Shifted

Chapter 12: A Night Out

I promptly jumped down from the bed, scrambled to throw water on my face, and refresh my makeup. I didn't have much to work with, but mascara went a long way. I tried to reach back and unbutton the dress, but there were way too many buttons and most of them were impossible to reach. Instead, I threw my entirely-too-casual jacket over my dress, quickly buttoned it, and stuffed my phone in the pocket.

Lily had plaited my hair and pinned it up into an elegant bun, but it wouldn't quite do for a pub. As I was walking toward the door, I undid my hair and threw the pins on the bedside table. The plait had forced my stubborn curls into relaxed waves that flowed over halfway down my back.

The empty great room greeted me with an eerie silence, but there was plenty for me to inspect as I waited. It wasn't long before the boisterous laughs of the boys coming down the hallway shattered the silence that surrounded me.

"Briony! You're a sight for the sorest eyes," Raine exclaimed, taking my hand and kissing it as soon as he was close enough.

"I'm honored," I mocked as Dillon's other friends filled in.

"Briony, you already know Raine, Charlie, Maeve, and Liv," Dillon started skipping past them. "Which just leaves Grady."

Grady stepped forward and shook my hand. I noticed that they all lacked auras, except for Raine. They were all Regulators, of course.

"Always nice to meet a fellow American," Grady greeted me with a wide smile. His dark eyes were jubilant as he shook my hand. "I'm sure we can trade war stories from the states later."

"A few come to mind," I blushed. I was never good at being the center of attention. Add it to the list of things that made my skin flare bright red.

"We needed another girl for the group," Maeve's silky voice offered. It was hard to look away from Maeve, her features and clothes were so bright and she held herself with confidence. We hadn't spoken much at the dinner but I could tell already that she had a tenacity about herself that I wished I could exude.

"These four are a handful, and we've heard so much about you," she smiled and threw a long arm around my shoulders, accusing the boys all the while. She led me out the doors and the rest followed close behind, laughing and chattering as we walked.

After a short walk, we were squished in a crowded pub. Countless twenty-somethings were shouting at soccer reruns on big screens in one corner of the room. In the other corner, there was a large group of couples slow dancing to a live band. The bar was also packed with young couples chattering loudly.

Nearly everyone turned their heads as our group passed and began intense conversations. The others in my group didn't seem to pay attention to it at all, though. As we pushed our way past the bar, I nearly lost the group, but a hand appeared out of the sea of people around me and held on tightly to mine.

"Stay close," Raine yelled, pulling me back to the middle of the group. "We only just got you, don't slip away just yet," I heard him say close behind me.

We finally settled in an empty booth near the bar, which I found curious, seeing how the pub was completely packed. Five pints of Guinness, a coffee, and a bowl of pretzels were placed on our table just seconds after we sat.

"I take it this is your usual spot," I shouted as Maeve passed out the drinks. It was a little quieter on this side of the pub, but we were still near the large group of men yelling at the TV.

"They may know us here," Liv said haughtily from across the table. She scooted closer to Dillon who was to her right, even though she had plenty more space near the wall. Maeve sat on Dillon's other side across from us. Charlie, Raine, and Grady sat to my right in the booth. I thanked the heavens I was at the end so I could easily get up if I wanted.