Where Destiny Takes Us

The motley crew rose, following Derek like obedient soldiers, while the other guests watched, their gazes a mix of envy and curiosity.

The basement beckoned them with the allure of a hidden world, a game room sanctuary adorned with the relics of rock and roll gods and electronic escapism.

Frozen air blasted from the air conditioner, sending a chill down Alanna's spine.

Almost instantly, the air filled up with smoke from cigarettes. All of them settled in the multiple couches and sofas around a coffee table.

"Ever played truth or dare with drinks?" Derek challenged, his voice echoing off the walls lined with guitars and posters. "Tonight we're all young."

"Can't say that I have," Alanna replied, her words laced with newfound confidence as he sat next to her, shoulder to shoulder with the blonde boy whose name still eluded her.

"First time for everything," he said, matching her stance, close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from his body.

Derek grabbed a bottle from a shelf and loudly placed it on the table, spinning it.

The bottle spun, a dizzying dance of fate and chance. Alanna's heart thrummed in her chest, an erratic rhythm that seemed to sync with the rotations of glass on wood.

"Let's see where destiny takes us," the blonde boy whispered, his breath a ghost across her cheek.

The basement's atmosphere shifted when someone turned on a stereo, the sounds of a synthesizer piercing through the cacophony of voices and laughter, drowning the music from above.

A familiar 80's rock anthem filled the air, it's pulsing beat stirring something within Alanna. She couldn't help herself; her voice rose, mingling with the lead singer's raspy vocals, her body swaying to the rhythm. The blonde guy turned to her, his smile a flash of warmth in the dimly lit room.

"You like this?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Someone had been chosen by the bottle, and the guys were laughing hysterically. Alanna had no idea who it was or what he had been asked. 

"I love Def Leppard," Alanna replied with a laugh, feeling slightly less alone. She opened her mouth to ask his name, but before she could speak, her world tilted on its axis as Derek's voice boomed across the room, "Alanna!"

She spun around, her pulse quickening. Sasha sat there, dark eyes cutting through the crowd, fixed on her with an intensity that could shatter glass. The bottle lay at Alanna's knees, pointing accusingly between her and Derek.

"Looks like destiny has made up its mind," Derek said with a grin. 

"Actually..." Alanna reached down swiftly, nudging the bottle with a trembling finger so that it veered towards Sasha. "It's Sasha, not me."

Derek leaned in, his playful retort sending a shiver down her spine. "Come on, Alanna, don't be shy. It was definitely you."

"Fine," Alanna conceded, her heart hammering against her ribcage. "Dare." Her hand found Sasha's, seeking solace in the familiarity of her friend's touch.

Sasha's hand squeezed back, a silent pact forming between them as they faced the unpredictable.

"Game time, Alanna!" Derek's voice sliced through the din of laughter and clinking glasses. "I dare you to head up to my room with my man here." He winked at him. "He knows where it is."

The crowd erupted into raucous cheers, the energy in the basement tangling with the electric buzz of anticipation. The blonde guy beside Alanna, still nameless but increasingly intriguing, flushed a soft shade of rose, an endearing contrast to his leather-clad exterior.

Alanna, emboldened by the dare and the liquid courage warming her veins, released Sasha's hand. She reached out, her fingers intertwining with those of the mysterious boy, and stood.

"I'll follow you," she said tentatively, her voice almost breaking.

He nodded, a shy grin breaking through his initial reserve. With a seemingly newfound determination, he also, taking the lead amid the cheers of his friends.

Together they navigated through the labyrinth of bodies and pulsating music, ascending the stairs that led away from the basement's dim allure.

The pulsing beat of the music from Derek's basement grew faint as they ascended the staircase, each step a further plunge into the unknown.

Alanna's grip on her companion's hand tightened, not out of affection but a silent plea for an anchor in the dizzying sea of judgmental glances that followed their ascent.

The main floor was awash with light and sound, a stark contrast to the shadowy enclave they had left behind. Some new hip-hop song was playing.

Alanna could feel the weight of every gaze as they crossed the living room; their journey felt like a spectacle under the scrutiny of their peers. Laughter and snippets of conversation faded into a backdrop for her racing thoughts.

"Hey, are you okay?" the blonde boy asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"Uh, yeah," Alanna lied, forcing a smile. Her mind was a whirlwind of doubt and fear.

What am I doing?

She didn't want to kiss him, didn't want to play into the expectations that now cocooned them. He was cute, sure, with that tousled hair and those eyes that seemed to hold depths yet to be explored, but he wasn't...he wasn't Lucas.

"Alanna?" His brow creased with concern, his thumb caressing the back of her hand in a soothing rhythm.

"Sorry, it's just...this isn't really me," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper, drowned out by a crescendo in the music's beat 

"Hey, no pressure," he assured her, his eyes sincere. "We can just hang out if you want—no expectations."

"Really?" Gratitude washed over her, cooling the feverish anxiety that clung to her skin.

"Really," he affirmed with a smile that reached his eyes.

"Thank you," Alanna breathed, allowing herself to be led further into the light, where the night's uncertain melody still played, waiting for their next move.

"Almost there," he murmured, his voice a soft hum against the chaos of the party.

She nodded, her throat tight, eyes darting across the sea of faces until they landed on that pair—Lucas and Jessica, nestled together in the alcove of the crowded hallway. Lucas, with his disarming blue eyes that seemed to cut straight through her. And Jessica, the vixen, her gaze sharp and calculating.

Their eyes met, hers wide with startled deer-like vulnerability, his widening in a mix of surprise and something unreadable. Jessica's lips curled into a knowing smirk, one that spelled out a challenge and mocked Alanna's every insecure thought.

"Alanna?" The blonde boy's voice pulled her back, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from Lucas and Jessica. Her heart pounded, sending staccato beats against her ribcage.

The blonde boy looked between her and the couple, a wrinkle of confusion etching his brow.

"Hey, Jessica, fancy seeing you here," Alanna called out, the words spilling from her lips before she could capture them. She was sailing into uncharted waters.

Jessica looked like she was about to speak when Lucas interjected.

"Jake?" he asked, looking at the blonde boy. At least he spared Alanna from having to ask his name. Lucas's tone was equal parts curiosity and concern, his athletic frame shifting as if to stand taller.

"Enjoying the party?" she asked, this time, pointedly at Lucas, a playful note dancing in her words despite the tremor of nerves beneath.

"It's been... interesting," Lucas replied, his smile genuine but perplexed.

Jessica scoffed, her eyes locking with Alanna's in a silent duel. "What do you want?"

"Just saying hello," Alanna said, raising her hands innocently. She was emboldened by the liquid courage warming her veins. "Being polite for a change, unlike some bitches."

Jessica's eyes widened just as Jake tugged at Alanna's arm. 

"We should go," the blonde boy whispered, eager to escape the growing tension.

"Sure," she said, sparing one last glance at Lucas whose eyes looked just as confused as Jessica's. 

With a shaky breath, she allowed herself to be led away, past the tangled web of high school hierarchies, and into an upstairs room.