Aurora Borealis

2

Throughout the night, the music just gets louder. I barely know any of the songs and the people in the other room are no good at singing them. Lance has been coming in and out of the party room to fill up his and his new friend's plastic cups for hours and Hunk has been in the kitchen, checking on his sweets for most of the evening. If not checking the oven or the fridge, he's been standing just outside the kitchen with me and a few other partygoers, chatting. The conversations are forgettable, as most are at parties. I don't even remember the names of the people we're talking to and can barely hear anything over the blaring music from the next room over. I find myself drifting off into my own world throughout other's sentences, and before I know it, Hunk's timer has gone off and him, myself and the people we were talking with are seeing up a birthday-looking food arrangement on the kitchen bench.

"What did you say you did again, Pidge?" a girl asks while folding napkins.

I pick up a small tray of a selection of cookies and reply, "I'm a major in robotic technology at Garrison University."

"Wow!" a guy replies, "That's such a prestigious school! You must be really smart to have been accepted."

I place the tray on the crowded bench and grin before fixing my glasses. "Ah, all I really do is tinker."

"Actually," Hunk begins through eating a cake offcut, "She's getting the highest marks in out of everyone taking that major, and she's made a name for herself as a program designer two years before she's even due to graduate."

"Woah!" both people exclaim at the same time.

My hands clasp together, and I fiddle with my fingers. "Really, Hunk, it's not that big of a deal. I'm just making a living."

Hunk puts his hands on his hips, his motherly stance matching his apron, and faces me.

"You shut your mouth, smarty-pants. You know you're a genius." He declares. I shake my head, smiling and stick my tongue out at him. We all chuckle and continue setting up under Hunk's command. A soft yellow feeling sits in the air among us. Hunk takes the presentation of the food quite seriously and is determined to have every platter line up with the cake in the centre. Hunk, after some re-arrangement, decides that the food is ready to serve.

As I hand Hunk a bowl of popcorn, I feel a sudden warmth wash over me. It starts at my ears and ends at my toes, fizzling through me like a sparkler on New Year's Eve. I notice a movement in my peripheral vision and my head snaps in the direction of the movement. The living room is still dark, but next to it is a hallway I didn't notice before, and in the doorframe of that hallway stands a person. They lean on the doorframe and seem to be looking off somewhere distant. I tilt my head and squint in their direction. I can't see their face, as a hood casts a shadow over them. I have an urge to find out who this person is, though I have no reason to. Could it be their mysterious nature? No, maybe I'm just getting into the socialisation spirit? I may as well give in, right?

"Hey, you wanna help?" I ask. Their head flicks in my direction and their eyes reflect the kitchen light slightly. The light bounces from their eyes back at me and sends a shock through me. Gold sparks begin to collect at the edges of my vision and I immediately start blinking them away. By the time I get rid of the gold around my eyes, the person is gone. I sigh slowly. I guess they're not too into the party scene either.

At that moment, Lance walks in with almost more cups than he can carry. One of them slips from his grasp and drops to the floor. He mutters a curse under his breath and dumps the cups on the bench, turning to pick up the lone red cup on the floor.

"Hey!" Hunk yells, "Careful of the cake!"

Without a second glance, Lance replies, "Well sorry, I'm busy attaining hydration juice!"