She bit on her lip. “How about I get Mikey, and we meet you up there in a few?”
What would I do if the drugs hit me when I was alone? Could I handle it without Mimi there by my side?
“That okay, babe? We’ll see you in like five minutes. I just gotta go get him, because he’s probably already pissed I was late. He can be such a bore sometimes.”
Uncomfortable but worried that Mimi would think I was a total coward, I nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you there.”
She grinned at me and rushed away.
I made my way upstairs and settled on a high stool by one of the far walls where there were only a handful of other people lingering around. Maybe once the drugs hit, I’d be able to chat up some cute guy up here.
I was there for about five minutes when the tingle happened again, and then something jerked hard inside my gut, forcing me up to my feet. Rushing to the bathroom, I locked myself inside an empty stall and sucked in a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Was this really normal? Was I going to be okay, or was this a huge mistake?
When I finally emerged from the stall, the dim light over the sinks seemed brighter than before, and in the mirror, I saw that my eyes had turned black.
Whoa.
I leaned in to examine the phenomenon. My dilated pupils were so large that the irises had become thin brown slivers. Freaky.
My fingers tapped on the edge of the sink to the beat of the song coming from outside. The music vibrated under my skin, the baseline reverberating through my very core, as if it had reached into my insides and started to pull on everything with tiny hooks. I had a strong urge to dance.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I sucked in a harsh breath. Here, the pull of the music was even more powerful, and I began to sway on my feet before even reaching the small dance floor.
A sense of pure happiness enveloped me. I wanted to smile at all the people dancing around me, and I leaned into the urge, not able to come up with a reason why I shouldn’t. A few of the dancers smiled back, the gesture striking me as delightfully friendly and inclusive. Is this how people always acted in clubs? Why had I been missing out on this?
I danced to a few songs, moving confidently to the beat. I’d never been a confident dancer, but now my limbs felt especially light. Dancing was the most natural thing in the world. It felt easy.
My throat was dry. Water. Mimi said I needed to drink a lot of water.
I bought a bottle at the bar and chugged about half of it before going right back to dancing. All I wanted was to dance. I wished Mimi were here with me.
WherewasMimi?
She hadn’t come to find me. How long had it been? Time had taken on a distorted quality. I moved to the edge of the floor to look down over the balcony, scanning the bopping heads for a sign of her pink head, but my gaze wouldn’t focus. The bright shine of the lasers and strobe lights made it impossible to recognize the faces of the people below.
I took another sip of water and pulled out my phone. I’d already texted Mimi once in the bathroom, but my phone hadn’t vibrated with a response. Even though I was definitely high now, some rational part of my brain was still working, and I knew I shouldn’t be here alone.
Who could I ask to keep me company? Zoey was an obvious no.
Jack. I should text Jack.
He’d come here and find me. Sure, we’d had a fight, but he still cared about me.
When the screen turned on, I nearly dropped my phone. The light coming out of it was blinding, and when I blinked and squinted at the screen, the icons moved, jittering up and down.
I turned down the brightness as low as it would go and scrolled for Jack in my contacts. After what felt like forever, I finally found him.
“Hi! Can you come meet me? I lost my friend and I’ve taken something. ;)”
I pressed send and tucked the phone away. The music sounded so goddamn good. The dance floor called me, but I thought I should stay here where Jack could easily find me when he came.
The phone vibrated in my pocket. I squinted at the screen.
“Where are you?”
I giggled to myself. How did I forget to text him my location?
“I’m at Flare. Second floor, near the railing.”
