Chapter 2: Wipe the dance floor

"Aviana, get up!" I was rudely awakened by Cassie's shrill voice and slap on my arm.

I picked up my glasses and looked at Cassie's attire, "Are you going to a campus welcome party or a VIP nightclub?" I couldn't help the dry remark slip from my lips at the sight of her barely-there, ultra-glam dress. 

"This is called high fashion, but I don't have time to debate with you right now because we are going to be late," Cassie states while getting her glittering purse.

I got to my feet and took the purse Cassie was holding out for me. 

"Just so you know, I packed powder, lipstick, perfume, and mints in there," Cassie rattled off as we hurried out to the car. She spent the entire drive firing off a relentless list of dos and don'ts for the night. 

"You've literally told me that exact same instruction five times, Cassie. I think it's permanently burned into my brain by now," I sighed 

Cassie shot me an unconvinced look as she slowed the car down, scanning the crowded campus lots for an open space. 

When Cassie parked the car, I quickly got out and arranged my tangled clothes on the seat. "Stop bothering me,"  I said to her while watching her retouch her make-up. “Just worry about how to find the man of your dreams!” 

"Tonight is the night. By tomorrow morning, I'm going to walk in with a guy the entire school will be drooling over all semester," Cassie declared, her eyes taking on a dreamy, determined glow as she looked at me. 

“I'll be the first to congratulate you then, just leave me out of the fan club, okay?" I explained to Cassie as we entered the building where the event was being held

Inside, the atmosphere was electric. Students milled about in colorful clusters, chatting and laughing over plastic cups, while a heavy bassline shook the floor from the crowded dance floor ahead.

"See? I told you! This style is totally the trend right now," Cassie shouted over the deafening music.

She wasn't wrong. Looking around, almost every girl in the room wore a variation of the same trend—if a dress wasn't backless, it was plunging dangerously low in the front.

We went into the gymnasium where the event was being hosted.

I was quickly dragged to a table by Cassie, who also brought me a drink

"Drink up! The welcome committee spiked the punch so everyone could actually loosen up tonight," Cassie grinned, taking a bold sip from her own glass.

My eyes widened in immediate panic. I shoved the cup away so fast it slipped from my fingers, shattering against the concrete floor.

"Aviana, let's dance!" Cassie whispered to me as her eyes were fixed on the two men.

Who were on the dance floor and surrounded by women. I couldn't refuse when she pulled me onto the dancefloor.

Cassie immediately squeezes herself into the group. Because Cassie was still holding my hand, I was stuck in the middle and lost my balance... 

Such was my appreciation for the hands that kept me from falling. I opened my eyes right away to give thanks to the person who had saved me.

"Thank-" 

The words died instantly in my throat as I looked up into the face of the person holding me. 

"Well, hello there, nerd," Carl sneered. The smug, amused twist of his lips told me everything I needed to know. He was planning something terrible again.

I wasn't quite done considering what it might be. When I feel Carl, release me... Causing me from falling directly to the floor...

"Oops... my hand must have slipped," Carl drawled, looking down at me with feigned innocence. 

The cruel trick echoed across the dance floor. Heads turned, and a burst of mocking laughter erupted from the surrounding students, rippling all the way to the tables lining the walls.

"Let me help you up," Carl said, flashing a sickeningly sweet smile as he extended a hand downward.

But as soon as I extended my hand, Carl the jerk dragged me to the ground, which made the onlookers laugh even harder at us.

I just closed my eyes, hiding my burning face, desperately trying to find a silver lining. At least the gymnasium floor was smooth and polished—if it had been rough concrete, my skin would have been covered in raw scratches. 

"This is the new dancing move... And we call it "Wipe the dance floor.!" Carl states and continues to drag me.

Before he could pull me any further, he collided with someone standing in his path, forcing him to stop. Warm tears stung my eyes, blurring my vision so completely that I couldn't make out who had stepped in. 

"Hey! Can't you see you're blocking my way?" Carl was furious.

The man completely ignored him. Instead, he knelt down, gently taking my arm and helping me back to my feet. With my lenses smeared with tears, I couldn't catch a clear glimpse of his face, but I managed a breathless, "Thank you," before I moved away and ignored Cassie's calling.

The stranger turned his attention to Carl, a cool, unbothered smile touching his lips. "Is that what you call a new dance move?" he asked smoothly. 

Carl sneered, puffing out his chest as he stepped right up to the new guy. "What, you want to try it yourself?" 

Without a word of warning, Carl lunged forward, grabbing the man's arm and attempting a swift, brutal takedown to slam him onto the floor. 

"Is this right? After this, I need to drag you... right?" the man asked as he began to drag Carl to the ground.

Phones instantly flashed into the air as the surrounding students whipped out their cameras to record every second. The crowd from the tables surged forward onto the dance floor, buzzing with shock and disbelief at the sight of someone finally putting Brookfield's resident bully in his place. 

"Who is that guy?"

"I heard he's a new transfer student..." 

"Damn, he is seriously hot." 

Cassie stopped chasing her friend when she saw the man the students were talking about now... "Oh... wow. He is boyfriend material," she whispered to herself, completely transfixed by the handsome newcomer. 

——*——

Meanwhile, I got out quickly, and now I'm walking in the middle of the dark road... 

"Damn you, Carl! I swear I'm going to make you pay for this," I sighed and spoke to myself in a low voice.

The tears that never stopped streaming from my eyes made it impossible for me to see the road...

When I heard a terrible howl, I was in a very bad place.

Despite my fear, I kept on walking.

My glasses were completely smeared and useless from the tears, so I took them off, squinting into the gloom. A sudden motion caught my eye—a fast, shadowy shape darting through the trees. I tracked it with my gaze, holding my breath, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. 

I slipped my glasses back on and took another step. 

But I was so terrified when something jumped on me out of nowhere, causing me to tumble to the ground and roll on the grass.

When I stopped rolling, I immediately looked for my glasses that had been removed ... 

"Darn it! What was that?!" I whimpered, my hands shaking violently as I swept across the grass. 

I felt relieved when I found my glasses.

But my relief immediately disappeared when I heard the growling...

——*——