Damaged

20 | masquerade

The three of us walk through the school corridor with heels clicking as we head towards the sounds of the party, with Charlie walking silently beside Ava. As we approach the entrance,  a younger student collects our tickets by a table overflowing with dramatic arrangements of flowers and we walk inside.

The gym is indistinguishable as we step through the door. There are long pieces of silver and midnight blue fabric hanging gracefully from the ceiling and the whole room is decorated with luscious flowers. The lights are dimmed and a beautiful chandelier has been placed on the center of the room, giving the place a romantic and elegant feel to it.

The dance is already filled with people and most of them are hidden with their masks. It's difficult to tell everyone apart and it adds to the mystery of the night.

We all move to a large table on the left side of the room where people are either chatting away or dancing with their dates. The wall behind the dance floor is entirely made of glass, giving us a privileged view of the moonlit school gardens. There's a table set for the DJ on the stage in front of the glass wall. Electronic music is blaring through the speakers and people are starting to enjoy the night.

"I brought a little something," Charlie says, giving a mischievous look towards us. He pulls a flask out of his tuxedo's jacket pocket and discretely shows us.

"Nice," Ava shakes her head in appreciation and gives him a shy smile. He grins at her and I watch as her cheeks turn pinkish.

"Come on, let's go somewhere they won't find us," I suggest and we stand up again. The four of us leave the gym from a side entrance and enter a corridor full of lockers and classrooms.

I open a random classroom door and head inside while everyone follows my lead. I sit on the teacher's table and Charlie sits on the desk in front of me while the girls stand around. He takes a swig off of the flask and then passes it to me.

"Jesus, what it this?" I wince as I take a long drag from the container.

"Straight vodka," he shrugs and I pass the flask to Ava and she hands it to Mika afterwards.

We continue doing this cycle until we've drained the flask dry. I'm surprised at the amount of liquor the shiny metal bottle contains, it seemed like I had at least ten turns with it.

We agree to head back to the party a little while later, and once I stand up I feel the full effects of the vodka on me. I loose my balance for a second and then manage to equilibrate myself on my high heels once again, avoiding a nasty fall.

"That was some good stuff right there," Mika says as we walk towards the loud music, "I'm already drunk."

We laugh at her and all of us agree. Charlie says that it's Russian vodka and I know for a fact that they're stronger than American ones.

"Hey, put it away," I tell Charlie as we enter back inside, and he puts the flask back into his jacket pocket.

I look back up again and I immediately see him. He's wearing a simple black mask which hides his face, but he's impossible to miss wherever he goes. Mr Clarke's on the other side of the room, propped up against the wall. I watch as his gaze never leaves mine. I stare back at him while feeling excited butterflies on my stomach while remembering his words from earlier.

"I look forward to seeing you tonight."

He's clad in a tuxedo that graces his body in a heavenly way. The silky black fabric makes him seem even taller, and makes his emerald eyes stand out against his sculpted face. The mask is perched on his smooth skin and it makes him seem mysterious and intriguing all at once. His dark hair is styled backwards elegantly, and I think that I've never seem someone so handsome in my life.