NATE
Mike and I stand there, relishing the moment. Cain suddenly appears behind us. Without wasting time, he inquires, “What’s so funny?”
I take a puff of my cigarette, trying to play it cool. On the other hand, Mike can’t restrain his laughter and blurts out, “Tessie singing. She sounds like a rat desperately struggling for air.”
I nudge Mike’s arm playfully.
I extend my hand, holding the cigarette out to Cain, who takes it from me and inhales deeply. The three of us are silent, knowing the upcoming plan is crucial. Mike breaks the silence by asking if we all know what to do. Both Cain and I nod our heads in agreement. Cain returns the cigarette to me and explains his role in the plan. “I’ll be stationed outside the club, on duty all night. You, on the other hand, must keep a watchful eye on her at all times. Do not let her out of your sight, and ensure she doesn’t consume anything suspicious.”
The thought of sharing the details of last night with them lingered in my mind. I wanted to tell them how Tessie and I shared a moment of passion and how I finally mustered the courage to confess my love for her. However, the timing didn’t seem appropriate, so I decided to hold back on sharing such intimate details.
Cain looks at us and compliments us, “You two look really sharp in those white shirts and black trousers. The skull masks will complete the look. I have a feeling that girls will be lining up to talk to you tonight.” He smirks mischievously.
Mike returns the compliment and says, “You don’t look too bad yourself in that police uniform, dude.”
I chuckle and say, “Alright, alright, calm down, lovebirds.”
As we stand there, a car suddenly pulls up the driveway and we notice it’s a taxi. We hear the voices of Tessie and Rae, who seem to be leaving the apartment. And as Tessie steps out of the door, we can’t help but be amazed by her stunning appearance. She looks absolutely gorgeous. I whisper to myself, “Wow, she’s really something.”
“Remember the plan,” Cain whispers. I nod, trying to keep my cool.
TESSIE
As we exit the taxi, Rae nearly loses her footing on the pavement, but I manage to catch her before she falls over. I convince myself that I will not let myself get drunk tonight and would only have a couple of shots since I didn’t want to carry around my drink after what happened last time. We make our way to the club entrance and join the queue. Everyone is adorned in masks and gothic attire, creating an eerie ambiance that sets the mood for tonight. While we wait, Rae pulls out a cigarette and lights it up. She takes a long drag, exhaling out a cloud of smoke. As I look around, I suddenly catch sight of Cain standing in his crisp police uniform, chatting with the bouncers.
I gently nudge Rae’s arms to get her attention. “Cain is here,” I whisper.
Rae looks over my shoulder and I follow her gaze to see Cain looking straight at me. I immediately shifted my gaze away from him, feeling a bit flustered.
“Damn, I can see why you fucked him.” Rae chuckles, teasingly. I give her a playful nudge and roll my eyes, trying to brush off the comment.
Glancing sideways, I notice that Cain is walking past the queue. A few girls call out to him, “Sergeant Huxley!” It’s no surprise that he’s well-known among the crowd.
Cain approaches the group of girls behind us, and I hear him utter, “Ladies.”
While they engage in conversation, I catch him casting a prolonged gaze in my direction. It’s clear that he’s attempting to incite some sort of reaction from me, but I remain unfazed. Despite his efforts, I refuse to let any feelings of jealousy take hold.
Rae and I step into the club engulfed in darkness. The strobing lights illuminate the space, pulsing in time with the music. Parasite Eve by Bring Me the Horizon blasts from the speakers. I can’t help but notice the gothic decor meticulously placed throughout the club. Every corner seems to be adorned with some sort of macabre adornment. The patrons are all wearing masks, adding to the mysterious aura of the place. I feel Rae’s hand slip into mine as we navigate our way to the bar, taking in the eerie atmosphere around us.
We stand together at the crowded bar, my eyes scanning the room, and we land on two figures dressed in skull masks at the far end. A strange feeling washes over me as I realize it could be Mike and Nate wearing those masks. The familiarity of those skull masks is hard to ignore and I can’t help but wonder if it’s really them. Taking a closer look, I notice several other people in the club wearing the same masks. Maybe I am just missing them too much and want it to be them. The bartender greets us with a friendly smile and asks for our order. Rae wastes no time and asks, “Shots?” in her distinct voice.
“Yes, please,” I confirm, feeling a little nervous.
Without skipping a beat, Rae looks at the man behind the bar wearing devil horns and asks, “Four shots of whatever, please.”
The bartender nods and grabs a bottle of green liquid. He skillfully pours the liquid into four shot glasses, lining them neatly on the bar counter. My heart starts racing as I watch the bright green liquid swirl inside the glasses, feeling excited and a little scared. Rae pays the bartender, then pushes two shot glasses towards me, her eyes gleaming with excitement. I take a deep breath and pick up the shot glasses, feeling the coolness of the glass against my fingers. I look over at Rae, who has already downed her shot in one swift motion. I take a deep breath, steeling myself, and then knock back the shot, feeling the fiery liquid burn my throat as it goes down.
“Apple flavor!” Rae shouts over the music in my ear.
As soon as we down the second shot, Rae grabs my hand and leads me to the dance floor. The music is already blasting and people are getting into the groove. Suddenly, Rollin by Limp Bizkit comes on and the energy in the room shoots up even higher. Everyone around us, including Rae and myself, begins moving to the beat. We let go of all inhibitions and just dance.
I survey the dance floor and an eclectic mix of people wearing various masks catches my eye. Rae and I hold each other tightly swaying to the music while the surrounding crowd gets increasingly frenzied. Suddenly, I feel a pair of hands on my waist, but they don’t belong to Rae. I turn my head and see a man wearing a clown mask standing behind me, his eyes fixed on me. I try to step away, but he persists, his grip tightening. Lost in the music, Rae continues to dance, unaware of what’s happening. I push the man’s hands away when, out of nowhere, a tall figure wearing a skull mask charges in and knocks him to the floor. I immediately recognized him as Mike because of his voice, height, and hair. “Hands off her!” he hisses loudly.
Rae finally sees what’s happening and the clown-masked man puts his hands up, leaves the dance floor. I shake my head at Mike and grab Rae’s hand, leading her to a different part of the dance floor.
Rae’s voice booms in my ear, “What was that about? Who is the guy in the skull mask?”
The thumping bass of the club’s music makes it hard to hear, but I manage to respond, “Some guy was trying his luck and Mike, over there in the skull mask, intervened. Also, Nate is here, too.” As the strobe lights hit the dance floor with a blinding intensity, I can see Mike and Nate lurking in the corner, their eyes fixed on me.
Despite the pulsating energy of the club, I can’t help but feel their gaze weighing heavily upon me. I only want to enjoy a night out without constantly thinking about them.
Rae and I continue to dance music, trying to forget about everything else.
“I think it’s cute they keep an eye on you,” Rae comments, shrugging her shoulders. I shake my head, wanting just one night without them following me everywhere. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man in a wolf mask appears behind Rae. His voice is deep and commanding as he says, “Tessie...Rae.”
Rae turns around and wraps her arms around the stranger, shouting, “Archie!” To my surprise, he is not alone. Two of his friends stand behind him, also wearing wolf masks. It is clear that they have come to join our party. I can’t shake off the uneasy feeling I have about Archie. After my previous experience with Dan, I find it hard to trust anyone. My gut instinct is warning me and I can’t ignore it.
Rae and Archie are lost in their world as they dance with each other. I stand nearby, swaying to the music and taking in the atmosphere. Two of Archie’s friends join in, but things feel a bit awkward between us. Suddenly, the song changes to Chop Suey by System of a Down and the crowd goes wild. People start jumping and bumping into each other when I quickly find myself being thrown around. Just as I’m about to lose my balance, one of Archie’s friends grabs my arm and pulls me to the side, out of harm’s way. I let out a grateful thanks as I catch my breath.
I lift my gaze. The strobe lights illuminate the entire room, casting flickering shadows across the dance floor. Amidst the pulsating beats of the music, I catch a glimpse of Mike reaching out to grab Nate’s upper arm, halting him in his tracks as he attempts to approach.
Archie speaks up amidst the loud and frenzied music, “Shall we go into the other room?” Rae agrees, “I think that’s a good idea. This music is making everyone dance crazy!”
We follow Rae and Archie as they lead the way, and soon, we enter another room in the club that plays calmer music. The atmosphere is more relaxed in this part of the club as we all head to the bar. I decide to order another shot, but I ensure it’s my last one for the night.
Rae is engrossed in a conversation with Archie’s friend when suddenly, Archie slides up to me and brushes my hair behind my ear. He leans close and whispers, “You owe me...oh, you owe me big time, Tessie.”
His sudden proximity takes me aback and confusion creeps into my mind. “What?” I exclaim, trying to make sense of his cryptic message.
