Zein's Point Of View:
I scanned the entire Wide Space. This place was massive, at least double the size of a football field. It was dark out, but the place was alive with colorful light effects and a party song that really amped up the noise level.
I looked down at the purple glittery gown the admin office had sent over yesterday. Along with it was a purple mask covering half my face to match my outfit.
"Whoa! This is so cool!" Matt said, clearly impressed by the setup.
The place was seriously fancy. There were tables lining the perimeter, and in the middle was a huge open space that i figured would turn into the dance floor later.
We grabbed a table for six. Matt, Dave, and Jerome were all sporting blue masks. Mia went with pink, Vanessa with orange, to match their outfits.
At least they have a sense of fashion.
"Girls, don't wonder off, okay?" Dave reminded us.
"Even if it's Free Bloody Night, we can't exactly gurantee we're safe, especially since President isn't here," Jerome added.
We all nodded. We didn't really plan on going anywhere anyway, and as much as possible , we had zero intentions of dancing. We were only there because we were required to.
A buffet was set up. Since my friends had no shame, they started grabbing food even before it was officially allowed. I just followed their lead, and then we headed back to the table.
Alcohol wasn't off-limits, so plenty of people were already drinking, even though the party hadn't officially started yet. It ws as impossible to tell who was who since everyone was masked, and taking them off was strictly against the rules.
"They're here," Vanessa whispered.
Our eyes followed her gaze.
My grip tightened on my gown, my palms starting to sweat. A hush fell over the crowd, and the only thing we could hear was the pulsing party music.
"Black Blood Gang," I breathed.
They were all decked out in formal black with matching black masks. The guy leading the pack was impossible to miss. It must be Nazzer. His eyes we're dead serious, his aura ice cold. Like the rest, he was also wearing a black mask.
My attention shifted to the only girl in their group, who was clinging to Nazzer's arm. That had to be Nicky.
"That red hair," Mia whispered, pointing out the member with the crimson locks, "That's the person I saw before Rouge Silvenia's body was found."
My heart started racing ecen faster when their leader, Nazzer Lumia, looked over at our table. I could feel his eyes on me.
Before my heart could slow down, another group arrived----this time in red masks and white formal wear.
"Devil God Warriors," Matt whispered.
The tension in the area crancked up. The guy leading them caught my eye. He did look our way, but just like Nazzer, he had this incredibly cold vibe.
"Raze Silvenia," I whispered.
A moment later, the music faded. Someone who looked like the emcee walked onto the stage. Even with her pink mask, I recognized her instantly.
Fritzy. That bitch.
"Good evening, everyone! I'm Fritzy Saldivar, and before we dive into tonight's festivities, it's my honor to introduce the amazing admins behind Hell University, who made this event possible!" She announced.
My jaw dropped as luxury cars started rolling in. The atmosphere grew even heavier. I could hear people reacting-----some with hostilit, others with pure awe at the three expensive cars now parked off to the side.
But I knew they were only flaunting their wealth to make us feel small. It was a reminder that they were free to do whatever they wanted while they had us by the throat.
I mentally rolled my eyesm my sister Allison's car were way cooler than theirs.
"The Vice President of Hell University the mastermind behind the university's only law, the Bloody Night.... Let's give him a warm round of applause. Mr. Francisco Augustine!"
We gave a weak round of applause as a man without a mask stepped out of one of the cars. We all frozen when we realized who he was.
"This.....can't be," Mia whispered.
"I thought he was just..." Vanessa trailed off, too shocked to finish her sentence.
The man walking down the red carpet toward the three seats in the center, smiling at everyone, was the same guy who had passed our entry into Hell University.
"So he's the vice president. Mr. Francisco Augustine, huh?" I muttered to myself.
The clapping stopped once he took the second seat. He just smirked at the crowd.
"And now, the head of the Supreme Student Government and SSG adviser, Ms. Katherine Velasquez!"
We were stunned for a second time as someone stepped out of the next luxury car.
"Ms. Kat," Dave whispered.
Yup, our physics teacher. Now I finally understood what Celine meant when she said Teacher Kath held a high position.
"Got a crush, Dave?" Jerome teased.
Teacher Kath took her seat next to Mr. Francisco.
Only one car door remained closed. I already knew who it was. Balck Lady.
"And lastx but definitely not least, the highest authority in this university. Please bow your heads as I proudly introduce the headmistress, Madame Violet Rivera!"
Everyone bowed. We didn't have a choice, so we followed suit, bowing our heads for the Black Lady.
I caught a quick glimpse of her. As usual, she was dressed in all balck. She looked to be in her midfifties, but I had to admit, she was beautiful.
" Good evening, students!" Madame Violet greeted us cheerfully. She looked so elegant in her black dress. "Welcome to our acquaintance party. I'm delighted to see all of you here tonight. Let's get started!"
The speakers were cranked to the max that our table was practically vibrating from the bass. Gang members started cheering, dragging girls from other tables out to dance.
I accidentally glanced toward Raze and caught him looking right at me. I expected him to avert his gaze, but he just smirked. It sent a chill down me spine.
I was the first to look away.
"Ms. Shion?" A guy asked, approaching me. I frowned. I couldn't see his face behind the green mask, but his voice was familiar.
"What do you want from me Supreme Student Government Vice President Onel Ty?" I asked sharply.
Unlike before, he was actually smiling at me now.
"I just wanted to congratulate you," He said, making me furrow my brows. "You are the new Supreme Student Government Secretary."
With everything he said, I just rolled my eyes at him.
"Should I be glad?" I asked, which made his smile fade. "Nah, just give it to someone who's actually desperate for the title."
I glanced over at Fritzy, laughing with a group nearby.
"But this is an order from the president. There's nothing you can do. And because of this position, your rank jumped straight to the top nine. So, yes, you should be glad. No one has ever moved up that fast. And the fact that Supremo is very picky about his secretary. Congrats again."
I watched jaw-dropped, as Onel walked away.
Seriously?
"Top nine?" Vanessa asked in disbelief.
I couldn't believe it either.
"Zein! You're in the Highest 10 now! You can actually leave HU!" Mia squealed, shaking my arm. "OMG! Congrats!"
I didn't know what came over me, but I grabbed a drink from the table and downed it in one go. I winced as the heat burned its way down my throat.
"Don't accept the offer," Matt said seriously.
"Why not, Matt?" Jerome asked, confused. "Zein can finally escape this hellhole! She can go get help from the authorities!"
Dave poured himself another drink and knocked it back.
"Jerome's right. Once Zein is out, she can get us help!" Mia agreed.
I snatched the glass from Dave's hand and downed that one too. I was about to grab another, but Matt stopped me.
Shit! No. What they wanted wasn't going to happen.
I learned back in my chair and fixed my hair. The alcohol was making me feel flushed.
"Having a position in the SSG isn't easy. Everything comes with a price. This might actually end up being worse for Zein!" Matt argued.
No one else could hear us because the music was so loud. As the night went on, the crowd only got rowdier.
"Can everyone just chill? Let Zein decide for herself!" Dave suggested.
They all turned to me, waiting for an answer. I didn't know what to do. They wouldn't understand-----at least, not yet.
Needing to escape their questioning stares, I stood up and pushed my way into the crowd on the dance floor.
I made it to the center, where it was so crowded that I was bumping into the people with every move. My head started to spin so I closed my eyes. Damn, that alcohol hit fast.
"What's bothering you?" I felt a shiver as a guy whispered right in my ear.
I tried to open my eyes, but everything was a blur. My vision was swimming, and the sea of dancing bodies was too chaotic.
"I heard about your promotion. Personally, I think it's really bad idea."
Shit! Who's talking?
"Get away from me!" I yelled. I stopped dancing, feeling like I was going to collapse at any second.
"You should have been a corpse a long time ago, but he protected you. Sadly, he can't protect you forever. I told you, you would end up holding a knife eventually. And I must say, you should probably grab one now before it's too late."
***
Vanessa's Point Of View:
We watched Zein get up and disappear into the crowd. She was clearly dodging our questions. Maybe we overwhelmed her.
"What's your problem, Matt?! You're messing with Zein's head!" I snapped.
He just shook his head, picked up a bootle of booze, and stared at it.
"I'm just telling the truth. That position is a big deal, and she just got it out of nowhere. Isn't that weird?" He asked.
"Maybe it wasn't just 'out of nowhere.' Maybe they saw her potential," I argued.
We sat in silence for a bit until Matt suddenly smashed the bottle.
"Shit!" Dave yelled, startled. But before Dave could even stand up, he crumpled to the ground.
"Dave!" Mia screamed.
"Shit! Shit!" Matt cursed repeatedly. His hand was bleeding as he pulled a small plastic bag out from inside the broken bottle. He probably had broken it specifically to get that out.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's a type of illegal drug," Someone said.
We looked up to see a girl standing next to us. She was wearing a black mask, likely a member of the BBC.
"An illegal drup?" I whispered.
I stood up abruptly as it clicked---someone had spikd the drinks. Dave had finished his glass, and now he was unconscious.
Matt bolted toward the dance floor.
"Damn it, Zein! She drink it too!" Jerome shouted.