Chapter Five: just keep on dancin’
“Hella Good” by No Doubt

“Why do I feel like I’m getting ready for prom?” Vesper asked no one in particular as she applied mascara to her eyelashes.

Meghan laughed from her place in front of her closet. She was holding two different skirts up to herself, one after the other, and was clearly having a very hard time choosing. Another girl from their floor, one of the lovely ladies they’d met the day before at dinner, had joined them in preparation and was just putting the finishing touches on her toenails. “Seriously,” Erin replied, blowing a strand of her blonde hair out of her face. “You get the feeling we’re gonna be sized up? Like, the dinner is just the beginning – the polite evaluation. The real snobbery is gonna show up at the party when all the older bitches bring out their claws.”

Vesper turned slightly and raised an amused eyebrow at her, to which Erin smiled crookedly and shrugged, “I read too many young adult novels, I think.”

“Okay, I’m getting desperate. I can’t make decisions when it comes to clothes!” Meghan tossed both skirts on her bed and began to rummage through the rest of her stuff. “I’m a flip-flop girl, not a runway model!”

“The grey one,” Vesper and Erin both told her simultaneously, and then looked at each other and grinned.

Meghan picked up the skirt in question and held it against her waist again. It was a pencil skirt, but some simple embroidery and little cloth buttons at the top gave it a little flair. “You think?”

“Yeah,” Erin blew on her toes. “Those little school teacher buttons are hot. Especially if you put it with a sexy shirt.”

“This is a school dinner,” Meghan reminded her. “And I am not good at sexy. Clumsy, yes. Sexy, not so much.”

Vesper capped her mascara and set it aside, turning to face the other girls head on. “We’ll see about that,” she said, and then eyed the skirt for a second before announcing, “I think I have the perfect shirt. We look about the same size.” She moved to her closet, on the other side of the room, and skimmed the hangers until she came to it. It was a silk, blood red button down with cute little bell sleeves. Meghan’s eyes widened comically when she saw it.

“I can’t wear that! What if I spill something on it?”

“I’ll send you the dry-cleaning bill,” Vesper returned wryly.

Erin immediately popped up and went to investigate her closet further. “Damn girl, you’ve got some gorgeous taste in clothes.”

“Between my mother and my sister I stood no chance,” Vesper told her. “Feel free to borrow something.”

Erin tossed her a grin. “Oh, you know I’ll be taking you up on that one. Probably later, when we change for the party.” At the thought of it she clapped her hands and exclaimed quite cheerfully, “Oh, I’m so excited! I think I want to sleep with someone tonight. At least get a good hour of groping in at some point.” At Meghan’s raised eyebrows, she explained demurely, “All this new school stress must be relieved somehow, you know.”

Vesper smirked at her. “Good luck with that.”

Meghan laughed, pulling on the pencil skirt. None of the girls were particularly shy when it came to undressing in front of each other, which they all found vaguely intriguing. Of course, after the shock of going through the Awakening and learning that magic was real and was something that they all could employ had a kind of numbing effect on other sensibilities; apparently, modesty was one of them. “Yeah, right. Like Erin’s going to need luck,” she supplied, carefully tucking the blouse into the skirt before zipping it up. “Right, Piper?”

Erin flashed her a wide and slightly crooked grin, and winked at her. “You know it.”

Both Meghan and Vesper had taken to calling Erin that when they found out what her newly acquired magical talent was – singing. She was something of a siren, or the similarly infamous Pied Piper for which they’d nicknamed her – she had the ability to lure, definitely, but there was also potential for both healing and destruction through the mere use of her voice. That, Erin had told them, was at least what she’d been told after waking up. It seemed like a pretty cool power to have, and after getting to know Erin a little more both girls had decided that the blonde couldn’t have been endowed with a more appropriate gift. So, Piper it was.

“Okay, how do I look?” Meghan gave a little twirl and then posed theatrically.

“Ravishing,” Erin replied, and then gestured for her to sit on the bed. “Let me do your make-up.”

Meghan obeyed, tucking her skirt under her legs carefully as she sat. “Nothing too dramatic,” she pleaded, frowning at Erin’s pout. “The shirt is already hot enough. I don’t want people getting the wrong idea.”

“You’re right,” Erin conceded. “That’s what the party is for.”

Meghan began to protest, but Erin pushed her jaw shut with a smirk and began to work her magic. Vesper watched, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She’d already finished getting ready, and had only to slip on her heels as they walked out the door. Like Erin, she’d opted for a dress over a skirt, but where Erin wore a colorful print dress, Vesper had opted for classic black. She had no idea how “semi-formal” these dinners really were and wanted to play it safe for the Opening Ceremony. Erin had taken one look at her and scoffed, claiming the outfit had no adventure in it. Vesper retorted that Erin’s dress had enough adventure for all of them. But to satisfy both of their urges for a little more color, Vesper picked out a vivid red clutch to put her keys in, along with a matching lip gloss, and vamped herself out a little bit more.

She checked her watch a couple minutes later. “We should probably start heading towards the square,” she told the other girls, glancing at their progress.

“That’s fine, I’m almost done,” Erin replied absently. Then, after another minute, she stepped back and whipped her hand around in the air dramatically as she spoke in a terrible European accent, “Voila! You look beautiful, darlink!”

Meghan smiled, gave a shy curtsey, and then tested her lip gloss as she went to find her flats. “Mmm, cherry.”

After arming themselves with their handbags, the three headed out of the dorm towards Posner Square. They’d all arranged beforehand to meet their Big Sisters there. Vesper could tell both of her new-found friends were excited, and there was a part of her that agreed – it was fun to dress up, and certainly the Devellian School would provide them with ample opportunity to be glamorous and attract male attention.

But ah, there’s the rub, she thought sardonically, watching the landscape roll by from her perch on the S tram. Another part of Vesper was slightly afraid that Dr. Carter’s prediction would come in full force tonight. Though she’d been getting plenty of stares the last couple of days, this was the first night the entire school would be in attendance somewhere. She didn’t know what to expect, but she was desperately hoping that she was just blend in with anybody else. It still shocked her to look in the mirror, though. Maybe if that wasn’t the case – if she actually felt normal herself – she wouldn’t be making such a big deal of this. But she didn’t even feel right in her own skin, and it wasn’t a feeling she was used to. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself even more.

There were a number of students milling around Posner Square, waiting for their friends or just stalling before it was absolutely necessary to get to Carroway Hall. Part of the waiting also seemed to be for the M tram; Vesper could see now why Regan had advised her to plan ahead when it came to getting around campus.

The girls stepped off of the S tram and began to mingle, greeting other freshmen they’d met already and introducing themselves to those they hadn’t as they kept an eye out for their Big Sisters. Vesper also kept an eye out for Guy, but she didn’t catch sight of his familiar red hair anywhere. He’d mentioned the possibility that he might go ahead with “the guys” so she didn’t think much of it.

Erin ran into her Big Sister Melissa shortly after, and the two went off arm in arm, chatting amiably. Meghan chewed on her lip thoughtfully as she glanced after them, and noted to Vesper, “It figures that she’d get the friendly one.”

“I’m pretty sure Piper could charm the pants off of anyone if she wanted to, with or without magic,” Vesper replied, and received a grin for it before the two were joined by Harper and another girl. Vesper didn’t recognize the second, but Meghan seemed to know her and offered her a smile.

“Hey,” Harper said, nodding civilly. She glanced over both of them before saying to Meghan, “Nice shirt.”

Meghan smiled. “Thank you.”

“Meg, this is Harper. Harper, Meghan, my roommate,” Vesper introduced them.

The other girl was, of course, eyeing Vesper somewhat coolly, but eventually extended her hand. “I’m Steph. Meghan’s Big Sister.”

Vesper shook her hand, smiling nicely. She had a feeling she was about to get really good at that. “Nice to meet you. I like your dress.” It was a gauzy white creation over a white slip, and looked very much like the sort of thing an heiress would wear on a yacht on her way to her private island. Steph could have fit the part; she certainly seemed to have the whole aristocrat attitude down to perfection.

“Thank you,” she replied politely. Then, with a glance at Harper, asked in a fairly bored tone, “I suppose I’ll see you later?”

Harper smiled her usual innocuous smile. “Sure.”

Steph gave a nod and then offered Meghan a brief smile before tilting her head elegantly towards the M tram. “Shall we?”

Meghan touched Vesper’s arm gently, giving her a smile. “I’ll see you in the dining hall. It was nice to meet you,” she added to Harper, before walking with Steph towards the tram line.

“Do you mind walking?” Harper asked then, and Vesper shook her head. The two set out for Carroway Hall on foot. Like Vesper, Harper wore a black dress as well, but hers was a few inches shoulder, the hem hanging around her thighs, and far more retro. Instead of red, her color of choice for accessories was white, and her eye shadow was smoky and dark where Vesper had gone for a more natural look.

They walked in silence for a couple minutes. Vesper didn’t mind; the weather was gorgeous tonight and she was frankly just glad to be outside, relishing the fresh smells and the slow dip of the sun towards the horizon. She’d actually spent most of her time outside since arriving at the school, walking with Guy or the girls or doing a little exploring on her own. There hadn’t been enough time yet for her to bring her paints and things out with her and set up shop, but she was hoping once things settled down she’d get the chance. She did, however, have the opportunity to approach another ghost and seek out its memory. It was one she’d seen during her mini tour with Harper, down by the stables – a sunflower, at least four feet tall. Unlike the one with the bird and the couple at the fountain, this memory seemed to be nothing more than a sunrise. Granted, it was possibly the most beautiful sunrise she’d ever seen, but there were no people in it, no animals, just an endless field of sunflowers – the stables had yet to exist. She wondered about that.

“Are you going to make an appearance at the party later?” Harper eventually asked.

“Yes. I’m bringing Meghan and another girl from the dorm,” Vesper told her, brushing her hair back from her face. “Guy already had an invite.”

“Interesting. Dan must have said something.” Harper’s mouth quirked up a little, but whatever her thoughts were she didn’t share them. After another second she added lightly, “It’ll get started around ten-thirty, eleven, more than likely, depending on how long this thing goes.”

“How long is the ceremony supposed to last?”

“A couple hours, usually.” Harper glanced at her, and asked quite suddenly, “How tall are you?”

Vesper blinked at her. “5’10”—ish.” She paused, and then amended, “Well, probably about 6’ now with the heels.”

Harper was still eyeing her curiously. “Most girls your height probably wouldn’t add another two inches to it.”

You are odd, Vesper thought, but didn’t voice that opinion out loud. Instead, she replied innocently, “I like my shoes.”

Shockingly, the other girl actually cracked a smile at that. The rest of the walk, however, was spent in silence once again, at least until they actually started up the back steps of the veranda. The lights were coming on outside Carroway, and Vesper could see an alarming number of people milling about the building, both inside and out. A few people called out to Harper as they approached, and she responded with a smile or a wave. Only one person approached, another girl, and after she and Harper kissed each other on the cheek, she turned her smile on Vesper.

“So you must be Little Sister Vesper,” she said, her voice entirely amused. Her black hair was shoulder-length and totally straight, unlike her nose, which looked as though it might have been broken at some point. That surprised Vesper, if only because most of the girls she’d seen around so far looked like the types to fix something like that immediately. If possible, she was dressed even more brightly than Erin. “Consider me a second sister. Or slightly better looking stepsister. Some kind of evil twin, maybe.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “Vesper, this is Julianne Wright, eternal pain in my ass.”

“Jules,” Julianne corrected, “and she loves me for it.”

Vesper couldn’t hide a grin. “Clearly.”

Harper gave her an amused look in return, and then started forward again. “Let’s find our seats.”

“Do we have assigned seating for this?” Vesper asked in disbelief.

“Weird, right?” Jules shook her head, her silver hoops clinking slightly. “They want us to love each other. Fat fucking chance, but whatever.” The girl apparently recognized somebody else she knew because a second later she was wheeling away from them, yelling obscenities cheerfully at the top of her lungs.

Harper watched her go briefly before glancing at Vesper and lifting one shoulder casually. “She has the attention span of a four year old,” she offered, and then started into the building, towards the dining hall. “We’ll be seated together because of the Big/Little Sister thing, but after that I don’t know who else will be at the table.”

Vesper nodded, but once they entered the dining hall her mind went blank. The whole place was decked out in silver and maroon, in honor of the school’s colors, and every table was set with what looked like genuine silver china over a maroon silk tablecloth, complete with matching candles and some kind of intricate centerpiece with the letters D and S and a specific number. Each table could seat about twenty-five, and as she looked she could see a little placeholder at each chair. Apart from the tables were six long buffet tables spread out in different sections of the hall, and each one had a handful of people in pristine-looking uniforms hovering around it, preparing for the dinner ahead.

Harper, having obviously gone through this before, didn’t look twice at the hall but instead moved towards a guy their age in a suit. In his hands was a clipboard. There were four others also holding the boards, and Vesper understood after a second that they were giving out information about who was to sit where. After discovering that they were seated at table thirty-one, Harper gestured for her to follow.

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Vesper asked, trying not to clutch her little red purse too tightly as they weaved through crowds of mingling students.

“They only break out the good china for special occasions,” Harper replied.

Vesper took that in stride, but by no means did it help to assuage her of her building anxiety. When they made it to their table at last, there were a handful of people already seated at it. Vesper recognized one or two of them as freshmen, but the others were in no way familiar to her. She greeted the two she knew and then sat. Harper said something about going to talk to a friend, so as she wandered off Vesper used the opportunity to get a hold on her nerves. You’re being ridiculous, she told herself. Calm down already, it’s just business as usual.

There was nothing “usual” about any of this for her, but she ignored that little detail.

A few more people sat at the table and Vesper checked her watch at least three times before a familiar voice made her want to sigh with relief. “This place is fucking creepy,” Guy muttered, dropping down into the chair next to her. It was technically reserved for a Joshua Barton, but Guy obviously didn’t care too much.

“Tell me about it,” Vesper agreed.

He ruffled his hair absently and glanced along the table, smiling briefly at some of the other froshies, before turning his attention back to Vesper and whispering, “I’m thinking about stealing the silverware. How much do you think I can sell this for?”

“No idea,” she replied. “But had I known how haut couture this little event was going to be I would have brought a bigger purse.”

“Do it. There’s only so much room in my pants, you know.”

Vesper nodded sagely, the only evidence of her amusement a slight quirk of the mouth. “Where are you sitting?”

“Table twenty-five. I saw you guys walk in, though, so I thought I’d drop by.” He glanced around again. “Where’s Meg and Erin?”

“We parted ways at the square,” Vesper said. “I haven’t seen them since.”

“Boo.” He shifted in the chair and made a slight face before leaning forward and asking quietly, “Do you feel that?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Feel what?”

“It’s—shit, I don’t know. This weird tingly sensation at the base of your spine. It’s like the opposite of the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end.”

She paused, remembering her experience the other morning when she’d gotten on the tram after saying goodbye to her grandmother, and then shook her head. “Nope. But I think… I’ve felt it before. Yesterday. I assumed it was magic-related.”

Guy nodded, but he didn’t look entirely convinced. “I’d ask somebody else if I was convinced I didn’t sound like a total ass.”

Vesper couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m flattered.”

He threw her a grin, his dimple showing, and then moved to his feet again. “It looks like they’re starting to get things together, so I’ll stop commandeering this seat. See you later?”

“Yeah.”

Guy winked at her – another gesture she was quickly becoming familiar with – and then strolled back to his table. Vesper glanced over and saw Dan Peters seated there, dressed in a navy blue collared shirt and light grey tie instead of the khaki jacket from before. There was another freshman she recognized there, but otherwise she didn’t know anybody else from table twenty-five. Once she took a moment to take a general scope of the room, Vesper realized that the freshmen seemed to be pretty spread out over the room. What Jules had said earlier came back to her and she had to hand it to the school for trying, at the very least. Whether or not it would work was another story entirely.

Harper returned a couple of minutes later, and by that point most of the table had filled up. Joshua Barton had arrived before and had stared at Vesper for a good thirty seconds or so before frowning and glancing away. Once her Big Sister sat, though, he straightened and offered her a nod. “Hey, Harp.”

“Hello,” Harper returned. “How was your summer?”

Joshua Barton launched into a story about a cruise on the Mediterranean and a hot Italian hook-up, and though Vesper did her best to ignore it, she still caught some of what he said and glanced away so he couldn’t catch her rolling her eyes. The sad part was that Mr. Barton wasn’t the first to look at her, recognize the different color of her eyes, and then promptly ignore her. She didn’t know why, but there were a handful of people over the last couple of days who had done the same; most others just kept staring, like she might break into song and dance at any moment and if they looked away even briefly they would miss it.

These were also gestures she was becoming very familiar with, but on the whole she had to concede that Guy’s wink was much more favorable.

The last person to sit at their table was Dr. Carter. He sat about half way down the table from her, and flashed Vesper a quick smile. Pleasantly surprised, she returned it, and then started to lean forward to talk when she heard the sound of a spoon tapping against glass. It reminded her of what people do at wedding receptions before the Best Man tumbles drunkenly into his speech, and she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes again. This school seemed to like its traditions a little too much.

“Hello everybody, good evening!” Dr. Kim was a small woman, but damn could she project. “Welcome to the Devellian School’s first dinner of the year! We have a lot of new faces this year, so on behalf of the faculty I would especially like to take this opportunity to welcome the new class – you are the best and the brightest and we’re glad to have you as a part of our family. To our second, third, and fourth year students, we’re thrilled to have you back. This year marks our 211th year in existence – 211 years of excellence, and we trust that this year will be no different.”

As Dr. Kim went on, continuing in the school pride vein, Vesper reflected that it was probably a good thing that Guy or even Erin weren’t at her table – there was no way she’d be able to keep a straight face through this if they were. Meg was probably a little too nice for that, though she didn’t rule her out completely. Vesper picked some non-existent lint off of her dress and tried to force herself to tune back in. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that the uniformed men and women were beginning to bring out more dishes and arrange them on the long buffet tables. The smells wafting over were delicious and her mouth was starting to water in anticipation.

Dr. Kim had moved on from her ra-ra-ra pep intro and was now talking about the first week of class. While most students would be registering for their classes this week after testing the waters, so to speak, the freshmen followed a different schedule. The entire first year would meet tomorrow morning at ten promptly in Carroway, and there they would talk about their mandatory classes, their different tracks, how to register, and all of that lovely stuff. Extra curriculars didn’t begin until next week, which she would talk more about on Friday’s dinner.

“I think that about wraps it up for now,” Dr. Kim announced, winding down her speech. “We hope you all have a wonderful dinner. There’s plenty for everyone, so no need to rush. Have a safe night, and we’ll see you all bright and early tomorrow!”

Vesper glanced over at Harper, who shrugged and began to stand as she said, “We might as well wait in line now.”

Most of the people at their table were doing the same. Vesper started towards the nearest buffet table with the rest, but heard Dr. Carter call her name and hung back a little instead. Harper glanced between them but didn’t wait up, and for that Vesper was actually glad – there were things she wanted to talk about to Carter and she didn’t want her Big Sister overhearing.

“How’s it going?” He asked, smiling benignly. “Settling in so far?”

“I guess,” Vesper replied. She wanted to talk about the ghosts, and about the looks, but she wasn’t sure if this was the best place to bring it up. She made it a point to glance around before beginning carefully, “People have been staring…”

He nodded, not at all surprised. “I imagine they would have stared anyway, if only because of the Ghost Eye – it really is a rare magic, and I don’t know of any current students or faculty who have it. But your time unconscious doesn’t help.” He paused, and then asked, “How has Harper Schafer been?”

Vesper shrugged. “All right.”

“Good. Well, I’ve been doing a little research about ghosts, and so far it seems like I was right. Each ghost holds a memory, and requires a specific way of approaching it in order to get the memory. The book suggested that ghosts are picky creatures and it might take you a while to get used to this—“

“I’ve seen two,” Vesper interrupted quietly.

Dr. Carter blinked at her. “Ghosts or memories?” He clarified.

“Memories.”

“Already?”

She nodded, beginning to feel vaguely uncomfortable again. Was she not supposed to? Was she some kind of freak, even at this place?

After a thoughtful pause, he suggested, “I think you should keep a journal. Record everything that happens in regards to the ghosts. I don’t think I’m going to be much assist to you where those are concerned, but I might be able to find somebody who can help you…” He sounded a little reluctant about that, and his eyes drifted before he shook his head. “I have to talk to Regan about that. But I would encourage you to keep track of them. Mark down their locations, describe the memories, how you feel afterwards, all of it. If you have any questions – about anything – you can talk to me. For that matter, if you can attend one of my classes next week, I’d like you to do so.”

Vesper nodded, even though she had no idea what sort of classes those would actually be. But she was glad for the support, at least. She had the feeling that she was definitely going to be needing some further guidance down the road.

“All right, I’ve kept you long enough. Go ahead and get in line,” he said, and smiled as he made a little shooing motion with his hand. “We’ll talk again soon.”

She nodded, smiling faintly in return, and started towards the buffet line. Keeping a journal actually sounded like a good idea. Vesper had the feeling that there were tons of ghosts in the area and after a while all of the memories would just start to crowd together in her head. At least this way she’d be able to keep track of them, and keep a record of her own progress. She imagined that like all things, continued practice would make her better at it – a journal would be a good way to mark the change, to see where the results of all her hard work actually popped up.

Dinner went forward without event. Harper talked to a handful of people at the table, mostly those closest to her, and from what Vesper could tell the girl was fairly popular. Even when they’d gone on their little tour the day before people had recognized her and waved. She wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she’d ended up as her Little Sister – on the one hand, with people constantly noticing Harper, it was inevitable that their eyes would then drift to Vesper; experience had shown her that much. But in that odd social way, Harper’s popularity might also lend her a little protection from some of the ruder reactions – there weren’t many who would want to risk the chance of offending her somehow by snubbing her Little Sister.

Not that they were particularly close or anything.

Still, Vesper did notice that Harper seemed to treat everybody with same coolness that she’d bestowed upon her. She had a very avant-garde sophistication about her and only a select few could get past the exterior. But it wasn’t frosty aristocracy like Steph, Meghan’s Big Sister – there was definitely a hint of personality under all of Harper’s trendy public face, and Vesper thought she’d caught a few glimpses of it. With this one, though, only time would tell.

Eventually people began to wander. Some went to other tables to chat, and others just left the dining hall, calling it a night. Vesper checked her watch – it was just after 9 PM now – and glanced around. Guy caught her eye at table twenty-five, and he nodded for her to come over. With a glance to Harper, Vesper set aside her napkin. “I’m going to wander. I guess I’ll see you later?”

Harper nodded, and then gestured for her to lean in. “Give me a call when you guys head over,” she told Vesper quietly. “I’ll meet you at the station and walk you to the house.”

That seemed oddly generous of her, but Vesper didn’t question it. “All right,” she agreed, and then said a few goodbyes to some other people at the table – Joshua Barton not included, of course – and then headed over to Guy. He was chatting with Dan and a couple others, but once she approached he pat the seat next to him and began the introductions. “You already met Dan and Matt. This other lovely lady is Andy.”

Matt was one of the more vocal freshmen at dinner the night before who’d complained about his high-browed roommate. Vesper smiled at him, before turning her smile on the brunette girl as she sunk into the proffered chair. “Hey.”

Andy smiled genuinely in return, and part of Vesper was slightly jubilant that there really did seem to be other friendly girls on the campus – she was starting to feel wary of her own sex and that was never a good sign. “Vesper, right? Guy’s been telling us that you’re soul mates.”

Vesper couldn’t help but laugh. “We bonded on the ride over to the school.”

Guy nodded solemnly. “Pritch is our witness.”

Andy smiled fondly. “I haven’t seen Louis yet this year. Isn’t he a sweetheart?”

“When he’s not calling you Ginger, sure,” Guy replied, somewhat crossly.

Matt snorted. “I have to meet this guy.”

Vesper grinned as the two started to bicker, but a strange sort of sensation began to tickle the base of her spine and she stiffened involuntarily. Her response wasn’t that noticeable, and it didn’t distract anybody else at the table from Matt and Guy’s man-banter.

Well, except for Dan. After a second she realized he was watching her, a look of vague interest passing through his eyes before his gaze went over her shoulder. Somebody must have come up to the table behind her because he gave a nod and said, “Hey guys.”

“Hey Dan,” one of the guys replied, and Vesper saw the way Andy reacted to the voice, obviously recognizing it immediately. Her smile brightened even more, if that was at all possible, and she lifted her head up for a kiss as the guy in question moved around the table to give her one. It was a quick show of public affection, nothing too disgusting, but there was a definite confidence in it that was hard to mistake. Vesper could almost see the bond between them. It was strange how with some couples you could just tell.

The other guy had opted to lean against the edge of the table, hands in his pockets, and as Vesper glanced from the one to the other she realized that she recognized them – they were the two from the day before, the ones who’d watched her get on the tram. The thought that immediately followed was that they were both present the first time she got that tingling sensation, and couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.

“This is Matt and Vesper,” Andy introduced them to the guys, gesturing to each of them respectively.

The one who’d kissed her moved forward and shook Matt’s hand first, then Vesper’s. He was the blonde one, and like Dan, there was a certain kindness about his face – it would be easy to believe that you could trust a face like that with anything. He was pretty good-looking, on top of that; he and Andy made an attractive couple, to be sure. “Hey, I’m Mark. You guys are first years, I take it?” When they nodded, he asked, “So how do you like it so far?”

Matt shrugged. “It’s cool. Not much has happened so far. You know, besides the creepy Awakening thing.”

Mark chuckled, and rubbed his neck almost sheepishly, as if he were somehow solely responsible for that. “Yeah, it’s a little underhanded. But you’ll get used to the magic so fast you’ll forget what it was like not to have it.”

Vesper glanced towards the other guy, who had yet to introduce himself, and found his eyes on her. Where Mark and Dan had fair hair and a kind of boy-next-door allure, this one was dark-haired and was far less approachable. He almost reminded her of Harper in that regard – he wasn’t exactly cold, like Steph had been, but there was a definite wall there. She tilted her head very slightly, as if questioning his silent gaze, and for a second she thought she saw a glint of amusement dance through his eyes before he introduced himself.

“Andrew Edwards.” Unlike Mark, he didn’t offer his hand, but his dark eyes did flicker over to Matt as he gave a little nod in acknowledgement.

“Vesper, you’re Harper’s Little Sister, right?” Mark asked then, and Vesper turned her attention back to him and offered up a smile.

“Yeah.”

Andy looked pleasantly surprised. “Really?”

Mark’s hand went to rest on the back of Andy’s neck as he explained to Vesper, “Harper’s my baby sister. She’s a whole year younger than I am.”

Guy smirked. “Busy parents.”

Mark narrowed his eyes playfully at him, but couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. Now that she looked, though, Vesper thought she could see a little Schafer family resemblance there, especially in the shape of the face. She glanced back over to table thirty-one but Harper must have slipped out at some point because her chic Big Sister was nowhere to be found.

“I hope you’re all coming to the party later?” Andy put in. “These dinners are nice and all but it’s easier to have fun and get to know people outside of them.”

This girl is too nice to be true, Vesper thought, but gave a nod in agreement as Matt said, “Sounds like a good way to start the year.”

Erin flounced up to the table then, and planted a huge kiss on both Matt and Guy’s cheeks. “My boys! I’m stealing V-sizzle away from you so I can raid her closet.”

Guy rolled his eyes. “Erin, everybody. Everybody, Erin.”

Vesper blinked at her. “V-sizzle?”

“Yup. You’ll learn to love it.”

Collecting her clutch, Vesper stood, and gave everybody at the table one last glance as she said goodbye. Andy gave her another one of her brilliant smiles in return, and promised to find her later, and the guys mostly just nodded in the usual male way. Erin gave them a hearty wave, linked arms with her, and then the two made their way out of the hall. As they walked, Vesper asked, “Where’s Meg?”

“No idea. I think Steph probably nabbed her when they skipped out, but I’m sure she’ll catch up with us later.” Erin tucked an errant blonde lock back behind her ear, glancing back over her shoulder at the table they’d just left, and then grinned at her. “Some good-looking male specimens over there, huh?”

Vesper smiled at her consistency. “Definitely a lot of options,” she agreed. “Anybody catch your eye already, Ms. Piper?”

“Well, V-sizzle, now that you mention it…” Erin launched into her options, describing each one in painstaking detail, but in a way that was far more scientific than it was romantic. Vesper was mildly surprised to find that one of the specimens at the top of the list was actually Matt. “It’s the attitude, I think,” Erin explained. “Who was the blonde with the curly hair?”

“Dan Peters. Guy’s Big Brother.”

Erin made an intrigued noise. “Interesting.”

They continued on, catching a tram with little difficulty, and eventually made it back to the dorm where Erin proceeded to do exactly as she’d promised beforehand and rummaged through Vesper’s clothes looking for something to wear. Meg called at some point and said that she would just meet them at the party – Steph had wanted to do some sisterly bonding, apparently, and had taken her back to her apartment to get ready. Erin had rolled her eyes at that, but her enthusiasm for getting dressed was not deterred. They put on music and talked for the next hour or so, picking out more casual clothes for the party, before Guy called, asking to be let in. Vesper went down to retrieve him and found Matt with him, and couldn’t help but grin a little. Before they went back into her room, she made sure to poke her head in and ask, “Piper, are you decent?”

The blonde replied cheerfully, “I’m never decent.”

But she was clothed, so Vesper led the guys in and they all hung out together. Matt had brought a bottle of Smirnoff with him, and regaled them with sordid tales from his high school days as he began pouring shots. It became clear after a half an hour or so that if Erin wanted to, she could easily get Matt into bed with her – the guy was definitely interested, and definitely not interested in hiding it. She met Guy’s amused stare a couple times and tried not to laugh. As Erin engaged Matt in a riveting debate about which of Vesper’s shoes she should wear, Guy poured two shots and handed one to Vesper.

“Okay, we’re toasting to us,” he told her. “To the beginning of our beautiful friendship.”

Vesper took it and held it up with a smile. “And to fresh beginnings in general,” she added, and earned a flash of his dimple in response. They clinked the little shot glasses together and then threw them back. Vodka was not her drink of choice, and she made a face as it went down. “Yucky.”

“Next time we’ll do tequila,” he promised her with a wink.

They left around 11 PM and caught the S tram that would swing them around towards upperclassmen housing. Vesper remembered to give Harper a call, and the older girl sounded almost cheerful when she answered.

“Great, I’ll meet you guys at the station,” she’d told her. Vesper could hear music going in the background; apparently the party was well under way.

“Guy, do I look ravishing?” Erin asked, batting her eyelashes at him as she clung to one of the poles in the tram. She’d donned one of her own skirts for the party, a short little number with ruffles that showed off her legs, but had borrowed a halter from Vesper to match. At first Vesper had been surprised, considering the halter was just one color and not very flashy, but then Erin had pulled out a long, shiny necklace and wound it around her neck a couple of times. It hung in layers invitingly down her chest and gave the outfit that extra oomph that Vesper had come to expect from the girl.

“You know you do,” Guy responded, amused.

Erin turned her charm on Matt. “Matt, would you ravish me?”

“Please,” he scoffed. “Don’t ask stupid questions.” He’d put some of his Smirnoff in a flask and took a swig of it before offering it around. Erin took another drink, but both Guy and Vesper declined.

When they got off the tram, Harper was there waiting. Like Vesper, she was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, but the ones Harper wore were quite low. Her halter was black and loose, except for an elastic band around her hips where the shimmering fabric met her jeans. If she had to guess, she would say that Harper wasn’t wearing a bra, but somehow she didn’t look trashy at all – she looked very trendy, as always. Vesper didn’t think she’d ever known a girl who radiated cool as much as Harper did.

“Cute shoes,” Harper told her, and then started backing up, gesturing for them to follow.

Vesper glanced around as they walked. Upperclassmen housing was vastly different from underclassmen housing – instead of big dormitories, the seasoned students were allowed little townhouse-styled apartments and two to three bedroom houses that lined four or five blocks. It was like a mini-neighborhood. A parking lot stood near the tram station, marking another one of the privileges extended to older students – the ability to have a car on campus. She couldn’t help but notice, too, that there were a lot of vehicles in that lot that were marked BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, and Audi. Rich kids, she mused. Or rich parents, I guess. But despite that, it was fairly well lit area, definitely cozy, and Vesper decided she was looking forward to moving out of the dorms already and into an apartment here.

The party was being held at a house a couple blocks down, but the faint beat of the bass could already be heard as they walked. As the house slowly came into view, Harper fell back in step with her and pointed towards a little townhouse on the opposite corner. “That’s my place, so you know. I live there with Jules.”

Vesper nodded. “Looks nice.”

“Hey,” Guy came up next to them, leaving Erin and Matt to flirt to their hearts content behind them, “Can you have co-ed residences out here?”

Harper glanced at him, slightly amused. “Sure. Not like the school can stop us, anyway.”

Guy rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. What do you think, Vesp? We could be like an old married couple and fight over leftovers and shit.”

She grinned at him. “You miss living with girls already?”

“Naw, I just want easy access to all of your hot friends.”

“As long as I can paint your nails.”

“It’s a deal.” Guy winked at her, nudging her shoulder with his playfully, and then looked to the house as they approached. The music was loud, and people were spilling out around the place, holding onto red cups and beer bottles alike, smoking, laughing, dancing and doing everything that college kids do at parties. The house was a small two-story affair, with a covered front porch and a little balcony above it. She saw Dan and Andrew on the balcony, along with a few others she didn’t recognize, and then was promptly surprised by a hug.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Meg sighed, and then turned and hugged Guy, too. Vesper had no idea where her roommate had come from, but she was a little relieved to see that the girl hadn’t been devoured alive yet.

Harper watched in cool amusement, and then gestured for them to follow. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

They followed her in. The house wasn’t huge by any means, but comparatively speaking it was probably one of the bigger ones on the block. Downstairs it was relatively wide open, with the kitchen being disconnected from the living room only by a long counter with stools. The counter had been set up as a kind of wet bar, with an unbelievable number of liquor bottles and other mixers littering the surface. “It’s an open bar,” Harper told them, shouting to be heard over the music and the countless number of people inside. “The kegs are on the porch in the back.”

“Sounds good!” Matt took Erin’s hand and pulled her that way, and the blonde waved cheerfully at them as they disappeared into the crowd of dancing people. The living room had, naturally, been turned into a dance floor, and Vesper noticed that a lot of the furniture had been wisely pushed back.

“You guys want something to drink?” Harper asked, and Guy smirked at her as he asked in return, “You got any tequila?”

Harper smiled, and pushed her way through to the bar. Most people seemed to recognize her authority and moved out of her way, so the four of them had plenty of room as she poured out the shots and passed around the salt and the limes.

“Bitches! Taking a shot without me?” Jules appeared from somewhere and immediately began pouring herself one.

“Cheers,” Guy yelled, and they all began the careful ritual of the tequila shot, licking the salt off of their wrists, downing the liquid, and sucking on the lime. Vesper finished first, much to Guy’s amusement. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and said, “I’m gonna wander, but I’ll be back for another in a little bit. Don’t get drunk without me.”

Vesper rolled her eyes and playfully shooed him away. Harper eyed him and waited for him to be out of hearing distance before she arched an eyebrow at Vesper and asked, “Something going on with you two?”

“Negative,” Vesper replied, shaking her head. Her skin was starting to tingle but this, she knew, was from the liquor and not some weird magic voodoo. “He’s my brother from another mother.”

Jules threw her head back and laughed, and Vesper couldn’t be sure if her extreme good humor was liquor induced or if it was just her personality. “I like this girl. Can we keep her?” She asked Harper.

Harper rolled her eyes, but Vesper caught the smile. “All right, you girls dance?” She asked, causing Jules to clap her hands gleefully.

Vesper grinned, suddenly much more excited about the party. “Oh yeah.”

Meghan laughed and shook her head. “Oh no.” Part of their bonding session the last couple of days had included Vesper warning the other girl about her love of tequila and dancing, and how the two could lead to very interesting nights when combined. Meghan had laughed herself silly when Vesper told her about one night in which she’d somehow ended up dancing on a bar of an 80’s club with her sister, lip-syncing the words to Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” as the bartender sprayed them with something she was pretty sure wasn’t water.

That was a night nobody else in the Mulberry family knew about, of course. She was fairly sure that her parents wouldn’t have appreciated knowing that about their children, cool as they were, but Vesper definitely knew that Jack never would have let them out of the house again.

“Floor, now!” Jules pointed, and the four of them went out into the throng of people already dancing. In no time at all they’d worked up a sweat, and Vesper was glad that she’d opted for a simple outfit – a red tube top with thin, white, horizontal stripes, the jeans, and a pair of cute red flats to match. She definitely didn’t look as flashy as a lot of the girls there, but she was comfortable; Vesper did not buy into the whole “beauty is pain” agenda.

As chance would have it, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” actually came on a few songs later and Meghan laughed and pointed at her as she shouted, “Encore, now!”

Erin, as if knowing some serious dancing was about to go down, materialized next to them and began to shimmy in a way that her mother would probably not approve of and crooked her finger at Vesper provocatively. Vesper couldn’t help but respond – god, she loved dancing – and the two of them put on a show. Jules joined in happily, and by the time the song was over all three were caked in sweat and completely exhilarated.

“Okay, we are definitely taking these girls clubbing with us,” Jules announced, wiping sweat off of her forehead. “Hot damn, I’m wetter than Courtney Love at a grunge concert.”

“That is exactly what I like to hear.” A blonde man had come up behind Jules and pinched her ass playfully. He was a big guy, broad shouldered and clearly in great shape; he had the kind of body that belonged on a wall somewhere in Abercrombie & Fitch. His hair was long and scraggily in that surfer way, and his grin was disarming, in the kind of “I will fuck you and leave you without batting an eye” kind of way.

Vesper expected Jules to swear at him, maybe punch him in the shoulder or something, but instead the girl turned and threw herself at him. “Alan, you sexy beast! Kiss me now.”

He did. It was an alarmingly graphic kiss, and though Vesper felt dirty for having witnessed it, it was a total train wreck – impossible to look away. It also became very clear to her that these two were well acquainted. She wondered if voyeurism was going to become a regular pastime of hers.

“That’s hot,” Erin declared, and then began to look around again. “Where’s Matt? Oh, fuck me, where did that boy go?”

Harper rolled her eyes, and leaned towards Vesper. “Fuck buddies,” she explained, gesturing towards Jules and Alan, who were still fondling each other quite shamelessly. “Mostly she just does it to piss Steph off, and O’Connell loves to be the center of a bitch-fest.”

“Steph?” Vesper questioned, and when Harper nodded her heads to the left, she saw exactly what the girl meant. Meghan’s Big Sister was damn near to glaring holes in Jules’ back. She caught Vesper watching her, however, and gave her a look with barely smothered disdain before turning away.

“Isn’t she charming?” Harper mused, and Vesper couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She wasn’t sure what made the other girl warm up to them, but whatever it was she was glad – Harper was fun.

Jules had finally ended their little show and proceeded to introduce Alan to the rest of the girls. “But if I hear you’ve been fucking around with any of them, I’ll cut off your balls,” she warned him, jabbing a finger into his chest. “I like them, so play nice.”

He grinned. “Don’t I always?”

Jules snorted in response, and then started towards the porch. “I’m grabbing a beer. Peace!”

“We’re coming with you,” Erin declared, and pulled Meghan off with her as she hurried after the other girl.

Alan watched them, bemused, before turning his attention to Vesper. “So, this is the Little Sister, huh? She’s hot.”

Vesper raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m standing right here.”

He flashed his grin. “I noticed.”

She rolled her eyes, and glanced at Harper, who looked thoroughly amused with her reaction. “I’m gonna try and find Guy, all right?”

Harper gave her a nod. “See you later.”

Vesper smiled, and nodded to Alan, who also seemed particularly amused, and started back towards the kitchen. She had no idea where he might have wandered off to but she figured if she kept moving she was bound to run into him at some point. When he wasn’t in the kitchen, she stepped outside onto the porch. It was stuffy inside the house, and the night felt cool and refreshing against her skin. There were people hanging out on the porch and in front yard, but none of them were Guy. Still, she wandered out, basking for a moment in the cool air. A few people seemed to recognize her – people, of course, that she had no familiarity with whatsoever – but she was beginning to take it in stride.

It was still kind of surreal the way so many people seemed to know her, though. She’d been warned that this very thing would happen – that word would get around – but it was still hard to believe it. In high school she’d been the kind of girl who wasn’t popular, and though she’d made good grades, she wasn’t ever considered to be a nerd, either; instead, she fell somewhere in between, and had friends on both sides of the spectrum. Vesper hadn’t ever dreamed that something like this could happen, and even now she felt like the only way to really deal with the oddness right now was to pretend it just wasn’t there.

Eventually that wasn’t going to work, she knew, but for the moment it was one of the things that was keeping her sane. If she could just keep it all at arms length for a little bit longer, things should be all right. Everything would settle down, people would stop wanting to know about her, and she could move forward with things as she normally would.

“Vesper!”

She blinked, startled from her reveries, and turned her head up towards the sound of Guy’s voice. He was on the balcony, along with Dan, Mark, and Andy, and was leaning over the railing to shout at her. When he saw that she spotted him, he called out, “Hey, I’ll meet you in the kitchen!”

Vesper nodded. Andy smiled and waved down at her, and Vesper returned the greeting before she went back inside. The majority of the people in here were dancing in the living room, with maybe a dozen or so others hanging out around the kitchen. The rest had relocated outside, probably in the back, since it was cooler and that was also where the kegs were. As she leaned against the counter, waiting for Guy, she caught sight of Erin and Matt dancing and smirked a little. From the looks of things, those two were definitely going to be hooking up at some point.

Guy joined her shortly after and hugged her hard, picking her up off the ground. “You are hot and sticky, but I still love you,” he told her, and let her go. “Let’s do our shot.”

They found the tequila and went through the ritual again, this time toasting to Pritch and then, after pouring seconds, to being brilliant, sexy, and single. Then Guy grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. “Come on, Andy wanted me to bring you back up. She’s on her third martini, if I’m not mistaken, and it will only be a short time before her and Mark disappear into some dark, secluded place and make sweet, sweet love.”

“That sounds nice,” Vesper replied, wistful. The tequila was definitely kicking in fast this time.

There were only two rooms upstairs, with a bathroom in between. The first one was left open, and it was into this one Guy pulled her. Like the window over the bed, the balcony doors were wide open, allowing the room a cooler atmosphere than what was downstairs. The room was fairly neat, but obviously a male’s. What impressed Vesper were the two bookshelves, situated between the balcony doors and the little bedside table by the bed. There were rows and rows of books, some neatly put away and organized, some just pushed in haphazardly or stacked on top of each other, as well as a number of CDs and DVDs. A flat screen was mounted on the wall opposite the bed, just above the DVD player and a couple of speakers on the dresser, and Vesper imagined that it was probably a pretty sweet experience to watch a movie in here.

“Vesper!” Andy caught sight of her quickly and came forward with her martini in one hand, kissing both of her cheeks. “I’m so glad you came. Are you having fun?”

“Yeah,” Vesper said, only a little envious of how pretty the other girl looked, even when drunk. The flush in her cheeks only seemed to add to her good looks. Meanwhile, here she was, sweaty from dancing and nowhere near as put together. Mostly though, she was just jealous because Andy was probably going to be having sex in the next hour and she wasn’t. In that way, sometimes, alcohol wasn’t your friend. “I’ve been dancing with the girls.”

“Harper and Jules are dancing fiends,” Andy related. With three martinis in her, the girl was much more animated in her movements. “Mark doesn’t like it, but I think it’s awesome. I’m a terrible dancer.”

Vesper seriously doubted that. She couldn’t imagine the girl being anything but graceful.

“On your feet, anyway,” Mark quipped, coming up behind her, and Vesper laughed at how quickly Andy went red.

“Mark!” She swatted at his hands when he tried to put them on her hips and moved away, smiling through her embarrassment. He just laughed and caught her, kissing her forehead before letting her go. “I’m getting us a few more beers,” he told her, and glanced at Vesper and Guy. “You guys want one?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Guy replied, but Vesper shook her head.

“What have you been drinking?” Andy asked her.

Vesper lifted her hair off of the back of her neck. “Tequila, mostly.”

Andy turned back to Mark. “Make her something with tequila in it. She needs to catch up with me before I start to feel really stupid.”

Mark grinned a little and saluted them before leaving. Guy crossed to the balcony, where Dan was still standing with a couple other guys, leaving the girls where they were. Andy perched on the end of the bed, and gave a pat to the comforter next to her. “You have cat eyes,” the brunette told her as she sat, and Vesper’s eyebrows went up in response.

“I have… what?”

Andy giggled. “Cat eyes,” she repeated, and sipped from her martini.

“Um, thank you, I think,” Vesper replied.

“It’s the shape of them,” Andy explained. “My mom always calls them that. She’s big fan of old black and whites and her favorite actresses were always the ones with cat eyes. I think it’s a euphemism for bedroom eyes but she didn’t want me to know what that was, so she called them “cat eyes” and now it’s just stuck.”

“Oh!” Quite frankly, Vesper was a little surprised that of all the things she might talk about in regard to her eyes, the thing that Andy went to first was the shape of them, instead of the obvious difference in color and, magically speaking, what that implied. She was also a little impressed with the fact that she’d managed to use a word like euphemism while drunk. This girl was something else.

Turning a little towards the balcony, Vesper yelled, “Guy! I have bedroom eyes!”

He leaned back a little to make himself visible and purred at her before disappearing again.

Andy giggled. “He’s funny.”

“What’s in that?” Vesper asked, pointing at the martini.

Andy peered at it pensively for a second, and then announced, “I have no idea. Jules made it for me. Wanna try?”

Vesper took a sip, and her eyebrows shot up at the amount of vodka she tasted. “Holy mother of God, how many of these have you had?”

“This is the third,” she replied cheerfully. “Jules always makes them strong, but I’m getting used to it. Any alcohol tolerance I have comes from her.”

Vesper laughed in response. Andy had struck her as a lightweight but was proving to be a better drinker than she thought. In fact, she was proving to be pretty cool all the way around.

Mark strolled back into the room, two beers in each hand, and Andrew came in behind him. “I found Jules and got her to make you that,” Mark said, pointing with his pinky towards the orange-red concoction Andrew was holding as he went to distribute the beers. “God speed.”

“Thank you!” Vesper jumped up and took it from him. Andrew watched in amusement as she sniffed it curiously before taking a little taste. “Oh good lord, I’m going to die.”

Andy giggled again, and stood, reaching for her hand. “Come on, we’ll die together.” She pulled her out to the balcony and Andrew followed after them. They found the rest of the guys out there discussing the most recent projections for the college football season. Guy glanced at her new drink, sniffed it, and then made a face. “Good luck with that,” he told her, and she stuck her tongue out in response.

The chatting went on for a while longer, conversations and conversation partners switching back and forth repeatedly. Vesper was pleased to see that Guy and Dan actually seemed to get along really well; apparently both guys like the same football team and had spent the last twenty minutes dissecting the season’s line-up. Vesper liked football generally but couldn’t say she had a favorite team or could discuss it in any depth, and at any rate Andy had absolutely claimed her for herself. She couldn’t say she minded – the girl was so endearing, and the alcohol in both of them made it really easy to relate stories back and forth. Mark sometimes popped in with something, and sometimes Andrew did too. It didn’t escape Vesper’s attention, sober though she was not, that the latter man was watching her – his dark eyes lingered almost indecently at times.

She really couldn’t say she didn’t like the attention, though. Vesper was still thinking about her lack of a love life, and Mark and Andy seemed to bring that into crystal clear focus even more. They were both a little drunk, and that made them a little more touchy-feely than they’d been earlier at dinner, though it wasn’t anything like the show Jules had put on earlier with Alan. But they had more of a connection than anybody she knew; it was enough to make Vesper feel a little heartsick, and part of her hated herself for that. But another part silently reveled in the fact that Andrew, who was undoubtedly a very good-looking guy, couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of her. It did tingly things to her spine.

She was mostly done with her drink when Jules came looking for her, demanding that she come dance. Vesper had a very nice buzz going and she was totally okay with dancing off her angst, so she smiled at Jules and replied, “Okay, but let me finish this.”

“I’m going to have to insist, since I made it,” Jules agreed. “That and it should get you real nice and loose.”

“Are you going to dance with her or take advantage of her?” Guy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jules gave him a very predatory smile. “Have you seen this girl dance yet?”

Guy glanced over at her. “No. Vesper, are you holding out on me?”

Vesper gave him an innocent look over the rim of her drink.

“Cat eyes!” Andy pointed, and hooked her arm around Mark’s waist. “Mark, tell Vesper that I want her eyes.”

“Vesper, Andy would appreciate it if you gave her your eyes.”

“I’ll work on that,” Vesper replied, her mouth quirking in amusement, and kept drinking.

“What about you, Carrot-top?” Jules asked, giving Guy a once over. “You gonna come down and boogie with us?”

Guy scowled at the nickname and launched into a long diatribe about the persecution of redheads throughout history. Vesper had no idea how he came up with all the random details that he did, but she was really beginning to believe that he was a genius of some kind. Possibly an evil one. She could only laugh when he finished with, “And so in conclusion, yes I will dance.”

“Who else is down there?” Vesper asked, wondering if Erin would be there or if the blonde had decided to move the dancing to a bedroom somewhere.

“You and me, kiddo.” Jules grinned. “Erin disappeared with that other little cutie you guys came in with, Meg’s with Steph, and Harper’s performing an elaborate strip tease in the backyard.”

That got Mark’s attention. “Wait, what?”

“I don’t know how you still take me seriously, after all of these years,” Jules told him, tsking lightly, before pausing and turning her ear towards the door. “Oh, that is my song. Vesper, forget the drink, let’s go.”

“Okay.” Andrew was nearest, so she flashed him a quick smile as she handed him her unfinished glass of something and followed the darker-haired girl back downstairs, Guy coming behind. She thought she felt Andrew’s gaze trailing after her, but that possibly could have been her imagination. Or the tequila. Or any mixture of the three, really. You are a silly bitch, she told herself, and then switched her focus to the music. Vesper didn’t know the song, but after listening to a few lyrics she couldn’t help but laugh – of course Jules would love this song.

The girl in question pushed through to the center of the living room and immediately started to move her hips in time with the music, singing along at the top of her lungs. Vesper tossed Guy a quick grin before Jules grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the floor. It took only seconds before they’d created a rhythm and garnered attention. They had what Cadence would call “dancing chemistry,” Vesper thought – they reacted similarly to the music, but could adapt to each other’s movements easily when they didn’t, and still looked good doing it. After a second, Jules pointed at Guy, who was watching appreciatively, and yelled, “You! Get your ass over here, Carrot-top!”

Guy, of course, obeyed – Jules had that effect on people – and soon all three were dancing in a line, bumping and grinding cheerfully as one Jamie Foxx sang about being unpredictable. Harper found them but ignored Jules’ commands to dance, choosing to nurse her drink and watch instead.

Another classic 80’s song followed that one, one of Vesper’s favorites, and she lost herself to the music once again. This is exactly what I need, she thought, feeling all of her frustration and her anxiety get thrown off with every shake of her hips. It was exhilarating. There was a kind of freedom in dancing that was totally different than the one she felt when she was painting, though both were cathartic to her in some way. The liquor was throbbing through her veins, doing just as much to warm her blood as the dancing was, and Vesper loved every minute of it. She felt every nuance of the music in her, and it struck her suddenly that music was a kind of magic in its own way.

She spent the rest of the night dancing. Half of the time she didn’t even know who she was dancing with, and very little of that was the booze talking. Vesper just let everything else but the music go. It was almost two-thirty before Guy finally pulled her off of the floor, reminding her about their ten o’clock appointment at Carroway. Jules was dancing intensely with some random guy they didn’t know, Mark and Andy had apparently found their dark and secluded place, and Dan and Alan were standing on the back porch with a couple of other guys, the former looking a little tired while the latter talked animatedly about something.

“I have to find Meghan,” Guy said, and steered her to the side. “You wait here with Andrew and I’ll comb the yard.”

Vesper rolled her eyes, but he wasn’t done. Guy then turned to Andrew and continued, “If any guys try to bring her a drink or get her to dance, please tell them to die.”

Andrew was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, but at Guy’s request he smirked. “Tell them to die. Check.”

“Fantastic.” Guy gave Vesper one last look, as if just daring her to try anything, and then jogged off.

Vesper watched him go, well aware that Andrew was in turn watching her, and then eventually glanced at him. “You keep staring.”

“Do I?” He asked. His voice was low, the tone almost blasé, and Vesper felt the tingle again. She wasn’t sure if that one was magic or not. He was taller than she was, by a good four inches at least, and that was no easy feat. She wasn’t used to having to look up at a guy. That, combined with his coolness and the fact that despite the attitude she still kind of wanted his attention, was starting to irritate her.

Definitely time to go, she thought, and folded her arms over her chest. There weren’t nearly as many people in the house as there had been a couple hours earlier, and with all of the windows and doors still wide open, it was really starting to cool down. She was still a little damp with sweat and she felt her skin begin to goosebump in response to the crisp night air.

Andrew wandered off shortly after, and Vesper frowned, watching her feet as she shuffled in place. She was never really good at reading guys, and flirting was not exactly her forte. There was also the simple fact that she didn’t sleep around; she wasn’t a virgin by any means, but that didn’t mean she was able to jump into bed with just anybody. Most guys, after realizing she wasn’t going to put out, threw in the towel. Vesper didn’t intentionally do it, she didn’t think, but since Miguel, things with guys just didn’t go right.

Two years, and the fucker was still messing things up for her. Bastard, she thought.

“Here.” Andrew reappeared next to her suddenly and handed her a hoodie. Vesper stared at it for a second, surprised, before lifting her eyes to his. He returned the gaze steadily, and after another couple of seconds his brow lifted slightly. “You can return it later.”

Vesper blinked, but her desire for warmth quickly won out and she pulled it on. It was a good two sizes too big, at least, and the sleeves of it dangled by her fingers. “Thank you,” she said, inspecting herself briefly. It smells like him, she thought, and then wondered how she even knew what he smelled like in the first place.

No one did approach Vesper while she stood there with him, though plenty of people looked over. She had to wonder about that, too, but contented herself by burrowing a little deeper into his sweater.

“Seen any memories yet?” He asked quietly, so much that she almost didn’t hear him.

She eyed him, feeling a mixture of interest and wariness. “Yeah.”

His eyes moved over her. “Do you know how weird that is?” He asked, still quiet.

Vesper bristled a little. “You know, I didn’t ask for this,” she started, but he shook his head and cut her off.

“I mean the fact that you can use it at all right now. Most first years take a couple weeks to get into their powers, and you’ve tapped into it almost immediately.” His dark eyes lingered on her lips for a moment before he glanced away. She fought off a blush as he continued, “On top of that, you inherited two different magicks. Not only is one of them extremely rare, but it’s also intricately related to the other. That isn’t a connection that happens often, Vesper.”

Vesper didn’t know how to respond to that. What was she supposed to say? Thanks for making me feel even more like a freak? It’s been real, I think I’ll go jump off a bridge now?

“People will want to use you. Some do already. Keep it in mind.”

She caught sight of Guy coming back, his hand firmly around Meghan’s. Her roommate looked a little drunk, and a little more tired, and Vesper had to wonder what the girl had gotten up to during the night. “Are you okay?” She asked her, pushing the sleeves of the hoodie up, without success.

Meghan gave a tired nod, swaying a little on her feet. Guy observed this with a sigh, and then declared, “All right, Megs, piggy-back ride.”

Vesper spotted the other girl as she jumped onto his back, and once that was done she turned back to Andrew. “Well, thanks for the pep talk,” she said dryly.

“Anytime,” he replied.

As they left, Guy asked, “What was that about?”

Vesper shook her head. “I’ve gotta think about it. I’ll tell you later, though,” she murmured, and fingered the hem of the hoodie thoughtfully.

Author’s Note: Yeah, this one was pretty long, but I didn’t feel like splitting it up. Plus, it’ll probably be a while before I update this again, so consider it a gift. When I first started writing this I thought I knew exactly where it was going, and though I think I’ve still got a handle on it, I’ve hit a bit of a wall. The next chapter is almost finished, but between some of the other stories I’m working on and the ridiculous amount of work I have for school (final papers are the number one killers of grad students), there might be a gap between this update and the next. So that’s my warning to ya’ll.

This chapter does open up some interesting subplots, however, and I’d love to hear what you guys think of those and the characters so far. Don’t be strangers, now!

Major kudos to my reviewers: openheadspace, eternita, shakespeares.secret.lover, Lionesscouer, HGiel.

If you get bored and/or enjoy my writing, please please please check out some of my other stories. Diamonds and Dust is my pride and joy, but for those of you who want something a little lighter, there’s always The Eleventh Annual Hide Or Die Summer Challenge. Comments, criticism, and/or unending adoration will always be appreciated. ;p

Cheers,
Megs