Girls On Fire (formerly known as Rebel Rebel)

Chapter 6 - The Party

Nikita did as she was instructed by the photographer and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a girl in a brown dress enter.

“Invite number?” the same woman in red screeched at Ruth.

“471.” Ruth recited.

“Here you go.”

Ruth didn’t even glance at the gift bag but turned vivid red at the name on her tag.

“Is this supposed to be a joke?”

“What?” screeched the woman, alarmed.

“HAWKEYE!  Are you making a joke?”

“I’m just doing my job.” She trilled, getting from her seat and running through a nearby door.

Silently, Anton snapped an image of Ruth standing with haunch shoulders still by the registry table.

“Take another, I dare you.” she spat at him.

Anton’s hand dropped to his side and he shook a little out of fear, as she passed him by, angrily slapping on her name tag.  She didn’t even glance at the tray of champagne as she cruised on in to the dance hall.

Megan arrived in time to find the entrance hall deserted except for a girl in a brown dress joining the party and a photographer stood with his eyes shut.

“Excuse me, is this the party?”

“I hate those damn rogues.” Said the woman in red, as she emerged from the room with the distinct sound of a toilet flushing behind her.  “Good evening.” She began brightly at the sight of Megan.  “Invite number?”

“472.”

“Here you go.  Have fun!” she feigned a smile.

“Thanks.”

Anton took a few pictures of her but not with as much enthusiasm as he’d had with Nikita.

“Help yourself to some bubbly.” He said, before disappearing into the bathroom himself.

“Oh, sweetie, wait!  I meant to say, you’ll be meeting the event manager at 9pm.”

“Why?” Megan asked.

“Have fun.” The woman smiled again.

Megan pushed through the double doors to find the party already in full swing.  There was some loud band playing on stage, thumping out a melody that Megan had never heard of before.  It was mostly filled with women, all with their own name tags.  Some said ‘Siren’, ‘Jinx’ or ‘Silence’.  Looking down at her own tag, before putting it on, she saw it read ‘Babydoll’.

“Euch.” She moaned.

At the bar, there were some men, shady looking characters Megan thought, best to avoid them.  There was a couple of bar men working there; some pouring shots or beer for the men, another was serving up an elaborate looking cocktail to a woman in an olive coloured dress with a large black feather on her mask.

“What’ll it be?” he asked Megan, when feather girl departed.

“I’ll have what she’s having.”

“Coming right up.”

“Do you wanna dance?” a woman asked Nikita, whilst she was admiring the band.  Not one of them was wearing a mask.

“Oh, no.  Thank you.”

“Don’t be shy, come on.”

She took Nikita’s drink and placed it on a nearby table before pulling her to the front of the dance floor.  “I’m Misty.” She pointed to her tag.

“Ni-Hotshot.” Nikita smiled, gazing up at the front singer of the band.

He had short dark hair, a tattoo hidden just beneath his shirt collar and dark green eyes that matched the colour of his guitar perfectly.

“Good, aren’t they?” Misty asked, dancing away.

“Yeah.”

“Mama, thinks they’re gonna be the next big thing.”

“Who’s Mama?”

The girl stopped dancing suddenly, really looking at Nikita for the first time.

“Oh, I’m sorry.  I didn’t realise you were one of her new girls.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nikita asked offended.

“It’s recruitment night.”

“I thought this was a benefit.”

“Oh, you’re too much.” The girl laughed, walking away from Nikita.

The song came to an end and the crowd applauded the band as they prepared for the next song.  A tall black man, wearing jeans and a tan leather coat took to the mic before the band could.

“If Hawkeye could make her way to the bar.  Your escort will meet you there, thank you.”

Ruth was alone at a table near the exit in a dark corner.  Some heads turned as Ruth made her way over and she snatched some whispered conversations as she went by.

“They’re hiring again?” a girl dubbed ‘Delight’ asked another.

“Remember, Mama fired Flame, Sigma and Shroud.” Said ‘Liberty’.