Page 8 of That Secret Something

She squeezed my hand again, grounding me. “It’ll be fun, Jess. It’s prom!”

“Too right.” Rebecca’s gaze passed over our group before settling on me. “The night’s not over yet, Grant. It’s only just beginning.”

That statement filled me with so much excitement and anxiety, I didn’t know whether to jump on her and kiss her, or run for my life and hide in the bathroom. But when Rebecca grinned at me, there was only one clear option: to follow Rebecca Lawson into whatever ocean the siren wanted. And I was going willingly.

Four

My first proper party. My first dance with a gorgeous and unattainable woman. My first prom. Do people ever have more than one prom? I don’t know. I guess Rebecca did. What I did know was that the alcohol was hitting me very hard.

I brushed my hand over the soft cushion in my lap. I was at a party, after my first (and only?) prom, that was true—but I was experiencing it from the comfort of one of George Beecham’s parents’ plush sofas.

Drunken bodies packed the living room, dancing and groping and laughing in a nonsensical blur. Lily and Tyler were making out in the leather armchair opposite. It would be gross if I weren’t so spaced out, watching everyone’s lives go on around me. It was like an extended metaphor of what my life usually felt like. Just existing. Everything continued while I faded into the background.

But maybe this wasn’t a bad thing. It was just who I was.

I was learning a lot of things tonight:

1. Whisky is awful.

2. Lily is going to lose her virginity.

3. Rebecca Lawson might just be the coolest, hottest woman alive.

I’d not seen Rebecca for a while. She’d disappeared after bumping into some classmates she hadn’t seen since she left school. The summer brought back many faces who’d left our small town for the promise of adventures elsewhere—Rebecca included. Lily always liked it when her sister was back from university, as we could abuse her discount at the cinema, where she worked in the summer. For me, spending time around Rebecca was more than that. She had this way of making me feel…empowered. Endangered. She was an enigma. A long-legged, beautiful, hockey-playing enigma. One that I wanted to understand and solve.

I drained the contents of my cup: an unknown red, tangy substance that burned the back of my throat. Still, much better than the whisky.

Cheers erupted around me as a song I didn’t know pumped through the speakers. More people filled the room, drinking, dancing, and laughing. A tall blonde from my science class tripped over herself, collapsing onto the pile of entangled limbs that was Lily and Tyler.

It was too much. The heat, the noise, the bodies.

I tried to stand up and immediately fell back into the cushion. At the next attempt, someone caught my arm and pulled me up. I stumbled away from the crowd, searching for some space. Air. I needed to breathe.

I found a door and exited into the darkness, the fresh summer night an instant relief. I avoided the two guys making out against the brick wall and walked to the opposite side of the garden.

It felt a little weird not to be chaperoned by Lily. I was alone, in a stranger’s garden, but the alcohol eased my insecurities, and they were soon forgotten.

A glowing crescent moon hung above, illuminating the foliage around me as I wandered around the neatly trimmed grass. The sky was speckled with stars stretching out into the horizon, and I tipped my head back in awe. I wondered if aliens had parties like these. The idea seemed ridiculous… But was it?

How much alcohol was in the punch?

Muffled voices drew my attention back to the garden, spinning my head and stomach.

Two dark figures emerged. Aliens?

“Jess, there you are,” one greeted me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

Who knew aliens would smell this damn good? Sweet and musky at the same time. Cherries.

“You having a good time?” The face moved into view, caressed by the moonlight. That strong jaw. Those cheekbones. I only knew one woman who could look that perfect in the darkness. In this world or any other. Typical.

“The best.” I tried to make my voice sound enthusiastic, but it came out all high-pitched and squeaky.

“I’ll see you in there, Becca.” The other voice disappeared towards the house, the music thumping as she opened the door. Who was she? And what was she doing with Rebecca in the garden? Jealousy pinched at my gut. Ridiculous, Jess. It’s not like you were on a real date.

Rebecca looped an arm over my shoulder, and I tried not to swoon. “So whatcha say, Grant? Up for a game of beer pong?”

Before I had a chance to argue, she steered me towards the door and led me to a huge kitchen. The cream counters were covered with dozens of bottles of alcohol, all at various levels of emptiness, along with the gigantic punch bowl with the tangy red substance. Just the thought of attempting to drink that luminous beverage made my stomach wince. Then another organ made itself known.

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