I cannot believe I have let Sofia drag me to this party. Neither of us are party girls. I have lost her in this crowd, and I’m worried she might find herself in trouble.
She had begged me to come with her. Everyone in town knows this neighborhood is full of otherkind. If I hadn’t been obvious from the outside of this sprawling mansion, I certainly know from the exotic decor inside.
The place is packed. So far I’ve seen a movie star and three supermodels. A band I’ve never heard of, but whose music is unbelievably good, is playing.
The incense in the air makes my head swim. Being among a crowd of otherkind reminds me too much of Aeron. He was a werewolf. I’d only ever come to parties like this with him, but that had been a few years and what seems a whole lifetime ago. The last time I saw him he’d made it clear he never wanted to see me ever again.
Amongst the crowd some people are doing more than just dancing. I try not to see them moving, writhing. I had done my best to forget everything about otherkind – including how comfortable they are with being intimate in public.
In the corner of the lounge, screened only partially by a leafy potted plant, a girl is pressed against the wall. Between her legs is a man moving, showing her how much he wants her. For a moment he almost looks like Aeron, that strongly muscled body, golden skin, deep brown hair.
When Sofia asked me to come here tonight, my heart had skipped a beat. The hope of seeing him again is always burning like a little hidden flame inside me, just waiting for the slightest thing to bring it back to life. I’ve tried to put it out but I can’t. Stupid hope. Aeron went back to Otherworld, to where I can never reach him.
Realizing I am still staring at the couple making love against the wall, I quickly look away. And accidentally catch the eye of a guy nearby who has been watching me. He smirks, and starts to move towards me. I flush with embarrassment, and push through the crowd again.
In my haste I push too hard against a gorgeous girl. Her scathing look makes me want to sink into the ground. Clearly she thinks I don’t belong here. She moves aside as if she’d be contaminated if she touched me. Her friends do the same.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
She rolls her eyes, and makes an irritated gesture for me to go past her already. Instantly I feel like small again, worthless, like I had all those years growing up. Aeron had saved me from that. Made me feel whole.
Aeron who I see everywhere. Like that guy up ahead. A glimpse of a chiseled jaw and a body straight out of a superhero movie. A flash of icy blue eyes. Unforgettable eyes. My heart nearly stops. Like many others he is wearing a mask. Before I can be sure it is him, the crowd closes up around him.
“Aeron,” I whisper.
The gorgeous girl laughs at me, but I barely notice. Without thinking, I am moving fast now, pushing people to get them out of my way. I have to know if it was him. Because despite everything, he still haunts my dreams. He was my first and only boyfriend. The one who said we’d be together forever, before he so angrily threw me away.
I catch frustrating glimpses of him as a I follow him, but never enough to be sure.
“Aeron!” I call out just once, involuntarily.
And then I shut my mouth. Because what would I do if he heard me?
Remembering the circumstances of our breakup make me wince. I had been so young, so star-struck by him. He had been a few years older, and so cool. Like he came from a different world – which he literally had. Hanging out with him and his rambunctious buddies, especially his handsome best friend Tyler, had gone to my head. I had forgotten where the lines were. I had crossed them.
And then I glimpse him again and am filled with doubt. He seems leaner, and the way he moves is not like Aeron. My heart sinks, and yet my mind refuses to accept it. I rise to my tiptoes and strain for another glimpse.
Even if it is him, what would I say? The last time I had seen him he’d looked at me like I was scum. He’d said I wasn’t good enough for his family, his ancient bloodline. I was just some silly little foster kid. Even my own mother hadn’t wanted me. I’d thought with him I could finally have a family to call my own. He’d killed that dream.
My shoulders slump. Suddenly I feel really tired. I just want to find Sofia and get out of here. The problem is that they’d taken our phones away at the door. She’d said she needed to meet someone and then vanished.
I stand on tiptoe again, craning my neck to try to catch a glimpse of her striking red hair. Unlike me, Sofia looks like she belongs in this crowd. Nobody would have given her a second glance. Me though, I look mediocre. If most humans skew average in looks, then most otherkind skew gorgeous. And this crowd certainly makes me feel it.
I’m average height but wish I was taller. I’m average build and wish I was skinnier. My long sable-black hair is my best feature. I suppose my face is pretty enough. It would have been nice to have sparkly blue eyes instead of ordinary brown ones.
I shouldn’t have been so half-hearted about my clothes and make-up tonight. The part of me that had wanted to dress to kill because it hoped to see Aeron again and the part of me that didn’t dare dream of it for fear of being crushed all over again had battled it out. We’d met somewhere in the middle.
My pretty pale blue miniskirt leaves my long tanned legs bare. My floral cropped cotton top is an effort to fight off the sweltering heat tonight. It shows off my narrow waist but unfortunately does little to hide my large breasts, which have always made me self-conscious. The invite had said pool party, but I’ve never had the guts to wear a bikini top like some of the other girls here. My strappy high heel sandals are enough of a departure from my usual attire.
I smooth my hair and outfit, and make my way out of the packed lounge and through the sliding glass doors that lead to a large poolside area. It is being used as a dance floor. I finally see the band, a bunch of slim young men with trendy hair, on a raised stage. The way many young women are screaming in sheer ecstasy tells me they must be famous among otherkind.
I crane my neck to try and spot Sofia. Everyone is drinking and dancing, bodies swaying all closely together. The crowd is so dense. She could be in the house for all I know. I should have known better than to think she’d find her way back to me. I should have insisted she tell me why she was so intent on coming here, but she had been oddly secretive.
Being alone here makes me feel like a loser. My whole life, everyone else always seemed to belong and I always seemed to be standing at the edges watching them. Aeron had fixed that. He’d been the life and soul of a party, always to be found at the heart of them, making everyone laugh and be happy.
Just as I try to push my way back towards the lounge, the band strike up a new song and even more people push onto the dance floor. I am stuck.
I decide to fake it. To look like I am having fun so that I don’t stand out like a sore thumb. Same thing I’ve been doing my whole life.
At first I have to force myself to dance, but soon I begin to enjoy it. I cannot help but let my hips sway along to the music and my waist wiggle to the beat. I always found that my natural dancing style was a little bit sexier than I would like, but I can’t help it.
A hand touching my waist momentarily startles me. I carry on dancing as I start to brush it off. Just then the crowd shifts and I spot the gorgeous girl who was rude to me earlier. She is looking over my shoulder at the guy dancing behind me and she looks furious. Jealous even.
I feel a rush of something that feels like triumph. This is how they used to look at me when I was with Aeron, all those hot girls who could never understand why he was with me. I had forgotten how this felt. To be noticed. To feel important.
The hand is still at my waist. I put my hand over it and slide it down my bare belly to my hips, just where the band of my low slung miniskirt is. I pull him closer and carry on dancing. I have never done this before but the raging need to show that girl that I am not just a nobody has caught hold of me.
I remind myself that a man I loved had once thought I was the most special girl in the world. I am still that girl, and I’ll dance with a handsome stranger if I want to.
