Then *Poof* I'm Always There: Book 3 (Final) #Wattys2014

Chapter 5: Electronic Super Joy

To die would be an awfully big adventure -J.M. Barrie

I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked through the doors of the club that night, but what I did find was a crazy mixture of opinions that made no sense.

It was a lounge and dance club in the better part of Downtown LA. Very modern and not to mention crowded! There were light screens scattered around with changing patterns and colors constantly. The DJ was blasting some sort of house music while lights and lasers moved around the dance floor. The lounge part of the club was to the side of the dance floor and had cube-like pillars surrounding the lounge's seats. It was small, but at least it was better than The Smell.

I circled the dance room, looking for Alexis and her so-called friends, but ended up in defeat. I don't know how everyone here managed to move let alone dance there were so many people. By some sort of magic I got out of the sea of ravers and headed for the bar. One drink wouldn't hurt.

I stood patiently, waiting for my drink and looking around for her again. Nowhere. Where could she be? I got my drink and walked towards the lounge area, but stopped short when I saw someone with jagged pitch black hair sitting with a group of others who were drinking and smoking and laughing. She was hunched over on her elbows and held a cigarette between her fingers, much like them. Her face was not like theirs though. A smile was plastered onto her face with no meaning, her eyes sad and hollow. Then, as if she felt my eyes on her, she looked towards me. Very softly she shook her head and shifted her eyes towards the dance floor, as if to say to meet her there. She put out her tobacco in the ash tray on the table in front of her and stood up, along with one of the other girls there. Again she shifted her eyes to the floor at me, and I obeyed. I stopped caring about my drink and threw it in the trash before joining her.

(Play music now!)

A familiar house song came on and most people in the crowd whooped for it. I'm not much of a dancer, but I moved a little to get through the crowd easier until I was right behind her. The girl she was with was grinding on some random guy who strangely seemed to like it, and Alexis was moving to the beat by herself.

"So this is the kind of music you listen to now, huh?" I said in her ear over the music.

"There's not a lot of good music out now. It's hard to find anything decent."

"I can sympathize with that." We just danced to the beat for a few more moments, trying to not grab attention or suspicion.

"I didn't think you'd actually come."

"I said I would, and I am a man of my word."

"We can't talk for long."

"I know."

You should leave right after this song."

"I think I'll stay for a little bit."

"Why?"

"Because I still want to talk."

"We talked already. What more is there?"

"You need to tell me how you got here."

"I already did."

"I know you lied about some of that. I can read you better than anyone else here."

"No you can't. Nobody can read me anymore."

"I see through your guise. You're smiling on the outside, but on the inside you're dying." She didn't respond. The music continued on and with each second that ticked by, I was losing that second to talk to her. "Please. You need to talk to me."