‘I’ll pop them in the office,’ said Alison. She grabbed them from Beth, then opened the door and pulled back a heavy black curtain. Lights strobed and flickered like will-o’-the-wisps, luring the teenagers forward.
The sight before them was eerie. A huge crowd of people danced feverishly, their bodies a heaving, sweating mass. But there was no music. No sound but jumping feet, swishing material, the occasional whoop. One person burst suddenly into song at the top of their voice, tone-deaf and pumping their hands to a silent beat. The atmosphere was euphoric, the club lights flickering over upturned faces lit from within with the fervour of an evangelist preacher.
‘Here, put these on,’ said Alison, giving them a pair of wireless headphones each.
As soon as the girls put them on, they were blasted with dance music. Grinning, they gave each other the thumbs up, then pushed a little way into the crowd and started to dance.
It was like nothing Beth had ever experienced. Tightly packed, the crowd moved almost as one. Normally it might have made her panic a bit, as she would only have been chest-height to most people, and that could feel claustrophobic. But in her new boots, she was elevated. She felt more confident, stood taller. Beth planted her feet and started to move to the pulsing beat. After a couple of minutes, Chloe tapped her shoulder and pulled the headphones away from her ear. It was bizarre suddenly to be pitched into silence again.
‘Aleksy is over there. Let’s head towards him,’ she said.
Beth nodded. Headphones back in place, they slowly wound their way closer. Bodies pushing against the girls, lads gave them hungry glances that Beth had never seen thrown her way before. Strangers’ hands curled around her waist, but she carried on moving, slipping away like an eel.
They stopped beside Aleksy and his friends, but didn’t say anything. Instead they played it cool, dancing beside them, pretending they didn’t realise their proximity, waiting for him to make the first move. It didn’t take long for the tap on the shoulder and the friendly wave to come. Aleksy was beaming at Beth.
Damn. It was exactly what she had feared would happen.
Chloe shot her a look that had more stopping power than a well-aimed half-brick. She’d been banging on for weeks now about how gorgeous Aleksy was, about how he must surely fancy her because he always talked to them on the bus. Beth had had to keep quiet, knowing how much her best friend would hurt if she realised that her heart’s desire had actually asked Beth out.
He flicked his long fringe out of his eyes, glossy dark hair reflecting the ever-changing lights. Pulling his headphones down, he never took his eyes off Beth.
‘Hey, you came,’ he grinned.
‘We sure did. Hey yourself.’ Chloe placed herself slightly in front of Beth, pushing her chest out. She met Aleksy’s eye confidently.
His gaze slid over her and back to Beth, in her white crop top, black miniskirt and thick black tights. Her legs long and lean in her super-high boots. ‘You look great.’
‘Thanks, so do you,’ replied Chloe before Beth could react.
She put a hand on his arm. He sniggered. His eyes were glassy and red, and he smelled kind of weird. So did all his pals. Beth twigged suddenly.
‘You been smoking weed?’ she blurted.
A beatific smile spread across his face and he nodded slowly. Four or five of his pals circled the girls and laughed. For a second, Beth thought of sharks circling. Then they all slid the headphones back on and started dancing.
*
Hours passed. Beth was having a brilliant time. The music, the lights, the sweaty atmosphere, the bodies so tight against each other, pushing, surging, shoving, sticky skin against sticky skin. They only paused occasionally to sip bottled water.
Aleksy’s arm wrapped around Beth’s shoulder and pulled at her headphones.
‘We’re going to get something to make things a bit more interesting. Want to join us?’
Before Beth could answer, Aleksy took her hand in his. Gentle but insistent as they weaved through the crowd back towards the door. Chloe came with them, still determined to get her man. Aleksy didn’t look impressed. Despite the quiet, he bowed his head so that only Beth could hear his whisper.
‘I’m really glad you came. Maybe later we could go somewhere alone, and just chat?’
‘Oh, I’m not sure…’
‘It would only be to talk. Come on, ditch your mate. Chloe, is it?’
Beth knew damn well he knew Chloe’s name.
‘We’ll see,’ she replied firmly. It was the line her mum always gave her whenever Beth asked for something and she meant no but didn’t actually want to say it.
The little gang stopped beside Alison, she and Aleksy forming a huddle. Money and goods were exchanged almost invisibly.
‘Sorted.’ He smiled, grabbing Beth’s hand again. It was soft and warm, and Beth quite liked the feel of it. He was incredibly handsome. But he wasn’t James, and she was definitely in love with James. She was almost sure of it.
‘Do you want some, Beth?’
The question cut through the teenager’s thoughts. She looked at Alison in amazement, who gave her a charming smile. ‘A free sample – for a friend. There’s no harm.’
‘Great! Thanks!’ Chloe gave Aleksy a knowing look as she stepped towards Alison, hand out.
‘Chloe, no. I don’t think this is a very—’ Beth began.
‘Oh, grow up, Beth. It’s no big deal.’ She rolled her eyes, the performance put on for Aleksy’s benefit.
He and Alison ignored her, looking only at Beth. She and Alison were almost eye to eye, thanks to Beth’s platform heels. Alison gave a viperlike flash of her smile.
‘It’s up to you, of course. If you don’t want it, you don’t have to. It’s just a gift, from one friend to another.’
But Beth wasn’t stupid. She guessed what the older woman was thinking: that once the teen had sampled the drugs, she would no longer be a threat to Alison because her silence was guaranteed. She gnawed on her thumb, trying to think of what to do, what to say.
Alison’s pupils contracted; her smile became more fixed. ‘If you’re uncomfortable, you can always leave. Perhaps you are too young for all this.’ She unfurled a small plastic ziplock bag of pills in front of them, then lifted it out of reach, teasing.
‘I’ve got money—’ Chloe surged forward to get closer to Alison, to prove how terribly grown-up she was. But Beth grabbed her arm. ‘God, what, Beth? Chill, for fuck’s sake!’
‘I don’t think you should be here,’ Alison decided. ‘Look, you’re kids, this is a bit… full on for you, don’t you think? Besides, don’t you have to be in bed soon? I mean, you’re still sucking your thumbs…’
Beth yanked her digit from her mouth, mortified. She was chewing her nail, not sucking her thumb. Now everyone would think she was a baby! Around her, the row raged on.
‘We’ve every right to be here. We’ll be partying all night long. Our parents are totally cool with it,’ said Chloe.
Alison raised an eyebrow.