Violet's POV
You never expect anything bad to happen in small towns. They're usually just filled with families, and friends, who love each other. Rolling Meadows was a town where everyone knew everyone, but it had its fair share of traumatic events. This town happened to be run by two rival gangs: The Spades and The Cobras. They ran not only this town but most neighboring towns in the county. My roommate, Rosalie, and I had moved here about a year ago after graduating from college. The town took us in easily because I was a writer for the RM Times, so I got to report on many things, ranging from new diners opening to increasing gang violence. Rosalie, on the other hand, had a more interesting job. Unknown to everyone but myself, she worked for the CIA. Her latest mission was to get information on the gangs because our government was trying to shut them down. The Spades and The Cobras often killed innocent people for various reasons and they both needed to be stopped. We lived in fear every time we left our house that we would end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and come face to face with these horrible men.
Rosalie and I lived in an apartment on the nicer side of town, trying to avoid the violence where we could. My company was very lenient with me working from home, as long as I got my articles and reports in on time. Rose went to the CIA HQ near Rolling Meadows when she needed to report something. She was a field agent so she had to avoid being spotted there as much as possible because she might blow her cover. We were just two girls, trying to do our jobs, in this small town until New Year's Eve at the masquerade party when our lives changed forever.
I rolled around in my bed as I felt my body being shaken by my shoulders. "Vi, let's go. We gotta get to get ready." I heard Rose's voice in my ear as I woke up.
"I'm so tired. I was up all night writing. I need to finish my nap before we go or I won't even be awake to see the ball drop" I complained, pulling the comforter up over my head.
"We need to get to the party before the ball drops. Now get up! We have to get ready!" She yanked the blanket off of me and I groaned and swung my feet over the bed.
"Fine. I'm up." I dragged myself to my vanity to straighten my hair. We were going to a masquerade party tonight to celebrate New Year's Eve.
I fixed my hair and put on my usual makeup and Rosalie came back into my bedroom with her hair curled and wearing a light pink floor length dress with a deep V-neck and a slit up her right leg. She held her white and pink feathery mask in her hand.
"Are you ready yet?" She asked as she adjusted her hair looking in my mirror.
"Almost. I don't know what to wear. I don't usually go to these things" I replied.
"You don't even have your outfit picked out yet?!"
"I'm sorry I have been busy writing articles? Go find me something. Here is my mask. Just find something that goes with it."
"Violet. This is the biggest party of the year. You can't just throw on any old dress! This is going to be bigger than my 21st birthday party."
"I don't see what the big deal is. You won't even be able to see my face. I'm sure I have something. Remember that dress I wore to Katelyn's wedding? Grab that" I suggested.
She walked to my closet and rummaged through the hangers. "No that won't do. It's too short. This party is classy."
I finished pinning my hair up and shrugged. "I don't know what to tell yo-"
"Wait what is this? When did you get this?" She asked holding up the long black dress that I kept in the back of my closet. It was sleeveless and had silver designs on the hips and a slit going up the left leg.
"Oh, that? It was a gift. I've never worn it. I'm not even sure that still fits me."
"Okay well, you're wearing it. Get dressed and let's go. It's almost nine." She instructed and I stood up and tried to get the dress on. She zipped me up and I sighed heavily. "See, you look great now let's go!" She said. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my shoes and my mask and we headed out.
"Did you call the Uber?" I asked as we waited on the chilly sidewalk in front of our apartment. I hoped she had planned ahead so I wouldn't wait outside freezing while we waited for a ride.
"I swear I did! It says its here." She took out her phone and I looked up and down the street. People were staring at us as I shifted in my dress. "Oh, I see him! Let's go!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me down the road. I struggled to keep up with her long legs but we eventually found the car and climbed in the back. "To this address please" She showed the driver her phone and he nodded.
The driver pulled out from the side and headed down the dark road. "So tell me again why we are going to this," I said as I attempted to tie my mask on. I wasn't much into partying and preferred to spend new years at home in front of the TV with a big bowl of popcorn.
"It's only the biggest party of the year for this town. Plus, you will get some great stuff to write about and we have both accomplished a lot this year. Why not celebrate? " Rose loudly stated
"I can think of a few reasons. Some guys at the office were talking about how The Spades are going to show up. I neglected to tell them I would be attending as that would turn this party into a work event. I'm not going to report on the party. I just want to have fun."
"And we will have fun!" She said.
"Not if those gangs show up we won't. You know what happens at parties when the gangs show up." I rolled my eyes.
"Ya fun is what happens when they show up! Besides we probably won't even see them there,"
"And what happens when they show up with their motorcycles and their leather jackets and their guns. Guns Rose. They'll probably end up getting pissed off when some girl refuses to dance with them and shoot up the place. You know how they are. This could be our last night out. And when we are dead, I can't wait for ghost me to smugly tell ghost you 'I told you so'" I warned and she sighed heavily.
"Nobody brings guns to a party plus we've never met them before so they would have no reason to notice us."
"I've heard the stories about them. And I do not intend on running into them. That's all I'm saying." She rolled her eyes at me before stepping out of the Uber. The hotel looked like a castle and there were people driving up to the curb all around us. Everyone around us was wearing suits and ties or long formal gowns. The best part was you couldn't even tell who they were because of the masks.
We walked into the hotel admiring the view and checking out all of the people who were also attending the party.
"I'm going to get us some punch I'll be right back" She called before disappearing into the swarm of people. I looked around mentally scowling at her for leaving me alone in this oversized dance hall. I scanned the room but couldn't recognize anyone. I saw Rose pushing her way through with two cups in her hands trying to keep them from spilling.
"Here," she handed me a plastic cup full of punch. I shrugged taking a sip
"What the hell is in this," I shrieked nearly spitting it out. It tasted like it had every kind of liquor mixed with a cheap sugary drink mix.
"No clue but it's alcohol and it'll help you loosen up" she laughed taking another gulp, she was right. Rose grabbed my wrist dragging me onto the dance floor. I took a sip of the punch and followed her out to the floor. "It's a dance. Time to dance!" She said. I rolled my eyes and we carefully danced. I felt the punch starting to have its effect on me already as I moved my hips to the music.
I felt something hard slam into my side and my cup tilted and spilled what little amount of the drink I had left all over me. "Seriously? Ugh, my dress." I yelled and turned to see who hit me.
"Watch where you are going, huh?" A tall man with black hair scowled at me as if it was my own fault for spilling my drink.
"Me?! I have been standing here dancing, in plain sight. What makes you think it's okay to bump into someone and not apologize?" I scoffed at him. I saw him smirk from under his black mask and I turned away from him. "I'm going to the bathroom," I said to Rose as I walked away from the crowds and down the hallway to the ladies room. I grabbed as many paper towels as I could and began patting myself dry.
"At least your dress is black so it won't stain," Rose said trying to make light of the situation. I shot her a dirty glare and rolled my eyes.
"Well isn't this night going just as I expected it to." I rinsed my hands and made sure I was dry enough to leave the bathroom.
"C'mon. You were having fun. Time for a change of pace. This hotel is huge let's go look around" Rose suggested. I shrugged and nodded before following her out of the hall and up an extravagant staircase.
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep up.
"To the roof, I bet the view is beautiful," Rose said climbing up more stairs. She came to a sudden halt causing me to smack into her back.
"What the-" she shushed me. She peeked around the corner listening intently to the voices.
"The shipment is coming in tonight in Samana Harbor. Todd and some of the guys are down there tonight while we make sure everything here goes smoothly." A man with a husky voice said.
"Is Manny here to pick up yet?" Another man said. I couldn't see anything but Rosalie was clearly watching them speak.
"We should go. I told you The Spades would be here!" I whispered. She turned to me and held her finger to her mouth, telling me to be quiet.
I heard a ringer go off. "He is here now. Let's go." One of the men said. Rose gasped and threw herself back from the door. I felt my heart leap into my chest.
"Oh no," She yelled as she grabbed my wrist and took off running. "They saw me!"