betwixt - enhypen

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧: 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥

the blaring distorted music coming from the speakers shook the building. fluorescent lights and liquids scattered the dancefloor as bodies mingled and drank. the song was something old and upbeat, and the crowds of people congregated near the entrance. the grass was trodden on and becoming squished into mud, which was covered up only by the costumes everyone wore that reached the ground.

a banner and some accompanying streamers decorated the otherwise grey fence, in a variety of orange, green and purple, blowing steadily in the breeze. lazily placed by some organisers who didn't care too much about the occasion other than the excuse to throw a party.

there was a dj, presumably an older music student, who was set up behind a mixing deck on a table at the back, surveying the overall temperature and managing the vibe. there was no true order, a free for all conglomeration of big kids wanting to dress up and have fun. some were dressed up completely, kitted out in intricate costumes dressed exactly like carbon copies of the characters they portrayed, and others just wore the usual party getup, smart shirts and high heels.

none of the surrounding buildings were being used, yet people stuck to the walls of them lined up and leant against the brick. some were sipping their drinks quietly, others overly affectionately telling stories. no one could hear each other well, but they were too giddy for that to be a problem, making facial expressions after hearing only half of what the other person was saying.

the sun was descending, soon to be replaced by moonlight, however in the meantime, there were a few makeshift floodlights, cars and projectors casting light. every department was there, just without their teachers. science kids seemed to become a bit more loose-lipped and drama students were just as dramatic outside of class. there was a huge diversity of attendees since it seemed everyone was there.

the party was happening outside the main car park, so as joori went from stepping on tarmac to turf, she felt a rush of excitement, coupled with the ability to hear the music more clearly. adjusting her wings that were beginning to limp despite the short distance she had worn them for, joori psyched herself up to introduce herself and meet some new people, socialising, as she had never done before.

she approached a group that looked welcoming, quickly learning their names (and then forgetting them) as they told her about what they were studying; which she was told was music, music technology and design. music was something she had always had a fascination with, although it was never exactly her forté. still, she pretended to understand the terminology they used and nodded after each sentence. even though she seemed engaged in her current conversation, she couldn't anchor her mind against drifting into thoughts of jay. she really wanted to see him, especially tonight when she had made such an effort to look good.

by the time she snapped out of her thoughts, they had disappeared somewhere in the crowd, so she resorted to having a drink to otherwise regulate herself. what she didn't take into account though was how often she would turn to grab another top-up.

she looked around for someone else to talk to before feeling overwhelmingly shy. she had spoken to some people and that was enough for the night, right? joori, therefore, decided to wait until someone approached her, finding herself completely alone except for when people wanted to move around her to get to the drinks.

when she found herself stumbling over her own two feet, she decided she had drunk enough. there was no one to take care of her other than her inebriated self, and she needed to take the journey home in one piece (even if it wasn't a long one). 

staring off into the distance, she didn't stare at anyone in particular as she people-watched, her gaze falling to the floor or vision becoming blurry and out of focus. with two hands resting on the table she was in front of, she moved out of the way as a group appeared, uncomfortably close.

she hadn't seen jake, and she wasn't surprised. parties were never his scene, and he expected that he and his girlfriend had gone on a date somewhere else, away from all the noise, as he used to say. their friend group was never popular enough to host or go to many parties, it always seemed like too much fuss to organise them by themselves.

that doesn't mean however, that there weren't annoying couples present, sticking their tongues down each other's throats and keeping their hands all over each other, despite the publicity of the setting. she was sure they were the same ones that would come into the coffee shop crying after a breakup, and enter the next day with a new partner.

just another ten minutes, she told herself, as she filled up her plastic cup of punch without thinking. she didn't know what was in the firefly orange bowl, but it sure tasted nice, so she kept topping it up. she'd stay up just a bit longer, since the party was far from over, even if she was becoming increasingly more tired every second that passed.

looking around to see if anyone was looking at her, she sighed as she reached for her phone to check the time, pulling it down and switching on the screen, then frowning as a shadow of a silhouette blocked her light.

"have you ever seen romeo and juliet?" he asked. when joori looked up at him she saw a mask obscuring his face. she looked down to admire the rest of his outfit.

"the leonardo dicaprio one?" she giggled, as she noticed they were wearing the on-screen couple's outfits. 

"i think that means i'm your knight in shining armour." he pointed to his outfit, proudly presenting himself. for a second he became embarrassed, covering his head with his hands, before realising she was too drunk to notice how corny his words sounded. she tugged his arms away playfully, before carrying on the conversation, which he quickly responded to.

whether it was flirting or just friendly banter, she couldn't tell the difference, but it didn't matter, because finally, she was enjoying herself. she took off her wings to hug him properly and get a little lost in his scent, wanting to stay in it a bit longer.

he didn't introduce himself, so joori didn't either, yet some chemistry between them led joori to believe she had met this person before, maybe in her childhood, maybe in a past life. he took the drink from her hand and downed it himself, without reacting to the alcohol content with more than a twitch of the head. clealry, he was much more of a heavyweight when it came to these things.

"i think you need to sober up angel, if not you'll vomit."

she was a giggly drunk, the knight in shining armour discovered, and as she told him that it had been the first time she ever drank, he looked at her with enamoured eyes peaking underneath his obscured visage. he couldn't help but look solely at her in her presence: she was enchanting to be around.

he danced with her where they stood, swaying slowly at an unsteadied pace. as the moment lingered, he brushed his hand against her chin, tentatively rubbing the pads of his fingers against her bright pink cheeks. joori's eyes were dancing, sparkling and so animated as she looked into him. he kept a good distance between the two of them and didn't react when joori's drunk self tried to close the gap. it was only as she let out a yawn and consequently let her eyes droop that the man she was talking to decided to make a move.

"come on, angel. i think it's time to go home."

after a bit of refusal on her part, stubbornness and strength on his, he picked her up in his arms and walked her to the other side of the campus where her dorm was. saying goodbye and waving to a few classmates, he left with the girl he was carrying in a drunk daze, not saying a word.

silently stopping outside of her building, he let her down and waited a few seconds for her to come to her senses. watching her wake up and notice where she was, she was about to comment before something else beat her to it.

"i don't feel well."

abruptly, she started throwing up on the pavement, catching hair in her mouth until he held it for her and patted her back lightly, soothing her. calmly rubbing circles as he watched her side profile. she smelled awful, but he didn't make it known.

"rest up, angel." 

he helped her up to the front door of the building, before telling her to go inside, calmly waving goodbye with a smile only he knew existed. 

"thank you, my prince," she said to him, curtsying exaggeratedly in her drunken state. he copied her actions, bowing with a hand over his chest.