Chapter 3

DRASA'S POV

“Weirdo! You came!” I heard someone tell from behind me and I immediately stiffened at the sound, stopping at the door, refusing to take another step into the house.

Fuck this.

I ignored the obvious jab and walked into the room. The music was deafening, vibrating through the crowded space. Everywhere I looked, people were pressed against each other, making out sloppily, downing drinks like their lives depended on it. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke and drinks and I struggled not to gag at the repulsing stench.

Subconsciously, I pulled my sweater tighter around my body, feeling out of place already.

Where the hell was Elara?

I weaved through the room, dodging drunk bodies and ignoring the stares of people who had recognized me. My skin crawled when someone brushed past me. I didn’t belong here. My fingers tightened around my phone as I scanned the crowd, anxiety growing with each confused step that I took forward. Maybe I should just leave.

Just as I turned toward the door, a firm grip latched onto my wrist, stopping me and I almost wrenched my hand away out of fear but then the person spoke up.

“There you are!” a familiar voice said, voice filled with glee.

I spun around. Elara. Her eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t quite place. Something that was a sharp contrast o the nice look in her eyes the previous day. Excitement? Amusement? Before I could process it, she pulled me through the crowd, ignoring my half-hearted protests concerning her sharp and insistent pull.

“You’ll have fun,” she said over the music when she noticed my hesitance. “Your crush is here by the way, you'll get along just fine”

“Crush?” I croaked, feeling my cheeks heat up because I had never… I didn't even know him.

“Yeah. You'll enjoy this”

Doubtful.

Stop, Drasa, you're just being paranoid right now. There's nothing going to go wrong here, you're fine, you need to get used to stuff like this.

She dragged me toward a corner booth where a group of impeccably dressed elites lounged with expensive drinks in their hands. The second I stepped into their circle, the conversations died. Eyes flickered over me, assessing, judging and crawling over my dressing to understand why I was in their presence.

Elites.

I swallowed hard.

“Sit,” Elara commanded, pulling me down beside her before I could think. A server passed by, and she grabbed two drinks, shoving one toward me, her brows raised as she waited for me to accept the drink.

I shook my head, a nervous smile on my face as I struggled to keep my voice from trembling. “I don’t drink.”

A guy across from me, dark-haired with an arrogant smirk, scoffed. “What, scared Mommy and Daddy will ground you?”

Heat rose up my neck, but I ignored him and looked down at my hands instead.

Elara just smirked. “She’s new. Give her time.”

I kept my gaze on my phone, pretending to text, pretending I wasn’t here. Around me, people laughed, whispered, made out like no one else existed. I shifted uncomfortably after what seemed to be an hour but was probably just a few minutes of me being there. Stepping out now would cause a scene definitely and that was the last thing I wanted, I knew I should have stayed home.

“What's with your hair?” A guy slurred, waving his drink at me. “You some kind of freak? I can't get my eyes off that shitty thing”

I stiffened, my fingers curling into fists as I fought to keep myself back from throwing a comment about the slick hair he had. Before I could answer or say anything, Elara chuckled.

“She’s full of surprises,” she said, but there was something off in her tone. Something I immediately I picked up on and something I didn’t like.

“Firstly, she has a huge crush on the golden boy” She revealed to the group who looked at me in scorn at that and I felt myself shifting uncomfortably at that statement ㅡ what was Elara doing?

Then, she slid closer to the circle, grinning. “Actually, Drasa has a job.”

The entire group perked up and so did i. What? How did she know I was a server at a club? My heart pounded in my chest and I nudged her with my leg slightly.

“What kind of job? Thinking she can get with him?” Someone snickered, eyes flickering from Elara to me.

Elara smirked. “Even better. She’s a stripper.”

Laughter exploded around me. My stomach dropped at her lie. Stripper?

“What?” I choked out.

Elara leaned back, stretching her arms and blatantly ignoring me. “Yeah, she works at that club. You know the one. Thought she looked familiar. I found that out yesterday”

More laughter. More taunts. The world around me seemed to spin and my lips slightly parted.

I knew it. I was stupid to think that I could fit in with the elites, she just wanted to humiliate me.

“Ohhh, so she’s not just a freak…she’s a slut too.” The boy who had made a comment about my hair said, his voice filled with mockery

I shot to my feet, my pulse hammering and I felt the urge to break down and cry but no, screw them, I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. “That’s not true.”

But no one was listening. They were laughing, chanting, jeering. “C’mon, sweetheart, give us a show,” one of the guys hooted at me.

My breathing turned ragged and I tried to move, but suddenly, a hand latched onto my wrist.

“Let me go,” I snapped, yanking my arm, but his grip tightened around my arm.

“Why so shy? You take your clothes off for strangers all the time, don’t you?” The boy smirked at me, giving me a slow appraising look.

Laughter. More mocking voices that threatened to swallow me whole.

Panic crept up. I struggled, trying to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go. My vision blurred and my pulse roared in my ears. I could barely hear myself over the noise and over the humiliation tightening around my chest.

“Let. Me. GO!” I snapped.

Then it happened. A surge of anger shot through me and I felt my eyes dim slightly which only meant one thing… My eye color had flickered to the strange purple it did whenever I mistakenly tapped into my witch power.

I saw it in his face first. The way his cocky grin vanished. The way his fingers uncurled instantly and He stumbled back, eyes wide. “What the—”

The laughter stopped as though on cue and panic gripped me.

Everyone was staring.

Shit.

Everyone stared at me. Not laughing anymore. Not mocking anymore. Just… watching.

No, no. I had sworn never to allow a slip up, I couldn't afford anyone finding out. I turned and bolted.

Pushing past bodies, shoving my way down the hall, my heart slamming against my ribs, my hands trembled. I barely registered what had happened, but I knew one thing…I had shown something I shouldn’t have.

I needed to hide or cry. Whichever one came first. I yanked open the first door I found that said bathroom, rushing inside and locking it behind me. My breathing was ragged, my chest heaving.

And then I turned. And froze.

A guy stood there, pulling off his belt, his shirt half-open but at the sight of me, he froze, his lips slightly parted.

Our eyes met and I realized I was staring at the same blue eyed boy I had even come to this goddamn place for but this wasn't the circumstances I had ever wanted to meet him under.

Shit.