𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐁𝐖𝐖𝐌)

𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑵𝑯𝑰𝑳𝑳

❥•°❀°•༢

I groggily open my eyes, realizing that it's already late in the evening. Summer's urgent voice jolts me awake, and I quickly join her in the rush to get ready for the day. "How come no one was awake?" Makayla asks as she runs upstairs.

"It's okay, we can still make it on time," I say, trying to reassure her. "Just hurry." I make my way to the bathroom and begin doing my makeup as quickly as I can making sure it doesn't look messy. I'm glad I got my hair professionally done so I won't have to worry about fixing it.

I take my hair out of my bonnet seeing it's still as perfect as it was when I got it done earlier. But as I try to put on my dress, I struggle with the zipper that seems to be stuck. I tug at it in frustration, hoping that it won't ruin our chances of making it on time. "I need help!" I shout before leaving the bathroom.

"I got you," Sabrina says coming behind me and finishing zipping up my dress "Thank you love," I say fixing myself. She nods and smiles as she walks away. I grab my heels, take a deep breath, and step out into the hallway. I can feel Sabrina's eyes watching me, and I smile back. "Summer will be shocked"

I smile "I know about y'all little secret. Don't think you guys are fooling me" She blushes I wink and step away. I look at myself in the mirror. Y'all remember those Sunday mornings when the whole household rushed to church?

As of right now, everyone seems to be rushing to make sure we don't miss the countdown. Running like headless chickens. It's almost as if all the energy once used for church is now put into counting down to the new year & drinking.

This shift of focus has reminded us of the importance of appreciating moments and memories from the past. It's currently 9:31 and we still haven't left the house even though it's an hour to get there.

I admire my reflection in the mirror, taking in my confident stance and stylish outfit. The sleek black dress hugs my curves perfectly. My hair is swept up into an elegant updo, with a few loose curls framing my face, adding a touch of glamour to the overall look.

I take a moment to appreciate my beauty, feeling proud of my accomplishments. "You look so beautiful." I look in the mirror at Skylar who has on a dress similar to mine as well as her hairstyle. I smile "Thank you and you do too" I turn around hugging her. She hugs me back "I can't believe you're returning home tomorrow."

We embrace each other tightly, both of us knowing this is one of the moments that would be the last before our separation. "I know" I whine, my voice cracking "I'm going to miss you so much." She pulls away and smiles "Me too". I nod, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Aw, you're making me cry" I wipe my tears "y'all are going to make all of us cry" We look over at the girls watching us. "now that I have all your phone numbers, I can keep in touch with y'all" We all hug each other and I promise to call or text them soon.

We make our way to the kitchen. "Everyone takes a shot before we leave!" Summer says grabbing the shot glasses and pouring vodka into each one. Summer toasts and all of us raise our glasses. "Toast to making it another year as high schoolers in this fucked up town."

We all gently slam our glasses together before drinking them. "OK, the limo is here," Sabrina says. We follow Sabrina out of the kitchen, each of us holding our shot glasses and laughing. We pile into the limo and as the driver starts the engine, Summer cheers "also cheers to us looking like some bad bitches tonight!"

We clink our glasses together, take a big gulp, and yell "Cheers!".As the limo glides through the city streets, music blaring and lights flashing, we can feel the excitement building. The anticipation of a night filled with fun, laughter, and unforgettable memories is palpable.

Listening to music, we dance with each other. We laugh and joke with each other, and celebrate the start of another chapter in our lives. The limo finally stops and we step out onto the city streets. The anticipation of the night builds as we head to the nightclub.

We entered the club. The music is loud and the energy is electric. A man comes up to us offering jello shots. We all take one "thank you" we all say before he walks away. "Ouu I like this" Charli says as she downs the shot dancing seductively.

We dance and laugh as the night passes. We take turns buying shots and taking them. "I miss you guys," I whine, feeling the effects of the alcohol. "We'll miss you too!" Everyone replies "Especially Summer. She was depressed for the first two weeks you were gone" Sabrina exposes Summer.

We all burst out laughing "Are you serious?" I ask covering my face "Yes, she was really sad. But it's ok now. She's happy to have you back!" Everyone cheers in agreement. "What time is it?" I ask looking at my phone seeing it's only 11:40.

"I will be right back" I stand up "You want somebody to come with you?" I shake my head "I'm going to be in and out" I leave the booth and head to the bathroom. I walk in and quickly do my business. "I should take some pictures for Polo."

I take out my phone and I take a few pictures of myself in the mirror, making sure to capture the outfit I'm wearing. Suddenly the door of the stall slams open revealing a tall figure with a menacing glare, their face covered in a black mask and their eyes filled with an unsettling intensity that sends shivers down my spine.

I lower down my phone "Um this is the women's restroom." The person takes a step forward, their gloved hand pushing me forcefully against the wall. The manly hand begins to cover my throat.

Instinctively, I fight back, using every ounce of strength to push against the man's grip and free myself from his grasp. I hear several bangs at the bathroom door. The bathroom is locked meaning this man can kill me right now.

With a surge of adrenaline, I break free and quickly escape the dangerous situation. The man rushed out before me and I started to breathe uncontrollably. "are you ok?" several women came into the bathroom making sure I was ok.

I sprinted away as fast as I could, my heart pounding in my chest. I was relieved to be away from danger, but I was also trembling with fear. "We have to go!" I shout as I come close to the girls.

"But the countdown is here," Charli says pointing at the screen. Once she knew I wasn't playing Summer was the first to stand up "What happened?" I take a deep breath and try to explain the situation. "5...4...3...2...1" The lights turn off making people at this club gasp.

A sharp pain comes to my stomach. "Ouch!" I shout realizing it's not cramping. The lights come back on and my body falls backward and my vision starts to blur. "Ari!" voices starting to get muffled.

"Ari!" I see a familiar figure standing over me "Polo?" he bends down "Ari are you ok?" I look down at my stomach to see a knife inside me. I gasp for air as I feel myself passing out, my body growing weaker by the second. The pain intensifies and darkness engulfs me, leaving me with a haunting sense of uncertainty.