Bella's voice burst through the phone, impatient and playful.
"Hey, girl, we're outside. How many more hours are you gonna keep us waiting?"
Sydney's laugh came faintly in the background. "Don't mind her, she's just mad you're dressing to impress Aiden."
Amelia froze mid-spritz, her perfume bottle hovering in the air. "I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!" Bella shot back.
A tiny smirk tugged at Amelia's lips. "...Maybe."
One last sweep of her hair into place, one last confident glance in the mirror, and she stepped outside.
Sydney arched an eyebrow. "Here comes the queen who kept us waiting forever."
Amelia grinned sheepishly. "Sorry! Let's go."
Bella squealed, slamming the car door behind her. "Party, here we come!"
---
The music hit them first, deep bass vibrating through the floor as they stepped inside. Conversations paused. Eyes turned. Whispers followed their path like ripples in water.
Nathan appeared through the crowd, his grin spreading like sunlight.
"Glad you made it," he said, voice warm.
"Of course," Amelia replied, feeling the corners of her mouth lift without permission.
"Dance?"
She nodded, heart skipping.
---
From across the room, Rose's jaw tightened. Her nails dug into her palm until the skin blanched. "You won't be smiling for long," she muttered.
Julia, hovering near the drink table, caught the words. "What are you talking about?"
Rose didn't answer. She slipped into the backyard, where a shadowed figure waited. Their black hoodie swallowed their face.
"You have what I asked for?" Rose's voice was low, urgent.
A small packet changed hands. "If he takes this," the stranger warned, "he won't be able to control it."
Rose's eyes gleamed. She tucked it into her bag and headed back in.
---
"Hey, my love," she purred, sliding up to Nathan.
He stared at her like she was a stranger. "What's up, Rose?"
Her smile wavered. "Why are you being so mean to me, baby?"
"I'm not your boyfriend," Nathan said flatly.
Her bag "slipped" from her hand, scattering its contents. "Help me?"
As Nathan crouched, her fingers moved fast, tipping powder into his drink. She straightened, accepting the returned bag. "Thanks."
Nathan took a swig. Rose's lips barely moved. "Finally."
His eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Nothing."
---
"I'll be right back," Amelia told her friends.
"Where?" Bella asked.
"Restroom."
She pushed open the door, then a cloth clamped over her nose. The sharp, chemical sting invaded her lungs. Her arms flailed, nails clawing at air, until the strength bled from her body and the floor rushed up to meet her.
---
Rose's phone buzzed. A single text: The job is done.
Her gaze slid to Nathan. Sweat had begun to sheen his skin, his breaths growing shallow.
"What's wrong?" she asked sweetly.
"Nothing... just need to lie down."
She followed him upstairs, her eyes glinting like knives.
---
Nathan collapsed onto his bed, ripping at his shirt as heat roared under his skin.
"Who are you?" Amelia's voice was weak, disoriented, from the doorway.
He looked at her, desperation raw in his expression. "Sorry... I need you. Just for tonight."
Her pulse thundered. "Nathan please." She shoved at his chest, but his grip was iron.
The room seemed to close in. The music downstairs faded to a distant hum. Her cries muffled under his weight.
---
When it was over, she curled into herself, shaking. Tears blurred the phone screen in her hand as a voice note played.
Jake's mocking tone: "Do you even like her?"
Nathan's answer, cold and careless: "No. I just wanted to sleep with her. She's not even my type."
Her breath hitched, her ribs aching as if each word had struck her.
She yanked on her clothes, every movement sharp and trembling. The walls felt too close, the air too heavy. She had to get out.
---
Outside, the night air bit at her damp cheeks. "Nathan," she whispered, voice breaking. "How could you?"
A sudden glare of headlights.
The truck came too fast. Too close.
Impact.
Her head struck asphalt with a sickening crack. Warmth pooled beneath her cheek.
The darkness that swallowed her was heavy and final, her last thought a cruel truth.
She had never truly known him at all.