Into the Stars (USC Series Book #2)

chapter five

INTO THE STARS
———
BRINLEY

"Do you need a distraction?" Brooklynn asks, the sound of her voice traveling from the living room into my room where I am sprawled across the mattress of my bed.

I grunt, lifting myself off the bed and walking over to the open door frame. When I look out, I see Brooklynn sitting on the edge of the couch, tying up the laces of her white AF1s. Aidan is standing right behind her, focused on every movement she makes like it is the most interesting thing in the world.

"What kind of distraction?" I query, somewhat intrigued. Depending on the circumstances, I might just consider it.

Brooklynn shrugs, tugging on her shoelaces for the last time, before looking up at me. "Just a night out at Miller's. Nothing too crazy. Aidan and his roommates are gonna be there and they won't mind if you come."

Hmm. Doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world. I think after the day I have had today after confronting Anna and her storming out of the campus coffee shop with tears running down her face, this might be just what I need.

I don't answer her. Instead, I just close my bedroom behind me to get dressed. I peruse my closet, not finding anything that catches my eye until I spot a pair of light blue washed jeans. A backless black bodysuit with long sleeves sticks out and I am shocked by how fast it took me to find an outfit I am happy with tonight.

Hurriedly, not wanting to make Brooklynn and Aidan wait too long, I shimmy on the bodysuit and then the jeans, accessorize with some gold jewelry. I put on some platform black boots which elongate my height more than you can imagine, going from my usual five-foot-ten to a solid six-foot tall.

I fluff up my hair in the mirror above my dresser for extra measure, add a touch of mascara, blush, and lip-gloss before I open my bedroom door, sauntering out.

"Ready to go?" I say, catching Aidan and Brooklynn's shocked faces, both of them standing in the kitchen.

"That didn't take you very long," Brooklynn comments, leaving her daze to finally say something to me.

"Didn't want to keep you waiting. Now, are we going? Because I have had a shitty day and I need an excuse to get drunk."

Twenty minutes later, the familiar bustling energy of Miller's Bar swallows me whole. Weekends are the busier days of the week and today is no different. People—mostly students from USC or UCLA—are everywhere. Dancing in the middle of the bar. Loitering around the bar countertop and huddling into the booths against every wall.

Contrary to the weather outside, the temperature inside the bar is almost like a sauna. Walking from the car to the door had caused my skin to erupt with goosebumps which are nowhere to be seen now.

I don't exactly know who we are looking for. I have met Aidan's roommates once, but from what I had heard that night, one of them was missing. And I don't think I know them well enough to spot them out in a crowd.

Glancing back at Brooklynn, her eyes scan the bar before her entire face lights up. "Very left corner. In a booth," Brooklynn tells us, raising her voice over the loud music blaring through the bar tonight.

Aidan looks that way, seeming to spot them as well, leading Brooklynn and me through the crowds of people towards their booth. Weaving through the dancers was a struggle, and I had to poke a few people with my elbow to get them out of my way, but I made it to the booth successfully and unharmed.

Staying close to Brooklynn and Aidan, I linger behind them as they both slide into the booth.

"Brinley, isn't it?" The sound of my name catches my attention. Looking away from the people at the bar where I was focusing, I turn to face the booth again. I find a dark-haired boy with striking blue eyes still visible in the muted bar lighting—and if I remember correctly, his name is Holden—staring at me with a warm smile.