After experiencing a life-altering tragedy, Emersyn feels as if her world has collapsed. Attempting to accept her new reality, Emersyn wonders how she can possibly keep going when it feels like her life ended months ago. Until she meets Haven, and s...
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The music resonating around the gym is so loud I can feel it vibrating beneath the floorboards.
I feel as if I am stepping into a nightclub rather than my school, due to all of the swaying bodies and flashing lights surrounding me. I can hardly hear myself think over the noise. The smell of alcohol stings my nose instantly. Somehow, the event is everything I expected and nothing I could have imagined all at once.
Haven's hand in mine is my sense of solace, keeping me grounded amongst all of the chaos going on around us. She glances over her shoulder and smiles as she pulls me through the crowd and instantly my anxiety fades. I have never liked large crowds, I find them suffocating. But with Haven's hand in mine, I know I'd follow her anywhere.
She doesn't stop leading me through the gym until we find her brother. His arm is looped over the shoulders of his date, Kiara. I know her vaguely, and the two of us have been friendly the few times we have interacted. She is undoubtedly going to be the valedictorian of her class, and is stunningly gorgeous. Her dark curls are reflective against the low lighting, as if she has sprayed them with glitter. Her emerald dress is a beautiful contrast to her warm brown skin, bringing out the golden flecks in her caramel eyes.
Brendan stands next to Tyler, and the two are a strange sight to behold in their suits. I have never seen the boys so cleaned up, typically hanging around in grass-stained sweats or nothing more than basketball shorts. Brendan's date, Amira, stands next to him, clad in a satin dress and shimmery hijab. She is one of the nicest and prettiest girls I have ever met, and I find myself questioning what she is doing with an idiot like Brendan.
"Don't drink the punch," is the first thing Tyler says upon our arrival, scowling at some dude standing in the corner across the gym. "That dick spiked it."
Haven raises her eyebrows at the cup in her brother's hand. "But it's okay if you do?"
Tyler's expression darkens as a shadow passes over his features. It is not often I witness his protective instincts over his sister come to light, though this is certainly one of those moments.
"For your information," Tyler snaps in a know-it-all tone, "only Brendan is drinking the punch. He is an idiot. This we all know. You, my baby sister, will not drink the punch. Okay?"
Haven crosses her arms over her chest as her expression turns to one of exasperation. "We. Are. Twins."
"I was born a minute earlier, therefore I am older," Tyler argues. "Deal with it."
Haven rolls her eyes and turns to me pleadingly, as if expecting me to do something about her brother's behavior. I merely shrug in return, though I smile to myself with amusement at the scene.
"No punch for Haven," Brendan chimes in. The giggle he emits reveals he has had more than his fair share of punch. Amira swats his arm.
"Why did we agree to go out with these losers?" Kiara teases, sharing a look with Amira.
