“You’re friends with Vivienne St. Claire?” Bea cuts straight to the point.
“Not really. She’s a friend of a friend,” I say, but an approaching figure cuts me off just as I’m about to say more.
And by approaching figure, I mean a sprinting figure.
“Addie!” Ajax exclaims, skidding to a halt in front of me, one hand clutching his chest like he’s been mortally wounded. “I seriously thought I was hallucinating for a second.”
His tie is tied wrong.
I blink at him, momentarily caught off guard. “Uh, surprise?” It comes out more like a question than a greeting.
He narrows his eyes, faux-serious. “Please explain.”
I can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. “I’m just here to give my friend her phone back. She left it behind, and she really wanted photos. Then this terrifying woman dragged me inhere, and—well,” I gesture vaguely at the chaos around us. “Here I am.”
“Wait, Lucy?” Lilia chimes in from behind, rolling her eyes. “That woman makes me want to commit war crimes.”
Ajax’s eyes widen with curiosity, his interest piqued. “Wait–for her phone? Well, where is it now?” he asks, looking around like the phone might magically appear in front of him.
Sighing, I reach into the pocket of this ridiculous dress and pull out Camille’s phone. “Right here,” I say, holding it up, and in a swift motion, Ajax snatches the phone from my hand, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
I cross my arms, watching as he starts snapping pictures of himself at rapid speed, tilting his head this way and that. “Typical,” Bea mutters, clearly unimpressed. “Doesn’t even have the decency to take a group photo first. That’s low.”
Ajax scoffs, holding the phone just out of her reach as she lunges for it. “I was getting to that.”
He angles the phone again, including us all in the frame this time. “Say cheese!” he shouts, though he doesn’t wait for anyone to pose before taking at least ten rapid shots.
The result? A gallery completely filled, and way too many photos of the rest of us looking either confused or blurred.
“Wow,” Bea deadpans, leaning over to see the photos. “You’re really bad at this.”
“I call it art,” Ajax says with a wink.
***
Making my way through the crowd, serving drinks to more and more obnoxious individuals, I can’t help feeling that I’ve been here way too long. My mum and sisters are waiting, and I’ve barely done what I came here to do.
“Hey, guys,” I say, finding my group again, and mustering a small smile. “I really need to go. But I’ll see you all at school, okay?”
Lilia looks at me with concern, her brows knitting together. “Are you sure you’re okay to go back by yourself?”
I nod quickly, too quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” My voice comes out more confident than I feel, and I turn before anyone can press further.
I step outside, the cool night air hitting me in the face as I reach into my pocket to call for an Uber, but something stops me. Taking a few more steps, I see a boy. A little boy sitting alone on a nearby bench, his expression twisted into something resembling anger. Frustration? He looks about ten, maybe younger.
My curiosity drives me forward, as usual.
“Hey there,” I call softly, walking over. “Is it alright if I sit here?”
The boy glances up, his eyes sharp but tired. He nods once, giving me permission, but still barely acknowledges me, so I sit at the edge of the bench, leaving plenty of space between us.
“You okay?” I ask gently.
For a moment, he doesn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the ground. Finally, he mumbles, “My dad told me to wait out here. Because I don’t want to go in.”
“Why not?” I ask, pulling my coat tighter around me. “It’s lonely out here. And cold.”
He shrugs, his small shoulders barely moving. “It makes me sad,” he admits. “I don’t want to.”
