Into the depths of shadows

Chapter 7 - The Depths of Shadows

Finley grabbed her curls and began to wind them together into a thick plat down her back. She was sitting in front of her mirror, as the early morning sun came in through the window. Her grey blue eyes stared back at her, looking tired and weary. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night, after the revelation that her parents had been murdered and she'd been lied to her whole life. She couldn't deny the fact that she was angry. She would have preferred to know the truth.

She picked up the cherry red lip gloss and hastily applied it to her pale lips. She stood up and walked over to where her leather jacket was hanging. She fumbled around in the pocket before pulling the flyer out. She'd picked it up from the stand at the Full Moon Bar a few nights earlier. She scanned over the cursive handwriting reading the details of Arlin's party.

'The depths of shadows,' the top line read in bold letters. Followed by a brief description of what to expect from the night and the details of the party: Prepare for a night of danger and excitement hosted by Arlin Shade. Formal event (Black tie Masquerade Ball), 12pm at the old city Theatre.

Finley had always thought that attending a masquerade ball would be a cool event to attend but now she was having her doubts. Did she really want to go into the lion's den? She knew it would be dangerous and she still had no idea what to expect. But it could be her only way of finding Arlin. She sighed and tossed the flyer onto the bedside table before picking her bag up and heading out of the room. She could think about it for the rest of the day but she needed to get to school.

She waited patiently on the front steps of the house for Kade to arrive. He skidded to a halt in the driveway before flashing a smile in her direction. His white shirt was hanging out loosely despite the fact that the uniform was supposed to be tucked in. His tie was tied loosely as well and it hung around his neck blowing in the wind. "Come on sweetheart, we wouldn't want to be late," he murmured as she got to her feet and headed over to the bike. She wasn't too fussed about riding the bike in a skirt but she got on the back of it regardless of how she looked.

Luckily for her, the ride to school was only a short distance and by the time they arrived she was sick of trying to hold her skirt down. As Kade pulled into the lot, judgmental eyes followed them. Finley could feel the popular girls staring at her as she got off the back of the bike. She stood awkwardly as Kade gathered his things together before turning to face her. "Well, thanks for the ride," she said before spinning on her heel and walking away.

Everyone was staring at her and she hated it. She'd done such a good job not getting noticed and now everything had changed. To her disappointment, Kade wasn't going to just let her walk away. He strode up to where she was walking. "What's the hurry sweetheart?" He questioned.

Finley kept her head down as she walked, trying to disappear into the crowd. She didn't know what she'd been expecting when she'd accepted a lift to school from Kade. They'd bonded over the last couple of days but it didn't change the fact that she was nobody and he was the sexy bad boy that all the girls wanted. She didn't want to be a part of their war. She quickened her pace as they reached the courtyard.

"Finley wait up!" Kade called as he pushed his way through the crowd of people. She turned a corner into a less crowded one and waited for him to catch up.

His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as his eyes met hers. "What was that all about?"

She sighed, fiddling with the end of her tie. "Look, you don't have to hang out with me at school. I get that you've got your whole group of friends as well as the millions of girls who worship you. I'm not one of those people who can just fit in everywhere and I wouldn't want to mess up your reputation."

His expression changed and a flash of anger crossed his face. "You think I care about stuff like that?"

She shrugged, "Don't you?"
He threw his hands up in the air crossly, "No I couldn't care less about the girls who throw themselves at me or the assholes who claim they're my friends. The only reason they like me is because they think that I do whatever I want to impress them. I act like a jerk towards all of them and they still keep coming back. They don't know me or give a shit about me! I would rather hang out with you over them any day."