Hunted Predators✔️

CHAPTER TWELVE

Gripping her gunshot wound, Katherine walks back to her dorm to find Darcy and another girl already occupying it. Darcy and her 'friend' dance around the room, listening to loud K-pop songs as they take turns sipping from an opaque bottle. "Very colorful," Katherine observes.

Darcy is wearing a ruffled bright green dress that falls just above her ankles. Her matching hair is pinned to the top of her head, giving it a strong resemblance to a lily pad. The other girl wears a bubble gum pink dress that matches the color dashed on her cheeks and her bubble gum pink hair. "Oh my god," Pinkie says. "What is on your hoodie?"

"Uh, where are you girls going dressed like that?"

"Aren't you joining us?" Darcy looks Katherine up and down, as if to contradict herself.

"No. Unfortunately, I wasn't invited to the capitol."

The pink haired girl scowls. "We're going to the dance."

"What dance?"

"What dance?" Darcy repeats. "The dance I've been talking about nonstop for the past week."

"What?"

"I asked if you liked my dress. I asked who you were going with. This morning, I literally said, 'Hey, Katherine, are you excited for Mabry's annual semi formal coming up in a few'-are you even listening?"

"Sure, sure." Katherine lies down on the bed, closing her eyes. She peeks through one eye to see both girls gaping at her.

Pinkie gasps. "What is on your shirt?" Katherine looks down and winces. Red had begun to spot the cloth. "Ketchup," Katherine says.

"That doesn't look like ketchup," Darcy says.

"Okay, it's blood. Because I was shot."

"Oh my god," Pinkie says.

"She's kidding," Darcy says. "You're kidding, right?"

"Sure. It's not ketchup; it's jam. Why not?"

"Do you want me to stay with you? Maybe you should-"

"No, I'm great." Katherine stands up. "See?"

"But you-"

"Darcy," Pinkie snaps, "you don't actually think she was shot, do you? She's walking around. She's fine."

"But she-"

"I'll be right behind you," Katherine says. "I just gotta get dressed. Really, I'm fine."

After a few more minutes of reassuring, they leave, and Katherine's gaze falls on the half full bottle of liquor sitting on the floor. She licks her lips.

Katherine dances in front of the mirror, blasting music, doing her makeup in between sips of liquor. When she moves on to mascara, she has to redo it several times because she can't stop crying. Eventually, she gives up and moves to the closet.

Katherine steps out in a velvet red dress that fits snug over her chest and hips, falling just above her knees and below her collarbone. She throws the empty bottle in the trash, then walks out of the room, stumbling slightly as she hums a K-pop tune.

The cafeteria has been transformed. The tables are gone in lieu of a dance floor. Pop songs blare loud enough Katherine can feel the beat of the music in her chest. Streamers hang down from the ceiling, and the room is lit red, like filters have been placed over the light bulbs. On the side of the room is the refreshments, and that's where Katherine spots Darko pouring himself a drink.

He's got a girl wrapped around his side, kissing down his neck, and probably pushing the chaperons to their limits. Katherine taps on Darko's shoulder.

"You mind?"

Katherine smiles sweetly and holds out her empty cup. Darko's face is the picture of calm as he turns around, but his hand clenches around his solo cup and liquid spills over the sides. The smile slips from Katherine's face when the girl turns around.

Under the flashing lights, it made it difficult to see, but there's no denying who the girl was when they were this close. "Aren't you-?" Katherine starts. "Supposed to be gay?" Pinkie snaps. "I'm bisexual, actually."

"Darcy's date," Katherine says cooly, her eyes narrowing. Her red solo cup heavies. She glances up to find Darko pouring punch into her cup, his teeth gritted together. "What are you doing here?" he says quietly.

"Do you mean how? How are you here?" Katherine takes a sip of the punch, then offers Darko a red-stained, toothy grin. "Mmm. This punch is killer."

Darko watches her, a scowl toying over his mouth. Then he says, "want to dance, Katherine?"