Escaping Elysia

Chapter 23 - Cheap Liquor (cont.)

Evita

As I enter the Solarium, my stomach twists. I know I told Tasia I would go, but there's nothing to celebrate here tonight, and I don't want to pretend there is. Laughter echoes from the back of the room. I pause. Why are they so loud? And why aren't any guards breaking up the party?

I look around. The room is empty of guards for the first time since I've been here. The hair on the back of my neck rises, but I roll my shoulders and head toward the sound. The storm must have caused a lot of damage if they don't have any guards covering the Solarium.

I reach the back of the room and turn the corner to see a large group of people, maybe twenty, gathered in a circle. Leah is the center of attention. She laughs, throwing her head back and tossing her gleaming black hair. I notice a bottle being passed around and recognize it as one that Brandt gave her in the bathroom earlier today.

Leah's usual crowd makes up the circle, though there are some others, including Tasia and Victor who are cuddled close together. Usually a guard would separate them, heck, a guard would have already confiscated the bottle, but tonight they're free to embrace. Nadya and Weston sit on a couch behind the group, and Weston's hand rests behind her. He pushes her hair back from her face, which is flushed. In fact, everyone's is.

Next to Leah, Dale grips one of the bottles. He leans back, drawing a long sip, then brings it back down. I fight to keep the surprise from my face. I didn't think Dale was the kind of guy to drink.

He spots me and smiles, a wide, lopsided grin. My pulse races. He hands the bottle to the girl next to him and gets up, says something to Leah, then pats her shoulder. They're just friends. He's told me that. And I've decided not to let myself feel anything for him. So why is there a sudden tightness in my chest?

He ambles over to me. "Hey. Didn't know you'd be here."

"Yeah well. Tasia." I say by way of explanation. Leah glares at me briefly before returning her attention to the group. I cross my arms. I should have stayed in my room.

I turn to leave. He grabs my hand, rolling his eyes. "Come on." He pulls me toward the group and I'm too shocked to resist. When we reach the others he drops my hand and I quickly stuff it into my pocket. The girl who was sitting next to Dale, Zola, scoots over to make room for me, her curly black hair bouncing. Leah glares at her.

Dale snags the bottle back and takes a large gulp, then offers it to me. I shake my head and he nods, then reaches over me to hand it to the girl. The floor is crowded, and Dale's leg presses, warm, against mine. Does he notice? I know I should move my leg, keep some distance between us, but I don't.

Zola takes the bottle and holds it in the air. She chants, "To the end of the purple and yellow studies!" Those holding the other two bottles thrust them into the air and everyone erupts in whoops and cheers. I purse my lips.

Dale notices and grins again, shaking his head.

Zola takes a sip and looks thoughtful. "What do you think it means?" she asks.

Leah frowns. "Think what means?"

"The studies ending."

"Zola." Leah's gaze could cut glass. "It doesn't mean anything except that the researchers have exhausted yet another insane drug. That's it."

Tasia catches my eye but I look away, playing with the hem of my sweat pants.

Zola shrugs. "I wish all the studies would end. Then we could go back to our lives before."

I jerk my head up. She has no idea how right, and wrong, she is. The studies are ending, yes, but no one's getting out of here alive. Not unless we do something about it. But I keep my mouth shut. I promised Tasia I would forget about everything for tonight, and I'm doing my best to keep that promise.

Well, not my best. I grab the bottle from Dale's lap and chug it, wincing as it burns my throat. A laugh escapes from between his lips, and he raises one eyebrow. I wipe my mouth and hand the bottle back to him. Our eyes lock. A smattering of freckles dusts his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. I've never noticed them before, these tiny circles of evidence of a life before the facility. Unable to stand it any longer I tear my eyes away.

Tasia watches me from across the circle, a satisfied look on her face. Then she says, to the circle, though she's still watching me, "In my community, we'd all gather around the fire together at this time of night." She leans back into Victor as she talks and he circles his arms around her stomach.

"The kids would all be running around, and we'd scold them for getting too close to the flames. Most of the older children and adults would be busy mending clothes or cleaning their guns. But the oldest ones would tell stories, about the climate wars. Sometimes even life before them."

I try to imagine this life, with guns and fires and the absence of screens. I can't.

She sighs and rests her hand on top of Victor's, bending her neck to look up at him. "I wish I could take you to meet my family. They'd really like you." He smiles at her and kisses the back of her head. I look away.

The tone of the group has grown somber, with most staring into the distance, no doubt remembering their own lives before Elysia. For the first time, I consider that maybe the other people here have more to miss than me.

Leah looks around the circle in disgust. She thrusts the bottle she's drinking from, nearly empty now, into Zola's hands and gets to her feet. Stepping around everyone, she storms from the room. Zola shrugs and takes another sip.

No one goes after Leah, and the mood slowly picks back up again. I consider following her, convincing her to help me plan an escape. But Tasia is watching me, and I made a promise.

I take another swig from the bottle, and the alcohol starts to sink in. It almost feels comfortable, sitting in a group like this, everyone talking and laughing.

Victor whispers something in Tasia's ear and she grins. Nadya watches everyone, a sweet smile on her face. Weston watches her. And Dale leans back, resting on his hands, brushing his shoulder against mine.

I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling. 

***

Author's note: Thank you so much for reading! Please don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter :).