They've been less than ten minutes in Ilya's room and it already looks chaotic. In her attempt to find the perfect outfits, she ventures in the hidden world of her built-in closet, throwing clothes everywhere. Some end up lying on the floor, while the rest either get stuck in the makeshift chandelier, or hang from the top of the wooden door.
Much to her dismay, Nerissa, who is sitting on the bed, watches her friend fooling around, as she tries on different pieces for the party. She can't stop wondering, how on Earth Ilya has gathered so many of them in one place, the old kind, long before the city was created. Her collection looks more like a museum, yet much more colorful and so different than her plain and monochromatic wardrobe.
Inside the house and away from the prying eyes, Ilya is back to being herself, singing and dancing with the pinkish robe she's about to wear next. She has always been like an open book around her – either sad or happy - she would never hide it. If only Nerissa was more like her, carefree and fun, but with the shadows of the past still haunting her at night, how could she? The stake is too high to even consider going astray.
Catching her daydreaming and shaking her head at God knows what, Ilya shapes the dress she holds in her hands in a tight ball and throws it in her face.
'Hey, what was that for?' Nerissa asks flabbergasted, her fogged mind still trapped in between worlds.
'Stop dreaming and get changed. You can't wear that at James party.' Ilya barks, disapproving of the grey robe she's wearing.
'What's wrong with it? I'm always dressed like this.' She retorts, huffing offended as she suddenly stands up and puts a hand on her waist.
'Exactly!' Ilya agrees, smiling. 'Now let's try to make you look less like you and more like a human being, shall we?' She continues on the same humorous tone, beckoning her with a wave of her finger.
Nerissa crumples the dress in a cannonball and aims it back at her. The cloth flies a couple of feet in the air, only to fall pathetically on the floor.
'Nice try!' Ilya mocks her and they both start laughing at once.
Nerissa could never be upset with her friend, no matter how harsh her words can be sometimes. Their friendship means the world to her, and besides, Ilya has always wanted what is best for her. She finally surrenders and tries on the clothes laid for her on the bed.
'These are not even worthy to be called one-piece,' she remarks, looking offended, as she pulls the fifth dress over her hips, trying unsuccessfully to hold it down.
She might not be as tall as Ilya, but her hourglass figure is more voluptuous than hers. Instead of the too short and barely covering dresses, she opts for a safer option - a pair of black jeans and a blue T-shirt. Its washed-out print stretches over her round bust, the hem revealing enough skin to make her blush. It's not perfect, but at least she feels more comfortable.
On the other side of the room, Ilya twirls around in a floral dress, which she matched with a pair of brown leather sandals. She looks like an old Brit character, Nerissa read in one of her grandmother's books, from a time when wars were fought with gunpowder and man force. She cannot help but marvel at her beauty, the epitome of sophistication and sexiness combined.
'It's time.' Ilya states matter-of-factly, while she takes another look in the mirror.
They ditch the car a few miles after reaching the fringe, behind a mountain of scrap metal and car parts. If the stories were true, then this obscure and long-forgotten part of the city should be roaming with creatures of the walls. Nerissa is well aware that old scary tales are just that, stories meant to keep the children out of the divide, yet she can't help but feel a little edgy being so close to it. They continue the rest of their journey by foot, following a gravel road into the darkness. The sun has already set, inviting the nocturnal animals to come out of their lairs and hunt for their food.
Passing by the old silo, Ilya leads the way out of the path and straight up the grassy hill. With the full moon joining them, lighting up the surroundings, the journey turns out to be more pleasant than Narissa could have ever imagined.
'There it is!' Ilya quickens her pace, as she points excited to an odd patch of centenarian trees, their peaks bent over to the ground.
A tiny building, with its roof half fallen in, is tucked away deep in their protective cloak. The slow, but rhythmic murmur guides them inside the pitch-dark ruin, welcoming them with a choking smell of mold and decomposing bodies. Nerissa follows her closely, her instincts much more alert, now that she is denied of one of her senses. Regardless, Ilya doesn't mind the inky blanket as she goes straight to the basement door and slams it open to the ground. A wave of hot air and blasting music hits them both, letting them know they are in the right place. Seeing Nerissa's dumbfounded face, Ilya bursts out laughing.
'What? You didn't think the party will be held here, did you?' She yells trying to cover the noise, then she rushes down the stairs, jumping two at a time, and into the underground.
From what Nerissa could tell, this must be one of the many bunkers created before the end of the world. Susan told her stories about people hiding in them when the bombings had started, clueless about the virus entering their vents. If James knows about this, then he surely has a sick humor, choosing a tomb of unspeakable horrors for such an event. Chills crawl up her spine as she descends deeper into the hollow, with only old, emergency lights showing the way down. They still glow a green, pale light, although some of them flicker to the rhythm of the music. It takes a short tick for her eyes to get adjusted to the darkness again, in order to see all the people dancing, their heads jumping up and down whenever the strobe flashes above them.
'Nat!' Ilya shouts, waving frantically in his direction.
He spots them immediately and joins them a few seconds later, holding three plastic cups between his hands. The liquid swirls and spills on the floor, leaving a trace of dark circles behind.
Now that she's here to take it all in, Nerissa starts panicking. If something goes wrong... Her reason barges in, blaming her for the lapse in judgement. Ilya's keen sense of observation disrupts her train of thought, as she gently pushes the cup up to her mouth and forces her to drink.
The dark liquor torrents down her throat and sets it on fire. She tries to cough it out, but the blaze has already extended, scorching everything in its way. Seeing her distorted face, Nathan can barely hold back his laughter. Soon under the influence, Nerissa begins to loosen up, her barriers shattering with every sip. All the tension she has felt before, vanishes into thin air, pure bliss taking its place.
'I'll be right back!' Ilya yells at them both, and disappears into the crowd.
Nerissa is too busy having the best time of her life to even notice her absence. This is the first time she actually feels alive. Soon, the band takes a break, letting the background music entertain the masses. The sudden change pulls her back from the trance, making her lose her balance and fall to the ground. Nathan, who is close by, grabs her right on time, saving her from a hurtful and humiliating situation. Once in his embrace and hypnotized by her beauty, he holds her tight to his chest, gazing at her like he has never dared to before. Time stands still, freezing everything for a second, except for his pounding heart and the weak strobe light that still flashes in a cadenced pulsation. While he would gladly spend the rest of his life like this, for Nerissa this moment has a different meaning.
'I have to visit the ladies' room.' She whispers in his ear, too intoxicated to notice how dangerously close their faces are one of each other.
Her words sting, still their power sends chills down his spine. If only she knew what her breath does to his skin, feeding his limerence with hopeless desire.
'I'll come with you. I don't want you to get lost.' He replies, shaking off the goose bumps that crawled all the way up to his hair.
Holding hands, they make their way through the crowd, his mind still in a frenzy. He got used to her not having returned his feelings by now. However, sometimes he selfishly wishes she carried the active virus, as well.
'I'll wait for you here!' He says loudly before she disappears with a group of rowdy girls.
'Hey, man, we've been looking for you everywhere!' One of his teammates calls him from behind, breaking the spell as he touches his shoulder. Taken by surprise, he turns to see Michael, the co-captain, and the others players waiting for him.
'James is showing off again. He said he will do it this time. He'll drink the whole thing upside down. You can't miss this!' His friend continues, grabbing him by his sleeve and dragging him after them.
'Hold on, I'm waiting for Nerissa!' He shouts opposed, but the music starts blasting, eating up his plea. He will have to find her later.
Alone and with her head spinning, she embarks on a quest to search for fresh air. If she wants to find Nathan soon, then she has to sober up. Staggering around, she ends up in a different part of the bunker, someplace cooler and quieter. At least, here she can hear her thoughts. Unaware that she is completely lost, Nerissa tries different doors, hoping one of them would lead her outside. Time flows at a different pace away from the loud crowd, getting her on edge quicker than usual. Then, when she thought things cannot go worse than that, she opens the last door, only to find Roone sitting on a crate and kissing ardently with a girl from the Institute. What a cruel joke the Universe has prepared for her! Their eyes lock for a short moment, but she breaks the stare running away, faster than she has ever done it before in her whole life.
'Nerissa!' He calls after her, although she's long vanished in the dark corners of the underground.
The air feels like ice on her wet and flaming cheeks, while her heart is ripping her chest apart. Tears are gushing out one after another and she's far from stopping the torrent. Caught in her messy swirl of emotions, she bumps into Ilya and Matt, interrupting their lewd and lascivious dance. Without saying a word, Nerissa grabs the drink from Ilya's hand and pours it down her throat. She welcomes the blistering heat, hoping it will make her forget.
'More!' She demands, returning Ilya's cup.
'And you were worried about her. Look how much fun she has!' Matt jokes sardonically, loud enough for Nerissa to hear him; but her mind was numb, stuck to Roone kissing that girl, incapable of taking in the nuance of his message.
'I think you had enough.' Ilya retorts, her tone final.
Then, steadying Nerissa by her waist, she guides her to a less populated area, where no one can see the messy state she's in.
'What's gotten into you tonight? Stay here! I'm going to get you some water.' She instructs, making sure she can stay on her feet before leaving her there by herself.
Soon, the world starts spinning, and the battle inside her feeds the tornado even more. Sick and nauseated, Nerissa clings on to every breath, slowly making her way outside and barely holding it together. She can't stay inside for one more second.
By the time Ilya returns with the jug of frosty water, Nerissa is nowhere to be found. She starts combing through the place, in spite of her instincts warning her she's no longer there.
'Have you seen my friend?', she desperately asks Matt, completely disregarding Roone, who is standing next to him. 'She was supposed to wait for me there and now she's gone!' She continues, gesturing to where Nerissa was standing just a few minutes ago.
'Sorry, babe.' He replies shrugging his shoulders, but then, thinking that Roone must have picked it up, he asks. 'Where could she go?'
'I don't know! She has just vanished and, you've seen her, she was way too wasted to be able to go on her own!' She replies, throwing her hands up in despair.
Matt glances over at Roone before he bolts after her.
'What's his problem?' Ilya asks confused, but Matt distracts her by pulling her closer and kissing her lips.
She can only hope Nerissa is well and having a good time.
...
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