Metal Monster

Apparently, I’m listening to a jazz band playing swing music. Goes well with whisky. No mixer. Straight.

Parties at bars suck. Al’s fooling happy with Case; will be all night. Danny’s no doubt half dancing half fucking Lucy some place. I’ve told Ashley to do one ‘cause there’s no way I’m getting prom involved with her. Just me and my whisky at a table which tipsy ex-students keep bumping against on their way by. I only came to this prom to make Casey happy. I look over to where he’s stood, necking drink and being merry with his mates. He’s happy. Job done. Best stay that fuckin’ way.

Bounce. Al hops onto a stool next to mine with two cups of voddy. Almost knocks over the lantern in his hurry. Good, my drink was almost done. I slurp away what remains of my whisky.

“You not going back to your boyfriend?”

Al swirls voddy round his mouth before swallowing. The lad needs a mixer. “Are you not dancing with Ashley?”

“No. She was a friend with benefits.”

“Was?”

“I ain’t dating your cast offs.”

“What?” Al splutters his voddy all over the table.

“She wanted you. Was chasing you till Casey charmed you away. Seriously, go back over to him.”

Al gives a sideways glance at Casey who is surrounded by his friends. “I’ll find him later. I’d much rather sit here with my bestie.” Al bops his head to the music.

My eyes stray over to the dance floor. Ashley is currently pirouetting with Cain. Former cheerleaders slutty dance while the jock squad watch them. They nearly get bowled over by a retreating Danny who is being hounded by Lucy.

“You don’t get to make those decisions. I’m not some princess who needs protecting.”

“I know but – “

“- But nothing! You treat me like you would Team Geordie.”

“I can’t. You don’t understand what Kenji’s like.”

“And you don’t understand me.” Fuming Lucy goes back over to her cheerleading squad and makes a point of getting super physical with her dancing.

“What the fuck?” I say when Danny reaches our table.

“I had to break up with Lucy. Kenji, he’ll manipulate her if she’s close to me.”

“Bad idea,” says Al. “Lucy’s real strong. She’d hold her own against your family.”

Danny shrugs. “It’s done.”

I’ve no idea what’s got into Danny recently. He’s lied to everyone; including me and I’m seething with him for the distrust. Even still I smirk at him because I wanna have an awesome night with my best friends.

I hook my arms round both their shoulders. “Just us three again.”

“We lost our brains,” fake sniffs Al.

“No, we ain’t.” I tap my head. “My ideas are well better than Charlie’s.”

Al consistently slaps the tabletop. “Faster. Angrier. Powerful-eeerrrr.”

“Exactly.” I neck my drink. Danny has no glass meaning it may as well be my round. I fetch us fresh drinks. When I get back from the bar Al’s dancing round our table, as he attempts to finish his voddy. I place his new one on the table. Sip at mine. Danny takes gulps and is soon tempted into dancing with Al. I sway on the spot, getting a feel for this swingy jazz music. Al sure has some slutty dance moves. I smirk as a green-eyed monster wades over to him for a dance. My table is invaded by Pigs. Mi joins in dancing but Kay and Frankie clog up my table, talking.

I drank too much too fast so need to piss. “Don’t let anyone spike that.” I put my glass down and make for the spiral iron stairs.

After using the outhouse I grab a sausage roll from the forgotten buffet. Sort a forgotten. A girl with long wavy brown hair picks at a sandwich. Her sequin purple dress is shimmery. Real eye catching. She smiles on noticing me looking. Not at her. The dress. Like she’s smiling at the natural blue streaks in my hair. Not me.

“How do you do?” She blinks realising she is staring.

“How do I do what?”

“Say something else.”

“Why?”

“Your accent I like it.”

That’s a first from these Kensington people. “I ain’t the entertainment. Go listen to the band.”

“I do not care for the jazz band. Every school function same old tired band.”

The girl seems to be by herself. I didn’t notice her upstairs; she’d be hard to miss in her sparkles, and there’s no sign of friends down here. “Why bother coming if you don’t like the music?”

“I am taking shelter from a stalker.”

“Who?”

“Not who. What.”

“Heh?”

“The last few days have been a real nightmare. I thought talking to Casey about the issue might help.”

“Whoa no. He’s having a normal prom with no drama or problems to get mixed up in.”

“He should have thought about normal before befriending skeletals. Thanks to him I have a skeletal flying round me like the grim reaper.”

“If a skeletal has latched onto you I can’t see how it’s Casey’s fault.”

“Skeletals pick their riders according to the alpha’s allies. Last week I had a huge argument with our father for not going to look for Casey when he went missing. Mrs. Harlington came over to tell us Casey was in a troubling mood and he left her house without a word of goodbye. When she left Dad and I got into a heated argument. I told him he ought to be ashamed getting my brother admitted to the medical centre and he ought to make up for it by going looking for him.” She takes an envelope from her lap and fiddles about with it. “Ever since that argument I’ve been stalked by a skeletal.”

“Melody right?”

She smiles. “So he has mentioned me.”

“Not in a decent light.”

Her smile drops. “You’re right, I ought not trouble him.” She pushes her envelope over to me. “Can you make sure he gets this? It’s a sorry for being a hog card.”

I throw the card right back at her. “Give it to him yourself. I ain’t being no go between for a couple of snotty siblings.”

“You just told me not to trouble him.”

“With your skeletal shit. Mundane whining is fine.”

“Geordie, what’s taking so long?” Al leans over the iron railing, waving what appears to be my drink at me. “Oh, I see!” He winks.

“Definitely not!”

“In that case...” He comes downstairs and over to the buffet table. “Here’s your drink. Not spiked. I been staring at it forevers.” He waves at a staring Melody, making me laugh.

“You’re err- “ Melody brakes her gaze and scans the buffet table just as a skree skree vibrates from the main doors. Claws scratch at the door, smaking against it.

“No. Casey is not dealing with this on his prom night.” I push Melody towards the door. “Make it go away.”

“Get Casey! I don’t want it.” Melody holds onto the door handle tight; trying to keep the skeletal from breaking down the door. She screams and jumps back as claws impale the doors, nearly poking her through the guts. What a fiasco.

Al catches Melody’s elbow. “Is a Thunder chasing you?”

“No, a nightmare.” She snatches her arm back. “Keep your hands off me.”

I side step as the skeletal breaks through the door and charges into the room. It screams at Melody on passing by her then circles the buffet table, snapping at food. Light on her feet Melody rushes through the door into the night.

“Not a good plan,” I call after her. Kind a think I could have handled stuff better. I mean where’s she gonna end up this evening? A minute later the skeletal is done eating and follows after her reluctant rider.

“Ooo what a mess.” Al pokes at the broken door. “Should we go after them?”

“She’s a Hillcrest she’ll be fine.”

“Melody! Was that her skeletal?”

“Appears so. Don’t tell Casey tonight.”

“I can’t leave Casey’s little sister running round in the dead of night with a skeletal chasing her.”

“Great.” I down what remains of my voddy. “I’ll go.”

“With your people skills. You literally pushed her away.”

“Enjoy this dumb prom. I’ll meet you at Mi’s town house after party. If Cain grumbles about the state of the doors it was Chunk, get me?”

“’Kay. Be kind.”

I never get a break. There’s always some shit to sort out.