~You're in danger~

After the showdown with Selena which had spread rapidly, a few people stopped by to say hello or to invite her and Christie to their side of the party where they were playing games and drinking. Luckily for both, they were underaged and couldn't join in their drinking spree. She spotted a few of her classmates who were currently doing heavy drinking in some dark corners.

"I don't believe those two. How can they be underaged and drinking?"

Christie shook her head, unable to believe her eyes. "I know right. Why is alcohol made available to every living being in this party? It's wrong but I don't think the host gives a hoot about it."

"What's up people?" A dark haired guy who climbed up on of the speakers, boomed into a microphone. The atmosphere switched and every other person, except her and Christie, went crazy with excitement. He gave a side grin at their responses. R"I see you."

"I love you!" A girl yelled out, frantically bouncing on her feet. The guy winked in her direction and her scream intensified. Aurora winced at how loud the girl was. Obviously, she was a minor with such enormous crush on a person like him.

Afterwards, she returned her attention back to the guy who was showing off the black stud earring on his ear and waving his wrist to and fro. He sure looked like the host but more like the flaunting type if his constant waving was anything to consider.

"I want to thank you all for honouring my invitation to this party. You know it's only a little while before I exit Chesterfield high as a senior. Not just me, but the rest of my mates who are in this place tonight." A loud cheer rang out, then everywhere became calm in a few seconds.

"I want you to have a lot of fun. There's so much to drink and a lot of privacy but do not go into the main house. Anywhere else but that. It is off limits and anyone caught wandering around there would be thrown out." He deadpanned, saying the last words.

Christie nudged Aurora by the ribs, speaking from the side of her mouth. "Is it just me or does that guy look really creepy now? Everywhere has gone dead silent."

Aurora replied in the same manner. "Nope, it's not. I'm seeing and hearing the same thing you are. The emphasis on not venturing into the house makes me want to activate detective mode."

They tried their hardest to laugh as discreetly as they could without anyone giving them the stink eye. "That said, let's keep this party going, DJ!" The guy announced, waving his wrist again. More like he wanted everyone to go blind with the twinkling lights from the expensive piece of jewelry around his wrist.

Before the guy jumped off the elevated platform he was standing on, his eyes locked onto Aurora in a hazy moment. They remained that way until she was forced to avert her gaze.

Christie stood in front of her, suddenly putting an end to the uncomfortable look he was giving. She gave a silent thanksgiving to God for that. When she tried to fall into steps with Christie, her mind kept diverting to the creepy stare down with the spooky guy. There was a sinking feeling that something was off.

Luckily, Christie kept distracting her from thinking so much. Her dance was so contagious that Aurora decided to join in, throwing all cares to the wind. It was a crowded party afterall and nothing could go wrong in the glare of everyone present. There was therefore no reason for her to fret.

An hour later of fun and sweat, Christie and Aurora settled on an old bench overlooking the entrance of the party and every other party guests. They were thirsty and drained from all the dancing they had done.

"I'll go get us drinks. My throat is so parched. Wanna come?" Christie offered, standing up.

Aurora shook her head, trying to catch her breath. "Don't worry, I'll be here waiting. Go ahead and get them."

She hesitated. "Are you sure Selena wouldn't come bothering you? We could abandon drinks if that will be the case or you come with me. That's safer. Not to mention the guys going crazy over your body since we walked in here."

"I'll be fine, mother hen. I can defend myself if anything goes wrong. I wasn't taught defense lessons for nothing." She bragged in reply before shooing Christie away. "Just go. I'll wait for you."

As she walked away for drinks, Aurora smiled thinking of how lucky she was to be bestowed with someone like Christie after her last failure in choosing the right friends. A short while later, her phone dinged. It was a message which drew her attention. She looked at it, smiling as she read Dolores' message. The girl chose to still check in on her despite the date she had with her brother.

"How thoughtful." Aurora cooed sweetly with a grin, while typing in her reply.

She had clicked on the send button when someone walked in front of her. Curiously, she raised her head to find a pair of familiar dark eyes looking back at her. The same eyes that had haunted her dreams for more than three weeks since she saw them. Now she was face to face with him.

"Hey."

"Hi."

They both spoke at the same time then laughed at how creepy it was. She gestured to herself with a gentle smile.

"I should go first."

He chuckled lowly. "Alright, the floor is yours."

"I think I know you. You were the one who saved me that night, weren't you?"

He nodded in affirmative.

"Thank you for your selflessness. I thought I was going to die in that water." Her eyes twinkled in the night light as she stood up to look at him.

"You can save that for another time. What if I told you that you aren't safe here anymore?" He asked, matter of factly.

"I'd say it's sort of weird how you go about looking for girls to save in night parties. Is that how you get their number?" She asked, finding herself liking how his lips half stretched into a dazzling smile.

"I'll be foolish to be joking about in the face of danger." His gaze suddenly became serious. Too serious. "Look, there's something bad planned for you and you have to get the hell out of here now. Can you trust me on this?"

She let out a nervous laugh in reply. "Trust you? This is the technically the first time we're seeing each other. How do you expect me to just trust you?"

He scanned the area around him before his gaze fell back on the girl who bore an unimpressed look on her face. "There isn't enough time to explain what is going to happen. Grab your stuff and come with me."

"I can't do that. What happens to Christie? Wouldn't I be leaving her in danger as well?" Her gray eyes shone with worry for her life. Indeed, he saved her once but that wasn't enough reason to trust his judgement. There was no proof that he wasn't the danger himself.

The guy threw another hasty look behind his shoulder. "Look, I can walk out of here and leave you to your doom but I won't. The next  minute wasted by standing here will be dangerous for you. You coming?"

She didn't budge from where she stood. Her chin was tilted in childish stubbornness. "What about my friend? She went to get drinks for the both of us and I promised her I'll be waiting here. Will she be safe too? What do you think will happen if she comes back and cannot find me?"

The guy slapped a hand against his forehead. "The only one in danger is you. Any minute now, they'll come for--" He paused mid sentence, his eyes fixated on something above her head which she couldn't see.

"What are you--" She began to protest.

He clasped his hand over her mouth, motioning for her to be quiet. He leaned down to hiss into her ear. "Follow me. I'll explain later."

Alarmed at the sudden switch in his actions, she immediately trailed after him into the shadows. He did save her once when no one else wanted to. As much as she felt that following a stranger was wrong, her gut feeling spoke otherwise for some reason she could not comprehend.

"But where are you taking me to?" She asked as quietly as she could manage through harsh breathing. He was taking long strides while she barely managed to keep up by half jogging and half running.

"Safety." He replied over his shoulder but didn't slow down his steps. Soon, they came to an opening where he stopped in front of a sleek black jeep. He turned to wait for her with his feet impatiently tapping the ground.

Aurora arrived a few seconds after with her hair now scattered all over the place. She bent double with her hands on her knees, wheezing. "How fast do you walk?"

Her question was met with an eerie hush. She lifted her head to observe what was happening and realized he was suddenly standing too close for comfort. Something felt odd as he pinned her with a lingering stare. She took several steps backwards in alarm, figuring out that she had been lured into a trap.

Unfortunately, he was right on her trail. Pulling her flush against his chest with one hand, his other hand reached out to cover her nose using a handkerchief soaked in chloroform.

In a state of struggle, she took a whiff of the sweet smelling liquid which knocked her out cold. Slowly, her defensive body calmed into a helpless one as she slipped into his waiting arms. Hoisting her unconscious body onto his shoulders, he walked to his car, depositing her in it.

"I'm sorry, Beautiful." The stranger murmured before the car's engine revved to life. Giving her one last look through the rearview mirror, he backed out of there and onto the main road.

~~~{•}~~~

I know you're going to kill me for this but it had to happen.
Relax guys... Lol

Leave a vote if this was your best chapter yet
~~Chignature~~