They nodded and, each holding one of my hands, my best friends gave me the strength to play the role of the happy girl heading to Sarah Lawrence.
All of my training did not prepare me for this hardest of parts. My heart broke with each smile. Unshed tears crushed my soul. I mourned the end of my dreams even as a fake smile greeted my small world.
I left the cool stillness of the night and walked into my going-away party. The onslaught of sounds, smells and colors sent my head spinning for a moment. I paused, taking in the scene of happy teenagers talking, laughing, eating.
They all still lived in the bubble created for us. Only we three knew the truth. How would we save ourselves from this? And what would become of them?
Amidst the crowd of school friends, a guard shadowed me. I relaxed at the sight of Gar. He gave the briefest of nods, so slight I could have imagined it, and then he turned back to stone.
"That's new," Luke said, glancing at Gar.
"Yeah. Wonder why they felt he was necessary. But, at least they sent a guard I trust." I hoped I hadn't given away something when I commented about the pregnancy to Dr. Sato. Did they suspect me of knowing too much?
Lucy nudged me. "Don't let it bother you, Chica. Try to have fun!"
I forced a smile back onto my face. "You're right. Why not enjoy it?"
The campus actually had a full-fledged ballroom, not just a gym they converted once a year for dances. We learned ballroom, swing, and modern dancing as part of our education. Parties at our school were high-end affairs.
Scarlet red and royal purple silks draped the room. Lush roses accented the hall and served as centerpieces in crystal vases on the tables. A full band played music suited to dancing in many diverse styles, and students already swayed across the room in long trailing dresses and elegant tuxes.
My mind searched for Drake, the way a woman might reach for her lover across an empty bed. If he'd been here, we would have been one of those couples on the dance floor. His arms would have wrapped around me, encircling me in a cocoon of love and safety. I might have brushed my hand against his chiseled jaw line, and maybe he'd have leaned down and brush his lips against mine for a first kiss.
The fantasy played around me and replaced my reality for just a moment. Then the bubble burst, and I once again stood alone in a sea of oblivion.
"Sam, come on, let's get some food." Lucy and Luke pulled me to the buffet table.
A dozen well-wishers interrupted us on our way there: Greg and Gary, a new couple I only knew in passing; Kyle, who looked dejected and guilty, despite my best attempts to absolve him; Norm and Robyn, another couple who'd been together for as long as I could remember... and so many others. The gift table overflowed with cards and special trinkets from friends. I complimented Robyn on her emerald dress that matched her eyes, and told Norm he was a lucky guy. They smiled and moved onto the dance floor.
Only a handful of kids had left Rent-A-Kid so far. We were first generation paranormals. No one knew how we got our powers, but I was one of the oldest. Kids made a big deal out of these parties, even if they didn't know the person who left. It was the gift of hope, the promise of a future outside these chained grounds. No one missed a going-away party.
It took us a while to navigate through all of our friends and make it to the food, but the spread of goodies made our trek well worth it. The table overflowed with mouthwatering delicacies. I reached to stuff a truffle into my mouth, but my stomach rebelled stubbornly at the smell. Damn pregnancy. I nibbled at some crab rolls instead, to appease my friends. I stole glances at the delicious treats, wishing on this miserable night that I could at least enjoy the chocolate.
Everyone danced. One guy hovered off the ground while he moved to the music, doing break dancing moves in the sky, but he fell to the ground when his date suddenly burst into flames. Jessica, who'd been cooling drinks for her friends, blew on the girl to subdue the flames. The crowd erupted in applause—except Mary, who'd snuck off with the break dancing boy during all the commotion. I'd lost track of how many dates she had stolen from other girls that night. Typical paranormal party.
We endured another hour of snacking, talking and pretending, and I was almost enjoying myself when Mary sashayed toward us, wearing a gorgeous black dress that left her shoulders bare and hugged her chest and hips in all the right places. Her blond hair fell in ringlets down her back.
She puckered her lips at Luke and moved in a way that revealed her well-toned thigh and ample cleavage. Luke ignored her. I hid a smile.
Mary scowled and looked at me. "Sam, you're back. We've missed you. Are you feeling well?"
Did she really care? I kept my answers brief. "I'm fine, thank you."
"I hear you're heading off to Sarah Lawrence soon. You must be so excited."
Did she know something? Why the change of attitude? Niceness and Mary didn't go together, and I didn't trust it at all.