If I Die Young

24. Sparks/Intimate

My skin was covered in a cold sweat when I woke up, the remains of a nightmare falling away from my shoulders in a panic-filled jerk upwards. I was breathing heavily and my heart was slamming against my ribs at twice the speed it should've gone, the last bloody images finally evicting themselves from my mind as I shook my head and threw myself from my bed. It was getting close to eleven anyway and it was probably for the best I'd gotten up when I did.

It took me seconds to get dressed, finding comfort in the soft fabric that clung to my body and the sound of the zipper on my boots as I pulled them on. My makeup was simple tonight, just smoky rings around my ghostly eyes and the same lilac lipstick I wore every time I went to a party now. The excitement finally set in and I was bouncing on the balls of my feet as I waited for Ladon to wake up and give me the signal. As if on cue I heard the knock on my door and I practically flung it open, finding him surprised by my sudden appearance but amused all the same.

"I'd ask if you're ready to go, but I can already see that you are." He chuckled. "Come on, let's head out."

I followed behind him closely, treading down the steps quietly but finding myself pausing suddenly when there was a noise coming from the kitchen. Ladon stuck an arm out in front of me and I peered over it, seeing a familiar head of less-matted black hair. Ezra hadn't been at dinner, hopefully because he'd been sleeping, so he must've been getting something to eat. I signaled that we were fine and Ladon and I made a break for the sliding door, slipping out almost silently and closing it behind us. We ran around to the front of the house in time to watch a car pull up and stop long enough for us to get in.

"Well howdy you two, what's with the rush?" Lenny laughed, taking off towards the school instead of the city.

"Ezra was in the kitchen, we ran for it." I cackled from my spot in the back, laying across the seats and stretching out to the best of my ability. "How've you been man?"

"Good, I'm hittin' up this pretty native girl and she's really startin' to like me, mhm." He grinned, something warm in his eyes. "Things are definitely startin' to pick up on my end."

"I'm happy for you, it's about damn time someone realized you weren't just a fuckboy." Ladon cackled and Lenny slammed the breaks, his head hitting the dash while I flopped onto the floor with a small scream that turned into laughter when I heard Ladon start swearing.

"Excu-use me, we do not use that language in this damn car." Lenny started driving again, mirth in his eyes. "They are called "players", fuckboys are preteens who think they've got the game figured out but boy do they have a lot to learn."

"Do me a favor next time and warn me before you go ahead and slam the breaks, why don't you." I snickered as I got back into my seat and buckled in, the rest of the ride full of loud music and obnoxious singing and jokes. This was a routine I could get used to.

We finally pulled up to our venue, a small warehouse on the bank of a river that was seemingly empty from the outside. I realized the windows were blacked out though and the moment we opened the doors we were met with flashing lights and even louder music than I'd heard before. An actual DJ was at the back of the room and he was jamming out to his own music, the whole crowd joining him as they jumped and danced. I went straight to the bar, just as I'd usually done, finding Ladon by my side as we both reached for the neon shot glasses filled with vodka. I winked at him and we both tipped our heads back, drinking the alcohol with glee.

Something interesting happened after that. Ladon took two more shots and I watched out of the corner of my eye as he clicked his tongue, something akin to sparks flying from his lips. My curiosity was piqued and I watched as he chuckled, his blazing eyes locking with mine. I grinned and took another shot, the feeling of the dizziness in my head finally hitting. I howled with the crowd as they cheered, the neon lights hitting my pale skin and coloring me in all the shades of the rainbow. I took a bottle from the table and disappeared into the crowd with it, listening as Ladon chased after me.