**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.**
The party was located at a club not too far from the school. The club, named *AFTER HEAVEN,* was owned by the uncle of one of the players in the university hockey team, so getting the pass to host a bunch of uni students had been easy. Karina told me all that. The club looked like the stereotypical description of a normal New York club; colorful, cramped, and smelly with sweat and booze and cigarettes and probably weed. It defined Brooklyn as a whole. The club’s entrance opened into a neon-lit hallway that led to a spacious, underground sanctuary. The room was a blend of retro sci-fi and chic, with exposed brick walls bathed in cosmic red and blues, a star and moon-shaped chandelier casting an ethereal glow, and a sleek, black marble bar serving up neon-colored cocktails.
I quickly found myself in the bar, seated next to the rest of the girls, specially Karina and Tennessee. Yuri had abandoned us to go make out with her boyfriend, *as always.*
“I'll do the honors of buying you drinks tonight, Eline,” Karina chimed from my side as she called over the bartender and gave him an order of what sounded like a mixture of French, English, and a language I couldn't even understand.
I remained quiet as I watched the bartender do his thing. The music playing in the background was almost deafening, but it wasn't that bad. At least, the DJ had some quality taste in music that just happened to fit mine. Once the bartender was done, he passed us our drinks. Karina and Tennessee drinks looked like spirit, while mine had some color to it.
“I know you'd love it,” Karina commented as she took a sip of her own drink. She winced, face scrunching up in pleasure as she kissed her teeth. “This hit so hard.”
“Just the way I love it,” Tennessee chipped in from her side. Her cup was empty and I gave her an incredulous look as she called over the bartender to order for some more.
My own drink was pinkish in color and Karina had called it *‘Sex on the beach’,* a name I found rather pretentious because for one, there shouldn't be any reason why a drink was even named as such, and two, it looked nothing like *sex on the beach*. I brought the drink to my lips and took a sip…it didn't taste bad. Not something I liked, but it was something I could work with through the night.
“When last did you get laid, Eline?” Karina slurred as she took another shot, throwing her hands over my shoulder. “You look sex-starved.”
“I do not,” I didn't even know how to tell her that I was still a virgin. It wasn't like I was shy about my virginity. I just didn't like people being all up in my sex life, even if they were my friends. “I'm not interested in getting —”
“Eline is obviously a Virgin,” Tennessee interjected from where she was seated.
Karina's eyes felt like they were going to bulge out of their sockets with how she stared at me, almost as if she couldn't believe I was a virgin. I also didn't plan on confirming it was true or not. “You’re a virgin?”
I shrugged, taking another sip of my drink as I looked around the club. I noticed some hockey players making their way in. “What difference does it make?”
“You're telling me that you haven't tasted the goodness of a dick?” Karina looked offended as she took her hands off my shoulders. She dropped her cup and proceeded to cup my cheeks. “You haven't tasted what it feels like to orgasm and drown in cum land?”
“Not interested,” I told her, feeling embarrassed by the topic. Besides, it wasn't like I wasn't interested in sex. I believed I just hadn’t found the right person yet. “Can we drop this?”
“Sure, whatever,” Karina stood up, downing a cup of what seemed like whiskey this time as she wriggled her body. “I need to dance and let loose.”
Tennessee and I watched Karina go to the dance floor. She seemed a little tipsy as she almost stumbled but regained composure as she began to dance, moving her body to the rhythm of the music. Even if I was finding my second party boring, seeing Karina dance foolishly already made it better than the first party I attended in Draken's house. Speaking of Draken, I hadn't seen him since he left the rink. He wasn't even with the rest of the hockey players who had a whole section to themselves. Topper and Killian were also nowhere to be seen.
I decided to stop thinking about Draken as I downed my drink and stood up. I needed to use the restroom. “I'm heading to the restroom,” I told Tennessee who only tipped me a nod in response.
Moving through the crowd, I found my way to the female restroom where I relieved myself in one of the toilet stalls after thanking whatever gods out there because the toilet was in good condition. I made my way to the basin to rinse my hand under a faucet when I saw someone next to me, leaning against the wall. It was Amanda. *Great.*
“Draken stopped talking with me,” She said, crossing my arms against her chest as she passed me a glare. “What did you do, you dick?”
“Excuse me?” I replied, awestruck as I turned off the faucet and dried my hand on my skirt. “I didn't do anything. He *chose* not to talk to you. I didn't choose for him. Besides, how the hell is that any of my business?”
She moved away from the wall and moved towards me. Amanda was taller than me, so she hovered over me like a beast. “You told me whatever is between you and Draken is nothing special —”
“Because it isn't anything special. We're hardly even friends,” I replied, feeling frustrated with the conversation. I just wanted to leave the toilet and head back to the bar where I'd left Tennessee. “Look, I don't care if you're trying to get Draken to be yours, but just leave me out of this.”
I proceeded to leave when Amanda suddenly dragged me back by my hand. I growled lowly, feeling my canine and fangs protrude as I tore my hand away from her and glared at her.
“Don't you fucking touch me again, Amanda. Or I promise you, that would be the last time you'd ever have a face,” I threatened her, savoring the shock on her face at my backlash.
“What the fuck are you?” She asked, scurrying away from me as she breathed loudly.