December's Moon

15| AURORA

| AURORA |

"Cheers, girls," Aurora raised her glass of absinthe and sugar water, toasting with Priscilla and Niki. "To the first week of the semester down." Their glasses clinked together, the foggy green liquid sloshing back and forth.

Aurora took a long sip, savoring the flavors of liquorish and star anise. The strong liquor burned her throat as she swallowed, sending a zing of fire through her nervous system.

Aurora had a lot to celebrate. Her plan to distract December was going flawlessly, and during shifting class yesterday, she, December, and Luca had successfully mind linked. They'd opened the channel! It was only for a few minutes, but still, it was something.

Other, more serious things weighed on her mind, but for one night, Aurora could let herself relax and have fun. On Saturday, she would deal with everything else.

Priscilla set her glass down next to her and leaned back on Aurora's fluffy, grey shag carpet. "Finally Friday," she said as she tossed her short brown hair behind her, maneuvering her body around so she was on her side and resting on one elbow.

"That was one hell of a week," Niki said. She sat next to Priscilla, cross-legged with her back against the frame of Aurora's bed.

Aurora faced the two of them, seated in a ballerina pose, her legs delicately folded in front of her. The plush carpet felt like soft fur on her bare skin.

Aurora's stereo filled the small dorm room with the smooth, eerie beats of experimental synth-rock. She kept the music low, but the deep bass tones hummed through her body, amplifying the pulsing buzz the absinthe gave her.

She'd invited only Priscilla and Niki to this little gathering to keep it small—quiet. Getting caught drinking on campus was a worse transgression than getting caught drinking in the woods, not to mention it was easier to be caught. Students still did it, of course, but they were more careful about it. It was done quietly and in secret. That was why parties were always held out in Welwick Woods. Students could be loud without as much worry about getting caught.

"Can you believe the Juniors are having a party tonight?" Aurora asked. "After that warning in the assembly? Are they asking to get expelled?"

Priscilla laughed. "Silly juniors!"

Niki shrugged. "I mean, I doubt they'll get in trouble." She took a small sip of the absinthe drink Aurora had brewed for them. "Going in the woods at night has always been off limits."

"Yeah, but after Malcom went missing?" Priscilla shoved Niki's leg lightly. "I feel like they are going to take it more seriously now."

Aurora tapped her fingers on the rim of her glass before taking a long drink, holding the liquor in her mouth for a few seconds longer than necessary so she could feel the burn. She couldn't stop thinking about what December had told her and what she'd read in the library. There was something going on out there in the woods. It wasn't safe to be out there. Part of her wondered if she should have done something to stop the party from taking place, but the wiser part of her knew there wasn't much she could do to stop the juniors from holding it. If they wanted to go out to the woods and drink, they were going to do it, no matter what she said.

"I kind of think we should go." Niki swirled the cloudy green liquid around in her glass like a miniature tornado. "It sounds like it's going to be a rager."

"Maybe we should." Priscilla hummed lowly along with the beat of the music. "I'm up for a party. It's been a long week."

Aurora frowned, sucking her cheeks in and chewing on them. Niki and Priscilla always followed her, not the other way around, so the fact that they had a different opinion on something was throwing her off her game.