In the bustling metropolis of Ruby City, Aubree Janis led a life of anonymity, a face in the crowd. Yet, fate had other plans, for the siren call of the most sought-after party of the year beckoned her. Ignoring her instincts, she waltzed into a nig...
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The beat of the drums knocked loudly on my heart and ears while the smoke wafting through the air crept up my nostrils. If it weren't for the apple-flavored vodka coursing through my veins, I'd probably be making a beeline for the door. Tonight meant too much to my friend though. So even if I did feel the burning desire to push through the sweaty, underage partygoers, I wouldn't. Tamblyn had been ranting and raving about Midnight Madness for months. And I mean, don't get me wrong, this party was insane. Anyone with a brain could recognize just how much thought went into everything. For one damn thing, not everyone is lucky enough to make it this far. You have to get sent a unique, password-protected link to the site where you RSVP. Then you're sent a set of riddles that will help you find the secret location. Only the somebodies in Ruby City got an invite. Anyone else would be stoked to be at the party of the year with guys galore and liquor all around. But, I'm not just anybody. I'm Aubree Janis. Straight C student at Figlow High who would much rather be binge-watching a Netflix series when I should have been studying for my Chinese test. Instead, I was nursing an appletini and watching my best friend gyrate all over some six-foot hornball while I should've been studying for my Chinese test.
Parties were always more of Tamblyn's thing. It just fit her eternal crusade to shake shit up and live "the life," as she says. Tamblyn Davis wasn't your average kid. She may have looked the part though with her straight, dirty blond hair, hazel eyes, and lean figure. But I am here to tell you that nothing about her was normal. By any means. Tired and aggravated with the world trying to force her into a modeling or sports career, she vowed to never use her legs for cat walking or swimming. Instead, she'd be moving them along dance floors on nights her dad was too wiped out from pulling doubles to realize she hadn't been home. When the music was over, and she had to face the endless scouting during school hours, she continued on with her YOLO-ing and lived spicily. It was one of the reasons I came to admire her so much. I never had the courage to flip the world a bird and party so hard that my head was still spinning by fifth period the next day. So, I often was in attendance for her shenanigans...but semi-peacefully left off to the side.
"Bree!" Tamblyn slurred as she sloppily threw her arms around my neck. The martini I was just starting to like spilled over and made its new home next to my worn sneakers.
Fuck. I'm gonna have to talk to the bartender this time (and maybe use my fake ID she scored me earlier this week).
"Are you alright?!" She managed to ask with drunken exaggeration.
"Uh, yea—" I began to say before she cut me off.
"Don't lie to me. You think the party's lame."
Without hesitation, I reassured her that the Halloween bash was amazing and that I just needed to warm up some. Right as the words left my mouth, she deduced I was bullshitting her. With a practiced eye roll (because she always had to drag me into some social event I never in a million years would be interested in) the girl said, "Aubree, it's okay. You don't have to pretend to be into it for my sake."
