chapter 79 *Wingspan*

somehow we made it work out just fine.

"so. what's next?" I asked trying to point the spotlight on Kira and away from me.

"sit tight. I'm waiting for someone."

a beach ball was thrown and I could distinctly hear someone behind me yelling. that anxious voiced belonged to mason.

two guys were standing at the dj booth. 

the one with black end headphones placed over one ear looked at the screen of the laptop and nodded his head while mason played with the controller that also gave him manipulation over the lights if he felt like changing things up. 

the stand was a legit professional setup with two light powered speakers and wires hooked up so that the digital equipment was connected to each other. the live set up had a controller with knobs and push-buttons that were already fixed in their placed setting.

focused and in charge mason reached over and did something with the two additional black spin tabletops and the beat changed double time, even faster now, a dynamic myriad of festive energetic tempos pulsating and throbbing from the dance floor. 

the addictive energy that had filtered from the speakers was both melodic and had produced the desired the effect. 

living in the heat of the moment, everyone was high-spirited and frenetic, dancing animatedly and throwing their arms up in one big tireless movement.

while they danced I watched mason dj.

though mason was busy doing multiple things at once, he looked at peace, undeniably in his element, switching from one laptop to the next and pumping his fist in the air, the laser lights beaming from his black gloves changing green to blue. 

mason shouted into the microphone. 

I hadn't seen this confidence in him before and it was hypnotic.

The music went back on, so only I could here mason telling the other guy what was up. 

"you can spice up your mixes with a broad range of droops and loops. this new system lets you Play two or more tracks at the same time and adjust their relative speed, like that, so that they're tempo will match, see?" mason fiddled with the laptop and the buttons on the controller at the same time.

"disc jockey, give the people what they want to hear. i don't care how you match it up and create remixes on-the-fly. you have a plethora of effects. if you want to use Traditional Flanger or Echo that's cool. Personally, i like Beat-Grid, Slicer, and Loop Roll." mason gave his headphones over and the self-composed guy took them one-handed.

"and, no, seriously, whatever you choose, when your crossfading the tracks from one side to the other if you cant find a chart-topping song get it from the internet and just stream it directly then access the previous playlists. all right, brother its yours. faith. you got this man." mason fist pounds the guy.

"permet de faire ce bébé." the guy standing next to mason was hot. 

"do what you do." said mason.

the song changes and the DJ gets to work while mason steps down from the booth.

i watched as mason walked through a billow of fog, his entire face flushed and sweaty. wild green eyes searched for something and landed on the girl next to me. 

"there's good fortune in small numbers." i overheard him repeat to himself. 

now that he was on the dance floor mason still seemed agitated as he walked over to us.

kira tensed as a hand that wasn't mine settled on the small of kiras back. "hows it going?" mason asked me.

"good." I smiled looking at the arm around kiras waist. everything was just kosher but I was waiting for kira to knock it off and when masons hand stayed on kiras hip I wondered if my friends were okay.

masons jaw tightened, the muscles in his neck working overtime as he brought his lips to kiras ear. "who touched the fucking music?" he asked. 

kira looked up at him and pouted. the multi color hair clip extension slanting. "why do you think i know who did it?" kira asked guiltlessly.

mason narrowed his eyes and looked at her. looked at her hard. mason frowned. "Because you were the only one with me." mason blushed. 

as if he'd just realized what he was doing he released his grip and stood directly in front of kira."everyone else set their station hours ago. you bombed over me. i had everything ready for the man and you ruined it." now it was masons turn to go on the defense.

this was fun watching them go at it. 

"yeah, okay, I did. that's what you wanted to hear isn't it? you never listen to me when I tell you not everyone likes that hard-core electronic stuff so when you gave me the laptop to put on the table I switched up a few things when you had your back turned. its because of me we have better alternative that doesn't sound like jack-hole. you're welcome."

mason raised his arms and took a step back. "you know what sucks? that you don't even care you jacked me up. that was a douche move. why cant you just let go and give me authority over the music since its my thing?" mason stormed off to get tequila mumbling that he was never hosting a party with kira ever again.

undisturbed, kira beams when she sees a couple of expressive rock girls that had fishnet stockings and little else. a goo goo cluster of kiras friends formed and they talked before their dates whisked their high-strung girlfriends away.

"you wanna dance?" kira asks grabbing for my hand

i take a step back shaking my head when Danikas brother stops by.

he looked nice enough in a tight white shirt and faded jeans but i didnt feel up to it. besides, i would have just ruined their good time. 

"'im not up for it." I point to my feet. "flawed sense of rhythm. I haven't gotten drunk enough to dance." i say to soften the blow in case i hurt someone's feelings.

he gave me a sideways glance as if unwilling to look away from kira.

"no sweat." deep voice spoke. "you ready?" he nods pointing behind them at the crowd. when he stood next to kira their heads met at the same level.

smiling, kira touched his bicep. "yeah why not."

he had cool blue hair razor shaved near the ears.

kira looked over at me. "Aislin, this is Jordan."

Jordan shakes my hand in a firm grip. calluses, interesting. "it's nice to meet you Aislin." 

after short meaningless conversation about myself he looks at Kira with a grin. Jordan takes her offered hand. a spike rubber bracelet on his arm.

I stand aside letting them dance together while he pulls kira away.

"stay here so I can see you." kira yells at me. 

"okay." i scream over a mix of random mainstream dubstep artists.

a stacked waitress wearing a bra and candy stripe shorts carrying a test tube shot of racks dances her way past me to the LED light up bar created out of fake ice cubes. 

there were two bartenders mixing drinks and pouring shots. behind them, bottles of alcohol lined up on the open shelf of the same ice cubed wall décor that glowed blue. 

doing her job, the cocktail server smiles and leans over the counter, multicolored lights streaming on her thighs, and gave her order.

bored, i looked away.

the music throbbed in my feet climbing up my legs and tickling my stomach. it was an easy and hypnotic rhythm and I was surprised that my legs and hips fell slave to the beat. 

away from the hostess bar the lights were brighter and seemed to spin faster. I tried to watch the spinning lights but quickly had to look down as I lost my balance and stumbled.

"careful there." said a guy carrying a light up jump rope around his neck.

unfortunately i had also lost contact with Chanel. oh well. Hicup. she would come to me later when she was ready.

"oh no." i whisper growing anxious quickly

from out the crowd Rider walks up to me. unlike the majority his party outfit didnt change in style. 

he wore a fancy black coat over simple clothing. "you made it." the corner of his mouth twitches , his full bottom lip curving halfway.

"yeah." my voice dries out. I look over at wesley praying that he wouldn't turn this way.

"i like your spirit." oblivious that i was trying to ignore him Rider continues making small talk while i continue avoiding eye contact. would someone come over here? 

"what are you drinking? rider asked me.

do I really want to get drunk with this guy? I asked myself. I sighed and reminded myself why I was here and what kind of company he brought.

no thanks.

rider confuses my interest in his drink for thirst. "wanna sip?" he asks passing it to me.

i show him the cup kira gave me before he got the chance to hand it over. "no thanks." i polightly look away.

I didn't want Wesley to come over here and knowing my luck he could have seen us talking already. for good reason i didn't want to be seen with him. it got me anxious knowing rider was too drunk to notice the difference.

"you sure?" rider tilts his cup. "its the good stuff." he say taking another sip.

I force myself to smile. "no thanks. im positive." when opportunity presents itself i step through an opening and effectively leave Rider behind. i didn't bother to say bye. 

rider shrugs not caring. "suit yourself." was the last word Rider said to me.

I threaded my way through gyrating bodies. 

sweat slicked bodies slid against my own, painting my already moist skin with more wetness. great just i needed. 

most of it was accidental contact due to the congestion of the room but not all of it. 

I dropped my gaze avoiding eye contact as I felt a muscled chest pressing up against my arms and back. hands followed sliding across my stomach and over my shoulders.

someone even got close enough to blow into my ear.

I yanked myself through the crowd and into a small pocket of space. taking a deep breath I realized I could do this. 

laughing a little ruefully I searched the crowd anxiously for any sign of kira but all the bodies looked the same in the erratic lights.

it was hotter out here and smelled strongly of that scent I knew from previous hangouts that I went to with Chanel. although this one took the cake. 

someone's breath on my cheek made me shiver.

throat dry, I couldn't speak.

I was afraid to turn my face for fear of bringing my mouth close to his so I kept my focus straight ahead and kept on going. 

i yelp when i feel a hand on my back. forget kira she was a big girl who could handle herself.

I shivered again at the feel of short fingernails scraping over my skin. 

there were so many people dancing it was no wonder i kept bumping into random sticky body parts. i hug myself to squeeze by without touching anyone.

dancing. I closed my eyes briefly and got a hold of myself. they were only dancing. slowly, I allowed myself to relax.