Page 3 of Vying Girls (Girls of Hazelhurst #2)

Tilda

I scream as a wall of hail is hurled at us.

They feel like little daggers flaying my skin, punishing me for cropping this t-shirt.

No regrets from the look Haz gave me earlier, but now there’s nowhere to hide.

We’re trapped behind these rope barriers, the line inching slowly towards the door of the third club of the night.

At least it’s washing out the citrusy scent of foam. That had been a nasty surprise. I’m all for foam parties when the weather’s warmer, but tonight it just felt like penance.

Worth it for the look on Nic’s face though. Her hair’s still plastered flat to her head; she’s been combing at it non-stop. We had about a minute warning from the app, the thing pinging on everyone’s phones. Someone screamed it’s going to be acid, not foam, which ratcheted up the tension a bit.

I preferred the treat from the first place, the masks that were flung from veiled figures on the edge of the dance floor. I’d gone to pluck a black masquerade mask that Nic quickly swiped. Just because she could with those lanky, orangutan arms.

‘Could be anyone behind these masks,’ she shouted into my ear, only a sly smile visible on her face. ‘Ghost of Christmas past, even.’

She’s been making these weird little comments all night. Trying to psych me out or something. I’m not really sure what. I’m over trying to figure that one out.

Hard not to wonder when she’s everywhere I turn, though.

When I go to the bar, she’s there. The loos, she’s there.

Whole club full of people, she could easily lose herself.

Her other friends are here. Why stick around me if she doesn’t have to?

There’s a disturbing purposefulness to her actions tonight.

Something that buzzes just past my awareness.

I should be fazed but I’m fucked this far into the night.

Downed way too much of that lethal black stuff.

Between the four of us, we finished the bottle.

It sits on Haz’s shelf now. She’s a fan of skulls.

‘This is fucking mental!’ she shouts. She’s not shying from the hailstorm. She blocks me in with her body, grinning up at the furious black sky. ‘Can’t believe they didn’t cancel tonight.’

‘Only gonna get worse,’ Nic says with none of the same excitement. There’s a line cut into her forehead. She’s taking the opportunity to smoke a cigarette despite the glares she’s garnering from others. Stuff fucking reeks.

‘Bring it, baby.’

‘Won’t be saying that when they cancel the ferry.’

‘Sourpuss.’ Haz chucks her under the chin. ‘Cheer up.’

Nic doesn’t respond to that. It’s always weird watching them. I forget, amid our enmity, that she’s practically family to these two. That they love her. That she’ll probably be in their lives forever.

Does she feel the same kind of despair when she watches me with them? It’s probably worse for her. She’d had them all to herself until I came along. Maybe this whole thing’s just some misguided jealousy. And honestly, I can’t even blame her. I’ve never had a good handle on my emotions either.

We’re finally let in past a glowering security guard.

Yeah, I bet he hates us tonight. We’re animals, inmates on release.

Top of every university league table, plastered across brochures, number one filming location in the country, it’s difficult not to feel that power sometimes.

Especially in these numbers, with a gallon of alcohol flowing through our veins.

I make for the bar but Haz steers me in the direction of the toilets. There’s a sea of bodies in there but I’m pushed through all of them to the hand dryers.

‘Move it, people. Emergency here.’

She shoves me in front of the warm air, warding everyone off with a damning smile and those thick, folded arms.

She’s rude, unrepentant. Behaviour I usually hate in a guy but with Haz, and with it directed at me, hate is the last thing I feel.

‘Better, princess?’ she says into my ear, kissing me there.

I hold my sodden t-shirt to the dryer, shivering from the warmth. ‘Much!’

Those waiting for a cubicle are checking their phones. It’s going to hit midnight soon and I think we’re all expecting something big.

Finally warm enough, I step away. ‘Wonder what it’s going to be.’

‘Something mega, I hope. I want a riot, a stampede.’

I grasp her hand as we leave for the dance floor. ‘As long as you’re there to pull me out of it.’

She gives me a look, that dark, delicious one. ‘What do you think?’

She knows exactly what I think. If only I could say the same.

I know she wants me. Even with all my screaming insecurities, I can’t convince myself she doesn’t.

She’s all over me, all-encompassing. She hasn’t let me out of her sight all night.

But if I push, she pulls away. If I take a step towards her, she takes one back.

It’s a frustrating dance, one that can’t last forever.

I’m going out of my mind with wanting her. I don’t know how she can stand it.

We join the other two. Elly shoves an overflowing plastic cup at Haz and Nic does the same for me, albeit less enthusiastically.

I regard the sudsy liquid. Spiked? Wouldn’t put it past her.

Then I’m gasping as she knocks into me, making me spill a quarter of it down myself.

‘Can’t be worse than that black shit,’ she says with a grin. Grinning at dousing me because she did it on purpose. I’ve only just dried off, for fuck’s sake.

I take a sip, biting down on the plastic as I resist the urge to chuck the rest at her smug face. Never seen her smile so much. It’s unnerving. Which is sad, because she has a nice smile. It lights up her whole face, turning her into something she’s not.

Not tonight though, not below that black mask. I’m not wearing one, neither is Haz. She’s not keen on things touching her skin. Unless it’s me, a thought that makes me smile. Sensory overload à la Tilda.

I cross to Elly, keeping Nic to the front of me out of reach. Elly has the short sleeves of her t-shirt rolled up, same as Haz. Only me and Nic felt the urge to cut half of it off, bodging the QR code on the back.

I can’t keep my eyes off Elly’s arms. They’re red from the cold and sharp slap of hailstones. Her tattoos are stark. She has nice arms, even when she doesn’t spend ten million hours in the gym honing them like Haz.

I run my palms up them and kiss her, standing up on my tiptoes.

She has her mask resting on the top of her head like a pair of glasses.

It plumes in shades of pink and purple, like a bird of paradise.

She’s not keen on it, but equally reluctant to let it go.

She’ll keep it on her just because it’s hers and she found it, a cute puppy guarding a resource.

Unless I ask for it. Then it’ll be on my head quicker than I can blink.

‘Elly-Belly,’ I say into her ear, squeezing her tight.

‘Hey, Tilda.’ She smiles at me, running her hands up and down my hips.

It’s a little patronising. I know I’m wasted.

I don’t care. I’m just happy to be out with her and Haz.

They make me feel so much, too much. There’s something binding here between us, a thick rope I can almost see.

It twines tighter as we dance, never letting each other out of our sights.

Nic gets tangled in it. It frays when it touches her. She watches me from across our tight little circle, looking at Elly’s arms around me as I dance in front of her. There’s so much hate there, such viciousness.

I hold her eyes. She’s a part of this quartet whether she likes it or not. There is no Elly and Haz without Nic. We’re bound no matter what. A truth we’re both starting to understand the weight of, I think.

It’s so close to midnight, but I need to pee.

I peel away from the others, the throng parting to let me through.

I barely feel the brush of them, my gaze hazy on the far corner where the loos are.

I’m going to regret this so bad tomorrow, already feeling queasy.

But right now, tomorrow feels forever away.

I look back, just briefly, to see Nic on my tail. I knew one of them would follow, but I didn’t think it would be her this time. Whatever. Not much she can do to me behind a locked door.

But as a cubicle becomes free, she’s still on my heels. She slaps the door open with her palm, pushing me inside.

My body bounces against hers when I whirl round. ‘So, this is where you fuck off.’

That smile again. ‘After tonight, you won’t want me doing that.’

I want to argue but my need to pee’s reached fever pitch. Maybe I should just piss on her. Surely that’ll scare her off.

I undo my shorts. ‘Turn around.’

‘That’s why I’m here.’ She turns her back slowly. ‘This door doesn’t lock.’

I hover on the loo. It’s so tiny in here. Nic’s right there. It’s not about modesty. I’ve peed with Natasha loads of times. It’s about the why. If I leant my head forward just another inch, it would rest on her back. I’m so unsteady I can’t be sure I won’t.

‘Almost midnight,’ she comments.

‘I know. I’m peeing as fast as I can.’

‘You remember New Year’s Eve?’

I frown at the back of her head. ‘You mean when you gozzed in my mouth? Yeah, rings a bell. Hope you’re not looking for a repeat.’

‘Maybe that’s exactly what I’m looking for. A repeat of the past.’ She looks at me over her shoulder just as I get my shorts pulled up. ‘Aren’t there parts of your past you want to repeat?’

‘Nic.’ I fumble with the flush but it’s broken. I let out a sigh as I face her. ‘Can we philosophise some other time? Is this what booze does to you? My god. The rest of us just get horny.’

‘I prefer coke for that.’

I snort. ‘Not according to Skylar.’

It’s Nic’s turn to frown. She leans against the door, eyes burning. Okay, that was a dumb thing to say. Didn’t mean to refer to her inability to come. When I get back to the lodge, I’m taking that skull-shaped bottle and lobbing it from Haz’s window.

‘Wanna move?’