Page 2 of Venom Within Her

I made my way over slowly, twisting through the sea of sweating bodies. When I finally was spit out on the other side, I sucked in a breath of relief. Bev scooched over, pressing her friends closer together to make space for me. I was thankful to be right on the edge in case I needed to make a quick escape.

“Here she is!” Bev squealed over the music. “Everyone, this is Ilona.”

I waved shyly, my heart slamming against my ribs. I had never been great at meeting new people, especially in a group setting. Everyone went around introducing themselves, but I couldn’t remember their names as I chanted calming affirmations in my mind. It’s just a few hours. They don’t hate you. You have nothing to prove.

“You okay?” Bev squeezed my elbow under the table.

I snapped my head up, “Yes, sorry. It’s nice to meet you all.”

“So where are you from?” A blonde boy across the table asked me. My stomach twisted. I hated that question. I wasn’t prepared to hash out my whole past.

“The south,” I was as honest as I was willing to be, no matter how vague.

The blonde boy, whose name I didn’t catch, raised his brows as he drained the last of his beer. “Really? I would’ve never guessed.”

“Uh, why not?” I wish I hadn’t asked; my stomach filled with more uncertainty.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged as his gaze skimmed over my body. “You don’t have that whole southern belle look.”

He was right, of course. If he had met me just a few months before, his opinion would’ve been the exact opposite. The new look I’d adopted since deciding to leave my hometown was dramatic. I dyed my hair, got a ton of tattoos, and completely changed my wardrobe. The southern belle had morphed into alt-Barbie almost overnight.

Before I could respond, the girl next to him slapped his arm. “Shut up, Jake. You can’t just say stuff like that.” She leaned over and covered my hand with hers. “I love your look, very different. Very cool.”

“Thank you,” I pasted on my fakest smile before pushing to my feet. “I’m going to go get a drink.”

“I’ll come with you!” I held my hand up to stop Bev as she lifted from her seat.

“It’s all good, I’ll be right back.” I scurried away as fast as I could, back into the sea of bodies.

“Stupid, you made her uncomfortable.” I heard Bev scold Jake as I walked away.

Strangely, I felt a bit calmer in a crowd of swaying bodies that weren’t focused on me. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to make friends. Maybe I needed to settle first before inviting a whole cluster of people into my life.

I lightly shimmied my way through the crowd. When the bar was finally in sight, I was slammed to the side, my phone flying from my hand.

“Ooooh my I’m sooo sorry!” A very drunk girl leaned into me, slurring her words in my ear.

I shrugged her off gently, “It’s okay.”

It was a struggle to find my phone between the stomping, dancing feet, but I finally spotted it. I pushed my way over and bent over to scoop it up. A harsh sting spread across my ass cheek. I gasped, my skin crawling as I felt a large hand smooth over the burning mark.

I whipped my head around, the words ‘what the fuck” already spitting from my lips. But before I could retaliate, the man who I assumed had just groped me was catching a large, tattooed fist to the face.

Everything blurred around me; all the bodies around me were moving in slow motion. The two, my assaulter and my savior, were rolling around on the floor in a tangle of muscles and limbs. I wanted to stay to thank whoever avenged me, but I was already backing away.

I charged for the door, almost making it outside to the cool, sweet night air, when two hands grasped my shoulders. I shook them off violently, terrified that the assailant had escaped and was coming after me.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. It’s me.” I turned to see Bev standing there, her eyes wide with concern. “I saw what happened back there. Are you okay?”

My chest tightened, a strange pull tugging at the place where my heart thumped. I kneaded the skin there, attempting to rub it away.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I’m gonna head out, though.”

She smiled, rubbing my shoulders before pulling my phone from her back pocket and handing it to me. “I totally understand. Want me to walk you home?”

“Thank you!” I pulled her into a light hug. “And it’s okay, stay and have fun. I’ll get a ride.”

“Sounds good, get home safe. I’ll see you at the shop.”