War Bird

21. Glad I'm Mad.

The Social is being held in a part of the Compound I've never been in, near the Hawk quarters. As we pass through the main foyer, I can hear familiar music tinkling down the Hawk tunnels. Where have I heard that tune before? We hurry towards it; me stumbling in the black T-bar sandals Grace begged off one of the other girls who has the same size feet as me. I'm really not used to heels. After a short walk down the Hawk tunnel we take a sharp left. At the end of the corridor are some double doors; the music is coming from behind them. Grace gives me an encouraging smile as we push through.

“This is it?” I’m kind of disappointed. I don't know what I've been expecting, but my hair is all rolled up on my head, I'm in heels and for the first time in my life, I am wearing red lipstick. Grace looks like some kind of model at the moment, she's all long-limbed and delicate in her yellow dress and white sandals. So, with all this effort we're making, I guess I had been hoping for a seriously jumping party. But it’s pretty tame. At one end of a long narrow room, a record player plays a lively song about stars 'winkin and blinkin.' There are several Nightingales dancing in a circle, flicking shy glances over their shoulders at the boys hovering around the edge of the room. There's a table with punch, beer and a load of mis-matched glasses. The air is hazy with cigarette smoke and I cough.

"So, this is a Social," Grace says, looking around the room. "What do you think?"

"It's, sort of, you know, low key, ain't it?" I say, nervously tugging at the dress. Grace’s boobs are quite a bit smaller than mine and so the V-neck on her dress doesn't sit right on me. It nips in nicely at the waist though, and I look way slimmer in this than the loose tops I normally wear. “Everyone’s all quiet.”

"It's been a difficult month," Grace says, then her face brightens. "Look! Your chums are here." I look over and there Ed and Asher are, dressed smarter than I've ever seen them in dark trousers and shirts. Their eyebrows are raised at me, as I'm obviously looking kind of smart too, so I pout and do a twirl, making them laugh. I head over and Asher hands me a beer.

"Nicely done, sis," he says. "Your hair looks wicked like that."

"Thanks, Grace helped." Thanks to Grace, my thick, plum waves are in a neat roll and it looks really old-fashioned, but in a cool retro-y way. She'd also shown me how to line my eyes with black kohl in a neat flick.

"You look, um," Ed clears his throat, "you look, not like you."

"Excuse me?"

"You look different, not better, but great, you know..." Ed trails off and I realise Grace has arrived at my side. "Hi Grace," he says. "You look, er...” He scratches his head, tongue-tied.

 Asher rescues him. “Would you like a beer, Grace?"

"Oh, goodness no." She screws up her nose. "They have some fruit punch, I'd rather have that." She starts to walk over to the table, but then Ed shoves his bottle at Asher.

"Allow me!" He says. "I need a fresh beer anyway." She hesitates, then nods primly and they walk to the table.

"You know, this bottle is practically full." Asher holds Ed's beer up to the light to inspect it.

"Yeah, whats with him?" I sip my beer. It's flat and sort of weak, but I soon feel that familiar prickle of alcohol on my tongue and I relax.

"Have you noticed how he goes all weird around her? 'Allow me!'"

"He's always scamming on women." I shrug. “Prob just another tactic to get some action whilst we're stuck here. I think he’ll strike out with her, she’s far too nice for him!" I watch as Ed ladles some punch into Grace’s glass and then uses the sleeve of his shirt to wipe some spillage off the side of it. She takes it from him, eyes sparkling as their fingers brush. I want to ask Ed about what I saw last night, so much. Like, what was in that bag he carried? And what the hell was he doing pricking about on a mission up top in the middle of the night? I get the feeling though, that bringing up my spying on him in a room full of Kestrels and Hawks might not be a very good idea. “He’s just full of surprises,” I murmur.