𝐈𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝

Chapter Forty-Two: Partytime in Crazyville

The car stopped a few blocks away from a brick building with a crowd of adults swarming around. Great.

I slid out of my seat next to Dylan and stepped out of the vehicle. Dylan followed behind me and stood next to me as we waited for the rest of the group to file out of the car.

"Alright, is everyone ready? You all know what to do?" Talyor asked, scanning over everyone. When we nodded back he cocked his head to the side. "Let's go," he called and started making our way to the front of the building.

As we walked, I noticed Dylan moving closer to me. We were starting to pass a couple of older men and women who were eyeing us curiously, and I could feel several of their stares lingering on me.

"Just don't draw attention to yourselves," Taylor muttered from the front of the group but loudly enough so that Dylan and I could hear him in the back.

"Stick with me, okay?" Dylan's voice breathed against my ear, but he kept his gaze on the building ahead.

I nodded as we approached a slightly larger crowd of adults that were standing by the entrance. I could hear the faint hum of music coming from inside the building. Must be party time in crazyville. I guess they've got nothing better to do.

Once we reached the pack of adults, Taylor led the way through, pushing carefully through the people to reach the entrance. I tilted my head down so that no one was able to get a good look at my face. When I felt fingers curl around my hand, I instinctively let myself relax into Dylan's touch. He pulled me closer to him, keeping me right by his side.

Taylor finally stopped in front of a man who stood behind a podium-type structure. I guess he's our hostess.

"I'm lookin' for Seth," Taylor told the man. "Is he around?"

The guy at the desk looked him up and down before nodding his head towards the building and music inside. "Yeah, he's around. You'll find him in there. He should be in his office."

"Alright thank you." Taylor waved his hand for us to follow him through the doors of the building.

As soon as I stepped inside, the loud noise of music and the strong stench of alcohol hit me like a tidal wave. I scanned the room, looking at the bodies dancing around me to the beat of the music. Either these people were out of their minds or they know really how to party.

We walked through the building for a moment longer before Taylor stopped at a door.

"Wait outside, okay?" he shouted over the music. I nodded in response, and he opened the door and stepped through to meet a man sitting at a desk.

Everyone started to take a seat at the bar to wait, while Dylan and I stood beside the countertop. Suddenly a woman with dark black hair approached us.

"Hey cutie," she slurred, stopping in front of me. "Aren't you looking lost here?"

I smiled politely back to the woman and looked away, trying to get her to leave me alone in the nicest and most civilized way possible.

"Here, drink this. It'll loosen you up and really get your party started," the woman smirked and pushed a small shot glass full of a clear liquid in front of me.

"Oh, no thank you. I'm okay," I tried to politely reject the offer.

"Just drink it!" the woman hissed and pressed the drink into Nora's hand, glaring back at me.

I blinked for a minute before throwing back the clear liquid, the drink burning a path down my throat. I probably shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't let the woman get angry with me and start a fight because then these people would start looking and I might get recognized. I'm not going to take that chance.