Under the Strawberry Moon

The Party

Danielle and Christina arrived back at the house, where Christina’s parents were already prepping for the night. The place was decorated, not overly fancy, but enough to show effort. String lights hung in the backyard, music played softly from speakers, and the smell of snacks filled the air.

Christina threw her arms around her parents. “Thank you guys so much for letting me throw this party! The house looks amazing.”

Before they could disappear into the kitchen, Christina’s mom stopped them, arms crossed but a small smile playing on her lips. “We’ll be upstairs. We don’t care what you do, but if we hear anything getting out of control, we’re shutting it down.”

Her dad, less amused, added, “No cops. No broken furniture. No blood.”

The way he said it made Danielle blink, but she brushed it off as a weird joke. Christina just laughed, waving them off.

“Don't worry, don't worry. Nothing bad is going to happen tonight.”

Mr. Reed shot a wary glance toward Danielle. For a brief moment, she wondered why, but Christina grabbed her hand and pulled her away before she could dwell on it.

Over the next half hour, the house filled with classmates. Danielle did her best to socialize, but she was quickly realizing how few of these people she had actually spoken to in the last four years of high school—and how little she had in common with them.

She wanted to relax. Nursing a soda, she leaned against the counter, trying to blend in. For a moment, it felt like a normal night.

Then Seth walked in, stepping through the doorway like he owned the place, all confidence and sharp eyes. He spotted her immediately.

Danielle stiffened, her fingers tightening around her cup.

Christina, of course, noticed.

“Ooooh,” she sing-songed, nudging Danielle. “There’s your future husband.”

Danielle scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Not even funny.”

Christina grinned. “Come on, the tension is unbearable. It’s like you two are in a rom-com—the angsty kind where you argue for an hour before making out.”

Danielle choked on her drink. “We’re not—there’s no making out—God, why would you even—”

Christina just winked and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Danielle flustered and far too aware of Seth’s presence.

Everything felt too loud, overwhelming. She could feel his eyes on her. Trying to ignore him, she turned and walked out into the backyard, where Christina had gone.

Christina spotted her and waved her over. She was deep in conversation with someone bragging about the Ivy League school they’d gotten into. Danielle tried to focus, but her thoughts were scattered. She just nodded along, unable to actually engage.

She could feel his eyes still on her. The weight of Seth’s presence pressed on her, making the air feel heavier. She needed a break.

“I’ll be back,” she murmured to Christina before slipping inside and heading to the bathroom. The moment she locked the door behind her, the world went quiet.

Danielle leaned against the sink, staring at her reflection. Her face was too pale under the harsh fluorescent light. Her eyes looked too wide, like she was barely keeping herself together.

“What is wrong with me?” she whispered.

She really looked at herself. Hair a little messy, skin a little damp with sweat. Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the sink.

The full moon was pulling at her. She could feel it—deep in her bones, under her skin.

“You’re not like them.” The words slipped out before she could think, and the weight of them settled in her chest.

She let out a hollow laugh. “Oh yeah, real mature. Great job talking to yourself now. Maybe it’ll help.”

But it didn’t help. Nothing felt right. Not the way Seth had looked at her. Not the way her heart wouldn’t stop racing. And certainly not the whisper of the moon, creeping into her thoughts, dragging at her like it knew her name.

Her breath hitched. For just a second—just a second—her reflection changed. Her eyes went darker. Her teeth looked sharper. She blinked, and everything was normal again.

"You're being paranoid. Get a grip."

But even as she said it, a shiver ran down her spine.

A loud knock on the door made her jump.

“You okay in there?” Christina’s voice filtered through the wood, concerned.

Danielle exhaled sharply, shaking her head to clear it. One last glance in the mirror—just her, looking exhausted—before she forced herself to move.

She unlocked the door. Christina stood there, eyes scanning her face.

Danielle shrugged it off with a tight smile. “Let’s just get through this night, okay?”

Danielle did her best to ignore Seth. But it seemed like he was following her. She slipped out the front door to get away from the crowd and the noise. It was all a bit too much. The cool air was refreshing and she was grateful for the silence, stepping down off the porch and taking a seat on the cool grass.

But it didn't last. She heard the front door open and close. She felt his eyes and knee it was him, but still audibly groaned when she looked over. So he was following her.

She quickly stood up. “Go away.”

He just watched her intently, not speaking.

“I'd actually really like to be alone right now, if you didn't mind.” She felt herself getting angry as he stood there silent. “Are you just going to ignore me?”

He came down the stairs of the porch towards her, his lips pulling up into a smirk. “You’re feeling it, aren’t you?”

Danielle frowned. “Feeling what?”

“The moon. The pull.”

A flicker of unease coiled in her stomach, but she refused to let him be right. She scoffed. “You sound insane.”

Seth stepped closer, voice low. “You think this is normal? The way your skin itches? The way everything feels too loud? You can pretend all you want, but your body knows the truth.”

Her pulse pounded. “You don’t know anything about me.” She turned on her heel and started to walk away.

“I know what you are.”

Danielle froze.

Heat surged up her neck as she spun back around. “Yeah, you said that. So what does any of this have to do with the fact that I'm a homeless, futureless, loser?” Her voice dropped to a low hiss, and she shoved him back.

Seth barely moved. His expression didn’t change. “I never said it did.”

“Then what do you even know? Nothing! You know nothing!” Her heart pounded against her ribs. Her breath came too fast, too ragged. Her bones ached.

Seth leaned in one last time, calm and certain. “You can fight it all you want. But when the moon’s at its peak? You’ll see.”

Danielle stormed off, shaking, something inside her clawing to get out.