Dusk Till Dawn

C1

"Do we really have to do this?" I stop my best friend, Nova, before she opens the door and it'll be too late to convince her to go back. Stuffing my hands inside the pocket of my leather jacket, I shrug as I speak, "I really don't mind staying at home."

Nova's mouth drops open as her eyes widens, giving me the are-you-kidding-me look. "Where did this come from? You couldn't have said something before we spent almost three hours shopping, two more to select the perfect outfit. The whole cab ride here?"

If I didn't know Nova, I'd thinks she's actually offended by my suggestion especially after wasting her precious time on dresses, but it's the complete opposite.

I roll my eyes at her dramatics and remind her. "You spent those hours shopping, I was watching a movie. You spent two hours searching for the perfect out and you ended up picking a black dress. Nova, you bought twelve same black dresses and you spend two hours choosing. I can count like thirteen occasions when I told you I'd rather be home watching Grey's Anatomy than going out to celebrate." A small smile plays on my lips when I see her glare. "I didn't miss anything important, did I?"

She rolls her eyes and swat my arm playfully. "I'm not that bad and stop with the twelve dresses, I honestly didn't know," I hum and her glare deepens, only Nova can increase the intensity of her facial expression. "Fine I knew, I just don't like sharing with others and–" she groans. "Okay, I'm sorry for making you–" she groans again. "I have no excuse but it's your twenty first birthday, it's my job to throw you a party."

God! I love her so much. Nova and I are very different in all levels, I think the only things we have in common is that we're human and woman. The rest is just comparable. What I love most about her is she is so down to earth. She's a very honest manipulator.

And speaking of how manipulative she can, she told me we were hitting the bar with some of her friends, but I don't see anyone here. Infact the only thing that can confirm that any living thing is present is the tire tracks and the lone tree in front of the big building we're currently standing in front of. Nova is all about crazy, she does crazy stuff all the time, last week she set her ex boyfriend's car on fire just because he took her parking space in his family's restaurant. It was quite funny because they've been broken up for almost four years and it wasn't a pretty one, but the restaurant was his family's. I tried to tell her but she didn't listen, that girl harbor some dark feelings that just wouldn't go away until she fed it.

I don't like celebrating my birthdays and Nova knows it but for some reason, every year she throws me one in hopes of making me love and appreciate my birth date. It was a weird scavenger hunt that led us getting arrested last year, only God knows what she planned this year.

I contemplate running but there's no car in sight, we brought an Uber here and I know she specifically didn't bring her car because she knows I would make a run for it. Smart woman.

"And I thank you for that, sweet Novie. Speaking of parties, where are we?" I ask, glancing around the empty space. "You didn't bring me here to sell right? Because that would be super cliche, you know?"

Disgust spread all over face. "For christ sake, Dawn, what sort of cliche is that? I'm almost embarrassing to hear you say that but to satisfy your curiosity, I didn't bring you here to sell you but come in and see for yourself," she tells me with a smile and turns forward, her hand touches the doorknob and turn it, pushing it open.

She steps away and gestures for me to make my way inside. "It's so dark," I comment from where I'm standing because I can't see anything.

"Quit whining like a little bitch and just go in, I'm right behind you." Why don't I feel convinced especially with that tone. Nova wouldn't hurt me. She's been my best friend since we met in our dorm room freshmen year. I trust her more than anyone. I'm going way above but I do trust her with my life... But now, she's literally shoving me into a dark building that feels abandoned.