Chocolate Deluxe with a side of Werewolf

Thirty-Three. Costume Contest

"Now this, this is a house," Willow marvelled. 

Zofia squealed, barely holding in her excitement. "This is so surreal! I never thought I'd set foot in this part of the city!" 

"Hmph." Lin looked about ready to ditch and get back in her car. 

Emily stood paralyzed, at loss for words. Her mouth simply hung unhinged as she gazed at Theo's house with her friends. The scene before her looked so foreign, Emily contemplated if she accidentally stepped into the future. The contemporary, asymmetric estate was built out of concrete, but yet, the three-story complex blended in with its rocky mountain terrain, creating a natural flow from nature to architecture. The coniferous trees in the surrounding area provided the necessary privacy as opposed to fences, adding enough greenery to balance the grey tones.

Emily and her friends stood at the foot of the driveway which was spacious enough for the first twenty cars to park. The late birds were left to park along the private cul de sac of the posh neighbourhood. Lin's old beat-up sedan was among that bunch, but thankfully, her car didn't stick out like a sore thumb. The vehicles parked ranged for luxurious brands to those typically oned by broke students.

"So there are poor people at this party too," Zofia said in relief. 

Willow smirked. "And plenty of rich ones. You think they'd notice if we took a souvenir?" Zofia rubbed her hands together playfully, on board with Willow's proposition. 

"No stealing," Lin declared, putting a stake through Willow and Zofia's scheming, making both the girls pout. 

"Someone's gotta pay for my tuition," Zofia attempted to reason, but one look from Lin had her reconsidering Willow's suggestion. "Nevermind." 

Zofia appeared so disheartened, but Lin turned her attention elsewhere. "You're rather quiet."

Emily didn't have to look to see that Lin was talking to her. "Yeah," she answered in a small voice, staring straight at the modern mansion in dismay. Emily couldn't process the size of the house. It was intimidating and Emily could feel the doubts beginning to rise up from her stomach, but her concern was drowned out by the sound of an expensive engine. 

An M-Series SUV pulled up and parked in front of Lin's car. A group of three girls and two guys stepped out of the vehicle. They were all dressed as fairies with their pointy ears, earthly fashion, and wings. Their attire looked woven from nature itself. The girls wore short dresses, unbothered by autumn's cold while the boys were shirtless. They covered themselves in splotches of glitter, making their skin shimmer in the night. The girls had flowers embedded into their hair, regardless of their length, but they couldn't compare to the boys' hairstyles. One of the guys had hair the colour of moonlight, cascading down to his hips while the other boy's shoulder-length hair was a rich cobalt blue.  

"They really went all out, didn't they?" Zofia whispered. 

"They're trying too hard," Lin countered.

"I'm kind of digging the fairy with the blue hair." 

Unmindful of her volume, Willow's comment was caught by the colourful group. They peered over at Emily and her friends. Their eyes glowed subtly, displaying their disappointment and distaste on full view. "We're fae. Not fairies," the blue-haired boy corrected with a melodic voice. 

The sound of his voice was enough to stun Willow silent. Zofia too. Meanwhile, Emily was still processing the detail of their costumes. 

"Same thing," Emily heard Lin mutter under her breath. Her best friend shook her head. "The contacts are overkill," she stated loud enough for the fae to hear.