NYE Pt. 3

Brisk winter night wind whipped Cress's hair against her face as she took Illia's hand and stepped out of the car. She pushed up her glasses (she'd decided to wear them after all) and hugged her arms as the pair walked towards the crowd outside of the warehouse where she could see an array of blinding lights and lasers flashing to energetic music with a earthquakingly deep bass. She already regretted her choices.

"This is quite the gathering," Illia said. She threw her black faux fur lined cloak over Cress's shoulder and pulled her close. "I had not envisioned so many for a mere 'party'."

"Neither did I. This is a whole ass rave. The only thing missing are the half naked people screaming on drugs."

"I do not believe they are missing."

A group of at least fifty half-dressed people with bright accessories crowded around both sides of the warehouse's main door, chatting and doing Cress could only guess what else. Not that she cared; Kirian had done enough drugs to kill a horse once and it hadn't fazed Cress. She had just dealt with enough hallucinations and paranoia in her life.

"Cress! Illia!"

A girl with long white hair wearing a neon green see through mesh top and shorts that looked more like a bikini bottom jumped onto Cress, clinging to her like a needy cat.

"Get off, Kir!"

"You were just so late that I worried you weren't coming," Kirian said, letting Cress go. Her foxy black eyes were wide like a puppy's, flitting between Cress and Illia. "Vi is late and I had to hang out with all these strangers."

"And I'm sure that was so awful for you." Cress failed to push Kirian off and was only free when Illia picked the clingy woman up and set her to the side. The feat earned Illia several looks of admiration from nearby women and Cress pulled Illia's cloak shut with a bloodthirsty glare. Even Kirian had heart-filled eyes she wanted to slap off. "But more importantly, what the hell, Kir?! You said a party, not a rave!"

"Did I?" Kirian gave a ditsy smile and twirled away. "Whoops!"

"Don't 'whoops' me! I can get away with what I'm wearing, but Illia is dressed way too formally! I guess she might fit in if she shortened the dress again but… Over my dead body!"

"Does Vi know?"

Kirian shrugged but a twitch in her eye told Cress Vianna had been alerted. It made sense. While Cress was annoyed, she wasn't any more annoyed with Kirian than usual. Vianna, on the other hand, was sure to break Kirian in half if she was tricked.

"I can't... Illia, let's go home."

"You can't! Please…"

There was a familiar, somber tone to Kirian's voice that told Cress leaving early wasn't an option.

"When did he do it?"

"He text a little before you got here."

"HE TEXT?!" The cold air stabbed at Cress's lungs as her maternal fury swelled within her and she squeezed a startled Kirian to her in an iron embrace that would have put Illia's to shame. "Illia, we're staying."

"As you wish," Illia laughed. Her head was tilted, but she didn't seem concerned by Cress's mood swing.

"I can't believe that no good piece of-"

"Can't believe who?" Vianna cut in as she pushed through the swelling crowd of people with Ian in tow.

"That tranch, JJ," Cress hissed. The pounding of her pulse in her ears synced with the bass of the music inside until all Cress could feel was a hate-fueled thrum through her body. Then, a touch on the shoulder followed by a familiar warmth washed it away. "He broke up with Kir. Through text!"

"What's wrong with that?"

All eyes turned to Ian, including the eyes of several women who happened to be eavesdropping nearby.

"'What's wrong with that?' Really, Ian?"

"Wh-What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Vi, break up with Ian right now. My muscle-head cousin doesn't deserve you."

"I might. Are you serious right now, Ian? You'd break up with me through text?"

"I don't ever plan to break up with you, so the question…"

"If you were going to, would you break up with her through text?"

"…No?"

Cress and Vianna unleashed a flurry of blows on Ian, shoving and cursing at him as they drove him away while Kirian cackled, dabbing tears from her eyes. A small cheer arose around them once Ian had been chased away leaving Cress with a swelling feeling of satisfaction.

"I can't believe I'm dating that idiot," Vianna mumbled as the group followed Kirian into the warehouse. "Maybe I really should br…"

Vianna's voice was drowned out by the bone rattling speakers in the laser filled room. It was impossible to hear anyone talking, so they followed Kirian in silence, weaving through groups of energetically exhausted people drenched in sweat even though it was freezing outside. The putrid scent of body odor hung in the air, perpetuated by the flailing arms of the dancers at the next drop. The atmosphere was suffocating to Cress — between the smelly crowd and mind-numbing music she could barely breathe or think. Even Illia seemed uncomfortable, her normally stoic expressionless face visibly twitching with each person that bumped into her and each light that blinded her eye.

"Here we are," Kirian said, closing a heavy metal door behind her. She'd led them to an office with a wall of giant windows overlooking the warehouse that muted all but the loudest cheers and bass drops of the music. "Let's get started."

"Started?" Illia asked, hanging her cloak next to everyone else's coats on the wall.

"You'll see," Cress sighed, scanning the room. It was lavishly decorated with black leather and metal furniture Cress could guarantee cost more than her yearly income. There was a bar and small kitchenette in the corner of the office, but the focal point was the mattress-sized glass coffee table sitting in front of the chairs and sofas looking out the giant windows. Vianna took a seat in a plump chair while Cress took a small sofa with Illia.

"Now that we're all settled…" Kirian's face glowed happily (with the exception of her despondent eyes) and she clapped her hands. Instantly half a dozen servers in all black suits appeared from nowhere and dressed the coffee table with copious amounts of liquor and other drinks. There were a few baggies mixed in, too, which Vianna eyed eagerly. Despite her uptight demeanor, Vianna was Kirian's sister-in-arms when she let her hair down.

"This is just to get us started! These guys," Kirian nodded towards the servers who, upon closer inspection, looked more like bodyguards, "will get you anything you want."

"Kir. Be honest. Did you throw this party?"

A pang of guilt etched its way onto Kirian's smile. "It was for… He said he'd always wanted to…" The sound of her sniffles made Cress want to slap herself for asking.

"Illia," Cress whispered. "Can you drink?"

"I can, though I rarely imbibe."

"Then this is your last chance to run." Illia tilted her head and Cress wished she could explain more. But time was up.

"Enough!" Vianna yelled with a firm clap of her hands. Immediately, a dozen glass shot glasses were aligned in formation in front of her, each filled with a clear liquor that smelled like gasoline. "You know the drill, Cress."

She did, in fact, know the drill and a moment later three poison filled cups were in front of everyone.

"FUCK."

Kirian, Vianna, and Cress all downed their first drink at the start of the cadence, with Illia following closely behind.

"THAT."

The second of the glasses disappeared leaving a sharp tang that pulled at Cress's tongue.

"GUY!"

The girls cheered and slammed their glasses on the table. Cress's stomach was already turning and she quickly grabbed a soda to chase the paint-thinner liquor taste away. Beside her, Illia grimaced as she finished her last glass. Her tongue worked in her mouth and Cress passed her the sugary drink before the taste in Illia's mouth amplified. She didn't know if spiders could vomit, and she didn't want to know.

"Maybe this is a bad idea. I hate to leave Kir, but maybe I should have talked to Illia more first. Then again, she's an adult, right?"

"I am f-fine," Illia said, gagging on the soda but smiling gratefully nonetheless. "I did not expect the drink to be so… potent."

"How did you know I was worried? Did it show on my face?"

Illia shook her head. "I would be a poor mate if I failed to understand my partner's thoughts."

"M-Mate?! Where the hell is this coming from?"

"Hey! What kind of heartless beast flirts with her girlfriend while her friend is suffering from a heartbreak?"

"Yeah, Croissant! You owe me, so you pour the next round."

Rolling her eyes, Cress nudged Illia's shoulder with her head before getting the drinks ready. The number had been reduced to one each, not that counting was going to matter if the night progressed as they usually did.

"You don't have to drink this if you don't want," she whispered as she handed Illia her drink. "There's water or we can leave whenever you want."

"I am fine. Please do not let my presence detract you from your sororal duties."

"Vi, Illia just said 'sororal'. It sounds like something they'd say in one of your old-timey movies."

"That's because she's got class," Vianna retorted. She put something to her lips and pushed it into Kirian's with a peck on the lips. "She's way more sophisticated than either of you idiots. Don't let our little bun make fun of you, Illia."

"But that's what makes her cute," Illia said, surprising the other girls. "She's adorable when she's upset."

"Uh, are you alright?" Cress leaned over Illia and put the backs of her hands on her cheeks. They were hot, hotter than a human's should be but… What did Cress know about spider health care? "Your face is warmer than usual. Are you sure you're—"

"You worry too much, my adorable little sling." Illia was on her feet faster than anyone in the room realized and she scooped Cress into her arms, cradling her like a baby. "Besides, you're the one who's—"

"STOP!"

All eyes shot from Illia and Cress to Vianna who was cradling her own baby while sitting with an open black bottle of brandy in her hand. Her prim and proper intellectual demeanor was gone, replaced by an aura more befitting a Yakuza boss. Even her blue blouse was unbuttoned, revealing her pale torso and black lace bra.

"Explain Illia! How are you so strong?! Not even Ian can pick Cress up like that!"

"Rude," Cress hissed. "Way to call me fat."

"You know that's not what she meant," Kirian said, standing from Vianna's embrace and grabbing Illia's arm. Her eyes flashed in surprise when she squeezed. "She's just saying it doesn't make sense! Look at how skinny Illia's arms are."

"And they're mine!" Cress swatted at Kirian who easily dodged and planted a wet kiss on her cheek. "Mine!"

"I was just dumped," Kirian moaned, throwing the back of her hand on her forehead and swaying backwards onto the couch. "Yet here you are flaunting your love in front of me. Words cannot express the betrayal!"

"Stupid, manipulating… Fine! If that's how you want to do things, Illia! Pick her up, too!"

Without missing a beat, Illia scooped Kirian up with her other arm and brought her to Cress's level. Kirian snatched a bottle of vodka from the table on her way up and tossed the cap away.

"That's more like it! Open up Illy!"

"Illy?! Why is she coming up with a pet name for Illia before me? I'm seriously going to kill this tranch! And who is she to give my girl drinks?"

"Yeah, Illy," Cress said, snatching the bottle from Kirian. "Open… Wait, don—!"

Kirian's eyes widened as Illia opened her mouth, revealing her saw-like teeth. Confusion wracked her face, and then, in typical Kirian fashion, she shrugged and tilted the bottle in Cress's hand to pour the liquor.

"What's wrong?" Vianna asked in a sudden moment of clarity.

"N-Nothing. Right, Illia?"

"Nothing my ass! Illia's got some wild ass teeth, Vi."

"Kir! It's rude to make fun of someone's teeth. She's from a small village in Libya so she probably—"

"Lies!" Illia said in a slightly slurred voice pushed Cress's heart into her throat. "I am the Fif—"

Cress covered Illia's mouth, scraping her palm against Illia's teeth. Small red lines like paper cuts ran across her skin and all eight of Illia's eyes shot open.

"My Darling Sling!" She tossed Kirian onto the chair next to her and grabbed Cress's hand. A soothing wave washed over Cress and the room watched as the cuts faded away.

"We're so fucked! I know she said she didn't drink, but isn't this a bit much?! Teeth, eyes, magic, we're so fucked!"

"Everyone. Out." At Kirian's terse command, the attendants around the room shuffled from the room with concerned glances.

"You've got some explaining to do, Crescent."