Chapter Forty-Four


    The rest of the week passed without much incident. During classes with Asher, he remained quiet, though he did reassure Lila that he wasn’t upset with her at the beginning of each. Lila occasionally directed Grace and Elise towards the Home Ec building during morning tea or lunch during the week to see if Asher and Isaac were okay, but they were never in their usual spot.


    Piper’s group of friends seemed to have slowly drifted apart, too. On visits to the Home Ec building, it seemed only Ayla and Belle were sitting together. Lila still hadn’t said a word to Ayla, who seemed substantially subdued during their shared classes.


    Biology, however, helped to serve some brevity to Lila’s complicated emotions. Cecelia and Lucas had gradually become more comfortable in their status as ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ whilst managing to retain their usual bright banter and carefree chatter, which Lila was more than happy to join.


    Lila’s last lesson on Friday was English, and the first time that Asher said anything in particular to Lila. As Ms Shard analysed the last scene they had read for Romeo and Juliet, Asher nudged Lila gently.


    “Yeah?” Lila whispered as she continued to write down notes.


    “Tomorrow,” he said in a low voice. “When are you coming over?”


    “I was thinking about that. I can come right after practice, though I’d really like to shower. So, I’ll probably go home first.”


    “You don’t have to,” Asher whispered back. “The guest bathroom has a shower you can use.”


    Lila dropped her pen, her face bright red. Shower? At Asher’s place? That involved… getting naked. Lila shifted in her seat so that her body was angled away from him before nodding. “Okay. I’m guessing Marlene’s taking you home after practice.”


    “Yeah. I’ll let her know you’ll be coming with us,” Asher muttered. Lila glanced at him, but he seemed to be avoiding looking at her. She could have sworn that his ears were pink, but perhaps she was imagining it.


    Later that night during dinner, Lila let her family know that she didn’t need to be picked up as she was heading off to Asher’s after practice. The news seemed to relieve Clare, who usually picked Lila up from practice on Saturdays.


    Lila sat on her bed afterwards, biting her lip. Should she ask Clare to borrow her ID tomorrow morning? Or should she try and sneak it from Clare’s room tonight? Lila knew that Clare had a spare ID from when her licence upgraded from Learners to Provisional. Clare’s original ID should still be in date…


    Clare had already left for the night, so her room was freely available to be searched. If Lila wasn’t able to find Clare’s spare ID, then she would have no choice but to ask Clare for her current ID. Truthfully, she would rather not talk to Clare about the ID at all. No doubt she’d ask Lila endless questions about why she needed it, and if she got wind that she needed it for something with Asher, her opinion of him would fall even further.


    ‘And Clare was just thinking about giving him a chance…’ Lila thought to herself as she tried to steel her nerves. The easiest option, of course, would be to forget about going to the nightclub altogether. Marlene was incredibly suspicious, sure, but what connection would a nightclub have to Asher’s Mum’s disappearance? Though… given they still had no idea as to why Asher’s Mum went missing, any amount of information would help – even if it was to rule Marlene in or out as a suspect.


    Lila shook her head. The second option was definitely the only option she could take in the circumstances. They needed to investigate the nightclub, even if the reasons for Malene going in there were innocuous. Trying to sneak into a nightclub with Asher in tow whilst carrying Clare’s ID would ruin everything in that regard if Clare managed to wrangle that nugget of information out of Lila. It would probably compromise the investigation, too.


    ‘And it’s not like I haven’t snuck into her room before,’ Lila thought to herself as she wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. ‘And she’s rummaged through mine for clothes.’ Besides, Lila didn’t have anything remotely close to nightclub attire either. Perhaps while Lila was in Clare’s room, she’d be able to find something to wear as well.


    Lila took a deep breath before slowly leaving her room, looking left and right furtively. The coast was clear. She quietly tiptoed her way down the hall. Clare’s door creaked slightly as Lila opened it, but it didn’t seem like anyone heard her, or cared enough to investigate.


    Clare’s room, unlike Lila’s, was a minefield of clothes, books, and things strewn about. Now that Lila was in here to find something specific, rather than to talk to Clare, she didn’t know where to start. On Clare’s desk was a haphazard assortment of stationery items, her laptop, and a modest nail polish collection. Clare’s desk was fitted with a few drawers, so Lila tried to look through these in the first instance. She found a few items of interest, including love notes and a few bundles of cash, but nothing that resembled Clare’s spare ID.


    Sighing, Lila raided Clare’s walk-in closet as she tried to think about where else Clare might be hiding it. There were an awful lot of skimpy clothes, some of which were bejewelled or glittery. Lila couldn’t even begin to think how to wear some of these, owing to the amount of straps or buckles present. It did occur to Lila, however, that she hadn’t actually seen Clare wear many of these before. Though, considering Lila herself was going straight over to Asher’s to hide her wearing of nightclub attire, Lila could guess that it was because their parents would throw a fit if they saw Clare wandering around wearing these.


    Lila found a few mini dresses that seemed to fit the vibe of a nightclub well. She picked a black mini dress with a sweetheart neckline and rouching. It looked more like a sock on the hanger, but, unlike the rest, Lila had seen Clare wear this one.


    Lila came across a few shoe boxes underneath the mini dresses. Lila opened the first one curiously and found 8-inch, fuchsia heels with a satin finish. They looked like overkill for the kind of look Lila was going for, so she put the lid back on and opened another box. This box contained black 8-inch heels with a peep-toe and studs along the heel. Frowning, Lila closed this one too, and opened the next. This shoebox contained a pair of strappy, black 4-inch heels. That seemed more like it. Lila took a picture of how these shoes were laying and in what box before taking them out so she knew how to put them back without Clare’s notice.


    Now that she had an outfit ready, Lila could think about where Clare’s spare ID would be. Lila cast her eyes over Clare’s room again, before resting on the sleek, black tallboy that sat in the back corner. Lila rifled through the items in the tallboy before her hands rested on a small cardboard box with a magnetic clasp. Lila pulled it out curiously. It didn’t appear to be extraordinary, though it may have once held a watch, and she opened it.


    ‘Bingo,’ Lila thought with a smirk. Inside the box were several IDs that Clare had over the years – mostly school IDs. Sitting on top, however, was Clare’s Learner’s ID, expiring next January. Lila took a picture of this box and where it sat before closing up Clare’s tallboy.


    Lila made sure she had the dress, heels, and ID in her hands before tiptoeing back out of Clare’s room and into her own, her heart almost bursting out of her chest. She threw the things that she’d grabbed from Clare’s room into a backpack. She also put an assortment of silver jewellery into said backpack, a few pieces of makeup and makeup brushes, and whatever else she may need for tomorrow.


    Saturday morning came without much fuss, despite Lila’s restlessness throughout the night. At the very least, it didn’t seem as though Clare had noticed that Lila had been in her room, since she hadn’t received any texts during the night about it.


    Lila’s Mum dropped her off at Jacoval that morning after checking what time Lila was planning on heading home. Lila truthfully had no idea when they’d be finishing up their investigation of the ‘Coolisimo Nightclub’, but said that 9pm would be ideal. Lila’s Mum hadn’t commented on Lila’s hangouts with Asher thus far, but the look Lila’s Mum gave her after she said ‘9pm’ seemed to convey that she wasn’t exactly pleased with the arrangement.


    “Bye, Mum,” Lila said as she grabbed her sports bag, backpack and hockey stick. “Love you.”


    “Love you too,” her Mum replied with a click of her tongue. She gave Lila a wave before driving out of the carpark. Lila started to feel nervous as she continued to hold the backpack filled with things she should not be carrying around her school on a Saturday morning.


    “Morning,” Isaac said to Lila as he walked past her, jolting her out of her musings.


    “H-Hi,” she replied, caught off-guard. “How’s things been going?”


    Isaac began walking backwards to catch up to Lila.


    “I’m still enraged,” he said matter-of-factly. “But I’ve just been existing with Asher during breaks the last week. I think he just needs some company, but also without other people around. We’ve just been sitting in really secluded spots that we can find. It’s helped both of us, I reckon. I haven’t brought it up again, though.”


    Isaac suddenly waved at someone behind Lila and she turned to see Asher jogging towards them. He seemed to be in much higher spirits than she had seen him all week.


    “Hey guys,” he said, smiling. Isaac blinked at Asher before grinning back.


    “Morning, Asher,” Isaac replied. “You seem almost normal.”


    Asher’s lips twitched, but he didn’t respond to Isaac’s comment.


    “Hey,” Lila said quietly. Asher’s eyes flickered towards her bags before resting on her face.


    “I told Marlene,” he confirmed. Isaac looked between Lila and Asher, bemused. Lila nodded.


    “Good,” she said, readjusting her posture. “I’ll see you after practice, then.”


    Asher and Isaac walked towards their quadrant of the oval. It seemed like Isaac was trying to get some information out of Asher with the way he kept bumping Asher’s shoulder with his own. Lila watched them for a few seconds before heading off to the changing room.


    Today was all about formation and tactics. Ms Wright split the girls up into two teams, and they played small games of hockey against each other, employing the requisite formations and tactics. It was pretty fun, though Lila’s mind was still in the changing room. She hoped no one would come by to inspect her backpack.


    Once practice was over, Asher sprinted over to Lila like a bullet from a gun, his face flushed and hair sweaty.


    “Let’s go,” he wheezed. “Can’t wait any longer.”


    “You’re going to have to,” Lila said with a laugh. “At least, for a few hours.”


    “Not that,” Asher said breathlessly. “I wanna go home. Isaac’s been pestering me.”


    “Let me just grab my stuff, then,” Lila chuckled. She quickly returned, both bags looking untampered with, and Asher led her towards the car Marlene was driving. Asher opened the door to the backseat and gestured for Lila to get in. She looked at him, confused for a moment, but he quickly left and made his way to the front passenger door.


    “Hi, Marlene,” she said cheerily, putting her bags and hockey stick on the passenger seat in front of her.


    “Hello, Lila,” Marlene said, her tone noticeably lighter than what it had been the last time Lila spoke to Marlene.


    Asher jumped into the front passenger seat and Marlene drove off. Lila was sure that some of their soccer and hockey mates would’ve seen Lila climbing into the same car as Asher, but she didn’t care as much as she would’ve last term. Was that growth? Or was it just that she felt more freedom now that Piper was expelled? She didn’t really have a reputation to uphold anymore now that Asher was single, either. Though, she hadn’t caught wind of any rumours talking about the breakup.


    They entered the house via the garage today. Lila carried her shoes with her instead of leaving them in the garage. Her slippers were waiting for her just beyond the internal connecting door, and she smiled gratefully at Marlene. Marlene smiled back before heading off into the depths of the house. Lila popped her shoes by the front door so she wouldn’t forget them.


    Asher gently took Lila’s hockey stick and sports bag from her hands despite her protests.


    “If you keep protesting, I’ll take your backpack too,” he smirked before leading the way to his rumpus room. Lila pouted in silence. Lila was pleased to see that the rumpus room was in its usual clean state upon entering. Asher had clearly been taking care of the space again. All the desserts that Gabriel had made last week had disappeared, though she could see a cookie jar filled with handmade cookies sitting on the coffee table.


    “This is the guest bathroom,” Asher said, opening the door to the guest bathroom inside the rumpus room. There was a modest shower in here. A travel-sized hairdryer was sitting next to the oval stone basin. The toilet lid was closed, and the bathroom design generally matched the bathroom she’d seen in Asher’s parents’ room. A teal towel hung on the towel rack, waiting to be used. Panic flooded Lila as they both continued to stare at the bathroom.


    “T-Thanks,” she squeaked. Asher looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He then headed to the couch, placing Lila’s hockey stick and sports bag next to it.


    “I… guess I’ll leave you to it,” he said somewhat awkwardly, sitting down on the couch and turning on a console. Lila immediately closed herself in the bathroom with her backpack. There was a lock on the door, which she hurriedly activated before turning back towards the bathroom.


    ‘I didn’t know I could get so red,’ Lila thought as she uneasily inspected her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was an absolute mess and her face carried the sheen of a good workout.


    She pulled out her nightclub clothes, laying them out on the counter space by the basin, her heart racing a mile a minute. With shaking hands, she began to undress. She was incredibly aware of the fact that Asher was only a few metres away, just outside the bathroom. She hesitated to take everything off, her nerves preventing her hands from moving any further. As she stood there, staring at the shower, Lila was deeply regretting her choice of not showering at home.


    A knock sounded at the door, and she screamed, jumping into the shower defensively.


    “Is everything okay?” Asher’s voice sounded concerned. “Did something happen? Why are you screaming?”


    “I’m screaming at you, dumbass,” Lila shouted.


    “S-Sorry,” he replied through the door. “I just thought you might not know how to turn the shower on. You’ve been taking a while.”


    Lila quickly looked at the shower faucet. It didn’t seem overly complicated.


    “It’s fine,” Lila called, her voice catching in her throat somewhat.


    “Alright,” Asher replied after a couple seconds. “Going back to the couch then.”


    Lila felt far more flustered now that Asher had asked her if she was okay. Would he come back? Was he far enough away now?


    ‘He’ll definitely come back if you don’t get a move on,’ Lila told herself sternly. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the shower. She turned it on and took everything off. It wasn’t like Asher was in the bathroom watching her, after all. She… just needed to get this over with. Though, as she stood there, waiting for the shower to warm up, she couldn’t help but cross her arms in front of her chest, her cheeks burning. She had never felt so naked in her life.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Lila hadn’t realised how tense she was until she was under the hot water of the shower. She quickly finished her usual routine so that Asher wouldn’t come back and ask if she was okay again. She could hardly see anything as she stepped out of the shower, owing to the humidity within the bathroom. As she reached for the towel, the overhead bathroom fan switched on with a roar, spooking her some. She doubted that Asher had turned it on, especially without saying anything, so she relaxed again. Was it automatic? Shaking her head, she seized the fluffy towel and wrapped it around herself. It felt warm against her body as she dried off. ‘That’s odd,’ she thought, extending a hand to touch the towel rack. It was heated.


    The attention to detail in turning on the heated towel rack stirred odd feelings within Lila, but she figured it was Marlene’s doing. It seemed like a Marlene thing to do, after all.


    She wrapped her hair in the towel as she looked in the mirror, having now cleared up most of the condensation after the fan did its job. She definitely looked freshly showered, though her face was still rosy from the warmth of the shower. As she squeezed the towel on her head to draw out any further moisture, she realised with a sinking sensation that she’d left her hair straightener inside her sports bag as it was too big to fit into her backpack. The sports bag that was outside with Asher.


    Lila hurriedly looked through her backpack to see what else she’d brought. A pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt were bundled at the bottom and she breathed a sigh of relief. She could just wear this while she ducked out to grab the hair straightener.


    She slipped into her underwear and the casual outfit before stepping out of the bathroom. She saw Asher move forward on the couch, though he remained seated.


    “I’m just grabbing my hair straightener,” she said, uncertainty coating her voice. She approached the couch and Asher still remained seated, sitting oddly hunched. He didn’t look at her, but he nodded in acknowledgement at least.


    “… Why are you sitting like that?” she asked as she rummaged through her sports bag.


    “This is how I always sit,” Asher said, red patches blossoming over his face. Lila stared up at him with narrowed eyes. That was a lie if she’d ever heard one.


    “Are you going to shower?” she asked him, still scrutinising his posture.


    “Yup,” he said in a strained voice. “After you’re done using the water. The water pressure goes a bit funny when two or more showers get used at once upstairs.”


    “I’m all done,” Lila said, “so you can go ahead now.”


    “Yup,” he replied, glancing at her only briefly. He still didn’t move, so Lila shrugged and pulled out the hair straightener. Upon returning to the bathroom and plugging it in next to the hair dryer, she pondered Asher’s odd behaviour. She started blow-drying her hair, until a reason suddenly popped into her head. The hairdryer clattered in the basin as she grasped the sides of it, her face a deep crimson again. Did Asher get…?


    Lila shook her head firmly, picking up the hairdryer again. Improbable. No, impossible. No way. Lila went through the rest of her makeup and hair routine. She curled the ends of her hair with the hair straightener and applied a glittery, silver-grey smoky eye to her eyelids. She had been practicing a dramatic winged liquid eyeliner look the other day but chickened out at the last second and settled for just a modest wing with black eyeshadow. At least she knew how to put false eyelashes on after watching Clare do it for so many years. She clasped her silver necklace around her neck and put her silver hoops into her ears. She finished off her look with light brown lipstick and a sheer pink lip gloss.


    Looking into the mirror, Lila thought she looked a hell of a lot like Clare now. She did, at least, look a little bit older, but she still wasn’t sure whether she could pass for an 18-year-old. She was certain, though, that she looked enough like Clare’s ID photo that she’d be able to easily pass a security check if it came down to it. Lila pulled on Clare’s dress, which seemed to compress her in all the right places.


    Lila looked down at the mess she’d created over the bathroom and began frantically washing down bits of makeup. Once it was passably clean, she packed all her remaining clothes and things back into the backpack (except for the shoes, which she’d keep outside for easy access) and unplugged the hair straightener. Now that she was ready, she suddenly hoped that Asher wasn’t still sitting on the couch. She emerged from the bathroom somewhat anxiously. She could hear water running from the direction of Asher’s bedroom, and there was no Asher in the rumpus room. She sighed in relief and placed her backpack and shoes down next to her sports bag.


    Lila looked through Asher’s YouTube suggestions and began watching another lockpicking video. For some reason, she couldn’t relax her position on the couch, though the video itself was interesting.


    Asher took some time to leave his bedroom. When he did, Lila’s eyes automatically locked onto him. He was wearing what Lila had suggested – a white long-sleeved button-up shirt and tan chinos. He’d rolled the sleeves up, exposing his toned forearms. He was also wearing a navy Smartwatch that Lila had never seen before. His hair was styled as he’d done for semi, and Lila couldn’t help but stare, her heart throbbing in her chest hard enough that her breathing was oddly restricted. She quickly looked down at her lap.


    “Y-You, uh… smell… nice,” Asher said awkwardly, sitting down in his usual spot on the couch. His ears were definitely pink this time.


    “T-Thank you? You… smell nice too,” Lila replied, her eyebrows creasing in confusion. It wasn’t a lie, though. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Lila pressed ‘play’ on the YouTube video she was watching. A few minutes passed before Lila suddenly turned to Asher, who looked at her in alarm.


    “What’d you tell Marlene we were doing today?” she asked urgently.


    “U-Uh, that we’re going out for dinner in the city,” he said, blinking at her.


    “Okay,” Lila nodded. “Good.”


    “She asked if I wanted her to take us, but I said no.”


    “Yeah, that’s fine,” Lila replied quietly.


    They continued to watch YouTube videos, though Lila was only half paying attention. Asher kept picking at his nails, which only made Lila pick at her own. Eventually, Lila’s phone buzzed. It was 4.30pm. They were planning on arriving at the nightclub at around 6pm, just so that there were hopefully enough guests in the nightclub that could provide cover for them.


    “Is it time to get going?” Asher asked, checking his Smartwatch.


    “Almost,” Lila replied. They both stood up in unison before Lila remembered that Clare’s ID was in the bottom of her backpack.


    “I just need to grab something,” she told Asher, hoisting the backpack onto the couch. She dug through the backpack before pinching the card between her fingers. As she pulled it out, however, a bra fell out of the backpack and rolled across the couch. Lila snatched it back, her face feeling like it was made of fire. Asher instantly sat back down on the couch, facing away from Lila. He crossed his legs and started scrolling on his phone.


    “Sorry,” Lila mumbled, somehow feeling even more embarrassed after seeing his reaction. He was probably annoyed that she was taking up more time. Plus, he never crossed his legs. “I got what I needed. I didn’t mean to take up too much time. We can get going now.”


    “Just give me a minute,” he said softly, his eyes glued to his phone. “I just remembered I need to check something.”


    Lila nodded. She put the backpack onto the floor again and picked up Clare’s heels, trying to figure out how to put them on amongst all the straps.


    Asher stood back up, stretching his arms. “Okay, let’s head downstairs.”


    Lila slipped Clare’s ID into her phone wallet and followed Asher downstairs, still holding the heels. Marlene seemed to be waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, and she looked slightly stunned at their appearance.


    “You both look very nice,” she said tentatively, overtly looking down at Lila’s dress before looking back up at the both of them. “Have a good night.”


    “You too,” Lila said automatically. “I mean, have a good night. Not that you don’t look nice. Which you do-”


    “We’ll miss the bus,” Asher said quickly, looking at Lila pointedly. “We’ll see you later, Marlene.”


    She nodded and strolled over to the kitchen. Lila blushed again but continued to make her way to the front door. She bent down to start putting her shoes on, almost losing her balance. Asher input the security code as usual before harshly inhaling.


    “I just need to get my shoes,” he said, glancing at Lila. She gave him a thumbs up whilst fighting for her life. Why were these so strappy? He dashed off towards the garage and didn’t return until after Lila put Clare’s shoes on.


    They walked down to the bus stop near Asher’s house, rather than the one Marlene had taken a couple weeks ago. They waited for ten minutes or so before the bus to the city groaned to a halt before them. They boarded the bus in absolute silence. Lila could see Asher was trembling from head to toe. The roar of the bus drowned out any potential for Lila and Asher to have a conversation anyway, so they just scrolled through their phones in silence. 45 minutes passed in this way until Asher nudged Lila. They were nearing the North-City Bus Station.


    Lila input ‘Coolisimo Nightclub’ into her maps and they both navigated the grimy streets at a casual pace. It seemed Asher had read Lila’s mind in not trying to draw attention to themselves. Now that it was nearly 6pm on a Saturday, the streets were flooded with rowdy young adults. Lila was glad to see that neither she nor Asher looked out of place here. As they walked closer and closer to the ‘Coolisimo Nightclub’, Lila felt more confident that their infiltration would be successful. Most people they walked past didn’t give them a second glance, and those that did seemed more like they were checking Lila or Asher out.


    “Still nervous?” Lila asked Asher quietly. She could see the neon sign of ‘Coolisimo Nightclub’ glowing against the brickwork ahead of them.


    “Of course,” Asher replied, his breathing noticeably heavy. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”


    “We’ll be fine,” Lila said with a confident grin. “Just fake it ‘till you make it.”


    Asher swallowed before nodding at Lila. He pulled out his phone quickly. A text arrived on Lila’s phone and she opened it up. It was a picture of Marlene wearing casual attire, sitting at Asher’s dinner table. She looked as though she was listening to a conversation with a slight smile on her face.


    “Where’d you get this from?” Lila asked, zooming in. It seemed recent, at least.


    “Every year on Marlene or Gabriel’s last day before the Christmas break, we have a casual dinner. Order in, so neither Marlene nor Gabriel have to really work for it, and we take a couple photos of everyone. Kinda to symbolise that we’ve survived another year together.”


    “Cute,” Lila replied softly, turning her phone screen back off.


    “I was thinking we could ask the workers if they know her,” Asher said, avoiding Lila’s gaze. “If someone knows her, we can go from there.”


    “Sounds good to me,” Lila responded. “Let’s also check out the nightclub generally. See what kind of vibe it is.”


    They approached the open doors of the club, Asher practically vibrating with anxious energy. No one was standing at the entrance, though EDM tracks were blasting through the doorway. Lila and Asher exchanged a look before Lila took a deep breath and strided through the doors.


    The inside of the nightclub was bathed in fast-moving rainbow lights. It had a large dancefloor with light-up tiles in the centre of the nightclub and there were twenty or so patrons, dressed very similarly to Lila and Asher, dancing to the beat of the music. Dark leather booths and other seating areas framed the edges except for the back and right-side walls. A disco ball was rotating above the dancefloor, casting reflective light across the whole room. A large stage with two poles was set up at the back, though no one was on the stage at the moment. A DJ with a hectic mullet was set up just below the stage, mixing through various EDM hits. A well-lit bar stretched the length of the right-side wall, with several bartenders busy fixing drinks for customers. The music felt intoxicating to Lila, who looked at Asher in excitement. He seemed frozen stiff in the face of what he was seeing, so she pulled him to a free seating area.


    “Let’s just sit here for a bit,” Lila said, leaning forward to Asher’s ear. His eyes flashed down for not even half a millisecond before he closed them and nodded. Lila looked around the nightclub and saw a few waitresses wandering around in various revealing, low-cut costumes. They all seemed to have elf-ear prosthetics, which confused Lila. Was this a cosplay nightclub?


    “Oh,” Asher said loudly to Lila after yet another waitress passed them, wearing a princess-like mini dress. “I think it’s Zelda-themed.”


    “Zelda?” Lila asked just as loudly. Asher nodded.


    “The game that got released yesterday. Newest one in the series. Must be capitalising on that,” he responded in a half-shout.


    “I see,” Lila replied in a raised voice. The DJ began to announce the program for the stage dancers, lowering the volume of the music only slightly. He called a few names to various smatterings of polite applause. When he announced that ‘Roxy Wurld’ was also part of the lineup, starting after 7pm, loud cheers and whoops rang across the nightclub. She was clearly a fan-favourite. The name sounded familiar to Lila, though she couldn’t think why at the moment. The DJ finally announced that the theme for tonight was ‘The Legend of Zelda’, and Lila’s eyes met Asher’s. He winked at her, his smirk showing that he was satisfied that he was right.


    A dancer by the name of ‘Ebony Glow’ took to the stage, dressed in a skimpy rhinestone bralette, tiny jean-shorts and 8-inch neon-chartreuse heels. Asher seemed mesmerised by the dance, and Lila left him to it for a few minutes. It did bother Lila somewhat, but Lila couldn’t deny that Ebony was a good dancer, at least. Plus, she had no right to be bothered, anyway. Asher was just getting over a breakup. He was free to look at whoever doing whatever…


    “Having fun?” Lila eventually asked Asher. He tore his eyes away from Ebony and looked back at Lila.


    “N-Not at all,” he replied. Lila could see that, despite the rapidly changing colours of the lights overhead, his face was entirely red.


    “Anyway, it seems that we’re safe,” Lila said, glancing around the club. “We can probably ask around about Marlene.”


    Asher nodded and they both stood. Lila caught the attention of a waitress who was wearing a light blue bralette and matching miniskirt, long golden hair falling to her waist.


    “Hi,” Lila said, her voice wavering. The waitress leaned in towards Lila, smiling encouragingly and fixing her right ear prosthetic.


    “We’ve lost our friend. Have you seen this person?” Lila asked, showing her the picture of Marlene that Asher had sent her. The waitress looked at them curiously before shaking her head.


    “Okay, thanks,” Lila said, waving at the waitress. She looked puzzled as she left and Lila turned to Asher.


    “Well, that was a bust,” she said frustratedly.


    “Let’s go to the bar,” he said, pointing towards a bartender who didn’t seem to be doing much at the moment.


    More and more customers began filling the nightclub. Each new addition raised the atmosphere of the nightclub, and it was now bustling with energy. Asher, due to his height and general stature, parted the crowds easily and Lila followed in his wake. Upon reaching the bar, Lila sat on a bar stool. Asher followed suit. The bartender that Asher had pointed towards glanced at them briefly, before doing a double take. The nametag on his shirt said ‘Alex’, and he didn’t seem to be sporting the elf-ears that his other coworkers were wearing. He had several ear piercings running to the top of his left ear, and detailed sleeve tattoos across his muscular forearms. His black shirt, embroidered with ‘Coolisimo Nightclub’ seemed barely able to contain his bulging shoulders. His chin-length brown hair was done in a half-updo, with the top half in a messy bun. He looked absolutely terrifying, but his charming, easy-going grin put Lila at ease only a little. At least it was easier to talk here, as the speakers were much further away.


    “What can I do for you?” Alex asked, wiping the counter. Lila glanced at Asher who seemed just as intimidated as Lila felt. Lila was about to take a deep breath and present the photo of Marlene to Alex when Asher beat her to it.


    “Do you know this person?” he asked, his voice wavering only a little at the end. Alex pursed his lips and asked if he could take Asher’s phone. Asher allowed him, and he zoomed in on the photo before shaking his head.


    “Nope. Why? You guys look a bit young to be cops,” Alex laughed, handing Asher back his phone. Lila and Asher glanced at each other.


    “B-Because she’s our friend,” Lila said quickly. “We lost her in the crowd here.”


    “I see,” Alex said, narrowing his eyes at Lila. He cocked his head to the side as his eyes roved down Lila’s body. “Are you guys even allowed in here?” he asked, leaning forward towards Lila’s face. She could almost feel his breath against it and moved towards Asher slightly, whose fists were clenched.


    “Sure am,” Lila said, her voice slightly higher pitched than normal.


    “I’ll need to see some IDs, then,” Alex said, raising an eyebrow. Lila gave Asher another look before assuredly whipping Clare’s ID out of her phone wallet.


    “Here,” she said, “I’m 19.”


    Alex’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets before he threw his head back, laughing. Lila and Asher looked at each other in confusion before Alex shook his head, still laughing.


    “I’ll be right back,” he said, his shoulders shaking. He walked to the other end of the bar, opened an ‘Employees Only’ door, and bellowed, “Oi, Roxy! We’ve got a wild one!” through the entryway.


    “Should we make a break for it?” Asher asked Lila desperately. Lila’s feet were rooted to the spot, and she forgot how to speak. Roxy? Wild one? Before Asher or Lila could make a decision about leaving, an attractive young woman in a tight, glittery pink miniskirt and matching lacy bralette appeared before them. Her face was covered in sparkly, dramatic makeup, particularly emphasising the eyes and sharp nose that Lila herself shared. The woman wore the same elven ear prosthetics that the other female workers in the nightclub had, undeniably connecting her to the nightclub as an employee. Lila’s eyes locked onto two delicate intertwining flowers on the woman’s right ribcage, sparking her to action. Lila immediately stood up and threw her arm in front of Asher’s eyes just as the woman before them began yelling.


    “LILA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?”


    Asher moved his head around Lila’s arm, so she blocked his view with her body. ‘Shit, shit, shit!’ Lila’s internal voice was screaming at her. She wished she’d made a break for it when Asher had suggested it.


    “Roxy,” Lila heard Alex say in a smooth voice. The woman spun around to face him as he continued. “Keep your cool. Your set is starting soon and some fans are already here.”


    “Clare, why is he calling you Roxy?” Lila stammered. Clare’s eyes snapped to Lila, her mouth set in a hard line.


    “You’re dead,” she spat.


    “Me?” Lila asked incredulously. “What did I do?”


    “You’re at an 18-plus nightclub! I bet you this piece of work brought you here!” Clare shouted over the music, aggressively gesturing towards Asher.


    “N-No, I-” Asher began stammering before Clare cut him off.


    “Wait. I know you. I’ve seen you. Asher?”


    “Y-Yes,” Asher replied instinctively. He was squeezing his hands together in front of his chest, his fingers interlocking, frantically looking between Lila and Clare, who seemed to swell with rage.


    “Of fucking course it is,” Clare snapped, her voice becoming even more shrill. “That’s it. I’m telling Mum.”


    “Tell Mum what?” Lila interjected hotly. “That you’re a stripper?”


    “I’m not a stripper,” Clare fumed, slamming her hands on the countertop. “I’m a dancer. Major difference.”


    “Yeah, sure,” Lila snorted, rolling her eyes. Alex looked between Lila and Clare before gently tapping Clare’s shoulder.


    “Look, I know she’s your sister, but we have to tell the boss. They’re underage. We can get in a whole lotta trouble,” Alex said firmly. Clare stepped back, blanching at Alex’s words. She then twisted towards Lila, her face scowling.


    “I swear if this ruins my job,” Clare huffed. “You’re not going to hear the end of it.”


    Alex gestured towards Lila and Asher. Lila knew that now that Clare was glaring at them, they had no chance at escape. She glanced at Asher, who looked so pale he was almost transparent since any amount of colour he normally had on his face seemed to have drained from his body.


    Clare stomped down the alleyway before throwing open the ‘Employees Only’ door. Lila tugged on Asher’s rolled-up sleeve and he robotically followed. Lila and Asher speechlessly followed Clare down the hallway. Lila looked behind her briefly and saw that Alex was following Asher, a smug smile on his face. Perhaps he was blocking the way out intentionally.


    Clare continued seething on her way up a flight of stairs, Lila dejectedly following behind. They arrived at an intensely ornate-looking office door, decorated with a gawdy, bedazzled ‘G’ along the top. Clare violently rapped on the door, shaking the ‘G’ with each knock.


    “Boss, we got two wild ones,” she called, heavily sighing. She shot another poisonous glare at Lila before looking at the floor, her hands on her hips, tapping her right foot impatiently. Clare then looked behind Asher at Alex, her face much more relaxed.


    “Thanks, Alex,” Clare said gently. “You should probably get back to your shift.”


    Alex nodded and headed back downstairs obediently. Clare knocked on the door again.


    “Come in,” came a voice. Clare thrust the door open and pushed Lila and Asher inside. Lila stared in utter disbelief at the person in a sequined, dazzling suit who slowly rose from behind the carved, wooden desk.