to pretend like we're celebrating. We can't let them know we know, and we obviously need a new plan. Apparently, I won't be going on that last assignment."
They nodded and, each holding one of my hands, my best friends gave me the strength to play the role of the happy girl heading to Sarah Lawrence.
All of my training did not prepare me for this hardest of parts. My heart broke with each smile. Unshed tears crushed my soul. I mourned the end of my dreams even as a fake smile greeted my small world.
I left the cool stillness of the night and walked into my going-away party. The onslaught of sounds, smells and colors sent my head spinning for a moment. I paused, taking in the scene of happy teenagers talking, laughing, eating.
They all still lived in the bubble created for us. Only we three knew the truth. How would we save ourselves from this? And what would become of them?
Amidst the crowd of school friends, a guard shadowed me. I relaxed at the sight of Gar. He gave the briefest of nods, so slight I could have imagined it, and then he turned back to stone.
"That's new," Luke said, glancing at Gar.
"Yeah. Wonder why they felt he was necessary. But, at least they sent a guard I trust." I hoped I hadn't given away something when I commented about the pregnancy to Dr. Sato. Did they suspect me of knowing too much?
Lucy nudged me. "Don't let it bother you, Chica. Try to have fun!"
I forced a smile back onto my face. "You're right. Why not enjoy it?"
The campus actually had a full-fledged ballroom, not just a gym they converted once a year for dances. We learned ballroom, swing, and modern dancing as part of our education. Parties at our school were high-end affairs.
Scarlet red and royal purple silks draped the room. Lush roses accented the hall and served as centerpieces in crystal vases on the tables. A full band played music suited to dancing in many diverse styles, and students already swayed across the room in long trailing dresses and elegant tuxes.
My mind searched for Drake, the way a woman might reach for her lover across an empty bed. If he'd been here, we would have been one of those couples on the dance floor. His arms would have wrapped around me, encircling me in a cocoon of love and safety. I might have brushed my hand against his chiseled jaw line, and maybe he'd have leaned down and brush his lips against mine for a first kiss.
The fantasy played around me and replaced my reality for just a moment. Then the bubble burst, and I once again stood alone in a sea of oblivion.
"Sam, come on, let's get some food." Lucy and Luke pulled me to the buffet table.
A dozen well-wishers interrupted us on our way there: Greg and Gary, a new couple I only knew in passing; Kyle, who looked dejected and guilty, despite my best attempts to absolve him; Norm and Robyn, another couple who'd been together for as long as I could remember... and so many others. The gift table overflowed with cards and special trinkets from friends. I complimented Robyn on her emerald dress that matched her eyes, and told Norm he was a lucky guy. They smiled and moved onto the dance floor.
Only a handful of kids had left Rent-A-Kid so far. We were first generation paranormals. No one knew how we got our powers, but I was one of the oldest. Kids made a big deal out of these parties, even if they didn't know the person who left. It was the gift of hope, the promise of a future outside these chained grounds. No one missed a going-away party.
It took us a while to navigate through all of our friends and make it to the food, but the spread of goodies made our trek well worth it. The table overflowed with mouthwatering delicacies. I reached to stuff a truffle into my mouth, but my stomach rebelled stubbornly at the smell. Damn pregnancy. I nibbled at some crab rolls instead, to appease my friends. I stole glances at the delicious treats, wishing on this miserable night that I could at least enjoy the chocolate.
Everyone danced. One guy hovered off the ground while he moved to the music, doing break dancing moves in the sky, but he fell to the ground when his date suddenly burst into flames. Jessica, who'd been cooling drinks for her friends, blew on the girl to subdue the flames. The crowd erupted in applause—except Mary, who'd snuck off with the break dancing boy during all the commotion. I'd lost track of how many dates she had stolen from other girls that night. Typical paranormal party.