Being Neighborly

Chapter 20

"Are you guys sure I look okay?" I ask, turning from side to side in front of Nicole's full length mirror. I adjust my tiny tiara and run my fingers through my new hair, the color really showing up as the light hits my wavy strands. Chloe had chopped off a considerable amount of hair, giving me layers that ended just below my collar bones. Even though my hair was as close to black as brown hair could get, the blue black dye took it to another level. I looked good. Maybe even a little sexy. But my costume...

"You look great!" Nicole says as she applies a glitter line to the top of her black wing. "The theme tonight is fairytale and the three of us are definitely meeting it."

"You don't think it's a little childish to dress up as princesses?" I question, looking at Chloe for some help. She was stepping into her sparkly blue, short tulle skirt, which matched Nicole's yellow one and my pink one. After the salon yesterday, the three of us went to the mall and picked up clothing items that we could wear as costumes to The Underground tonight.

"I don't think our childhood princesses wore crop tops and matching booty shorts under their skirts," Chloe counters. "So I think we're fine."

She had a point. We were definitely bordering on the edge of R-rated princesses with our midriffs exposed, false lashes attached, and feet already aching in sky-high heels. I turn back to the mirror and reassess. Okay, so we did look hot. I'm just glad I decided to change at Nicole's house or else Uncle Luke may have had a heart attack before turning 30. Although he's a cool uncle, he's still protective.

"Where do your parents think we're going tonight?" I ask Nicole. Even though she had said a lot of people go to The Underground, I doubt her parents knew about it. It is a secret club after all.

"Where did you tell your aunt and uncle we were going?" she asks back.

"A Halloween party," she and I answer her question at the same time. I giggle and she returns to fixing her makeup.

After another thirty minutes of primping, Chloe orders us a car. She had previously mixed us vodka and lemonade together in a large water bottle, which we have hidden in between her ample cleavage.

"I used to hate how big they are, but I never need a purse so it's kind of cool," Chloe states as the three of us pile into the car. We all laugh and hype each other up the entire car ride there.

We pull up to a dentist office on the other side of town. It's located in a small strip mall, a stationery store on the left and a pet supplies store on the right. I get out of the car, shivering in my next to nothing outfit, staring at the dentist sign that has a neon cartoon tooth on it. I glance at Nicole and Chloe, about to ask them if we were in the right place, but they both take my hands and lead me into the office.

It's dark inside, the only source of light coming from a little aquarium sitting on the receptionist's desk. The cast of soft blue light isn't enough to showcase the entire front of the office, but Nicole and Chloe seem to know where they are going. We head to the back where the dentist stations are. The three of us proceed down the corridor, our heels clicking against the linoleum floors, and round a corner to the last door.

There is a short line of people dressed in costumes, ranging from fairies to mermaids to frogs wearing crowns. A tall guy in all black with rippling muscles stands at the door, checking phones and bottles that must contain alcohol.

"I can't believe there's actually a club under a dentist office," I comment, getting in line with my friends.

"Wait until you see the inside," Nicole says, bouncing up and down in her chunky silver heels. "It's going to blow your mind!"

The line moves quickly and within a few short minutes we find ourselves at the front. We show the bouncer our text invites and let him check our bottle full of vodka lemonade. He gives us a nod and opens the door for us.

We enter into an unassuming looking dentist office, complete with the chair and terrifying tools used to scrape teeth. However, another bouncer is standing in front of curtains where a window should be. He gives us a similar nod to the one the first guy gave us and pulls back the deep red material, revealing stairs that go down.

Chloe takes the lead, walking down first and signaling for me and Nicole to join her. The further we descend into the dark staircase, the louder the music gets. I can see pulsating lights at the bottom of the stairs. I grip the handrail, my palm slipping a little with sweat. Why am I so nervous? It's not like I haven't been to parties before. And it's not going to be like how it was in California. I have good friends with me and no one is going to hurt me here. I take a deep breath as I land on the last step.

Wow.

The Underground is huge! It's a giant rectangular space, split level platforms containing couches in the same deep red color as the curtains upstairs. Thick structural pillars line the edges of the dance floor, shimmery purple ribbons adorned with fairytale ornaments, like crowns, wands, and poisoned apples, spiraling from the base all the way to the tops of them. One back corner is dedicated to the DJ setup while the opposite corner has the black granite bar with a mirrored wall behind the floating shelves holding various bottles of liquor. It was probably for decoration, remembering the girls said that the bar doesn't serve alcoholic drinks.

A club remix of "Slow Dancing in the Dark" is vibrating through the air, the multicolored flood lights illuminating the faces of the partygoers. I recognize a few of my classmates, some waving to me as I push past the crowd with Nicole and Chloe. We make it to the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by swaying bodies.

Chloe hands me our cocktail bottle and I take a long sip from it, feeling the burn of the vodka hit the back of my throat. Damn, she made it strong. I wipe my mouth free of the little dribble that escaped and hand it to Nicole. I watch her take a large swig, smiling as she hands it back to her girlfriend. I smile to myself; even though we just got here, I'm already having fun.

The three of us dance to the beat, the alcohol slowly coursing through my system. I can feel a fine mist of sweat start to build up under my princess costume, my miniature tiara sliding out of place, but I don't care. I continue jumping around the dance floor with my friends, a few of our classmates, including Nate and his friend Brian, joining us.

We all stumble to one of the seating areas to rest. Our group collapses on the giant plush couch, all of us out of breath. It seems like we have only been out for half an hour, but when I glance at my watch I see that it's already midnight. We've been dancing for almost two whole hours! Once my mind registers how much time has passed, my body catches up and I feel exhausted. And thirsty for something other than vodka.

I get up from my spot between Nate and Chloe, about to ask if anyone else wants water from the bar, when a familiar face appears from the crowd and approaches our platform. He's not in costume, just black jeans and a t-shirt.

"Thought you guys might need this," he says, setting down a giant water bottle on the table in front of the couch. It's ice cold, the condensation forming droplets and sliding down the plastic.

"Thanks," I tell him. I'm not sure if he heard me over the pounding music and singing from other people, but he gives me a small smile and leaves.

"That was Logan, right?" Nate asks, opening the bottle. "One of Tristan's friends? I'm not tripping, am I?"

"No, you're not," I say slowly, watching Logan's dirty blonde hair disappear into the crowded club. If he's here, does that mean Tristan is here, too?