A gig in an alternative venue is not the usual Friday night out for final year students in Dublin's most prestigious schools, but Felice and Spike have effectively spread the word. A line, filled with faces I recognise, stretches the length of the street.
"Who are all these people?" Tully is stunned when a group of three girls I hardly ever speak to in school swoop on me, embracing me like a long lost best friend.
"Some of the day girls," I say.
"What about the boarders? Will any of your dorm be here?"
"No, they've gone home for the weekend."
"They all live down the country?"
"Duh, if they lived in Dublin, they'd be day girls."
"Smartass!" Tully grins and pokes me in the ribs.
At that moment, I'm enveloped in a mass of blonde curls and expensive perfume.
"Kit, I never expected to see you here. Who's this?" She eyes Tully up and down.
"Tully Cabe, Liz Quinn," I say.
"Is this the new boyfriend?" Unfortunately looks can't kill, or Liz would be dead on the spot.
"Hey," Tully stretches out his hand. "Nice to meet you Liz."
"Yeah, you too, Tully." She flashes a smile and goes off to join an older group further down the line. She must be staying with her big sister, who's studying architecture and has a flat in town.
Tully watches her walk away. "She seems nice. You two know each other well?"
"Her dad knows my dad. They are both solicitors. Liz is going to do law after school too."
"How does she feel about that?" Tully cocks an eyebrow at me.
"Oh, she can't wait!" It comes out more bitter than I intended and Tully laughs. After a moment, I join in.
"Oy, what's so funny?" Spike pokes me in the back.
Doubled over, Tully and I are laughing too much to answer.
We arrive at the door, pay the entrance fee and deposit our coats in the cloakroom. Paranoia started out as the first ultra-cool, alternative, gay club in Dublin. It's my first time inside, though I've heard Spike wax lyrical about it. Inside, the space is huge and so dark, I can hardly see a thing. Spike plunges into the crowd and is instantly lost.
"Come on!" Felice pulls Tully and I in after him. We dance our way right up to the front, where we can't be missed. Tucked away, in a corner at the back of the stage, a nebulous figure scowls behind the mixing desk.
"Is that Mike Meara?" I nudge Spike.
"Wow!" Spike squints into the purple shadows. "I think you might be right."
"Is he working for Black Death now?"
"No," he chuckles, "they're not doing that well. My guess is Paranoia hired him for this gig."
What Spike says makes sense. There is no rational reason to think there is anything sinister about Mike Meara's presence or that he is in any way connected to Aonghus. This is his job, he's a sound engineer. Yet I can't shake the uneasy memory of the night Tully disappeared, the sense that we've inadvertently started something we can't control.
The backdrop lights go on and six of the band members silently move into position. With a warlike roar, Mac Whitehead bounces out of the shadows into the spotlight and launches into Tick-Tock, the latest single off their hit album.
YOU ARE READING
First Valentine - Kit & Tully Book 2
Teen FictionLove or Music... Which should they choose and what price do they have to pay? Tully has no memory of what happened at the ancient passage grave on the night of the full moon, but Kit was there too. She finally figures out what he chose. And decides...
