UNLOCKED

A GROWING STORM

Lily and I were close. Close enough to know a lot about her, a lot that not many people knew about her. But there were still a few things even I didn’t know about her.

Just like these so-called friends. I’ve seen her with them on many occasions, and they seem to always move further away to talk about whatever was so secret.

I had asked her if she was good and not into something she felt she had no way out of. She had told me she was good on many occasions. The two guys and a girl in the group were really decent, they just had that serious gang look to them that was all.

I just shrugged it off. If she was good, then there were no reasons for me to pry further.

I’m the type of guy that likes my privacy, so encroaching into another person’s privacy is not something I would do.

I sighed. The thought of having to find something to wear for this party was already getting me tired, not to mention the fact that I actually have to leave the house.

“Aaahhhh... it feels so stressful. They could come over here to have the party,”. I mumbled.

I sighed again and then got up. There was still some good two hours before it was 5p.m. I could start looking for what to wear from then. For now, I’ll just play the last of us.

I must have zoned out for a while. My phone flashed and vibrated wildly, finally catching my eye. I quickly pulled off the headset and answered the call.

The furious voice of a very pissed Lily immediately blasted in my ears. I had to hold the phone at arms length before she ruptured my ear drums.

“Do you know what time it is? I bet you thought you could get away with this right. No, Isaac! It’s a big NO! You better get you ass down here, or else I’m not going to be speaking to you for weeks!”. She screamed. She was even louder than the music that was playing in the background, and that was saying something.

I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Geez! I only lost track of time. I’ll be there in half an hour,”. I replied.

“Better be!”. She yelled back before hanging up the phone.

“This is so much stress for the evening,”. I groaned.

I was already four hours deep into the last of us, and if not for the calls, I’d probably play till midnight until I realised that I had to be somewhere.

I hit the showers and then picked out something simple to wear. It looked too casual, but since it was a nighttime party, I was sure many would be too woozy to think much about what I wore in the end.

The sky outside was showing signs that there might be rain in a couple of hours. I guess the party won’t stop because of that.

We all know how most of these parties go. It would even get wilder by the time the rain started falling. I definitely wasn’t going to stick around for that.

I managed to get a cab to take me there, and by the time I got there, the party was already in full gear. I, for one, was stunned.

Seems things escalated a lot faster than I anticipated.

I quickly texted Lily to let her know I was outside. She came right out in the next minute, looking stunning.

She wore a backless midnight blue dress that stopped a few inches above her knees and exposed a nice amount of cleavage which she covered up with a black leather jacket and finally a pair over black over knees heels.

I took in her look in one breath.

“You look nice,”. I let out.

“And you look like you didn’t come here looking to bag any chicks, but you’re doing a bad job even at that. Next time, wear a mask so your tempting face would be hidden,”. Lily replied.

“Huh... found a new way to tell a guy he’s good-looking even when he’s not even trying. If I didn’t know better, I would say you were hitting on me just right now,”. I replied with a smirk.

“You don’t know any better dumb, dumb. You just think you do. Let’s go inside,”. She nodded toward the entrance.

We walked in, and I was immediately slammed with the full force of the techno beats blasting from the speakers. I couldn’t even hear myself over the music.

Leaning close to Lily’s ear, I yelled.

“This is not what I expected!”. I said.

“It’s a party! What were you expecting! Beethoven?!”. She yelled back in my ears.

I chuckled lightly.

She pulled me all the way over to the makeshift bar and got us both beers.

“Cheers!”. She yelled, clinking her bottle against mine.

I gave her an eye roll and a small smile.

“You know, this is the first party I’ve ever attended,”. I said.

Lily laughed.

“Look at you! Becoming a man already!”. She yelled.

“Haha! Very funny,”. I yelled back.

She drummed her hands on the bar table.

“This calls for more beer!”. She yelled, then proceeded to order two more beers.

“I’m not planning on getting drunk here!”. I yelled to her.

“If you got drunk from just two bottles of beer, then you’re a freaking light weight!”. She laughed.

Of course, I wasn’t going to get drunk with just two bottles of beer. Although I’ve never been to a party like this before didn’t mean I have never taken alcohol.

We talked for a while, yelling out our words so we could hear ourselves. We were on to the third sets of beer when Lily got approached by a huge looking guy, fierce eyes, expressionless face, and an aura around him that screamed dangerous, but I didn’t move an inch.

He was a two year senior at college, hence the full red beards he had on his face. Aside from that, he was followed by one other guy who was dressed like he was heading out to a goth party later on.

The main reason why I didn’t do anything was because these two were part of the group of friends Lily had. I was sure the other girl in the group was waiting outside for them.

He whispered something to Lily’s ear, and I watched her face turn pale, then a serious look showed. She turned to me, and it looked as it she wasn’t just chugging three bottles of beer down her throat just now.

“Isaac, I’m sorry but something urgent came up. I really can’t explain at the moment and I will call you when it’s settled. You could go home if you are no longer feeling the party,”. She rushed.

I nodded, grabbing my bottle and downing the last of its contents down my throat.

“It’s okay. I might leave in a few minutes,”. I replied.

“Okay, cool. I’ll call you,”. She said.

She held my arm for a few seconds, her eyes lingering on mine before she finally left with them.

I sighed and looked around.

“What’s up with them anyways?”. I muttered to myself.

Lily’s POV.

Outside, the cold air hit my face. It was going to rain soon, which made the whole situation feel even more grim.

“He still doesn’t have a clue, does he?”. Eric asked me.

I shook my head.

“He is choosing not to be bothered about it. Isaac is smart. He could have figured things out already if he wanted to a long time ago,”. I replied.

I looked over at Rebecca, who had a star-struck look on her face at my description of Isaac’s nature.

It wasn’t news that she was head over heels, deeply crushing on him. I hope she doesn’t get hurt though.

“We really need to go. The breach happened about ten minutes ago. Those things could be anywhere in the city by now,”. Ivan urged.

‘Ah, a breach. It wasn’t uncommon for that to happen, but one happening and those things quickly heading for the city immediately they came out, now that was something rare. It felt out of the ordinary’ I thought to myself.

“Let’s go!” Eric ordered.

I looked back at the apartment the party was held at one last time before bolting along with my team.

‘Soon enough Isaac, soon enough’ I thought as my speed increased to something that would leave the fastest man currently in the dust.