Plié (Lost Birds Book 2)

Part 19 Party

I had imagined going to my first college party several times. I thought of it as a middle ground between one of my parents functions and those dance clubs I'd seen in movies.

I was very wrong.

This was a completely unstructured mad house. My legs locked in the door way where we stood looking in. They wouldn't budge and I didn't blame them.

People were whooping and shouting about some of the games going on. There were several people upside down on top of silver barrels. They were also being whooped at.

Everyone not involved in the whooping and hollering was dancing around to some kind of techno music. If you could even call it dancing. It looked more like they were trying to have sex standing up in the middle of the room. It reminded me of how some of the girls had moved at Stephan's 'Gentleman' party. My body flashed hot and then cold as a sense of dejavu settled over me.

"We don't have to go in." Theo said gently from beside me.

He was wrong. We had to go in. I was going in. My stomach squirmed and knotted at the thought of having to go through the crowd of sex crazed peers. Perspiration dotted along the back of my neck and my chest began to tighten. I tried to will my feet to move but nothing would obey me.

"Sweetheart, come here." Theo tugged on my hand.

My body obeyed him. My legs moved us away from the door and away from the screams and cheers. Theo stopped in a quiet corner of the porch with Cameron only a step behind us. He turned to face me.

"Tell us what happened just now." Theo said.

I shook my head. Nothing had happened. I hadn't done anything. No one had talked to me or touched me. Theo and Cam had been right there the whole time. He knew that nothing had happened.

"You were surprised, curious, and then you went white as a sheet. Why? What was it?" Theo asked. He squeezed my fingers reminding me that my clammy hand was still in his.

"...the dancing." I forced out as I shook my head. "It just reminded me of Stephan's party."

"The one where he took the pictures?" Cam asked quietly.

I bit my lip and nodded.

"Do you want to leave?" Theo asked.

"No!" I gasped out. 

We came here to get information. Information that would stop people like Stephan. It would help keep other girls from ever having to feel like this or worse.

"Tor, if it's making you this uncomfortable..." Cam said.

"No, I'm fine now. I just needed a minute." I said.

"Are you sure?" Theo asked.

I nodded enthusiastically and straitened as best I could.

"I'm ready." I said with a shaky smile.

Theo eyed me for a moment. He didn't believe me but he didn't argue. He shook his head and raised his hand to his ear. I couldn't see the small clear earbud he was touching but I knew it was there because I had an identical one in my own. We all did.

"Small delay. Heading in the back." Theo said. He dropped his hand and nodded toward the side of the house. Cameron tugged on the hand Theo had released and I let him lead us around to the back of the house.

            This way allowed us to enter through the kitchen. It was packed with people as well but they all appeared to be playing cards or various other games that involved courses of "oooo"s and more drinking.