Part Two

Chapter One, Part Two

Esther pushes her way through the crowd with a grimace.

She just needs a little peace and quiet.

Standing there while Shea stared at her with that unmistakable you don't belong here look had been enough to make her feel completely out of place. She only hopes Quinn doesn't think she's upset with him.

For now, she just needs room to breathe.

Glancing around, she spots a hallway lined with doors. Hopefully, the bathrooms are down there.

She's never been comfortable in crowds. Being surrounded by so many people always feels like drifting alone in the middle of an ocean, hundreds of voices all around her, yet somehow leaving her feeling even more isolated.

At school, Esther is what most people would call an outsider.

She has a few close friends—Quinn, of course, being the closest—but most students keep their distance.

It all started when she was a child.

Back then, she hadn't yet learned to live with the things she saw.

One day during class, she'd frozen in the doorway. A memory stood in the middle of the classroom, staring into nothingness. Esther had been far too young to understand what she was seeing.

When the teacher asked why she wouldn't come inside, she'd answered with complete sincerity.

"There's a dead person in there."

By now, she knows better.

She understands that the figures she sees are only memories, and most of the time she barely reacts when one appears.

But plenty of people had heard what she said that day.

Children have long memories when it comes to someone being different.

The teasing started almost immediately. They called her weird, crazy, a freak. What began as childish jokes slowly became labels that followed her from one school year to the next.

Some people eventually forgot why they avoided Esther.

They just knew she was the weird girl.

Walking over to the door, Esther pushes it open and lets out a quiet sigh of relief.

The bathroom is small, dimly lit by strips of neon lighting—probably to match the atmosphere of the party.

She closes the door behind her and walks over to one of the sinks, lifting her gaze to the mirror.

"I'm an idiot."

She mutters the words to her reflection.

She already regrets coming. She'd known exactly how this night would go. She'd barely arrived, and she already wanted to leave.

"I'm an idiot. An idiot. An idiot..." She groans, dropping her head. "Ugh..."

The sudden creak of a door makes her jump.

One of the three bathroom stalls slowly swings open.

Leaning casually against the doorway stands a tall woman dressed almost entirely in black. A worn leather jacket hangs from her shoulders. Long, slender fingers with black-painted nails loosely hold a cigarette. Her fair skin contrasts sharply with her long, messy black hair, while dark, smoky eye makeup gives her an effortlessly striking appearance.

Hadley Rivers.

She simply stands there, her expression unreadable as she watches Esther.

Esther knows who Hadley is.

Not well, only from hearing.

They've never really spoken.

"Well... that's embarrassing," Esther says with a weak smile, a little startled by the sudden company. "Please tell me you didn't hear any of that."

Hadley doesn't answer right away. Her dark gaze remains fixed on Esther, the unlit cigarette still resting between her fingers. It looks like she'd been about to smoke before Esther walked in, abandoning the idea the moment the door opened.

Now that Esther gets a better look at her, she notices Hadley's eyes are hazel. The heavy smoky makeup makes them appear almost black, but whenever the neon light catches them just right, a hint of green shines through.

"I've heard worse," Hadley finally replies, idly flicking her lighter open and shut.

Esther raises an eyebrow, a small grin tugging at her lips.

"Do I even want to know?"

Hadley lights the cigarette and takes a slow drag before letting out a dry chuckle.

"People never bother checking if someone's already in the bathroom at parties." She exhales a thin stream of smoke. "A couple came in a few minutes ago for a quickie."

Esther grimaces.

"You stayed in the stall while they...?"

Hadley arches an eyebrow.

"...Had sex? Yeah." She shrugs. "I'd rather listen to that than go back out there."

She nods toward the bathroom door, beyond which the music continues to shake the walls.

Esther nods in agreement.

"You know what? Same."

She sighs and leans against the wall beside the sinks. Outside, the song changes, another bass-heavy track replacing the last.

"I don't think parties like this are ever going to be my thing."

"Then why come?" Hadley asks plainly, her eyes settling back on Esther.

"I thought I'd give it a chance..." Esther says with an awkward laugh, absentmindedly fiddling with the camera hanging around her neck. "I mean, I kind of knew it'd suck. So maybe I'm just a masochist, or I just..."

"...Want to fit in."

The words leave both of them at exactly the same time.

Esther's eyes widen as she turns toward Hadley.

Hadley doesn't return the look.

She simply keeps her gaze fixed on the door.

Silence settles between them.

Outside, the music changes again.

This time it's something lighter, probably a pop song someone requested from the DJ.

"I'm Esther," she says at last, breaking the quiet.

"I know who you are." Hadley's expression barely changes. "Esther Grey. We have history classes together."

She pauses for a moment, as if she's about to add something, but decides against it.

"Ah... right." Esther reaches up to adjust her beanie.

"Hadley."

"Nice to officially meet you, Hadley." Esther offers her a small smile.

For the first time, Hadley's lips curl into a faint smile of her own.

"Yeah."

Neither of them says anything else.

Surprisingly, the silence isn't awkward this time.

--------------------------------------

Quinn pushes his way through the crowd, his eyes constantly searching for Esther, but with no luck.

His hair, now slightly messy, clings to his forehead as the heat from so many bodies turns the house into an oven.

He finally stops near the drinks table with a tired sigh.

He'd already tried looking for the bathrooms, but this place felt more like a maze than a house.

He just hoped Esther hadn't gotten herself into trouble.

Or worse...

Run into Thomas.

Thomas Lockwood is the captain of the soccer team, which naturally makes him one of the more popular guys at school. But despite his reputation, Quinn has never liked him. Thomas has a history of being manipulative, arrogant, and downright creepy.

For the past year, his attention has been fixed on Esther.

Quinn knows exactly what kind of person Thomas is, and he does everything he can to keep him away from his best friend. Fortunately, Esther has never shown the slightest interest in Thomas—or anyone else, for that matter—which makes it easier.

Still, Esther knows firsthand what a creep Thomas can be.

"Looking for someone?"

Quinn nearly jumps out of his skin as Amelia suddenly appears beside him, a beer bottle in one hand and a grin plastered across her face.

"Jesus..." He presses a hand to his chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," Amelia says, sounding not the least bit sorry. She takes another sip of her beer before smirking. "Actually, no I'm not."

Quinn rolls his eyes.

"So..." Amelia nudges his arm with her elbow. "Who're you looking for? Let me guess..." She pretends to think for a moment. "Esther?"

He nods.

"She disappeared the second Shea and Jordan came over."

Amelia winces.

"Yeah... I'd disappear too." She glances toward the crowded living room. "Shea's exhausting enough when she's sober. I can't imagine dealing with her at a party."

Quinn lets out a quiet laugh.

"She wasn't actually that bad."

"No?" Amelia raises an eyebrow.

"She at least told me Esther headed toward the bathrooms."

"Huh." Amelia shrugs. "Well... that's surprisingly decent of her."

A group of laughing students squeezes between them, forcing Quinn to step aside before someone spills a drink all over his jacket.

"This house is ridiculous," he mutters, looking around. "I've been trying to find the bathrooms for ten minutes. It's like someone designed the floor plan after getting drunk."

Amelia bursts out laughing.

"It's Daniel Silver's house. Rich people love making houses unnecessarily complicated."

"So I'm not the only one getting lost?"

"Oh, absolutely not." She points down a hallway to the right. "Go that way. At the very end, next to the DJ booth, you'll find the bathrooms."

Quinn follows where she's pointing before looking back at her.

"You've been here before?"

"A couple of times." Amelia grins.

"Well, thanks."

"No problem." Amelia lifts her beer in a small salute. "Go save your bestie."

"I'll try."

Without another word, Quinn disappears back into the crowd, while Amelia watches him go with an amused shake of her head before taking another sip of her drink.

--------------------------------------

"You like photography?" Hadley nods toward the camera.

The two of them had made themselves surprisingly comfortable in the bathroom, neither in any hurry to leave. Hadley sat on the cold floor with her back against the wall, one arm resting on her raised knee while her fingers idly flicked her lighter open and shut. Across from her, Esther sat cross-legged, the camera resting carefully in her lap.

"Yeah, I do." Esther smiled softly. "I've had this camera for as long as I can remember. My grandmother told me it belonged to my mother. Since it's the only thing I have that reminds me of her, I grew attached to it."

She gently runs her thumb along the worn gray body.

"Eventually, I grew attached to photography too. It might be an older model, but I still adore it."

Hadley studies the camera for a moment.

"You must be pretty good, then. Ever thought about doing it professionally?"

"Eh..." Esther scratches the back of her neck with a nervous smile. "It's not exactly something most people see as a useful profession. I guess I just don't see it taking me very far."

She glances down at the camera again.

Hadley lets out a quiet snort.

"Living your life thinking you need to do something useful for the world will destroy you." She shrugs. "You clearly love it, so why the fuck not make something out of it?"

Esther blinks.

"...I never really thought about it like that."

"I figured."

Hadley leans forward slightly, her usual indifference replaced with mild curiosity.

"Can I?"

She nods toward the camera.

Esther hesitates for only a second before handing it over.

Hadley turns it over carefully in her hands, inspecting every corner.

"...It's heavier than I expected."

"It's old."

"Hm." Hadley taps the metal casing with a black-painted fingernail. "Feels like it'd survive being thrown through a wall."

Esther laughs.

"I've never tested that."

"Yet."

Another laugh escapes Esther before she can stop herself.

Outside, someone pounds on the bathroom door. Before it starts to open—

"Occupied!" Hadley calls without even looking away from the camera.

A muffled "Sorry!" comes from the other side before footsteps disappear down the hallway.

Hadley finally hands the camera back.

"So..." she says, leaning against the wall again. "What do you usually photograph?"

"Oh, well..." Esther hugs the camera to her chest. "A bit of everything, I guess. Old buildings, empty rooms, streets, forests..." She shrugs. "Whatever catches my eye."

She smiles to herself.

"Every photograph that caught a memory."

Hadley's eyes linger on her for a second.

"...That's a weird way to put it."

Esther freezes.

"Oh—I mean..." She laughs awkwardly. "Like... memories with family, places you've been... that kind of thing."

Hadley keeps looking at her for another moment.

Then she simply nods.

"Hm."

A comfortable silence settles between them.

After a few seconds, Hadley speaks again.

"Got a favorite?"

Esther's expression brightens almost instantly.

"An abandoned greenhouse."

"Seriously?"

She nods.

"It was completely overgrown. The glass roof was broken, vines had climbed over everything..." She smiles as she remembers it. "It looked forgotten."

"Sounds depressing."

"It was beautiful."

Hadley studies her.

"What about you?" Esther asks, genuine curiosity in her voice. "Is there something you love doing?"

Hadley hums, leaning back against the wall.

"I played the guitar every now and then, if that counts."

Esther's eyes light up.

"Are you kidding? I'd love to hear you play sometime."

Hadley lets out a quiet snort.

"I haven't touched it in months." She shrugs. "But we'll see. Maybe I'll get motivated enough."

After a moment, Hadley glances toward the ceiling, as if searching for another answer.

"I'm into old things, too."

"Like antiques?"

"Nah."

"Museums?"

"Too clean," she flatly says. Esther lets out a small laugh.

"Then what?"

"Abandoned places." Hadley's gaze drifts back to Esther. "Forgotten junk. Shit people leave behind because no one wants it anymore."

She pulls another cigarette from the pack, lights it, and takes a slow drag.

"I think we have a lot in common." Esther smiles before glancing toward the bathroom door. "So... did you come here alone, or...?"

"I got dragged here by a friend." Hadley rolls her eyes. "Then she disappeared the moment we arrived."

She exhales smoke toward the ceiling.

"Good for her if she wants to get wasted, but why force me to come if she's just going to leave me alone?"

She stares at the cigarette between her fingers. "I hate this place."

Her eyes linger on the glowing tip of the cigarette before lifting to meet Esther's.

"But yeah..." A faint smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. "I guess we do have a lot in common."

Esther can't help but smile.

Somehow, sitting on the grimy bathroom floor with a girl she'd barely spoken to before felt far more enjoyable than being out there with the music and the crowds. The fluorescent lights flicker overhead, but neither of them bothers to move.

"You know..." Esther says after a moment, "I would've guessed you actually liked parties like this."

Hadley looks at her as though she'd just committed a personal offense.

"Please." She scoffs. "Why would I want to spend my night surrounded by sweaty, drunk idiots, getting shoved around in some rich guy's house?"

Esther lets out a quiet laugh.

Hadley continues before she can reply.

"And the second I walk out there, either the cheerleaders stare at me like I'm some kind of alien, or a bunch of wannabe tough guys start throwing comments around."

Esther's smile fades.

"Oh..." She looks down. "I didn't mean—"

Hadley shrugs.

"It's fine."

"No, I just..." Esther hesitates. "You look like someone who has a lot of people who like you."

For the first time since they'd met, Hadley seems genuinely caught off guard.

Her eyes widen ever so slightly before she buries the reaction beneath her usual indifferent expression.

She slowly shakes her head. The smile on her face is there, but it's flatter than before.

The smell of cigarette smoke lingers in the air. Outside, laughter echoes through the hallway as someone stumbles past the bathroom door.

Silence settles between them.

Then Hadley speaks.

"You're not the only weirdo here, Gray Eyes."

Esther looks up from the tiled floor, pulled from her thoughts by Hadley's quiet voice.

Hadley leans against the cold wall, cigarette resting lazily between her fingers. Smoke curls toward the ceiling while her hazel eyes remain fixed on Esther with an expression that feels strangely... understanding. Loose strands of black hair fall across her face, but she doesn't bother brushing them away.

Look out, a weirdo in the wild!

Did you see any dead people today, weirdo?

Don't touch her, you'll get cursed too.

Laughter.

Hands shoving her in the hallway.

Voices following her wherever she went.

Esther's smile turns bitter.

She looks away, fixing her eyes on the cracked bathroom wall as if she could scrub the memories from her mind. She can feel Hadley's eyes on her, as if she can read her mind. She decides to say something first, before the silence defeats her.

"Gray Eyes?"

Hadley looks at her. "You have gray eyes."

"That's your nickname?"

Hadley shrugs. "I'm not very creative."

"Do—"

Before Esther can answer, the bathroom door swings open.

Quinn stands in the doorway.

The moment his eyes land on the two girls sitting on the bathroom floor, he freezes. His gaze shifts from Esther to Hadley, then back again. For a brief second, confusion flashes across his face.

"Quinn?" Esther says, startled as she quickly gets to her feet.

"There you are." Relief washes over his face as he lets out a long breath. "You have no idea how long it took me to get through that crowd just to find you."

He brushes the hair out of his eyes before looking her over.

"You okay?"

Esther nods immediately. "Yeah, of course."

Only then does Quinn's expression soften.

"Good." He sighs. "Next time, at least tell me you're leaving. One second you were next to me, and the next you were gone."

"I'm sorry." Esther offers him an apologetic smile. "The crowd just got to be too much, and... I didn't want to interrupt."

"You wouldn't have."

"I know." She scratches the back of her neck. "I just..."

She trails off.

Quinn smiles reassuringly. "I would've come with you."

A quiet voice interrupts them.

"Who are you? Her babysitter?"

Both of them turn toward Hadley.

She hasn't moved from her spot on the floor, one knee drawn up, the cigarette nearly burned down between her fingers.

Quinn meets her gaze.

"Hadley."

He says her name evenly, though there's a clear edge to his voice.

Hadley raises an eyebrow.

"Relax." She gestures lazily toward Esther with the cigarette. "She survived twenty minutes without you."

Esther lets out an embarrassed laugh. "We were just talking."

Quinn glances at her. "I noticed."

His eyes drift back to Hadley for a second before returning to Esther.

He still can't quite wrap his head around it.

Esther...

Talking comfortably with Hadley Rivers.

Of all people.

Silence lingers for a moment before Quinn gestures toward the hallway.

"We should go outside." Quinn grimaces. "It's disgustingly hot in here."

"Oh—" Esther turns to Hadley. "Would you like to come with us?"

"I'll pass."

Hadley's answer is short, but her eyes briefly meet Quinn's before looking away again.

Esther tries not to let it show, but the disappointment on her face is hard to miss.

Quinn gently takes her by the arm and leads her toward the door. Before stepping out, Esther manages a small wave toward the black-haired girl still sitting on the bathroom floor.

"Uh... then... it was nice meeting you!"

Hadley lets out a quiet snort.

"You too, Gray Eyes."

The bathroom door swings shut behind them.

(end of part two)