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│ Surviving The End
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│Cast aside by a world that mistook her for infected, Aisha now sees the crumbling of humanity's reign over their miserable world. It's time for something new, som...
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The Party ━━━━━━༺༻━━━━━━
We arrive at Maria's house fifteen minutes later in Aiden's car. I make sure to sit in the back with Mike, partly because I want to avoid being too close to the diva in the front seat. As soon as we pull up, we all turn our heads toward the piercing, high-pitched screech that could only belong to Maria. She bounces toward the car, wearing next to nothing—a miniskirt that's so tight I fear it might split if she so much as sits down, and a zebra-striped crop top that barely covers her chest. She's topped it off with matching heels that are as impractical as they are loud.
I fight the urge to roll my eyes as she opens the door and hops in the front seat, flooding the car with an overpowering vanilla scent that makes me wrinkle my nose. Without missing a beat, she leans over to kiss my brother's waiting lips. The sight of them together is enough to make my skin crawl, but I keep my mouth shut, determined not to let her ruin my mood.
As we pull out of the driveway and onto the road, Maria finally turns to look—no, to examine—me. Her eyes widen slightly when she sees me, and I swear I catch a glimpse of a grimace as her gaze travels over my dress. I smirk inwardly. Maybe she thought I would look terrible in it, but I hate to disappoint her—I'm feeling more confident than ever tonight.
"Happy birthday," she says, her voice flat. I exchange a look with Mike, who's sitting next to me, then turn my gaze back to the window, saying nothing. Maria, seeming satisfied with my silence, turns around, and we continue the ride in uncomfortable quiet.
When we reach the house hosting the party, Aiden and Maria get out first, walking ahead of us toward the front door. Mike lingers behind, his hand gently catching my arm. I pause, turning to look at him, a mix of curiosity and irritation bubbling inside me. He's handsome in a goofy way, with that ever-present mischievous smile and a joke or two always at the ready, but tonight he seems different—almost serious.
"Are you okay? I know you and Maria don't have the best relationship," he says, his green eyes searching mine for some sign of distress.
I narrow my eyes at him. "What's it to you?" I say, more sharply than I intended. Mike has never shown this kind of interest in me before, and I can't help but wonder what's brought it on now.
He hesitates, his gaze flicking toward Aiden and Maria as they disappear into the house. "I just thought..." he begins, but I cut him off with a huff, turning on my heel and striding toward the front door.
