Zaraya
The room shouldn’t be spinning like this. At least not so soon. Zaraya had sneakily downed a singular shot of mento-infused vodka before leaving her apartment but she would’ve never guessed it would hit her so hard. At this rate, the night she’d been so desperately waiting for would be over before it began.
She blinked a few times, forcing the door in front of her to stabilize and tried to walk as normally as she could.
The lounge was fairly small and the tables even smaller but that didn’t deter the herd of college kids from coming in every night to get plastered. At first, it was hard to see clearly under the pulsing blue and pink lights but her eyes adapted after a few moments and Zaraya spotted Yun at their usual booth. He was smoking cerum from a long wooden pipe, his eyes glazed over as they crinkled with a welcoming smile as their eyes connected from across the room.
A flash of pale white hair swept in the corner of her eyes and Zaraya tried not to flinch. Maybe it was a mistake to start drinking ahead. She had been so curious to try mento as the drinking agent had been growing more and more popular over the past few years. It had only been legalized a mere three months ago but Zaraya had watched dozens of patrons not-so-covertly mix it into their drinks almost every night. Now she understood the craze.
“It’s crowded tonight!” Pree sang, draping her arm over Zaraya’s shoulder—and, wow, she looked gorgeous.
Her makeup and hair were bedazzled with flecks of glitter, hiding the pink freckles that dappled her cheeks. She was dressed in a red and black jumpsuit that matched the dazzling sparkle as the rest of her. Her hair was tied back in a simple, long braided ponytail, accentuating her perfect neckline.
Zaraya didn’t have the energy to get too dressed up for tonight but she knew she would stick out like a sore thumb standing next to Pree so she picked out a loose earth green dress that complemented her warm, brown skin.
“Haha, well, aren’t you excited?” Zaraya yelled loudly over the music. “Did you and Yun already get the hookah?”
Zuno’s hand lightly touched her shoulder as he dipped his head closer to hear the conversation and her skin pricked with goosebumps from the contact. “I thought you were hooking us up for free?”
Zaraya rolled her eyes, which made her dizzy. “My manager isn’t gonna keep letting y’all smoke here for free. She complained the last time.”
He scoffed and Pree looked more interested in whatever the barista was pouring at the bar.
“How about we just drink tonight?” Pree asked.
Zaraya wasn’t so sure she could handle another drink but she nodded nonetheless and Zuno left to grab them a round of shots.
Pree excitedly dragged her over to the booth where Yun was too busy flying with the kites in the sky to notice their arrival. The bass of the upbeat techno music ricocheted through her organs as she scooted into the empty side of the gold and black booth.
“So…” Pree said in her sing-song voice.
Zaraya gave her an odd look. “What?”
“You and Zuno? How do you like being roommates?”
“Uh, how should I know? It’s only the first day.”
She smirked and tapped Yun’s elbow like they were sharing some kind of inside joke. He didn’t even blink.
“What are you trying to say? Spit it out before Zuno gets back and you make him uncomfortable.”
“I’m telling you, Z. He’s in love with you.”
“Pree, knock it off.”
“He is! I’m serious. This is your chance to finally tell him how you feel.”
“He’s my friend, Pree. I like it that way.”
She pouted and Zaraya shifted in discomfort.
“Sure you do. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s head over heels for you,” she nudged Yun. “Right? Tell her.”
He shrugged and took a long drag from his pipe.
Pree, Zaraya’s beloved and wonderful best friend, had a nasty habit of meddling in other people’s business. This was nothing compared to things she’d done in the past, but tonight, Zaraya didn’t want to hear any of it. She was in dire need of a peaceful night out.
The school term had just begun and she was already spread thin between balancing school work, extracurriculars, and working two jobs. The financial stress was the entire reason Zuno even suggested to move in with her in the first place. She hated the idea of the arrangement but she didn’t have much choice. It was either that or get evicted and as independent as Zaraya thought she was, she was all out of options.
Zuno finally came back with drinks in hand and Pree swiftly downed two shots, not even bothering to follow it with the chaser. Yun raised two fingers to the sky as a praise to the gods and Zuno and Zaraya followed suit before gulping down their shots as well.
Zaraya immediately regretted it. The room tilted upward and Zuno quickly moved to catch her falling form. He frowned, holding her so that she sat up-right.
“How are you already this messed up?”
His words took a moment to register before she realized he had even said anything. She looked into his eyes for a brief moment, taking in the navy blue waves of hair that swept over his forehead, the dark brown of his irises and the sharp cut of his cheekbones. The way his brow creased ever so slightly with concern. The pink petals of his lips. The shape of his mouth as he asked more questions that she couldn’t hear over the music.
“Mento,” Zaraya offered. “I thought…I thought it would be fun.”
“Wait, huh? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Didn’t have enough to share,” she smiled lazily.
He blinked in shock and Zaraya’s mind drifted like clouds of fog sweeping over the great river of Annora.
“Pree,” Zaraya called as she tugged on her arm. “Isn’t tonight, like, the best night ever?”
Her eyes widened and she threw her hands over her head. “Oh my gods—I was just thinking that!” she slurred.
“Oh Gods, did you have some too?”
Her expression turned devious. “No. I just have the world’s lowest tolerance.”
Yun chuckled and Zaraya wasn’t sure if he was laughing at Pree’s words or whatever he was seeing in the next dimension.
Pree lunged over the table to grab Zaraya’s hands, “Z, you’re like the greatest most bestest person I know.” she paused, her eyes scanning the Zaraya’s. “You’re smart. Pretty. Kind—too kind, really. You’ve got a bunch of friends. Y-you’re like…the poster child for people who have their lives all figured out.”
She shook her head. “You are way off. I may look like I’ve got everything together but…that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Hey, that’s not true,” said Zuno.
“No, really. I have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t even know what I want to do after I graduate.”
“Since when? I thought you had a plan. I mean, you always have a plan. For everything. You even plan your bathroom breaks,” said Pree.
Zaraya decided to ignore the bathroom comment. “Things change. I want to be something, you know? I want to make an impact on society and do some good.”
Her words stumbled over each other as she spoke. “Society already worships you. You’ve…you’ve accomplished soo much.”
“You mean the beauty pageants I used to compete in? Did you know over two million people have signed petitions to ban them all? No one respects them. Always yelling about objectification.”
“They have a point.”
Zaraya pursed her lips. “I know, but it was good money and I’m really hot.”
Zuno chuckled a bit to himself. His grip was still strong around Zaraya’s middle and it took entirely too much of her energy to keep from focusing on the way the heat from her hands felt around her.
Pree squealed, “Yeah! You’re like the Queen of Ursa, right? You could probably win Queen of Noroo, too.”
“It’s Miss Ursa not ‘Queen’ Ursa and there’s a huge difference between winning a pageant for the city and winning one for the entire country.”
Pree rubbed her red face to make sure it was still there. “Hmm? Yeah, sure…Zuno! Zuno, what about you?!”
Zaraya twisted in her seat to hear his answer and he looked shocked to have the conversation turned toward him so suddenly.
“Huh? W-wait, what was the question?” he stammered.
Pree snapped her fingers at him but the sound was swallowed by the heavy bass that shook from the speakers. “Your plan after graduation, duh?”
“I-I guess I wanna become, like, a songwriter…or producer…or something?”
Pree ’oo’ed and ’aah’ed like this was brand new information despite the fact that music was all that Zuno ever talked about. He rubbed the back of his neck with a free hand as he blushed like it was something embarrassing to speak out loud.
Such a modest guy, he was. Zaraya knew he could do it. He’d already gotten a few job offers from record labels and they were only in his third year of university. Plus, with the connections from his dad, he was sure to make it in the industry.
Artists aren’t very well respected these days. Academia and federal employment was the preferred route. Or ‘The Right Route, ’ the board of education liked to call it. Still, Zuno wasn’t afraid to pursue his dreams as a musician. He grew up with parents who were artists themselves.
“That’s so cool,” Pree paused to hiccup. “I wanna be like you when I grow up.”
Zuno fanned his shirt as he burned even redder. “I think you should drink some water, Pree.”
“Hey! You’re sober!” Zaraya shouted with a finger pointed between his eyebrows.
Pree gasped, struggling to get up in an attempt to reach the bar. She failed.
“I’m the designated driver tonight.”
Zaraya shook her head, swaying slightly from the motion. “You always say that. The autopilot feature can take us home just fine.”
“No way am I trusting a computer to fly a transport.”
“You sound like a crazy person.”
“Oh, my gods! Zaraya, it’s our song!” Pree crooned as she stood—successfully this time—yanking Zaraya up with her.
Zaraya stopped to listen. And it was, in fact, their song so the only logical response was to start screaming like an arctic seal.
“Out of the way!” she weakly shoved Zuno. “I need to get on that dance floor.”
He looked at her in amusement. “I don’t understand what’s so fun about any of that.”
“Because you never dance!” she grabbed his hand and didn’t notice when he tensed. “Come dance with me. Just once. Please?”
Zuno shrank back into his seat and shook his head violently.
“Ugh, you’re so lame.”
She was going to get that dance one way or another. Maybe not today but one day she would. Maybe she’d get him a little drunk first?
“Excuse me.” A slender woman with legs that never ended stalked over to the booth, wearing what Zaraya assumed to be high fashion.
Her body was wrapped a short pink dress and a giant coat of pink frills the size of coconuts. Her black hat was a turmoil of little round, ugly balls clustered to form peculiar shapes around her head and it added a good twenty-five centimeters to her height.
Zaraya inwardly cringed.
“Hi, I was wondering if I could buy you a drink, dear?” she asked, her eyes locked directly on Zuno.
“M-me?” he asked, his voice two octaves higher than normal.
She giggled. “Yes, dear, you. What do you like?”
Pree sat back down to pinch Zaraya under the table but she wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted her to do. If Zuno wanted to cozy up with a girl who liked to match her outfits with her loofahs then that was his perrogative.
“Oh, sorry, I’m not drinking tonight.”
“Ah,” her face dropped.
Against Zaraya’s hardest efforts, she felt a small amount of joy at the sound of her disappointment.
“Well, I’m Elika,” she stuck out her hand for him to shake. “Maybe next time then?”
Zuno hesitated before taking her hand, his ears a slight shade of pink. “Um, sure. Yes, next time.”
Before Zaraya could get a chance to tease him, the windows shattered with a horrible, high-pitched clash. The group glanced around in alarm.
Screams began to ensue as patrolmen barreled into the lounge, shoving and shouting with an urgency Zaraya had not seen outside of movies.
Drinks splashed in the air as people collided with one another in a panic. The music cut off abruptly, leaving only the sound of shoes squeaking and fearful voices. A round man in a bright red tux leaped out of the way as two patrolmen burst through at full speed, each one donned in pristine white jumpsuits and matching hats and goggles. Zaraya gasped they pulled out large sonic jetters. Weapons designed for one intent. To kill.
This didn’t make any sense. Had she drunkenly passed out and was stuck in a nightmare? Why would patrolmen need to carry sonic jetters out of all things in a town like Ursa? There hadn’t been a single crime committed here in forty-three years.
Suddenly, a glass dish landed and dispelled at Zaraya’s feet.
“We need to get out of here. Now.”
But Zuno was glued to his seat, his eyes wide in fear. Yun was no better off, the drug no doubt showing him a much worse scene than the one playing out before him. Only Pree looked vigilant enough to make a run for it, her fingers wrapped tightly around the small blade she kept in her satchel.
A blur of purple sped by and then—
“Evacuate the area immediately!” a voice sounded over the speaker systems.
Pree jumped up and made to grab for Zuno, who was blocking Zaraya inside the booth, but was instantly swept away by the crowd.
“Pree!” yelled Zaraya.
Pree held a hand out but she was too far too reach. In seconds, she was gone.
