I toss him a wink and take off in a jog, heading down the abandoned dirt path back to bright lights and civilization. Kortez wastes no time in pulling out his phone to place an Uber. He doesn’t ask for the address, knowing I like to plan my adventures as a surprise, and instead hands the phone to me.
I could have just used my phone, since I have his card information stored away, but Kortez likes to control what he can of my madness.
The Uber shows up just a few minutes later. The driver is a woman in her early to mid-forties who greets us between lyrics of some eighties pop music playing softly over the speakers.
“You kids enjoying the town tonight?”
I nod, my smile wide as I glance over at Kortez to find him already watching me. “Oh, yeah. We leave for college in a few months, and I’ve got a bucket list of things to do before then.”
She smiles back at me in the rearview mirror, taking a left turn to head back into the heart of town. “I did something like that when I was younger.” She tips her head back toward the way we came. “Does Wild Wayz look as good as it used to?”
Wild Wayz, a.k.a the abandoned amusement park we just…trespassed onto? Broke and entered? Who the hell knows? She doesn’t seem upset.
“About as good as you can expect a 30-year-old abandoned park to look like.”
The conversation continues to flow, the driver introducing herself as Suzanne and explaining how she drives on the weekends to keep herself busy ever since her husband died last year. She asks what college we’re going to and eventually…the question I dread the most.
“So, how long have you two been together? You’re just the cutest couple I’ve ever seen.”
I hear Kortez grunt beside me. He always gets weird when someone asks this question, which is why I dread it so much. I hate it when he gets uncomfortable, especially because I don’t think it’s a big deal. We’ve been best friends since we were little, spending more time together than we do alone. Of course, people are going to assume. I guess it upsets me a little, too, because he’s so clearly opposed to the idea.
I chance a look over at my best friend and see his jaw locked as he stares out the window, his hands curled into fists as they sit in his lap.
I’m saved from having to endure the awkwardness,or answer the question, by the car stopping in front of the biggest house I’ve ever seen. My mouth drops open at the extravagance in this single home – mansion would be a better term.
Tonight, I’m marking two things off my bucket list.
One, climb to the top of the Wild Wayz ferris wheel and face my fear of heights.
Two, go to an actual high school party before I leave forever.
We thank Suzanne and climb out of the car, the loud music immediately making me want to swing my hips to the beat as I watch groups of people walk in and out of the front door. The house looks packed and I can see the red solo cups from here.
Hell yes.
I start to walk toward the front door, my first goal to find wherever rich people keep their good alcohol, when Kortez stops me with a hand on my wrist.
“How did you get an invite to a Monrose Hill party?”
I laugh and lace my fingers through his, dragging him toward the front door. “I didn’t. We’re crashing, Kor.”
He mutters something in Spanish under his breath - still no cuss words since I learned all those just in case - and follows me with a death grip on my hand.
I used to feel bad about dragging Kor on all my adventures but when I brought it up to him one time, he said he actually liked them. After a few years of sneaking out of Saint Mary’s, I realized he loves the darkness and danger just like I do, he’s just more reserved about it.
Some people are attracted to the darkness but afraid of what lingers in the shadows. They can go their whole lives walking in the light, looking at the darkness but content with their life as it is. Others,like me, crave the darkness with so much of their soul that walking in the light feels like a sin. I can share my darkness with Kor, and he can share his light with me, though, and neither of us burns. It’s why we work.
When we walk into the house, no one shouts at us to get out or gives us dirty looks for crashing their house party like I thought they would. Instead, when I ask where the drinks are, a girl looks up from sucking on her girlfriend’s neck and points me down the hall where I can see glimpses of a table through the throng of people.
Kortez keeps his hand around mine as we push our way through the living room and into the kitchen. It takes way longer than it should because not only are people bumping and grinding to the music, but because I can’t take my eyes off the house.
There are chandeliers in every room, their glass ornaments shining rainbow reflections on parts of the ceiling that make the room look somewhat ethereal despite being on its way to fully trashed from the partygoers. The floors are gleaming white tiles, catching even more of the light and making the entire home so much brighter than I originally thought. Every inch of space in this mansionscreamsmoney.
I drop my eyes down to my outfit. Ripped jeans, a baggy band t-shirt, and a pair of ratty Converse. I think there’s a hole in my right sole but I refuse to check because I’m never getting rid of these shoes. Kortez is dressed a little better than me, since he recently had to buy new clothes from his latest growth spurt – at nineteen fucking years old – but clearly neither of us belong here.
Even still, no one gives us an odd look as I make my way over to the table, grab some cups, and begin to look out over the different bottles of alcohol they haveset out.
“What do you want to drink?” I have to raise my voice to get Kor to hear me with the music being so loud.
