'Moon Shapes'

Chapter 30: & we shall dance again... even if it kills us all. (Dannity)

The next day, we spent the majority of the day vegging out on the couch; watching favorite movies till it was time to get all 'dolled up' for the party.

A few short walk paths; and sharing a few quips about how Nikki could be such an ass, we came through the threshold to bear witness of the most colorful lights I'd seen in one large scale room. It was appropriately described in my head... as fantastic!

Ben was exquisitely in his element, tagging me along the crowded living room of a Delta Lambda Phi ΔΛΦ Chapter on campus.

It was nice to witness the laid-back interactions exchanging by all attending this party. Attractive guys dancing with even cuter guys; girls holding each other close sent a sense of adoration towards this fraternity. Between the arms of everyone grinding or jiving to the sound system blaring, I'd forbade the most important component to being a part of this world – every now and again, you've gotta take care of yourself; it's extremely easy to misplace that bit of knowledge lurking underneath layers of stress, or worry.

Ben was right... again! I had forgotten all about the problems that had been spotlighted and sprayed, literally on my face just the day before.

Jiving and shifting my head to the beat of the music; the oddest thing caught my eye, as anyone would do while scanning the room, the little guy; girl; it was swaying to the music as easily as I had been, but, as to what makes it odd was that they were wearing a peculiar mask while seating on the two- story staircase. I suppose they must had felt my gaze on them, as their head tilted towards me, but never attempting to stop the enjoyment they seemed to be in; a hand raised to wave at me, as I only did the appropriate thing I could think of at the moment: I reciprocated the hand gesture, happy to see we all could have a great time without all the drama catapulting stress levels to Venus and back again.

I turned to do my own rendition of a 'booty pop,' and when I say, 'my own,' that's exactly how it is meant.

I looked again to the staircase to see my new waving partner, only to have a tad of disappointment build up inside, as they were not sitting on the wooded step; matter of fact, I believe they had left all together as my eyes galloped over the crowd to find my short stature friend; to no avail, they were gone.

Flipping my bent torso, along with a flip of the hair, back to appropriate stance, I got the resurgence of those 'problems' punching its way back to full attention; filtering between the overhead rainbow strands and vibrating beats, stood Nik in her best leggy attire.

I froze as I watched from the sea of hands and arms swaying around me. I don't believe I had been made out, as she slinked away towards the kitchen area. Frantic exasperated my chest; what was she doing here – I mean – why here?

I scanned for Ben, only to find him enjoying the festivities; and seeing him smile made me collapse any reason to catapulting him into this; no one else needs to be dipped into whatever crap she may be up to.

I maneuvered through the bodies, wafting over every movement, or face that stood between the kitchen and me. Passing by the round table full of refreshments but looked a second longer at the stranger color spiraling the container of liquid. What the hell was in there? That was not the color I had been sipping on all evening.

A sudden haste of a whisper pecked at my eardrum, advising me to 'leave here now.'

The murmur had circled chills over my neck, but I had made it to the wall just before entering the kitchen. She was hovering over a bowl of something; a bowl of liquid; another huge tub of spiked punch? Her hand lifted with an extra clear limb tilting over the rather small glass vessel; the limb was a vile of something... err... burned burgundy in color.

As the translucent light beam peppered the walls in front of me, the awareness lit and battered my brain; I hysterically leaped back to the now abandoned table I had not two minutes ago passed by. I launched everything available on the wooded table to the floor in a heaping whisk of my arm.

The clamoring noise echoed over even the bolstered music, will all eyes swinging onto me. I unpremeditatedly pressed my palm against my bosom, gasping to the fake abomination I alone had borne witnessed to, "Grotesque bugs." I exclaimed with an appalling yet believable portrayal.

Ben had not so willingly bought my winning performance as he lapped the last of his drink and hooked his arm around my shoulder.

"What's going on?" he insisted though his smile of teeth.

"You don't wanna know." I returned.

"I've seen enough acting to know, you suck at it."

I flinted an eye-roll at the accurate insult. I thought I had done pretty damn well for no experience; of course, most of these students and alumni were tipsy, so that wasn't a great sale for my display.

His eyes met mine. The thoughts must have been etched onto my forehead, as he recognized the fear colluding my iris.

"There's something in the punch?" I whispered behind my left palm, as I swiped it across the upper portion of my top lip.

His eyelids expanded in surprise as he slowly looked away to drop his head down in anguish.

"Whatta we do?" He finally uttered.

I ran with him right behind me into the now empty kitchen. She must have heard all the commotion and bolted out the screen door that slightly pattered the doorframe. Grabbing the bowl and poured it down the kitchen sink drain.

I huffed an exhale. "I hope I've done enough."