Chapter 5

Party number one was a bust as expected. Zira and Aubrey got there late. They needed to have a few drinks just to convince their selves to go. Kady did her best to make her not notice the dirty looks but now that it was pointed out by someone else and Zira knew it wasn’t just her it was impossible to overlook.

In the past, Zira always had so much fun with Kady that she never noticed the awkward atmosphere. Of course, the alcohol helped too. The three girls were dancing and laughing when Taylor came and wrapped his arms around Kady’s waist. She squealed and turned around to kiss him. They were so cute together it was almost sickening. Zira never thought about having a relationship like that before.

After her time with Mason, she just wanted to have fun and do whatever she wanted. The thought of that kind of commitment made her sick. Even as she was thinking that she found herself looking around hoping to see the twins.

“I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” Zira said over the music. Aubrey made a face as Taylor nibbled at Kady’s neck.

“I need another drink.” They laughed as they went their separate ways. The made her way through the crowded house in search of the bathroom The artificial warmth of the alcohol pulsed through her. There was still an ache that it hadn’t managed to dull. Zira made her way up the stairs and found the bathroom. First door at the top of the stairs. She opened it and gasped.

“Took you long enough.” Erin’s fist shot out at Zira’s face so fast she didn’t see it coming. She just managed to back away from it when her back hit the wall. “I told you, you didn’t belong. You’re not welcome here!” Her fist shot toward Zira’s face again. She managed to tilt her head to the side and narrowly avoid it. The fist collided with the wall and went right through the drywall.

“Stay the hell away from Keiran.” She grabbed Zira by the shoulders and shoved. The floor disappeared from beneath her feet and reconnected with her back. Her feet flew over her head carrying her further down the stairs until she landed flat on the floor. Tiny spots of light danced around her vision. The alcohol might not have dulled the ache in her chest but it definitely dulled the pain from her fall.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?” Kady flew up the stairs and got in their faces. Taylor gingerly grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to her feet.

“Are you alright?” he asked. She nodded unable to speak until the air returned to her lungs.

“Fine. I think it’s time to go.” Aubrey came running up to her wide-eyed looking between her and the scene at the top of the stairs. “Can you tell Kady I’ll talk to her later?” Taylor moved in front of her as she tried to leave.

“Why don’t you hang out for a little while longer? Or come to our place? Kady was really looking forward to hanging out with you.” Zira pinched the bridge of her nose as she listened to the rage spilling out of Kady’s mouth.

“No, just stop her. You guys enjoy your night. We’re going to go blow off steam.” She also had no desire to sit and watch them make out. Aubrey linked arms with her and flashed a whole bottle of tequila that she poached from the bar. Taylor tried to object last time but Zira just waved and called goodbye over her shoulder.

They waited for a few minutes for a cab. Despite it being a small town the party they were going to was on the outskirts of town on the opposite side. It felt like a separate town altogether. The only other time Zira had been there she went with Kady. The awkwardness of the experience ensured she never wanted to go again. But being there with Aubrey was completely different.

They got out of the cab and merged with the crowd that was spilling out of the small house. Inside the music was even louder. Zira’s heart pulsed along with the thumping beat. Her anxiety melted as she glanced around and saw no one was staring at her. No piercing glares. No one waiting to ambush her. She closed her eyes and swayed with the music until someone came around with shots.

Everyone cheered as they tossed them back. They danced until the light faded outside. When most of the people had left there was nothing but a small. They sat in the backyard with a small fire going. The music still hummed in the house. Zira sat on a blanket with her back against someone’s legs as they sat in a chair. She stroked Aubrey’s hair as she lay with her head in Zira’s lap. It was the closest to a peaceful night that Zira ever had.

“How’s your back feeling?” Aubrey pulled her eyes away from the stars to look at Zira’s glassy eyes. She shrugged.

“I can’t feel anything right now.” Aubrey laughed.

“What happened to your back.” The guy leaned forward, his face hovering inches above Zira’s.

“That crazy bitch Erin pushed her down the stairs.” There was a collective groan around the fire that made Zira sit her head up.

“This shit is getting out of hand. We should launch a complaint.” A girl on the other side of the bonfire shook her head.

“A complaint? The worst offenders are the ones with parents on the board. They’re the reason we’re here in the first place.” A few people murmured in agreement.

“I don’t know about you but I wasn’t going to get a full-ride anywhere else.” Zira’s eyes widened.

“You got a full ride too?” asked Zira. Everyone in the circle nodded and exchanged glances. “What are the odds everyone that isn’t local got a full ride?” she took another drink out of her red solo cup as everyone thought about the question.

“I mean it’s a fairly new establishment, isn’t it? The locals are rich. They didn’t need financial help.” Aubrey’s argument made a lot of weight. It also made sense that they would treat the non-locals like crap. They were practically paying their tuition.

“All the more reason for us outsiders to stick together.” Someone raised a cup in the air and everyone joined in.

“Yeah, at least until we get adopted.” Someone chuckled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Zira.

“Look around. Is anyone here a sophomore? Junior? Senior?” they all looked around and shook their heads. They were all freshmen. “At some point, we’ll all get adopted by a local and it’ll be like we were born here. This is my second semester, I’ve seen it a bunch of times.” Something about that was unsettling. Zira couldn’t imagine being able to overlook the months of abuse. Yet another reason to make moving a priority.

“Did you hear that?” a guy with his back to the woods stood up.

“Hear what?” someone asked but he shh’d him. They all strained their ears. The only thing Zira could hear was the crackling of the fire as it ravished the branches that were just fed to it. The guy didn’t let up. His anxiety seeped out into the people sitting next to him as they stood up and debated whether or not someone should check the woods.

“There’s no way I’m going.  What if it’s a bear?” two guys pushed each other back and forth. The mood was turning sour and it was clear that a fight was on the verge of breaking out. The crisp snapping of wood plunged them all into silence. There was no denying there was something in the trees.

Aubrey sat up so Zira could get to her feet. She couldn’t stay seated any longer. Her stomach grumbled. The anxiety didn’t mix well with everything she had to drink. The rustling in the woods was getting closer.

“Maybe we should just go back inside.” She offered and a few people agreed. They got to work dowsing the fire. The moment the shadows spread out around them a loud growl echoed around them. Everyone stumbled toward the back door but they froze in their tracks when screams fill the air.

“It’s got him!” a girl shrieked. The sick sound of wet ripping flesh filled the air. Someone beside Zira bent over and puked. There were screams and growls as the situation quickly escalated. Zira grabbed onto Aubrey and pulled her toward the house. They were both drunk. Zira didn’t think offering up the same vow to quit drinking would help in this situation.

She stumbled forward trying will the ground to stop spinning beneath her feet. Something solid crashed into her back knocking her and Aubrey to the ground. Aubrey shrieked beside her. Zira wished she could make any sound at all but the air was squeezed from her lungs by whatever was on top of her.

More growls echoed through the darkness and the sound of heavy paws hitting the ground surrounded them. Something sharp dug into her shoulders and she felt the heat of someone’s breath on her face.