Niko and I are still a hundred feet or so away from the party when we start to hear music blaring and people laughing and screaming and singing.
When we finally approach Rex's brother's house, my jaw drops. I've never seen such a huge mansion in my entire life. It looks more like a castle, actually. I can't believe all of this is for a single person.
There are rows of fancy cars parked outside, and a butler - dressed in a really nice tux - comes down the steps to greet us.
"Welcome," he says, smiling and extending his arm. I put my arm in his.
"Thank you," I say, immediately feeling underdressed in my black, sleeveless jumpsuit with a neon blazer and some really high heel pumps - all of which Rex let me borrow.
The butler leads Niko and me through the front door, across the foyer, through the living room and toward the back, where the party's taking place outside.
There are floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room that perfectly frame everything that's happening in the backyard, and for a moment, I feel like I'm watching a movie in real-time. We step outside onto the balcony, and I lose my breath.
Everyone looks like golden moths, flitting around among the chatter and the champagne and the stars. Everything shimmers with elegance and grace.
"This is magical," I whisper to Niko.
He smiles and squeezes my hand. Again - his hands are so weirdly cold!
Immediately, I spot Rex. She looks fantastic. She's wearing shredded leather pants, a thin, silky black top, some really sick black and golden sneakers and a beanie. Always a beanie.
Her jewelry is big and gold. She has fluorescent pink lipstick on. Somehow, she still looks so fancy, even though her outfit is technically casual. Only she can pull a look like that off.
"K-NIGMA!" Rex yells across the party. "You made it!"
I smile and head over to her, leaving Niko behind, hoping he won't follow me around the entire night.
When I approach Rex, I notice a very, thin - we're talking wafer thin - girl behind Rex who's chatting with someone. The same exact expression is glued onto her face throughout the entire conversation, and she's holding the hand of a guy who sort of looks like Rex. I wonder if that guy is Rex's brother, Ro.
"Girl, I'm so glad you came," Rex says, giving me a huge hug. "You look sick."
"No, YOU look sick," I respond. "Plus, I only look semi-good, because I'm wearing all of your clothes!"
She smiles and winks, "I know, that is why you look so awesome!"
We both laugh, and she takes my hand and drags me toward the boy and girl I was eyeing as I was approaching her.
"Ro," Rex says. "This is Karina."
Rex's brother turns around. He is basically Rex in boy form. It's crazy.
"Hey Karina," says Ro, extending his hand to shake mine. "My name is Rolex - Ro for short. It's great to finally meet you. Rex has told me a lot about you. Glad you could make it out tonight."
Ro is tall and handsome. Though he looks a lot like Rex, it's obvious that they are very different. While she's funky and bohemian, he's clean-cut and straight-edged. At least, that's what it seems like from the outside. They both do share one thing, though: a real sense of warmth and good naturedness when you first meet them - they're both so ingratiating and have magnetic personalities.
"Yeah, of course," I respond. "Thanks so much for inviting me. Your place is beautiful."
"Thanks," answers Ro.
"But, wait," I add, a bit confused. "Rex and Rolex? Is that for real?"
Rex and Ro both laugh.
"Yeah," starts Rex. "Well, we're twins. And I'm pretty sure our parents were trippin' on acid or something hippie like that when they decided to name us."
I laugh and then wonder if anyone is going to introduce the girl standing next to Ro. I'm mesmerized by how tall and thin she is. I've never seen anyone so thin, so up close.
This is the first time in my life I've ever felt kind of fat in my own body. I squirm around a bit in my jumpsuit, imagining my hips curving out like little half-doughnuts on each side of my frame. Maybe I shouldn't have had so much to eat today. Maybe I should just stop eating so much in general.
"I'm Karina," I finally decide to say, extending my hand out to the stick figure, assuming she's Ro's girlfriend.
Ro chimes in, "Oh so sorry I forgot to introduce you two."
"Pia," adds Ro. "Meet Karina."
She looks at me and sort of half-smiles - that same expression that she's had on her face since I first noticed her from afar. It feels so fake, but everyone else seems to be buying into it. Up close, her eyes seem void of any real feelings. It's as if she's incapable of conveying any real emotion, but because she's so conventionally beautiful, no one cares.
What appeared to be so glamorous about her to me from so far away seems kind of vapid and uninteresting up close. And I just can't seem to get over her thinness.
"My name is Piaget," she says, in a sort of sterile, yet upbeat, tone. "Pia for short."
She's not rude, exactly, but she's not particularly nice. I think what's missing from her is...warmth. It's the exact opposite experience of meeting Rex and Ro for the first time. I literally feel like I'm interacting with a bot right now. A perfectly constructed little bot.
"Nice to meet you," I say. "I'm Karina. This is an awesome party."
"I know right?" responds Pia. "Can you believe this is all happening right now?"
The expression on her face and the intonation of her voice stay exactly the same the entire time she's talking to me. It's as if she's been pre-programmed to just stand there and be gorgeous and pleasant, but not excessively so.
"Yeah," interjects Ro. "It's the dream."
He looks around his party and sighs, takes a sip of his drink and kisses Pia. Rex fake-vomits at me. I burst out laughing.
Pia takes a swig of her drink. I notice she's wearing a golden bangle exactly like the one I think I saw on the woman earlier today - is she a Lord of Shinar?!
I pull Rex over to the side.
"Hey, quick question," I say.
"Sure, what's up?" Rex responds.
"What's Pia's deal?" I ask.
"What do you mean?" Rex says.
"Like, is she from a rich family or something?" I ask.
"Oh, yeah," answers Rex. "She's a little princess. Her dad is super high-up in the Lords of Shinar. Her mom's basically a trophy-wife. Ugh. I hate Pia."
"I know you do," I say, trying to comfort Rex. "So, is Pia one of the Lords of Shinar, too?"
"She likes to think she is," answers Rex. "She wears those robes and all. But she's not. She just likes to pretend. She says she's 'in-training' - whatever that even means."
I finally realize that Rex is a little drunk. And she is really not holding back.
"Cool, got it," I say. "Thanks for the intel."
"Yeah, of course - anytime," she answers. "Hey, let me get you a glass of champagne?"
"Cool," I respond.
Rex walks off, and I find an empty seat sort of in a corner, so I can sit and observe everything that's going on. I see Niko talking to some random people I don't know. I'm glad he got the hint and is giving me some space for now.
Eva and Max are in a corner, talking to a couple of the girls in Eva's newly-formed 'Let's Hate on Karina' gaggle.
A part of me really wants Zayn to be here. But, I don't see him anywhere.
Then, I catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye. He's walking quickly up the steps to where Ro and Pia are standing. He heads straight for Pia and gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. A mixture of anger and jealousy hijack my entire body.
"Here ya go," chimes Rex, handing me a glass of champagne.
I take the glass from her and chug the entire thing.
"Whoa," she says. "Ease up, there, Rambo."
She looks in the same direction as me to see what I'm looking at.
"Oh, you better get used to it," Rex adds. "Everyone looooovvveees Pia. Pia is soooo perfect. Soooo tall. And soooooo thin. Biiiig eyes. Gllooowwwing skin. Siilkkky-ass hair. And sooooo sweet. Soooooo doe-eyed. Not a single bad thing to say about Pia. Princess, princess PIA. International model and actress. Trained dancer. Perfect wife material. Went to a fancy college. Flawless. This and that and blah blah blah blah BARF."
"The only thing she actually is," continues Rex. "Is aggressively boring."
I can't help but smile at Rex's ranting. She really does just hate her brother's girlfriend. And given my newfound jealousy of Pia, who I barely even know, I sort of enjoy Rex voicing some of the things I'm feeling.
Zayn starts talking to Ro, and I notice that Pia grabs her purse and heads down the stairs. I wonder where she's going. I decide to follow her.
"Hold on, Rex," I say. "I'm gonna go pee." I pop out of my seat.
"Sure, sure," she responds, slumping into my chair. "I'll be here when you get back!"
I dash off to follow Pia. She's headed for a more quiet space, where there's no one else around. I slink behind her, so she doesn't notice she's being followed.
When she finally stops, there's no one around except the two of us. I'm hiding behind a big flowering pot, completely hidden but with a perfect view of Pia.
She opens her purse and pulls out a black glass vial - exactly like the ones I took from Mimba - and pours the clear liquid within it into her drink. Then she chugs it. She carefully places the empty vial back into her purse, looks around to make sure no one saw her and heads back to the party.
Where did she get that vial from?!
Then it hits me. Zayn was just chatting with her. Did he steal that fifth vial that went missing on the ship and give it to Pia?! He was being uber-friendly with her just now. And he's the only person who knew where I put the vials, except for me. And that night we were in the pod together...that's when he must have taken it!
My mind is reeling, and I'm fuming. I can't believe what I just saw happen.
I stand up and am about to head back to the party, when someone places their hand on my shoulder. I jump and let out a tiny scream.
"Whoa, calm down," Zayn says. "It's just me."
I turn around and shove him.
"What the hell, Karina?!" Zayn exclaims. "What was that for?"
"Aaaahhh, Zayn!" I scream. "I'm just so - I can't even deal with you right now!"
Zayn grabs my shoulders and holds me tight, waiting for me to calm down. Once I gather myself a bit, he let's go of me. We move toward a nearby bench and sit down.
"What is going on with you?" he asks.
"Why the hell did you steal that fifth vial from my jumpsuit?!" I ask.
Zayn remains silent.
"Hello?" I go on. "Are you going to say anything?"
Zayn looks away and takes a deep breath.
"And why the HELL did you give it to that biatch Pia?!" I scream.
"Okay, calm down," Zayn finally pipes up. "I did take one of your vials. I'm sorry."
I'm shocked. I don't even know what to say.
"But I didn't give it to Pia," he continues. "Come on Kish - why would I do that?"
"Who knows?" I retort. "I feel like I don't even know you."
Zayn brushes off my comment and continues, "Kish, I took that last vial, because I wanted to run my own tests on Element X."
I look up at him, confused.
"I don't completely trust everyone on the Squad at the moment," Zayn continues. "Some weird stuff has happened that's led me to think that maybe the integrity of the Squad has been compromised. I just wanted to know for sure what Element X is and how it could either help or harm the Squad...and eventually, our entire galaxy."
Suddenly, I remember Zayn talking about his greatest attachment: self-righteousness. I guess he still does struggle with it, sometimes. Though, in this instance, his actions feel more chivalrous than self-righteous. I begin to soften as the reality of his words sink-in.
"Well, have you found anything?" I ask.
"Not yet," answers Zayn. "But I'm starting to suspect that Element X isn't anything like what the rumors have been painting it out to be."
"Well, I met with Moxie earlier today," I say. "And she was telling me that Sonya and Daqu have run their tests dozens of times, and Element X doesn't seem to be able to cure all types of illnesses."
"That's definitely true," answers Zayn. "But I think there's more to it than that. I have a feeling Element X is more like crack than some sort of panacea."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"I think it's severely addicting," he says. "And I think over time, it can be harmful, when consumed in high dosages. But I can't be certain of it. My tests are still really preliminary."
"Did you know that Pia has Element X?" I ask.
"Yes," responds Zayn. "I've been trying to become chummy with her, because I don't trust her. I have no idea where she's getting her supply from, and I think she's up to no good."
Zayn and I remain silent for a while, each lost in our own thoughts. It's so perfect outside. The moon is beautiful. The stars are big and bright. It's not too cold or too hot. The music lulls me into a bit of a trance. Smells of champagne and roses tickle my nose.
"So, what's going on with you and Niko?" Zayn asks, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"You know what I mean," he says.
Was Zayn the person who saw Niko and me in the park? My heart falls into my stomach. I'm not sure how exactly to respond to Zayn.
"Honestly, Z," I start. "I'm glad to have him back, but nothing's going on. He's just a really good friend. That's all."
Zayn looks at me and smiles, but I can tell he's not sure if he should believe me or not.
"Can you promise me something?" I say, after a minute or two.
"Maybe," answers Zayn, a slight grin on his face.
"From now on," I continue. "Anything you find out about Element X or anything related to Element X - tell me."
"I think I can do that," responds Zayn. "But why?"
"Because," I say. "I want to get to the bottom of all of this just as much as you do."
A part of me wants to tell Zayn that Moxie and Xeno think my dad has something to do with Element X. But, I decide to keep quiet for now. I need more information myself before I start telling Zayn anything about my family.
"Okay," says Zayn. "Deal."
And with that, we both get up from the bench and head back into the party. On our way in, we bump into Niko.
"Hey," Niko beams, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "What's up?"
I can feel Zayn squirming. This is so awkward.
"Oh nothing," I answer. "We're just headed back to the main party."
"Cool," responds Niko.
I can tell he's suspicious of what Zayn and I might have just been doing. This is all getting to be a bit dizzying at this stage.
"Well, I'm out for the night," Niko says. "Kish - need a ride home?"
I look at Zayn, and I can tell he's trying hard to play it cool and act like he doesn't care at all about what's happening right now.
"I gotta say bye to Rex," I respond. "So, no thanks. But, I'll catch ya later?"
"Yeah for sure," says Niko, giving me another kiss on the cheek. "See ya later."
Niko heads off, and I glance at Zayn, but I can't really tell what he's thinking or feeling, based on the stolid expression on his face.
We both re-enter the party, and I immediately grab another glass of champagne. I drink it a bit too quickly and grab another. I think the music just got louder. People are starting to jump into the pool with their fancy clothes on. I swear I just saw a shooting star.
I find Rex and grab her and head to the dance floor. Next thing I know, I'm in the middle of Rex, Ro, Pia, Zayn and a ton of other people I don't know, dancing like a fool. We are getting crazy. I'm starting to sweat hard.
All of a sudden, someone picks me up and throws me into the pool. When I come back up from the water, I realize it was Ro. He's grinning and gives me a big thumbs-up. I just start laughing and screaming at Rex to jump in, too. She does.
We all flail around and scream and dance in the pool. It's the most epic thing I've ever experienced. I'm having the time of my life.
Things eventually start to die down, and I get out of the pool and dry myself off. I sit down, and the girl sitting next to me happens to be Pia.
"Having fun?" I ask.
"Yeah, it's awesome," she responds. "Can you believe this is all happening right now?"
She interacts so much like a robot, it's scary. Her expression literally hasn't changed. Her eyes are completely devoid of any real emotion. I feel like knocking on this girl's head and asking if anything's even in there.
"I love your bangle," I say. "Where'd you get it?"
"Oh this old thing," responds Pia. "It was my mom's."
"Cool," I say, grabbing Pia's wrist to get a closer look. When I turn her wrist over though, I notice a quarter-sized green splotch starting to form right where her bangle sits.
When she notices me staring, she jerks her arm away.
"Just an allergic reaction to the metal," she retorts. "I need to go find Ro."
She quickly gets up and leaves.
My head is spinning a bit, but I swear that the green splotch on Pia's arm looks exactly like the ones I saw all over the old woman outside the corner store, just before Iggy's concert.
The real question is: is Pia's splotch indicative of the types of illnesses that Moxie was mentioning to me earlier today? And if yes...what's causing these splotches to crop-up in the first place? Why does 'Pia the Perfect' have one on her arm?!
I look around for Zayn, desperate to tell him what I just saw and the connections that are beginning to form inside my brain, but I don't see him anywhere.
"Hey K-NIGMA," yells Rex. "I'm leaving. Come with me. It's way past our curfew."
"Yeah," I yell back at her. "I'll meet you outside in five."
I look around the party one last time for Zayn, but he must have left without me noticing. Things did get pretty crazy between the dance party and then getting thrown into the pool and having another dance party.
I grab my stuff and head outside. Rex is waiting for me inside the car that's pulled up right in front of Ro's house. When I step inside, she's snoozing.
The car takes us back to our apartment complex.
We take the elevator back up to our floor. Rex and I part ways.
"Epic night, K-Nigma," says Rex. "Sleep well."
"Yeah, you too," I say. "Night."
As I walk to my apartment, a part of me feels like it's floating on clouds. I think maybe I had one too many glasses of champagne.
But the other part of me can't stop thinking about everything I just discovered. Pia is the Lord of Shinar I saw earlier today (though not an official one) who wears the golden bangle. She somehow got her hands onto a stash of Element X.
And most importantly: she's got a green splotch on her arm.
Zayn stole the fifth vial of Element X from me to run his own tests, but he hasn't found anything significant out yet, though he thinks that Element X is potentially harmful.
Niko is back, and things have changed.
My head is spinning. I can't seem to fully focus on anything. Every time I try, I start to get this light, feathery feeling all over my body...
Ugh, champagne.
I enter the apartment and the door closes and locks behind me. Eva's awake and waiting for me. I jump at the sight of her. She can be sort of scary-looking in certain types of lighting...especially with her bald head and rough skin.
"Hey Eva," I say. "Wasn't expecting you to be awake."
"I saw you and Niko in the park," she says. "You're a real slut."