The Murder Of Willowstream

Ch.22. There Ain't No Party Like A... (part 1)

It was loud and it was packed. If it wasn't the thumping of a dance beat that seemed to permeate the very air no matter what room you were in, then it was the raucous chatter of bodies relishing in the revelry of the evening.

It was the aforementioned "end of year" party, and essentially every student of the year had turned up as well as anyone else who knew of it. Tourists that had caught wind of a celebration and had come to peek their interest. Younger members of the student body looking to enact a small slight of rebellion. The entire house was practically filled to bursting with mingling peoples, vying for their own small corner of comfort, drink in hand, and fun on their mind.

How the authorities hadn't come to shut it down already was anybody's guess. Especially with recent events, but there had been a collective understanding to keep the party as much on the down low as possible. To that point, there seemed to be a collective "rushed" atmosphere. Guzzling down alcohol with mindless abandon, paying no care to the substance or the burning sensation it left down the back of the throat, and sampling the first scratching experience of a cigarette, like this was a moment that could be taken from them at any second.

It was hectic. Chaotic. Yet sublimely wonderful, in it's tangled and fleshy mess. A world of recklessness and fun, all beneath a two storey roof.

Alice had taken to lingering near one of the far walls that didn't see much traffic. She wasn't one for parties or large gatherings in such enclosed spaces. She found it hard to breathe, and being unable to see a clear exit, an uninterrupted path to the outside, was one of the few things she found difficult to keep a handle on. But she was here none the less. Justifying her presence as a need to keep watch and look out for a her friends.

The delicate fingers of her right hand toyed with the amethyst at her neck in a busy rhythm, while her other had hold of a nondescript beverage that smelled vaguely of apples. It wasn't her drink of choice. It spiked at the corners of her jaw and made her suck on her tongue with each swig she took. But it had been the easiest to get to and get away, so she didn't make a fuss. Merely hoped it would numb her enough to actually enjoy the evening.

As if sensing her unease, Alaric joined her, leaning nonchalantly with his back pressed against the same wall, and raising one foot off the already sticky floor to also hold it against the wall as he crossed his arms over his chest in his usual manner.

He looked smart tonight. Alaric had always held a sense of style, but tonight was the first time in many years that Alice thought he looked smart. He wore a buttoned shirt, that seemed two-tone in colour. Where it was black until the faintest shimmer of light caught the fabric, and it glimmered in a crimson hue. He smelled delicious. A concoction of dark chocolate and wild berries, that seemed to infect the air in his presence with a sweetness that caused one to salivate on reaction.

He rolled his head along the wall to look at her lazily with a knowing smile.

Another thing that Alice still found, almost alarmingly so, odd. For the passed few days he had been unusually... Warm. Instead of the smug smirk that toyed on his lips, the odd joke between the group was often met with a genuine smile and honest laughter. Something Alice honestly thought he had forgotten how to do the older Alaric seemed to get. He was also more open to touching. He would hug, and make physical contact with them all in a fashion much more akin to Lily, as if he was cherishing each touch. Like it could all be taken away from him at any moment, and this was his way of making sure not to miss out on anything he might regret later.

Yet there was something more. Something profound. Something quite sad that Alice found crossing her thoughts whenever she questioned why he may be acting this way. It was like he was saying goodbye.