Page 41 of The Fallen Ones

Were they speaking to them?

What the hell– why hadn’t they said a single word to me? Maybe they were just being polite and weren’t interested in me after all.

The familiar feeling of being lonely hit me.

“Two shots, please,” I told the bartender, turning my attention away from the trio. I kept my conversation short and direct, unsure which one of my peers was beneath the dark full faced mask.

“That’s what I like to see.” Olivia praised me. She took a shot from my hand and knocked it back.

I threw mine back and swallowed fast as I tried to keep my eyes on Olivia and not on the masked trio, but I couldn’t. I saw that by now a group of six girls were fawning over them.

“Did you get his name?” I asked her and shot a glance at the guy in the all white costume in a desperate bid to distract myself from my jealousy.

“Nope. You can’t get names at these things,” she replied, pouting and squinting her eyes in disappointment.

“What if he’s your person?”

“If he’s my person he’ll find me outside of these wild Satan’s Hollow parties.” She patted my leg and tried to appear unbothered, but I knew Olivia. She wanted to know who the guy was she’d been making out with all night.

I smiled back at her, sipping on my cocktail.

She shuffled closer to me and whispered in my ear, “There’s Dylan Cambridge.”

“How do you know? He has a mask on.” I glanced in the direction she indicated.

“Dylan and the elites run this party. Every year they all wear the same golden demon masks and suits.”

“So they don’t care if people know they do this stuff?”

“Hell no, girl, they thrive on it. See the double golden bracelet on his wrist?”

I nodded.

“That’s Dylan. He’s the leader of their crazy ass cult.”

I watched as Dylan made his way over to my masked trio. It left me with more questions than answers.

He must have known who they were. Not that he’d tell me– I’d never have the confidence to ask him either.

My head was spinning as Olivia’s mystery guy in white approached.

“For you,” he said with his smooth as butter voice.

“What is it?” Olivia asked and accepted the gift he was handing to her.

“You said you wanted to check out of reality, right?” He grinned, sticking out his tongue before placing a white pill on the tip. “ Do as I do, babe.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I voiced my concern in a whisper only my friend could hear.

“It’s a party. We’ll be fine.” She took the pill and placed it on her tongue then handed me one.

I looked down at the tiny white dot sitting in the center of my palm. There was no way I was going down the same path as my mom… not with drugs.

“I can’t.”

“Girl, you can.”

“You two go ahead. I need the bathroom.” I made my excuse and slid down from the stool I’d perched myself on, and headed off in search of the restroom.

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