Nobody

Chapter 7

At 5:22 PM, Delilah and Kioshi had arrived at a halt outside Chelsea's residence, exactly 8 minutes earlier than expected. From the front yard, they could see that the party lights, in hues of purple, pink and blue, had bloomed through the windows like a cyber sunset. They soon made their way in, immediately hounded by raucous cheers and jocks tangled up in a roughhouse.

"Wow, looks like the party started early," Delilah commented, her eyes soaring over to a pack of teenagers gulping down their canned beer.

Music reverberated through the walls, causing a domino of intense vibrations in the house. After a thorough sweep of the first impression, Kioshi had observed that leopards and the color pink had dominated the design and motifs spread around the house in the most strategic positions. "Where are her parents?" Kioshi asked.

Delilah howled into laughter. "I bet it's like the movies." She faced Kioshi and mimicked an exaggerated simulacrum of a rich city girl. "My mom and dad are out on a business trip," said Delilah in an altered pitch, loosely imitating a reality television star. "I get to have this house all to myself!" Her arms flew into the air as she struck a pose.

Kioshi couldn't help but laugh at her silliness, hiding his open mouth with a fist. "Stop. People are gonna see you."

"Who cares?" Delilah grabbed his hand and held it in hers. "I have you to throw all my embarrassment in a cushion."

"Really now?" Kioshi challenged. "Try to be more embarrassing."

"I can do that effortlessly," Delilah struck back with a mischievous glint in her eyes. As she gradually snaked an arm around his neck, she glued her gaze to his lips. "In public."
Slowly, they moved closer and closer…

Until Chelsea strode into the scene.

She lit up at the sight of her guest. "Delilah! I'm so glad you could come."

"And I am grateful that you invited me to your party. Happy birthday, Chelsea," Delilah smiled at her.

Chelsea returned that energy. "Thank you for being here." She then transferred her attention to Kioshi, her state of euphoria subtly wavering in his presence. "Oh, Kioshi… It's a surprise to have you here seeing as you don't usually… mingle."

Delilah rescued Kioshi from the awkwardness. "He's my plus one."

Rigid from the unexpected company in her residence, Chelsea strained a smile. "I see. Well, enjoy your night here. Party won't stop 'til the morning." She turned around and left in a hurry, vanishing into the crowd.

"That was awkward…" Delilah remarked.

"She acted weird the moment she saw me," Kioshi observed. "Now that's something I need to look into."

"Did you come with me just so you could investigate?" Delilah lifted an eyebrow.

Kioshi lost his words. "I… uh…"

In response to his stutter, Delilah jokingly bumped him on the shoulder. "You should have told me. I'd love to be your detective sidekick." Her smile faded away for a second. "Do they even have sidekicks?"

"Sherlock had a partner," Kioshi told her.

"Alright, partner. But before we get digging, let's mingle around first. Come on, let's enjoy the party!" Delilah grabbed him and yanked him around, parting a couple of throngs in their path.

They ended up sighting a group of students gathered around a bar table. All of them were engaged in a chant, provoking their friend. "Tyler! Tyler! Tyler!" Tyler rolled up the sleeves of his flannel and trained his focus on the cup. With the ping pong ball in his hand, he lobbed it at the table, letting it bounce and fly up until it dropped to the floor. His friends blared in disappointment.