The party bus eased to a halt in front of the karaoke bar, neon lights bleeding across the sidewalk in jagged streaks of pink, blue, and green. The group tumbled out, their laughter spilling over the curb, bouncing off the brick walls, and mixing with the low hum of passing traffic. The heat of the early evening clung to their skin, a faint breeze teasing stray curls and loose shirt tails. The smell of fried food and sticky floors drifted from the open door, promising a night of chaos, music, ...