Secret Affinity

10

“Oh my God, he’s so cute!” Crimson cooed when she saw Andy. The McCoys were going out for shopping today, and Andy and Liara came over to say hello.

“Who are you, lady?” Liara asked cautiously. Crimson didn’t want to leave the kids even when I told her we didn’t have much time left to do the project.

“I’m Crimson,” she told her. “I’m Ari’s friend, so don't be scared.” Liara complimented Crimson’s hair after given leeway. “Thank you, cutie!”

“Bye-bye,” Andy waved from inside the car. I finally got Crimson to come into my house after they left.

“You sure love kids,” I said, opening the door. She nodded, telling me she'd worked at a daycare for two years. On top of that, she nursed one sibling and two cousins at home since she was the oldest by a large scale.

“Nice house,” she said. Meh, it still needed tweaking, but I was sluggish these past few weeks.

I didn’t know what Mr. Charles was talking about, but Crimson was a good partner. She had countless ideas and a good sense of teamwork. The only thing I found a problem was her weakness of stirring off topic.

“Where did you get these stars?” she asked me, pointing her pencil to my ceiling. “My walls are covered in posters and crap. There's nothing inspirational.”

I completed my part of the research before she even wrote five point-notes. She kept writing and erasing and rambling.

“Urgh, I’m done,” she said, shutting her notebook. “The dance is in two hours, so I’m not up for putting my makeup on yet.” I crossed my legs, hands motionless in my lap. “Where’s your costume?”

“It’s not really a costume,” I said, scratching my ear. She asked me what it was. “I have a Mickey Mouse t-shirt and pants with big white polka dots on them.”

“Bo-ring,” she said. “Show me.” I took out the plastic bag I left in my closet and let her rummage through it. She took out black Mickey Mouse ears. “Well, this isn’t bad,” she said. “So, all you have are a t-shirt, pants, and ears?”

“I also have Mickey Mouse slippers,” I said, retrieving the furry shoes from my closet.

Crimson gave me a blank look. “You’re pretty much wearing your pajamas to school.” I shook my head, but nodded after realization. “You’re so hopeless. What you need is a cute makeover.”

As the dance neared, we wore our costumes and I combed my hair as Crimson started putting her ‘queen of death’ makeup on.

“Are you going to leave your hair the way it always is?” Crimson said as she turned on her curling iron. My hair was of dull brown waves, but it wasn’t too bad. It was natural.

“Okay, come here,” Crimson motioned me to my dresser. “Your turn.” The last time someone did my makeup was years ago. My dad tried once, but most times, Mom did it for me.

“Nothing too much please,” I told her. She had heavy eyelashes, smoky eyes, and glitter on her lids. On top of that, her lips were silver, outlined with glittering black lip-liner.

“I know what suits you best. Don’t worry,” she told me, angling my head back.

I tried not to pay too much attention to the mirror. When she was done with lightly powdering my face, she put on some eyeliner with small wings at the corners and finished off with two layers of mascara.

“Damn, your eyelashes are so nice,” she said, closing the lid. “You didn’t really need the second layer.”

I was stunned when I looked at the mirror. My makeup was simple, yet perfect. When I thanked Crimson, she waved it off.

After completing the project, we’d planned to drive to the Halloween dance together in her car. It was slightly darker outside with a subtle breeze. A car on the McCoys’ driveway was blasting loud music, and I assumed it was Spike’s since he had to pick Evin up for their Halloween party.

In Crimson’s car, I told her about that, and she shook her head while saying a lot of events were being pushed back from the actual Halloween day.

A couple blocks away from school, I could hear the faint dance music and chatter. Black and orange lights cascaded down the glass parts of the building, and the trees were decorated with webs.

“You’re going to love this,” Crimson said as we got out of her car. She pointed to another building several yards away across from the street. “That’s probably where your neighbours are going. It's rated R.” I guessed that much.

When we went into the school, everyone stared at Crimson’s dress in awe. No one could recognize her. I took out my phone to take pictures of every little moment so I could show Dad.

“You assholes!” Crimson yelled in glee when she saw her band members. They were all dressed differently representing different characters. “You actually took it seriously this year.”

“What are you supposed to be?” one of them said. “Are those real?” He went to touch one of the roses.

“Hands off,” she snapped. I took a picture of them as a whole—a bunch of friends laughing with each other.

I followed them through the halls and snapped pictures of the decorations and various costumes I saw. A couple people even posed.

“Aye, give it to me,” Crimson said, taking the phone from me. “Say ‘cheese’.” I tried to cover my face as it flashed. “One more. Smile.” I grabbed my phone back as she pulled me away from the crowded hallways.

The actual dance was in the atrium. There was a DJ, a stage, and lots of food. A lot. It varied from chips to chicken wings, to pizza and pasta. Although it was Halloween-themed, it was like a buffet.

“While you keep taking pictures of the food,” Crimson told me, “I’m going to go put on some rad songs.”

“You’re the DJ?” She told me one of the DJs, and her band would also give two live performances.

The principal, Mr. Peterson, walked on stage with a mic. I turned the camera tab to video as he asked for silence.

“Today is our annual Halloween dance,” he announced. “I would like to thank the student council and event organizers. It’s the twenty-first dance and a day to put aside those pencils and have some fun. Have a wonderful Halloween, Juniper High!”

I captured the students’ cheers and smiled when I replayed it for myself to see. Crimson was at the DJ station, and she put on a new pop song everyone sang along to.

I walked around, asking people’s permission to take pics of them. When I went to a bunch of girls, a brunette gave me a weird look.

“So old-fashioned,” she said when she saw me with the camera on. “But go ahead. Come on girls.” They bundled together, and I snapped the pictures. “Make sure to send these to us, okay?” She gave me her contact.

Some of the guys dressed very well, too. I’d never seen such spirit anywhere else. It made me happy, but sad at the same time. Mom would’ve loved to see these pictures.

Right then, I saw a boy dressed in meticulous prince clothes. “Excuse me!” I said over the loud music. He turned. “Sorry for bothering you. Can I take a picture of your costume?”

“My costume?” he said like he never heard of it. I nodded, and his friends stared at me in bewilderment. “Sure, whatever.”

I smiled, took a picture, and began to leave.

“Who is she?” I heard one of them ask. “Hey! Come back here.” I went back, and they gave me a contact. “Send the pictures to this number.”

When Crimson switched her DJ shift with someone else, she met me near the punch bowl.

“You made a lot of friends, huh?” she said. I showed her the amount of contacts I had in my phone. “Oh-ho, you’re in so much trouble. Delete them as soon as possible.”

“I have to send them the pictures,” I said.

“Well, you’re f****d,” she said. She asked me to pour her a glass, too. “I can’t believe you went to that jock.”

“Huh?” I stared at the direction in which she nodded her head. It was the guy dressed as a prince.

“He’s the girls’ man. So hot,” she said. I still didn’t know what the big deal was. “But such a narcissist. Don’t even get me started on his friends.”

“I took a picture, nothing big,” I said.

“Talking about pictures, why aren’t you taking any pictures of us?” She got a random person to take pictures of us, and we took a few selfies.

The music changed to a song much slower. Crimson started to mutter about how she hated this part of the dance. The DJ asked for everyone but the couples to leave the dance floor. It was their time. For Halloween? Weird.

I joined Crimson outside for fresh air, and we were the only ones on the front steps. I was against the metal railing, and she was looking through the pictures I took. In the dark, in silence, I closed my eyes and let the breeze hit my face.

I noticed how easy it was to breathe now after we left the atrium. I asked Crimson if I wasn’t here, would she have gone out by herself. She said she always did before. Staying away from other people was sometimes the answer to relief.

She chuckled, saying, “This dress is getting kind of heavy. Next time, I’ll wear something lighter.”

“Do you have anything in mind?” I asked. She shrugged. Then she told me something along the lines of a shadow peacock, or maybe a minion. I laughed. “Are you going trick-or-treating?”

“Yeah. I need to take my siblings and cousins anyway.” Crimson stood up to stretch and returned my phone. “We should probably head back.”

Right when I stood up, the blaring of sirens shrilled in our ears. It was a faint sound, getting closer and getting further, but not going away.

“Some i***t probably set their house on fire,” Crimson said casually. “Come on.” I would’ve followed her if I hadn’t seen two police cars pull up down the street.

“Crimson, is that the building with the college Halloween party?” I asked, going down the stairs away from the school.

“s**t,” she muttered. We both stopped at the sidewalk, watching two men get out the cars and into the building. “I don’t see why there’s a problem. It’s a legal party.”

At times like this, I only saw police go to a party to raid people for drugs or prostitutes. I usually saw it in movies and the news. When the policemen walked out the building, all the people from the party also followed. No one was arrested, but it was surreal.

“Holy s**t, Ari,” Crimson said when the cars drove right to our school. “I’m gone.” She started fleeing up the stairs when the cars stopped in front of us.

I should’ve run with her, but when I saw the two policemen get out, I couldn’t budge. One of them gave me a hard look.

“What’re you doing outside of the school late at night?” he asked. I couldn’t speak. “I believe there’s a dance. Am I right?”

I couldn’t move, but I knew in my mind, I was shuddering head to toe. Before he asked me more questions, Mr. Peterson quickly met with the police officers. Crimson grabbed my arm, and we went back into the school.

“i***t. Are you looking for trouble?” she hissed at me. I was never this close to a police officer or even a police car before. Never. “What—hey, are you okay?”

I cleared my throat. “That was scary. I couldn’t, I was going to cry.” When I thought about the past few minutes, I remembered how difficult it was to talk.

“You are super-sensitive dude,” Crimson said. “Thank God I ran away. You’re so stupid.” I didn’t want to look suspicious by running away, but I must've seemed suspicious either way. For what, I didn’t know.

Soon, the principal came back inside and had to stop the dance. His face was pale, but his words were clear and calm.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, but we are going to have an early end to the Halloween dance,” he said. Everyone groaned but he shut them up. “Listen very carefully as I say this. Leave the school as soon as possible and make sure you respect the property by taking your belongings and waste with you. There is a temporary police force near the school that requires you to use Dalice Street when returning home. Do not disobey these rules. I apologize for the trouble this may give you. Leave as soon as possible and do not wait for your peers. Start walking and if you brought a car, please follow the policemen directing you. I repeat, do not disobey the police force.”

Mr. Peterson didn’t take any questions after the announcement, and it left many people anxious. Everyone rushed out the building in a sea. As soon as Crimson and I went outside, we saw a massive change. There were more cars than we saw before, more street pylons, more police officers, and the sirens were on.

The party members from the other building were also among the students from Juniper High. They all walked in the same direction. A police officer stopped us at the curb.

“Any of you driving a car?” he asked in a deep voice. Crimson nodded, and he directed her to the parking lot. Another officer came to ask me the same question, and I told him I was with Crimson.

“If you do not drive a car, please walk down Dalice Street,” he told me. I didn’t know where Dalice Street was and where the hell that would take me.

“I came with my friend. I don’t know where Dalice—” I was cut off instantly.

“Follow the crowd,” he said. I repeated that I didn’t know where to get home from there. I never took that street before. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Please walk. Now.”

“But—” I was cut off again, and he led me away from the parking lot and away from the crowd. Was he going to arrest me?

“Ari!” I heard someone call. I looked back and saw Evin and Spike near a police car. When the man left me standing, I rushed over.

“I don’t know what’s going on. They’re telling me to take a street I don’t know. I think they’re going to arrest me. I don’t know what to do,” I told them, freaking out. I blinked a few times and c****d my head. “What’re you doing here?”

“This asshole Spike disobeyed one of the officers, and they’re going to give him a ticket,” Evin said, sighing. “And that includes me since I have to save his ass.”

“But that was such an epic party,” Spike murmured and asked me, “You disobeyed, too?” I didn’t know what exactly I did, but I wanted to go home.

The officer who brought me came back with another officer. It was the same one I saw earlier after Crimson ran away. Unfortunately, he recognized me, too.

“This girl? She refused to answer anything I asked her just a while ago,” he said. “We need to take her in.”

“She’s just a high school student,” the other said.

“We can’t be lenient anymore,” he said. “She reports high levels of suspicion.”

“Sir, I’m sure you got it all wrong,” Evin said. The officer ignored him. “Sir! I know this girl. She has nothing to hide.”

“Listen man,” the officer said. “This is our job. Give her the form to fill out, and take her in.” The second officer grabbed my arm, and I was led away from the other police cars. Evin called me and called the officers to let me go.

“I was scared. I didn’t know what was going on,” I told them myself. They ignored me.

“Ari, don’t worry! I’ll get help,” Evin said, and I looked back to see him pulling out his phone. My heartbeat was loud in my ears.

“Dude, you can’t do that,” Spike told him.

“This is an emergency,” I heard Evin say. I faintly heard Spike say ‘he won’t do it’ and heard nothing after.

There was another, bigger police car parked behind the school. I could see some faces inside the vehicle, just as scared as I was.

“Fill this out.” I was given a form on a clipboard. My fingers trembled as I took the pen.

Tears swarmed my eyes, and I couldn’t see the words. Just an hour ago, I was happily taking pictures inside a regular school dance. I covered my mouth. Now I was filling some form out. I had no clue what I even did. I had police officers waiting for me to sit in the car.

First question: circle male or female. Second question: your address.

I wiped my tears, but more poured out like little broken wells. Oh Mom, Dad. I never thought I would find myself in this situation.

“Fill it in the car,” the officer said impatiently. He grabbed my arm again, pushing me towards the car. I was petrified.

He paused when the headlights of another car blinded us. It drove right up the grassy hill and stopped to the side. My eyes widened when I saw Arian step out and walk towards us.

“Arian? What’s your business here?” the officer asked him. Instead of answering him, Arian looked at me instead. I thought for a split second he was going to scold me.

“I got information about a...misled interrogation arrest,” he said. “She’s free to go.” The officer asked him if he knew me. “Yes,” he said in a breath. “I know her.”

“You can’t do this right?” the officer said.

“It’s an exception.” Arian took my arm and pulled me to his car. He let go to walk to the other side, and I got in slowly. I couldn’t stop trembling.

My mouth was sealed, my eyes plastered ahead, and my tears crawling out. The car turned and sped down the hill, the rough bumps making me gasp and snap out of my daze.

“What’re you doing here?” I asked in a rush. “I-why-how do they know you? How do you know them?”

Arian joined the road and made a sharp right turn that would’ve flown me out the car if there was no door.

“Put your seatbelt on,” he said, and I did. “Evin called me. I thought a fire burned the school down. It was just you and your problems.”

“I don’t get it,” I could barely say. “I was so confused. What-why would you come if you didn’t want to?”

“I was in the mood to drive,” he replied. That was all?

“But how did you…? How were you able to?” I dug my face into my lap, sobbing. “I don’t get it. I was so scared. What the hell happened?” I was sure he couldn’t even understand half the things I was saying.

I rolled down the window and stuck my whole head out. I needed air; I needed something to cool my head down.

“Do you want to die?” he scowled. I sat back, biting my lip from sobbing out. He side-glanced at me. “You’re really sensitive.” It was the same thing Crimson told me.

“But I’m not a suspect,” I said and shuddered. “Where did you come from? Who…how do you even know the police officers?”

“Be glad I saved you,” he said. “You don’t need to know anything.”

“Right, because it’s too personal?” I asked. Arian gave me a look, and I apologized.

“You do know it makes me want to gag your mouth every time you say sorry, right?” His flat voice made me grimace, and I faced the other way.

“Where are we going?” I said, looking at the unfamiliar streets ahead. “I’ve never been here before.”

“We’re going home from Dalice Street,” he said.

“I have a question,” I said. “Did you, somehow, know this was going to happen? Was that why you didn’t come to the dance?”

“I knew this was going to happen,” he said. “And I don’t go to dances and parties full of bullshit.”

I personally couldn’t find anything wrong about the Halloween school dance. But after what happened today night, I was never going back.

“What’s Dad going to think?” I whispered to myself. My chin trembled as a new stream of tears wet my cheeks. I’d never been this traumatized before.

When we reached the house, I saw Evin and Julianna standing at their porch. They rushed to me when I got out, and I quivered in the cold.

“Come inside,” Juliana said. “Everything’s okay.” We walked into the McCoys’ house where I curled into a ball on the couch. Andy and Liara sat on either side me, having no clue what had happened.

Arian went into the kitchen to get a snack, but he watched from the island.

“They should’ve been warned,” Elise said disapprovingly. “How could the police show up so unexpectedly?”

“There was a compulsory evacuation for most buildings in Brilliant Cove,” Evin said. “You can’t really blame her.”

“Are you feeling okay?” Julianna asked me.

“I need something to hug,” I sniffled. “Like a pillow. Or a teddy bear.” Andy wrapped his small arms around me, and it made me cry harder.

“She must be so upset,” Elise said in worry and suggested I stayed at their house for the night.

“Ari, honey, will you be alright?” Julianna asked me.

“I didn’t mean to crash in here,” I said with broken words. “I can leave—”

“I meant are you fine on the couch?” Julianna said. “I’ll give you a blanket if you’d like.”

“I-I’m fine,” I said. Elise told me I could wash my face if I’d like to in the powder room. Andy wanted to stay with me.

“If Andy wants to go to bed, tell Arian. He’ll take care of it,” Elise said, nodding towards him at the kitchen. Apart from Julianna’s remarks, she added, “He’ll be down here for pretty long.”

When they all went upstairs, and after Evin gave me one of Liara’s teddy bears, I went to the powder room. Wow, Crimson must’ve had great waterproof mascara because my face wasn’t blotted with black. I took off everything with soap and combed my hair back into a bun.

When I returned to the couch, I put the headband on the table beside my bag and sat next to Andy. He looked up at me, kicking his legs over the couch.

“Are you okay?” he asked me. I shook my head. “Then do you want another hug?” My lips tipped up as I took him into my lap.

I couldn’t sleep for so long, even when my eyes felt drunk and drowsy. I twisted my neck back to see the only light turned on in the dining room. I saw Arian on his laptop, typing. When it was almost one, I felt myself weigh on the couch with tiredness.

“Andy?” I whispered. His eyes were closed, lashes fanning his cheekbones. I sighed loudly and laid my head back, briefly closing my eyes.

The typing stopped, and I opened my eyes. Arian was looking over. When I tried to keep my eyes open and couldn’t, I looked away.

“Andy?” I whispered more sleepily. I took him under his arms and lifted him as I came to a standing position.

Rubbing my eyes, I went into the dining room. Aware that Arian was watching me, I tried not to wobble too horribly.

“Sorry for bothering you, can you…take him to bed?” I asked, blinking to stay awake. I waited for his answer, which he didn’t give. “Please?”

“Hold on to him for a minute,” he said, typing again. I sat on the chair opposite to him and laid my head down, careful not to get Andy in the way.

When I heard Arian shut his laptop, I straightened. When Arian took Andy from me, I sat back on the chair with my arms and head down on the table. I was too tired to even move.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, and instantly fell asleep.