Chapter 1 The Party Pt 1

• FOUR YEARS AGO.
• Zoe’s POV
• It's exactly eight o'clock in the evening when the doorbell rings. I peek out, and see my best friend waiting for me outside.
• I quickly say goodbye to my mother, who keeps reminding me to be careful at the party. I blow her a kiss and quickly leave the house.
• The school costume party for Halloween is said to be held at a fancy venue, with a swimming pool and plenty of hidden spots where students usually meet. My best friend and I are freshmen, so it will be the first university party we attend.
• "Ready?" Cristina approaches, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek.
• "Of course!" I take her hand and urge her to spin so I can see her dress. “Look at you! You look amazing in that dress!"
• "You're not far behind. You look really good.” She gives me a sly wink. “So, do you have the masks?"
• "I do." I open the small box I'm holding and take out hers. "This is yours."
• "It's beautiful! You've made it really well," she says excitedly.
• "Don't exaggerate.” I smile. “Come on. Let's go. We're running late."
• She puts the mask back in the box, and we both walk to her car to head to this fancy event.
• For the past two weeks, everyone at the university hasn't stopped talking about it. Even many class groups agreed to have a theme for how they’d dress. Ours, of course, didn't do such a thing. We're not that close. At least not yet.
• Upon arriving at the venue, we realize that it’s a grand mansion in a gated community in the city. To enter, we even have to show our student IDs for the guards to verify it on their list.
• "Wow, this is... very big," I declare as I look at the place from the outside.
• "Yes, it is.” Cristina exhales. “Pass me the mask so I can put it on. I don't want anyone to recognize me."
• I hand Cristina the mask and put on mine, trying to hide the ribbon in my hair, which I styled and curled for the night.
• "Are you ready to shine, babe?" she says to me, using the nickname she's been calling me since middle school, where we first met.
• "I am, and you?"
• Cristina smiles and blows me a kiss to signal that she is ready too. Then, she gets out of the car and I follow her.
• We walk to the entrance, and I see that we’re not the only ones waiting to get in. When we manage to enter, we realize that the place is packed with students in costumes, including one who’s only rocking an adult diaper.
• "Remember, call me when you want to leave," Cristina whispers in my ear to remind me that she won’t be with me as much at this party, because her new boyfriend requires her attention.
• "Don't worry, I'll call you. Have fun!"
• I blow her a kiss and walk away.
• From a distance, I see her joining her annoying boyfriend. I walk through the crowd, navigating the mansion until I get to the garden. Nobody recognizes me, but it's not like I have many friends. We just started college and I've barely had a chance to talk to anyone but a couple of classmates.
• Around the pool, there are different lounge areas and some sunbeds. The exterior garden is decorated with the theme of the event.
• Students come and go all over the place. At the back of the garden in one corner, there’s a large dance floor with a DJ playing an explicit rap song, with the beat echoing off the walls. A few people gather around the dance floor while some are right on it, even engaging in a sensual dance.
• I approach a little closer to admire the spectacle that got others looking too.
• Then, I see better, and a young woman with dark skin stands out, dancing with what seems to be one of my classmates. The truth is, she dances very well. I would even say too well.
• "And who is that?" the girl on my right, dressed as a sexy baseball player, asks.
• "That's Simone,” another girl, dressed as a maid, responds. “She's Brazilian and here on an exchange program.”
• “She dances like a turnip,” the first girl scoffs.
• And in that moment, I knew they’re just a couple of bitches. The second girl looks like she’s about to respond, but something in me stirs and I find myself answering for her.
• “It's not true—the girl dances so well that she could easily embarrass anyone who tries to dance like her,” I declare, causing both girls turn to look at me when they hear me.
• I decide to continue, taking advantage of my courage to speak.
• "All her movements look natural. Just admire her."
• As I confront them, I gesture towards the girl in the middle of the dance floor, who’s giving everybody a good show. Both for the men who are open-mouthed and drooling, and for the girls staring at her with envy knowing they can’t dance like her.
• The two girls don't say anything else out loud, but they whisper to each other and look at me with faces that urge me to make my cat costume more than symbolic.
• Since dancing is not my strong suit, and neither is tolerating superficial people, I leave to look for a bathroom.
• I shouldn’t have drank that much water before leaving the house.
• I approach some bathrooms that are on the side of the pool, but there are already some girls waiting in line, so I go back inside the mansion and look for one in there.
• The service bathroom on the ground floor is a mess, so I go up to the upper floor. One of the bathrooms is in a bedroom, occupied by a loud couple.
• I walk to the other end of the hallway that seems to be the least frequented place by the guests. One of the doors is half open, so I enter.
• What I thought was a simple room is a huge, grand, and exquisite bedroom. At the other end of it is a door, so I run to it hoping it's the bathroom.
• A sigh of relief floods me when I see that it is indeed a bathroom. I really need to go, so I don’t bother with the lock, thinking that no one here will come in. I lift my skirt and pull my panties down, hovering on the toilet.
• "Thank God!" I sigh with relief.
• Before leaving, I wash my hands and then check my phone. There’s nothing. No messages and no calls, which is the summary of my social life. At least for now.
• On my way to leave, I see the huge bed in the room. A perfectly made king-size bed, begging me to lie down on it.
• Only if I dare.
• I settle on the comfortable mattress and take my phone to take some selfies.
• The place, the makeup, and my outfit deserve it. I grab some pillows behind me and strike a pose, leaving the mask next to me. First, a cute photo, something that highlights my innocence. I put on a soft look and a small smile, trying to get the perfect angle.
• Little by little, I change positions and the photos become more suggestive, starting from the traditional innocent photo to the one that hints at something hotter.
• The self-photoshoot of sensual poses suddenly makes my thoughts fly.
• Slowly but constantly, until desire within me increases….