Page 43 of Organized Chaos

Chapter 12

Four Years Later

Iexamined myself inthe elegant mirror; the finished product was... passable.

My looks fell somewhere in the middle—average—but my makeup was on point tonight, elevating those average traits. The sophisticated dress added a mature touch, as did the designer purse—a gift from Raven—since not many teenagers rocked designer labels.

Glancing at the white nightstand of the small but opulent hotel room, I located the book that had become my lifelong companion. Before leaving the room, I wrapped it carefully in the protective cloth I had purchased—a tad overboard on my part. Anyone to come across it would likely mistake the book for a bible. To me, it might as well be.

Placing it gingerly inside my backpack, I left the room and took the elevator to meet Gabby. I was sharing this room with her, but Gabby was already downstairs.

Gabrielle was a friend of mine who, shockingly, wasn’t put off by my... oddities. Her parents invited three of her closest friends and me on a trip to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. They were also staying in this hotel and got us adjacent rooms.

However, this trip served a dual purpose for me. I found out thathewas coming to the same city, and the dates coincided with Gabby’s trip. It had been months since I laid eyes on him, and I was dying for a taste.

“Mia, over here!” Gabby called out when I stepped onto the hotel lobby.

We had a birthday dinner earlier with her parents. Afterward, we decided to change for the nightlife portion of the evening. Our destination—the club adjoined to the hotel via the elongated lobby.

“Hi!”

Gabby gave me a quick hug. “Why are you so late?”

“Sorry, I lost track of time.” And took too long in front of the mirror.

“Guess it was worth it.” Gabby smacked my butt. She was the kind of person lax about interactions and all sorts of other things, especially boys—making out with someone from hotel security twenty minutes after checking in. “You look like a knock-out.”

Actually, Gabby was the real knockout with her golden skin, hazel eyes, and dark hair. The red romper she chose for tonight fit her five-foot-eight frame like a glove. She looked more like a model rather than a future tech wiz.

“Is that cute security guard of yours coming out tonight?” I asked.

“Julien? No.” She pouted. “He has to work the surveillance room.”

“Too bad.”

Gabby led the charge toward the VIP entrance of the club, along with her other friends who stood in line—Avril, Esme, and Priya.

I tilted my head in acknowledgment. “Hey, guys.”

Avril smiled tightly. She was the unofficial group leader and quite the head-turner with creamy skin and brown eyes with matching hair.

Esme and Priya were in a deep conversation. They responded in kind with polite smiles.

“We’re all here,” Gabby moved past them to inform the bouncer. “Table’s under Hayford.”