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The thumping bass of the music reverberated from the speakers, bouncing off the concrete walls of the underground nightclub. Strobe lights flashed in erratic patterns, illuminating the dark and crowded dance floor where strangers pressed uncomfortably close to each other. The air was heavy with the smell of sweat and perfume, a heady combination that added to the pulsing energy of the club. Laurel's senses were on overload, her heart racing and her skin prickling from the intense atmosphere surrounding her.
She turned her attention to her one island of reprieve in the sea of all of the chaos, the reason she was even there, her best friend Talia. Her best friend who had spent all evening ignoring her to drool over Mr. tall, dark, and creepy , the current bane of her existence, Nikolai Melnikov. The same Nikolai Melnikov who had taken off about an hour and a half ago with some friends for a vape break leaving them alone in a room filled with unfamiliar faces. She couldn't understand what drew her friend to him, perhaps it was his piercing gaze or his reckless attitude or the fact that he was the exact kind of guy her mother would go ape shit over but Laurel saw something else in Nikolai. Something dark and dangerous that sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she knew there was more to him than met the eye.
As if sensing her thoughts, Nikolai suddenly appeared in front of them, his signature smirk plastered on his face, "what's up ladies? Enjoying the party?" He smelled disgustingly of starburst and vape smoke.
Talia's eyes lit up at his presence, Laurel immediately felt on guard. "oh, yes! we were having a marvelous time," she retorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
Talia glared at Laurel covering up her mouth with her hand, "ignore her, she doesn't get out much."
Laurel let out a sigh of frustration, "whatever, I'm thirsty. Do they at least have water in this hell hole?"
"Oh yeah, let me grab that for you. Be right back," he disappeared into the crowd, leaving the girls standing alone once more.
Laurel's eyes flickered over to Talia as she crossed her arms over her chest. Irritation clearly etched across her face as she mumbled something under her breath that was drowned out by the thumping noise on the speakers. Despite the underlying frustration evident on her face, she still managed to radiate a captivating aura. Her skin seemed to glow in the dim light of the room, highlighting her sharp features and dark hair cascading down her back like a waterfall.
Despite being accustomed to wearing all black, Talia's current outfit was a stark contrast from her usual put-together looks. She sported a simple black dress over a sheer mesh long-sleeved top and tattered stockings. The fabric was torn in multiple places, giving off a grungy vibe that was completely out of character for the usually polished Talia. Still, she looked devastating, someone would have to be a fool to not see Talia's beauty.
Laurel on the other hand looked completely out of place in this scene. Expecting a casual night out, she had hastily thrown together a yellow crop top and light blue jeans. These pops of color stood out amongst the sea of black-clad individuals. Nervously, she tugged at the sides of her white bucket hat, avoiding eye contact with anyone who passed by. It was clear that she wasn't dressed for this event, but it was too late to change by the time she had figured out where they were going. Talia had lured her out under the premise that they would be going bowling, which turned out to be less than truthful. Not that any of that mattered, she'd follow Talia to the ends of the earth.
Laurel's eyes had stayed locked on Nikolai throughout the night, abusing her x-ray vision a little more than she probably should have, and her frustration with him was growing with each passing moment. She couldn't fathom how he could be having the time of his life doing whatever the hell he wanted, not giving a single thought to his girlfriend who was having, what she refused to admit was, a terrible time. Laurel allowed herself for just one small moment to think about how she would be a much better boyfriend to Talia. She would never leave Talia alone in a room full of strangers. She would never take Talia to a place she didn't want to be. She would make sure that Talia knew that she was the most important person to her.
Just then, Nikolai appeared again with two drinks in his hand. "Thought you might want something stronger than water," he said with a cocky grin.
Laurel raised an eyebrow at him, but took one of the drinks anyway. "Thanks," she muttered before carefully sniffing at the liquid in the red plastic cup, "what is this?" she gagged, wrinkling her nose.
"Beer," he shrugged, "thought you could use something stronger than water."
"Nik, how did you even get this?"
"They don't ID here," he shrugged again.
"Look no offense but I don't really think it's a good idea-" Talia started to protest before he cut her off.
"Why? Do you think I'm gonna drug you or something?" his tone was defensive.
She quickly shook her head "What? No! I just-"
"She doesn't want to drink it. Didn't you hear her the first time?" The fact that Nikolai didn't seem to know Talia at all was infuriating. Laurel knew what Talia liked. Talia would never choose to dull her senses even among friends. Laurel felt the urge to wipe that smug look off Nikolai's face rise within her but she held back, knowing that her friend was no damsel in distress, lest she find herself on the receiving end of Talia's temper.
Talia lifted her hand in a calming gesture, almost as if calling off an attack dog, "It has nothing to do with you Nik, I just like to keep my senses sharp. That's all." A devilish grin spread across Laurel's face at the thought of winning this small battle against Nikolai, his disdain obvious. She knew what Talia liked.
"Ok, whatever but I came here to have fun and you two aren't exactly being fun. So, I'm out of here." Nikolai sauntered away, leaving Laurel feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Hey Tal, do you wanna get out of..." she began, but the words died on her lips as she saw the sadness in her friend's eyes. Laurel couldn't understand why Talia was so infatuated with him or why she seemed to prefer his company over hers lately, but seeing Talia this upset broke her heart. "I'm sure he'll call," she reassured her. Talia just nodded. "Hey Tali," Laurel said softly "do you wanna dance with me?" Laurel didn't even wait for Talia to respond, she simply grabbed her wrist and led her to the dance floor.
She wasn't sure if it was the small victory over Nikolai, the loud music and blaring lights, or the way Talia looked at her with those catlike emerald eyes but she was feeling brave. She reached out and pulled Talia against her, eliciting a soft gasp from the other girl. With their faces mere inches apart, she leaned in even closer and whispered in Talia's ear, "I could be a better boyfriend than him." Talia smiled, wrapping her arms around Laurel's waist and burying her face in her shoulder, her face felt hot against her skin.
Laurel didn't know how Talia had perceived her words or even how she herself had intended them but it really didn't matter. And despite the noise and chaos around them, it felt like they were the only two people in the room at that moment. She wished they could stay this way forever.