Something About Alice Murphy: BOOK 2

P A R T - O N E

Chapter One; Born Again.
Friday, 1st March, 2019
11:46pm
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The sound of Panic Room by Au/Ra and CamelPhat blasted from the speakers, the warehouse filled with students that had gathered for the Prom after party. Strobe lights flashed in time with the beat, the bass thumped against the chests of those pressed close together to dance in front of the DJ booth.

Candice and Fei danced with a few of their other friends from Summerland High, their feelings from earlier that night now drowned with vodka. Candice danced with her eyes closed, as if trying to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that continued to ask about Alice... where was she? Was she upset? Would they ever be friends again? She was angry and hurt... but even then she couldn't help the guilt that clung to her neck as tight as the sparkly choker she was wearing.

Beside her, Fei danced more unsurely... she didn't know the people they were hanging out with that well, and was more wary of her surroundings in comparison to Candice. Thoughts of Alice infected her mind also... she hadn't been in Summerland for that long, and so far she'd had a rollercoaster of a ride with enough adrenaline and fear to last her a life time... but she felt disappointment creep through her veins too... was it all over now?

Fei glanced around herself several times, wondering if Alice would turn up to the after party, for she began to feel bad about how things had been left. Although she wondered why she would expect Alice to come... especially with the way that the evening went.

As her eyes glanced around the warehouse, her gaze scanning over the dancing bodies, it eventually landed on the gaze of someone who made her skin crawl a little bit with fear. Magnus was staring at them from where he was stood at the edge of the room. Her breaths became shallow and she looked away quickly, feeling slightly off balance now that she was aware he was here.

Magnus could see that Alice wasn't with them now. He'd been waiting for a while for her to show up, watching her friends on and off, checking his phone even though he had hers with him, he hoped she'd find some way to tell him where she was... but there had been no sign of her for just over two hours now...

"Have you seen her yet?" Trey asked, speaking loudly over the music so Magnus could hear him just as Charlie and himself approached.

"No," Magnus replied, his expression calm but Trey could see what was happening in his head, he could see it in his eyes as he watched Magnus check his phone again. It surprised him that Magnus was, in his own way, worried about Alice Murphy's whereabouts, considering he thought they hadn't been talking... but apparently Magnus was still capable of sneaking around without Trey finding out even after all the years they'd known each other.

"I'm sure she'll turn up," Charlie said, glancing into the crowd and letting his eyes linger on someone dancing before looking away.

"Maybe she just went home." Trey suggested, seeing Magnus glance down at his phone again. "Dude." he said again, wanting to get his attention.

"She wouldn't just walk off." Magnus replied, although he didn't actually know if she would or not. He assumed she wouldn't, at leastnot without coming back for her phone and her coat.

"Bro, you know how girls are... Friendship break-ups are hard, maybe she just... went to calm down, I don't know." Charlie said, knowing he was making no sense at all since he had no idea what he was talking about... he didn't know Alice and he had limited friends that were girls and they all behaved differently. But they hadn't dealt with a worried Magnus before... it was uncharted territory for all of them. Charlie glanced at Trey for back up, only to see him staring at him with furrowed eyebrows, "What? I'm trying to help."