Chapter Four: Scratching the Surface
1402 Words
"The Party" sure lived out to their reputation because it was already fully packed when we arrived there even though it was just 8 o'clock. The place was kicking out to the full wild party mode, and we could barely move inside. I was amazed at how popular the spot was because the line outside was so long that I could barely see the last person at the back.
Maybe I was exaggerating a little bit, but it was still very long that if I were the last person at the back, I would be able to get in around midnight if I were lucky. Lucky for me, Nick had some connections inside that we didn't need to wait in line just to get in.
I better ask him if he can introduce me to his "connections," so if I ever get the urge to hang out here, I won't need to stand for 5 hours in line, I thought.
"Nick, what's the name of the guy that made you VIP here again? I'm not really listening when you said his name before," I asked him, even though he never really told me the guy’s name. That was one of Nick's most irritating attitudes. He was very secretive about certain things in his life. So sometimes, I needed to resort to lying to get information out of him.
"There's no way that you forgot his name. After all, I've never told you what it is," he smirked at me. Also, most of the time, lying didn't work on him. Even though Nick was wild and damn reckless, he was also intelligent and sneaky.
"C'mon Nick, tell me. What if one day, I came here and you're not around? Then I would be standing on that long line outside. The horror," I told him, giving up in lying because I knew that it was a fruitless attempt.
"I can't hear you, the music is too loud!" he called. That bastard, the music wasn't even too loud, not to hear what I was saying. He just didn't want to give up the name of his guy inside.
However, before I got the chance to tell him to confess before I punched his face, he vanished into the thick crowd. He was nowhere in sight.
"Nick! Nick! Where are you, man?" I called him, but nobody answered back. It was getting kind of noisy now, and I knew that it was already impossible for him to hear me calling.
"Damn... Watch out, man!" I said to a guy that nearly elbowed my face.
How the hell am I going to find Nick from this crowd? Aha, there's the bar. Maybe he'll go there when he notices that I’m missing. It's better to stay in one place.
So I went to the bar and ordered a gin tonic because I didn't want to be bored waiting for him to find me. For all I know, he might not even look for me. I wouldn't get drunk, though.
"You better watch out for that friend of yours," said a voice beside me, taking me by surprise.
"Yeah, I'm watching for him," I replied disinterestedly. It was a girl the same age as we were. Maybe she saw me get separated from Nick. When I looked closely at her, I noticed that she was quite beautiful, with her long hair black as night. Her mouth was to die for, and her legs were endless. I also noticed that she was a few inches shorter than me.
She was wearing a black jacket with the front open, the writing on her shirt said, "I can see through you" with the combination of her tight jeans. But the most unusual thing about her was her eyes. It was golden brown. It was like seeing the sun at night in the desert. I felt like I was getting pulled towards her.
"Did I pass?" she asked. There was a hint of mockery in her voice.
"What did you---?" I never finished my question because realization dawned on me. I felt the flush of heat crawling from my neck to my face. I was glad it was pretty dark so she couldn’t see me.
"Don't sweat on it, I'm just joking," she laughed at me. "I'm Rizza," she added, holding out her hand.
"Hunter, Hunter Pendigram," I answered while lifting my hand to shake hers.
I thought I heard her say, "I know," but I wasn't sure because the noise made it inaudible, mainly because it was a whisper, so I let it go. Not wanting to get caught staring at her again, I shifted my attention to my drink. I noticed that she was already sitting beside me, which meant that she moved while I was ogling her. She was really something else, or maybe I was just plain stupid. Perhaps it was the alcohol.
"What happened to your friend? Where is he? I saw both of you enter the club," she said, pulling me out of my thoughts again.
"We....err...got a little bit separated," I replied. It was a bit odd that she asked me these questions, which made me curious. "What's it to you? You're not some stalker, are you?" I know that the question was a little bit rude. Maybe more than a bit, but there was something about her that I couldn't put my finger on. I felt like she was hiding something from me even though we were virtually strangers. It was like my sixth sense was on high alert or something.
She just laughed at me and said, "Maybe. What would you do if I am, Hunter Pendigram?
God, this girl might be pretty, but I guess she's crazy too. She's giving me the creeps now.
"Why don't you just answer a simple question?" I told her, putting a firm note in my voice. I wasn't sure why I was trying to push her to answer me. I didn't know her well, but the voice in my mind told me that I should get some answers.
"You want a real answer?" she asked. "The truth is---" she began, but before she could finish what she was about to say, a voice interrupted our conversation.
"Hey Hunter, what the hell are you doing there?" Nick asked from my back.
"I... err...got lost in the crowd, so I went here hoping that you'll find me," I replied, turning towards him.
"God, Hunter, this is just a club. What the hell is going to happen to you if this is a forest then? You're supposed to be good at following. After all, your name is Hunter," he said sarcastically, emphasizing my name.
"Haha. You're very funny," I retorted, doing a quick jab at his arm. "Besides, I'm not the one who gave me my name, Nick, so you shouldn't blame me, and the crowd is too thick, so I got lost," I bit back at him. "I should blame you for leaving me behind as a matter of fact."
He rolled his eyes at me. "Whatever, let's just go," he said, turning his back.
"Wait, Nick! I need to---" I didn't finish what I was about to say because after I turned my back, that girl wasn't there anymore—just some other dude sitting in her place.
"What the hell are you waiting for?!" Nick shouted.
"Nothing," I replied, turning towards him. Rizza just vanished like she was never there. If I didn't know better, I would think that she was just my imagination, but I knew better. I met a girl named Rizza tonight, and nothing could change that.
The question is, where did she go? We were doing fine until Nick arrived. Then she vanished into thin air.
I stood up and gave a last glance where she was sitting and found the same guy still there.
Oh well, I just need to let it go. I bet that if we're meant to meet each other again, then we will eventually. The only thing that bugs me is not knowing, or you can call it more like unknowing whether she was following us or not. And what for if she is?
As I strode toward Nick, I remembered another thing that I forgot to ask her: her full name.
- Writer
