Page 60 of The Last Special Thing

Amelia’s gaze wandered, her senses heightened. Two men dressed as ringleaders worked in tandem on the stage, their hands moving swiftly across a massive switchboard. One put his hand on the side of his oversized headphones as he bobbed with the music. The crowd in front of them was ten people deep, sweat dripping, bodies lurching with the beat.

Lights flashed to the side, coming from a man in a massive pink bunny head with a slender body and white-gloved hands. He made eye contact before returning to a pair of tie-dyed ravers sitting in front of him.

Time slowed.

She forgot where she was, who she was, or why she was there.

Art tugged on her hand, snapping her out of her trance. In the real world, staring at another guy might have been concerning for a boyfriend. But here, Art took it as a sign for an adventure.

“Let’s go!” Art steered her to the Pink Bunny and his group.

They plopped down beside the couple, whose eyes were stuck on the Pink Bunny’s gloves. Amelia shifted, her skirt barely covered her ass from the sticky floor, and her fishnets did nothing to help. The Pink Bunny stood above them and danced his gloved fingers close to her face. He pulled back and traced intricate patterns in the air, weaving through the lights. The tips of his fingers flickered in time with the beats of the music. Blue, green, red. Her heart beat quickened, and yet time stopped. Each movement was a new layer of reality. The universe was unfolding at his fingertips.

The Pink Bunny's hands stopped. He bowed in a sweeping gesture. Without a word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. She had a feeling that he had probably forgotten his audience. Yet, for the rest of her life, she would remember the Pink Bunny.

“That was amazing,” Amelia whispered.

Art responded with a kiss.

Back on their feet, she scanned for Madisson, Max, and Reyna. They were gone. Underneath her pounding heart, deep sorrow filled her chest.

Art pulled her through the throng of fairies. A ghost in a sheet with only the eyes cut out brushed past her, then stopped and stared her up and down. She was sure he saw through her. She tilted her head at him, then her hand yanked forward as Art dragged her into a dark corner.

The music quickened, and Art’s eyes were a deep blue, full of desire. Pulling her against his chest, he snaked an arm around her and rested it on her ass. They kissed as the lights pulsed above them. Mouths open, tongues exploring. He dragged his fingers down her neck as she let out a moan. They could never be close enough.

Amelia turned around. With her skirt lifting against his crotch, she grinded to the rhythm of the music, feeling him pressing against her. After years of dance classes, she enjoyed showing off. She flashed him a devilish grin as she rubbed against him. He brought his teeth to the side of her neck and bit gently. Her heart exploded as the sensation of teeth against flesh rippled throughout her body.

Her friends were both out of sight and out of mind, with his body against hers.

The invincibility from ecstasy was different from what she had with Adderall. Instead of feeling like she could do anything, she felt like nothing bad could ever happen. Nothing in the world could ever be wrong. Everything in her life would be flawless.

She pulled back from Art and smiled ecstatically, understanding the word exactly as it was meant to be. The bass dropped, and like a tidal wave, everyone else dropped with it. She scanned the crowd of happy strangers. But were they strangers at all? Or beautiful people she did not yet know?

Resting her hand on her heart, love and bliss filled her. Nothing could match this. This was special.

A few songs later, Art laced his fingers through hers, to their next adventure. They vacated the DJ room and stepped out into the cool night. The stars and moon peeked through the dark sky. They stopped off in the back of a line for refreshments.

A clown wobbled by on stilts. Batman and Robin made out. When they reached the front, Art asked for a blue Gatorade, and Amelia had to be nudged to stop staring and pay. They were given the drink back without a lid.

“They don’t want you chewing on the caps,” Art explained, noticing her perplexed face. His answer didn’t confuse her any less.

At a lake in the center of the venue, they took a seat. Her fingers glided through the dewy blades of grass. Art leaned in for a kiss, and she was pleasantly surprised when he tongued her another pill. He broke away, and she chomped again.

“You’re a beast,” he said.

She glowed at his praise. Swallowing the pill fragments, she reached for the Gatorade to neutralize the bitter aftertaste.

Amelia had no control over her eyes. They wandered and lingered in her surroundings. When her eyes tilted downward, she found that she had a death grip on Art’s prison cap. She didn’t remember taking it, but she understood why she would have. If it were left to him, it would get lost. Amelia had an instinct to protect him and all of his things. She didn’t want him to be lost. In such a short time, she had become attached to him. They were in this together.

Art slipped an acid tab on his tongue. “Candy flipping.”

Maybe next time, she would try that, too. But not tonight. Tonight was perfect as it was.

“How many pills have you had?” She rubbed her arms, enjoying their softness.

“Five.” He smiled.

Five pills of ecstasy. Damn. Her mouth vibrated after only two.