BITTERSWEET ➥ ETHAN LANDRY

I

   NATALIA pushes her way through the crowd of drunken teens. Slightly annoyed because her costume was drenched in alcohol. Maybe wearing white wasn't such a good idea considering that the fabric was thin and now evidently see through.
Bumping into a few people, "Excuse me." She shouts. Attempting to move through once again but it's no use. That is, until she gets shoved into another person.

   "I am so so-" She looks up at the person only to find out she had been pushed into Rein.

   "Hey!" Natalia shouts excitedly, relieved that she had finally found someone that she knew.

   "Oh my god." Rein says, stunned.

   "What?" Natalia looks down at herself, remembering that her costume was clear for everyone to see.

   "You. Look. Fucking. Hot. That vodka really goes with your costume."

   "Thanks I designed it myself." Natalia strikes a pose.

   She didn't dress up, she was in no mood for Halloween this year—but decided to tag along with her sister to keep an eye out on her.

   The girls both laugh in unison, before they both eventually make their way out of the crowd.

   "It stinks like shit in here. I swear people know nothing about hygiene. It's not that hard to apply some goddamn underarm deodorant." Rein scoffs.

   Natalia laughs.

She liked Rein. They had been friends ever since she moved to New York. The first time they met was when Natalia had chemistry, Rein had showed up, and the professor scolded her for being late three days in a row. The very next day she showed up late again. The professor threatened to drop her from his class, yet she did not care. The two became good friends and even considered being roommates but, her older sister, Sam—was very overprotective over her. Although, Natalia never blamed her sister for being the way she was, instead, she was grateful—she just hoped that she would be able to make her own decisions.

"I gotta run, but catch you later?" Rein says. Natalia nods, waving the girl goodbye.

"Boo." Someone says from behind, making Natalia jump a little.

"Hi." Hayley says, as she rhythmically dances to the song, swaying her hips, closing her eyes, and humming to the song that was blasting over the speakers.

"Are you drunk?" Natalia questions.

"No. Are you?"

"Not even a little bit." Natalia says, bummed. Looking around, looking for a specific person.

   Hayley was Rein's best friend, and Chad's girlfriend. Natalia genuinely loved Hayley. She had always made sure that the Carpenter sisters were okay, and if they had needed something, she was right there to help. She was complete opposite from Chad. Natalia always wondered how the two became a couple in the first place. Chad was blunt and condescending, while on the other hand—Hayley was pure. Natalia had nothing but good things to say about Hayley. Deep down, she thought that Chad would somehow break Hayley's heart, but when she saw how much he genuinely cared for the young woman, that worry soon disappeared. In fact, Natalia had never saw him this smitten before.

"You haven't seen Ethan by chance, have you?" Natalia says. Noticing that Hayley was staring off into a distance, then looks back, giving her a wide smile—grabbing the girls hand, and pulling her into the direction of the two boys.

Natalia looks around, until her eyes are met with a pair of brown eyes. Those brown eyes that made her heart melt.

   She makes her way over to the shy boy, giving him a quick peck on the lips.