*A knight*

Would a dress suffice?

A mini skirt? Maybe the denim one she's been wanting to wear out for months now.

The eyes staring into the closet weren't hers, they were the Rebecca-eyes, Heaven knows, she has bigger things to worry about, like the textbooks she'd jumped over countless.

The dress was simple, black, sleeveless, and snug enough to remind her she had a body beneath all the dull weight she’d carried since that text. Rebecca had insisted on a deep red lip, though Desiree wiped it off twice before letting it stay. Her hands trembled just slightly while applying mascara—too much pressure on the wand, but she managed, how else was she going to look decent tonight atleast.

In the mirror, she barely recognized the girl staring back at her. Her eyes were dull, and her hair was swept back, with stud earrings. Rebecca picked out a shoe for her, and suitable chokers to match.

She didn’t talk much while they were getting ready, but Rebecca did. Her friend rambled about campus drama and recent gossip—who was screwing who, who got dropped from what society. Desiree nodded when she was supposed to, and smiled when she could. But her thoughts kept slipping back to images she didn't want to remember even though it hasn't been even up to an hour.

"Come on, I'll get my car ready."

~

The club was already full when they arrived. Light poured out in beams from inside, painting the sidewalk in reds and purples. Desiree hesitated at the door, heart racing. The line of people behind them shifted impatiently. Rebecca was already a few steps in before realizing she’d stopped.

“You good?” she called over the music.

Desiree nodded, though she wasn’t sure. She stepped forward. She was going against every thought in her head right now. Rebecca pat her shoulder and smile softly. “Come on, your doing this for you, not for him. Don't let whoever that bitch is to get to you.”

She nodded and they walked in. The light, heat and sound hitting her all at once. The music pounded through the floor, through her boots, and to her ribcage. Bodies moved like smoke, hands everywhere, people laughing, shouting, leaning in to yell things no one could really hear. Rebecca tugged her through the throng like she was towing dead weight, making a beeline for the bar.

“Hey J! Two shots,” she told the bartender, raising two fingers and pushing her way to the front. “And something fruity for my friend.”

Desiree hovered at her side, fingers clenched around her phone inside her jacket pocket. It vibrated once with a new message from Blake probably, because, unfortunately they have a date tonight, at a hotel. Because as naive as she was five hours ago, she'd called him and asked him out on a date, she had a surprise for him. Obviously she had a good surprise, one he'd love. But not anymore.

**Blakey (pink heart emojis):: Hey, babe. Can we talk?**

She stared at it until it faded off the screen, then locked the phone and slid it deeper into her pocket.

Fuck him.

She grabbed the shit glass meant for Rebecca and downed it in one go, the first shot burned like it was supposed to, and the second didn't burn any less.

Rebecca leaned in. “Okay, now that's too much. You're supposed to be the less drunk one remember?.” However her lips stretched into a small smile. "I love it when you become a me, but take it easy. Come on, let's go dance.”

Desiree glared at the empty glass but followed, letting the crowd close around her. Rebecca started dancing immediately, hips swaying with arms up, swaying to the beat. However Desiree moved slower, unsure of what to do or how to move.

Rebecca was her best friend, also the only read she was here. The girl knows how to persuade, no one could say no to her. Even if that was all she wanted to do.

A sudden chill slithered up her spine, that made her pause for a moment. A subtle sensation that sent the hairs on her arms rising. Her gaze drifted away from Rebecca, toward the edges of the crowd. It felt like her instincts had locked onto something before her eyes had. She scanned the dark corners of the club. Shapes and silhouettes, some dancing, some shagging until they couldn't, but no one stood out or stared at her weirdly. Yet she couldn’t shake the sensation that someone was watching her.

Rebecca noticed her zoning out and pulled her back in with a twirl, dancing along with her until she forgot what had caught her attention in the first place.

The dance went on until she couldn't take it any longer. Who was she kidding? Step was going to feel like shit until she confronted Blake to know why he did what he did.

He's going to be an asshole about it, he's not going to own up to shit, but she's never going feel okay, she hears his own part of this unfortunate story.

Desiree nooded to herself and turned to leave without telling Rebecca. She stumbled through the crowd with heat climbing up her neck. The alcohol was beginning to get to her head.

Just three fucking shots!!

She only took a deep breath when she got out. The front of the club was darker than the dancefloor, lit mostly by flickering reds from the exit signs. She should’ve felt better getting away from the bodies, but something about being in the quiet part of the porch made her quicken her pace.

She hasn't gone far when she heard unsteady footsteps behind her,

“You heading out already?” a man said behind her.

She glared at him and continued walking. “Fuck off, loser.”

“Damn,” another unfamiliar voice added. “Not even a smile?”

She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw not one but three guys trailing her. None of them looked drunk or lost which would've helped a little if they don't visit the gym, but they were as fit as any guys like them would be.

“You dropped something,” one of them said.

She kept her head down, grip tightening on her purse strap, hoping to get to the cafe down the road that was always open until midnight, she quickened her pace, but before she could go farther, a set fingers brushed her arm.

She flinched and snapped back, “Don’t fucking touch me!”

“Relax,” the guy said, smiling as he moved to block her path. “Can't you be nice for a second. We just want to talk to you.”

She tried to go around him, but another cut in behind her, crowding her toward the wall.

“You were dancing like you wanted the attention,” the taller one said, tone flat. “Now don't act like you weren't begging for it. We saw you shaking those perky boobs, calling every guys name in there like a little whore. Don't act like you're it”

Her heart rate picked up. She took few steps back, only to hit a cold plaster. Her fingers slid into her pocket and closed around her keys. She found the long one, pressed it between her knuckles. Her mom had taught her that when she was fifteen—just in case.

“I said don’t touch me.” Fear licked up her spine as she shook in her boots.

Coming to this party was a bad idea. This was an absolutely fucking bad idea.

Oh goodness!

The nearest one laughed under his breath. “We’re not gonna hurt you. Chill baby, my friends and I are just going to have one round each, I promise, and we'll walk away”

He reached for her again, grabbing her arm in a tight grip and she pulled her other hand out, ready to swing, when a can bouched on the floor once and rolled towards them until it stopped at one of the guys feet dragging everyone's attention, including hers.

The guy paused action. His smile freezing in place. His eyes moved just past her shoulder to see who it was that dared to ruin their good time. The other two followed his line of sight, their expressions flattening.

She didn’t turn right away and didn’t want to show her back as she planned to zoom off if she found a tiny chance. But the man in front of her had already taken a full step away, his hands were up and his smirk was gone.

“Uh...let’s bounce guys,” one of them muttered with no bravado now as he moved back little by little.

They all backed off without another word and slipped into the dark road without another word, like they hadn’t done a thing.

What the–

That was when Desiree finally turned, taking in to take the sight of the man was standing at the end of the alley in silent. The strobe lights behind him threw streaks of color across the floor, and that familiar cold settled into her bones, making the hair on her neck rise.

"Who the fuck are you?”