A World Away

The Day

Still Saturday, September 8th

Just as she had hoped, Sophia was able to catch a noon flight out of Stockholm, and she was back in New York City by the evening. Any night of the week was good for a party in the city that never sleeps, but Saturday night was especially fun.

Although she didn't have any close friends, Sophia was still allowed to have something of a social life. She was sure they knew she was going to clubs and bars, she was using the fake IDs they gave her after all, and she hadn't gotten into trouble yet. It was probably because she was so good at playing her part.

The whole "heiress" thing worked to explain how and why she lived in such a grandiose penthouse, but as an unexpected bonus, it lifted the metaphorical velvet rope. As long as she stayed out of paparazzi pictures and off of Page 6, which wasn't too hard with girls like Paris and Nicky Hilton taking up all the attention, she could easily fit in as just another bored offspring of the rich.

Her walk-in closet was still a mess after her packing frenzy on Thursday morning. Sitting down on the fluffy white carpet, she sorted through the piles of designer clothing she had torn off the hangers. After several minutes of indecision, her final outfit choice was a black leather Saint Laurent miniskirt and a pink long sleeve Chanel top that had managed to stay unwrinkled despite her poor treatment of it. The shoes were thigh high Giuseppe Zanotti boots with a heel that she could actually walk in.

Later in the bathroom, after attaching her fake eyelashes and applying copious amounts of glitter, she put the finishing touches on her makeup by adding a couple rhinestones to the corners of her eyes. They sparkled playfully as she tilted her face back and forth to check their placement. A bubblegum pink wig sat atop the crown of her head, cut into a jawline grazing bob. Once everything was in place, she gave herself a final check in the mirror.

Practically unrecognizable.

Which was just how she liked it. She always dressed up like this when she went out... colorful wigs, heavy makeup. In the light of day, her friends probably wouldn't be able to pick her out of a lineup.

Before she left, she stopped in the kitchen. Opening the freezer, she pulled out a bottle of Stoli and took a quick swig. Just enough to warm up. It wasn't like she was an alcoholic or anything, she just found it easier to pretend to be a carefree rich kid with some vodka in her system. Prior to walking out the front door she paused to make sure her cell phone was stowed in her small clutch, as always.

God forbid I ever miss a phone call from them.

The first stop she would make this evening was a club called Vinyl, and then maybe another one called Centro Fly after. They had the best EDM DJ this side of the Hudson. Every night was like its own rave, but not until after midnight.

Outside Vinyl the bouncer, her friend Dave, unclipped the rope as soon as he saw her. Kissing her lightly on the cheek, he greeted her warmly and let her in. A few people standing in the long line groaned in protest, but most of them knew better.

"Soph!" another friend of hers named Ana, a beautiful Asian girl whose family was practically royalty in Singapore, ran up and smacked her on the butt before pulling her into a big hug. The colors of Ana's bright blue wig and velvety purple dress somehow managed not to clash, but then again, she could make anything look chic. It was one of her many talents. Sophia was glad that raving and costumes were actually the height of fashion at the moment. There would be no way to disguise herself if a natural look was trending.

"Babe!" Sophia hugged her back. "I just got here! I need alcohol."

"Way ahead of you, girl," she answered, dragging her to the bar where two more girls were sitting. There was Naomie, a gorgeous Black girl who was the daughter of an NFL Hall of Famer, and Hailey, a pretty brunette who was a friend of the Hilton's. The tabloids hardly every paid attention to her, but her presence meant the blonde siblings had to be here somewhere. They all air kissed and told Sophia how cute her outfit was before quickly downing their shots. The liquid was bright blue, the color of Ana's wig. Sophia didn't even bother to ask what it was.