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Iroll over and pull the covers over my head. Through a veil of sleep, I try to identify that annoying noise that keeps fighting its way into my drowsy skull. I slowly wake up, recalling the evening with Kate and the two movies we watched. It was pretty late when I finally went to bed.
There it is again, that beeping noise. And then, the penny finally drops. It’s my phone. The realization that it’s almost three in the morning wakes me up fully. Something must have happened. I quickly check the name on the display, and I’m surprised to see who it is. I pick up and hear loud music, thumping bass, and a hubbub of voices.
“Finally. Man, you took your time,” I hear Max slur drunkenly into the phone. “I guess you’ve already... already hit the hay.” She giggles, and then her voice is suddenly more muffled as she says, “Hey, watch where you’re going. Are you blind or something?”
I really hope Max isn’t about to pick a fight in the state she’s in.
“I’m just calling to say that I can have fun without you guys. And I am. And I’m not alone anyway. You guys always say no to everything I suggest.”
“Max,” I interrupt, hoping to get some useful information out of her. “Is Lucia not with you? Are you saying you went out alone?”
“Lucia didn’t want to come. Man, she’s so boring these days.”
“Just tell me where you are.”
“I’m in Condor. I’ve never been here before, but I always wanted to check this place out, and it was totally worth it.” Then she yells into her phone, “Woohoo, paaar-ty!” so loudly that I have to hold it away from my ear. “Hey you. Yeah, you. You look a really retarded in those pants, did you know that?”
A series of frightening images flash before my eyes, and I start to worry big time.
“I’m calling you a taxi, okay? Go and wait for it outside.”
“Uh-uh, no way. I’m not going anywhere. You can forget it.”
With that, she hangs up. I stare at my phone, then I jump out of bed and try to call her back, but she doesn’t pick up.
“Damn it,” I curse under my breath.
I get dressed in record time and look up the address of the club. It’s pretty far from school, and there aren’t many buses at this time. So I have no choice but to cover at least some of the distance on foot.
Yoru follows me. At this late hour, he doesn’t have to worry so much about staying hidden. There’s nobody around. The houses are all dark. Everything looks so peaceful, almost like a ghost town. It’s a totally different atmosphere from what I’m used to, and I would actually enjoy if it weren’t for my fear of being attacked by Noctu. This would be the perfect opportunity. I keep glancing at my little spirit, who’s keeping an eye on our surroundings, his ears pricked up. As long as he’s not distressed, I guess there’s no need to worry. It’s Max I should be worried about. What’s gotten into her? Why did she go out clubbing alone? Today was Sunday. Weren’t she and Ayden supposed to go sailing? I can’t imagine them spending the whole day together and then hitting the town afterward too. And surely, he wouldn’thave left her alone in that state if he were there.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear a bus coming up the street behind me. I sprint to the next stop and get in. This will get me there quicker. I’ll still have to walk the last bit, but not far. The question is: will Max still be there? By the time I get there, more than an hour will have passed since she called.
I’m staring out the window into the darkness when I spot two figures on the sidewalk. One person is much smaller than the other – petite by comparison – and the other person is supporting their weight.
“Shit, no way,” I mutter as we pass them. I jump up and ask the driver to open the doors. I’m the only passenger, so he eventually obliges after I become insistent. I leap out of the bus and run back to the two people. When I finally catch up to Ayden and Max, I still can’t believe it’s them.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask.
Ayden turns to look at me, and I’m not sure how to interpret his expression. Anger? Relief? Disapproval?
“So youwerewith her.”
I can’t believe it. They actually spent the whole day together and then went out clubbing afterward – although things appear to have gotten out of hand.
Max is the picture of misery. She’s wearing a very short sequined miniskirt and a provocative top. Her makeup is smeared, and her eyes are glassy. She’s chalky white and bathed in sweat, but she’s not wearing a jacket and is probably half freezing to death.
I glare at Ayden. I can’t believe he let her get this drunk. I scrutinize him to see if he’s drunk too, but I see no signs of that.
“If you’re going to party with her, you could at least take better care of her,” I snarl at him.
“You actually think I went to the club with her?”
Surprised, I look him in the eye and see an expression ofamazement in his perfect face, but I also see the anger that my words have triggered in him.
He rolls his eyes. “I went sailing with her in the morning on her brother’s boat. We got back around noon and went our separate ways. I have no idea what she got up to after that. At some point, I checked my phone and found these weird voicemails from her. I called her back to find out where she was and eventually found her in Condor, where she was about to get dragged away by a couple of guys.”
“Don’t be so melodramatic,” Max slurs. “They were nice, and pretty cute too. They wanted to show me their car and take a drive to the beach.”
