Zenon's Game Chapter 234

"Is there some explanation for what happened back there?" Lara asked in a casual, nonjudgmental tone, "Or am I just going with it?"

If she was confused, then I'm on a different planet.

"It got out of control," Axel apologized, as we walked through the parking lot to find Bryce's chauffeur.

The parking lot was sparsely lit up by white streetlights. Our shoes clacked on the concrete as we heard the faint sounds of the party behind us.

"You didn't," Zenon said, "Bryce and Bianca are somewhere back there."

True. They had gone in to find Lara but disappeared pretty quickly after that. I'm sure they were somewhere backstage, living it up.

"This photo is everything," Oma said, zooming in on a still shot of Axel being carried in the air with the DJ cursing at him.

"If that didn't go down so badly, I would've asked for his autograph," Cynthia sighed.

*00.51 AM*

Bryce and Bianca were partying the night away backstage at DJ Pumpa T's after party. The beach club party was going strong. Shouts of "Pump the funk" could be heard from the parking lot.

Our bracelets had been cut off as we were banned from returning to the party. We couldn't find the car, since the chauffer had driven off, waiting for Bryce's call to return and pick us up. And we couldn't find Bryce because he was at the after party.

Axel tried his number again, "He's not picking up."

"Pump the funk," Cynthia sighed, sitting on the curbside, with her heels in her hand, "What a ridiculous chant."

Lara stood under the spotlight of a streetlight in her white dress and matching white converses. She seemed in good spirits, despite the abrupt change in her New Years' plans.

"I'll call my uncle to send a car," Lara offered, lifting her phone to her ear as she took a sip of her wine.

"So what happened back there?" I asked, leaning against Zenon since my feet were hurting so much in heels.

Axel told us the story while his phone rang. "I was looking for Lara and when I pointed to her, the DJ said she was staying with him tonight," Axel said, while he clicked call on Bryce's number again. "I said she's underage and he said all groupies lie about their age."

I gasped. Axel nodded as his call to Bryce went to voicemail. So he clicked dial again.

"It got worse. He said some other things that I won't repeat here. Then Lara saw me and came over. The DJ tried to grab her and she shoved him. Then I shoved him, which is when the bodyguards came."

Lara walked up to us, "Uncle's sending a car over to pick us up and we can go to his party."

I wouldn't mind going to bed, but that's just me.

We'd completely forgotten that Axel's phone was still calling Bryce until he suddenly picked up.

Bryce's voice yelled out through the phone, "WHAT?"

"Never mind," Axel replied, completely unphased, before hanging up.

*01.37 AM*

The party at Lara's uncle's home was still going strong. There were a lot of older people here, so the music leaned heavily on 80's hits. Some guests had gone home, which left more space for us.

Everyone was letting loose. Bryce and Bianca showed up an hour later. At one point I saw Lara dancing with a retro corded phone.

I kept my eye out for the ostrich lady. I really think we could be friends.

*02.49 AM*

Bryce tried to get on stage to play drums. He can't play drums.

Was ostrich lady an ostrich or a swan?

*03.23 AM*

Zenon and I slammed the doors to a bathroom open and stepped clumsily inside. Our lips were pressed against each other's. My legs were wrapped around Zenon's waist as he carelessly closed the bathroom door behind us.

He pressed me against the wall, kissing my neck and pulling my dress down to expose my bare shoulders.

"Anyone can come in," I breathed.

"That's what makes it hot," he kissed my shoulder, while one of his hands roamed my body and the other was pressed up against the wall.

His h*ip*s grinded down on mine and a gasp escaped my lips, which he swallowed as his lips covered mine.

*03.56 AM*

Axel was dancing to a Patrick Swayze song with an elderly lady.

She's like the wind in all its romantic glory was playing on the speakers now that the band had gone home. The dance floor was relatively empty, but Axel and the elderly lady kept it up.

Zenon stood beside me, watching Axel with an entertained expression. He then asked me, "Why can't we dance like that?"

I knew he was mocking Axel but I decided to put his joke to the test. I dragged Zenon to the dance floor. He was so reluctant, trying to invent all the excuses for why he shouldn't dance... and that's when I realized how bad of a slow dancer he is.

"Wow," I gasped, "I finally found a sport we're equal in."

*04.23 AM*

I made a beeline for the buffet again. The food had changed and been replaced by breakfast foods.

I helped myself to some syrup-soaked waffles, before Cynthia convinced me to join the others outside. I followed her through that double wall situation and back to the stargazing room. The others had all gathered here, one by one.

I sat cross legged on the floor with my plate of waffles in front of me. Oma had a bowl of fruit in her lap. Our drinks were scattered around on the ground or in someone's hands.

Since there was no ceiling, we sat under a dark sky, with tiny stars glittering in the calm surface of the pool. Lara took her shoes off and dipped her feet in the water, creating a ripple that expanded over time.