The light had already mostly left the sky. Shel stood under a flickering streetlight, lit by its dim amber glow. He chose to wear something simple and comfortable because he planned on completely letting go tonight. A simple black t-shirt paired with torn jeans and black Vans worked perfectly for the occasion.

Shel left his room 5 minutes early because he didn't want to run into Niko on the way downstairs. It didn't make sense since they were meeting up anyway, but Shel couldn't help it. It was their first outing together, he wanted to avoid anything that could make it awkward.

Shel checked his phone for the time and decided to order the ride, hoping Niko would be punctual. He looked up from his phone to see Niko exiting the building just as he submitted the request.

Seeing Niko dressed to go out was electrifying. Until now he had only seen him wearing hoodies and workout shorts. He wore dark wash jeans and a gray t-shirt that clung flatteringly to his defined chest. Shel was mesmerized by his toned arms and the dark hair on his forearms. He spotted an intricate tattoo of a glitched skull on his inner bicep when he raised his arm to wave. The veins on his arms protruded with the movement.

"I just ordered a ride for us, should be here in 4 minutes," Shel bashfully looked away from Niko.

"Awesome, lemme give you some cash–" Niko reached for his wallet but Shel impulsively grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Don't worry about it," Shel mumbled, cheeks flaming red from the unexpected touch.

Niko smiled cooly and nudged Shel gently with his elbow. They waited in silence for the car to arrive and drive up to the curb. So much for not making things awkward, Shel thought to himself.

Niko pulled open the back door and held it open from the top for Shel. The driver confirmed they buckled their seatbelts and headed towards the destination.

"Oh, Sierra texted me. She just arrived at the party with Amethyst," Shel shoved his phone back into his pocket. "They're gonna have such a head start."

"We'll just have to work harder to catch up," Niko expressed positively.

"I wonder if you can keep up with me," Shel teased, knowing he was a lightweight himself.

"Keep up with you? You're like two feet tall, there's no way you can handle your alcohol," Niko scoffed.

"Hey!" Shel pretended to be offended. "I'm exactly the average male height."

The boys laughed and joked with each other for the rest of the car ride. Upon their arrival Shel hopped out of the car and thanked the driver. Niko stared up to the mini mansion in awe.

"You have a friend who lives here?" he asked incredulously.

"More of an acquaintance, but I've been to a handful of parties here before. Wait until you see the inside," Shel anticipated Niko's reaction.

"Lead the way," Niko was still struck by the size of the ultra modern home.

Shel and Niko walked up the lantern lit pathway to the front door. They stepped inside to a sea of people dancing, drinking, and socializing. The minimalist space perfectly suited a party of this caliber. There was no intricate decor to destroy, only sleek architecture.

"Holy shit, Shel," Niko laughed. "This is not what I expected."

"Right? It's like it came out of a magazine," Shel was still impressed by the sterile beauty of the house.

"Where do we even begin?" Niko questioned while rubbing the back of his neck.

"The girls are in the kitchen," Shel bit his lip and hesitated. "Here, just... grab my hand so we don't get separated."

Shel offered his hand to Niko, who took it with pleasure. He followed closely behind Shel, beaming the whole time. Niko noted he was tall enough to look over most of the crowd and probably wouldn't have lost track of Shel. He wondered if Shel realized the same thing.

"There's my boy!" Sierra shrieked while clumsily lifting an empty cup. Shel quickly dropped Niko's hand and embraced Sierra. She pressed her cheek into his tightly.

"Guys, this is Niko," he gestured behind him while still connected to Sierra.

"Nice to meet you, Sierra," he nodded towards the tipsy blonde. "And, Amethyst," he smiled at the more subdued of the girls.

"Quite a vibe you got there," she remarked keenly.

"Hey, no vibe talk until we're sufficiently drunk," Shel warned.

He tore himself from Sierra, who focused her clinging to Amethyst. Sierra opted to wear flat sneakers this evening, so she stood an inch below Amethyst.

"Shots?" Shel picked up two disposable shot cups and raised one towards Niko.

"Of course, that's what we're here for," Niko took the cup.

"What do you recommend, Amethyst?" Shel turned to her.

"This rum here," Amethyst passed a bottle to Shel. "It's hella smooth, tastes like cherries."

Shel and Niko nodded to each other in agreement. Amethyst poured four shots for the group. They raised them up in unison.

"To us finishing the first week of school!" Sierra stumbled through her words.

They all downed the shots without a wince. Shel felt that familiar burn rise from his stomach.

"One more for the boys!" Sierra insisted.

Amethyst agreed without a word and poured another round of shots for Shel and Niko, who did not protest.

"To my sweet new neighbor," Niko said with a wink.

Shel downed the second shot fervently, intensifying the burn within. Another group of party goers stumbled into the kitchen. They bounced excitedly to the music, accidentally knocking Shel towards Niko. He caught Shel by the shoulders and stabilized him.

"Wow, drunk already?" Niko asked sarcastically. His big hands held Shel firmly in place.

Shel was at a loss for words. The heat radiating from Niko's palms was more intoxicating than the alcohol.

"Hey, let's grab some beers and find somewhere less crowded," Amethyst suggested, reluctant to interrupt.

Sierra bounced to the nearby cooler and held it open for the group. Everyone chose a drink and followed Amethyst out of the kitchen.

"Morgan said there's a chill spot in the parlor. Maybe we can get some readings out of the way," she spoke with a hint of mischief.

The group weaved through crowds until they reached a semi-secluded wing on the first floor. They stepped down into a warmly lit enclosure. The music played faintly in the distance. Morgan was splayed out on a bean bag with a joint hanging loosely between their fingers. Three other people lounged casually on the couch nearby.

"Yoink," Amethyst approached Morgan and snatched the joint from their hand. She inhaled it deeply and held in the smoke.

"Anyone else?" she offered as she exhaled smoke to the side.

"Not for me," Sierra stuck out her tongue.

"Pass it here," Shel took the joint and inhaled. His lungs burned momentarily. "Niko?"

"Nah, I want a semi-clear head for my reading," he shook his head.

Shel returned the joint to Morgan, who was now sitting up straight. Their usually silk smooth hair was tousled and messy. Morgan was Amethyst's closest friend. They shared her relaxed disposition, but had a less calculating mind.

"What's this about a reading?" they asked, dazed. They gripped the bulky film camera hung around their neck.

Sierra huffed and sat down on the bean bag next to Morgan to untangle their jet black hair with her fingers. Warmth radiated from the smiles they shared with each other.

"Shel's friend here, Niko. He wants a reading from me," Amethyst explained as she set herself up on the coffee table.

She motioned for Niko to sit across from her. He struggled to get down onto the ground with his long legs in the way. He awkwardly criss-crossed them over each other and hugged them close to his body, knees pointing upwards. Shel opted to sit next to Amethyst because he was curious to see things from her side.

"Place your hands on top of mine, palms down," she closed her eyes and spoke quietly, hands outstretched on the table. Niko complied.

"For this to work I need to establish some sort of connection. Since we just met, I'll ask a few basic questions. Answer honestly."

"Will do," Niko agreed.

"What is your name?" She opened her eyes to analyze Niko's expression.

"Niko."

"How old are you?"

"25."

"When is your date of birth?"

"November 19th."

"Oh, a Scorpio," Amethyst pondered. "That is interesting. What is your favorite color?"

"Cyan, I guess," Niko shrugged, not sure of the relevance of that question.

"Okay," Amethyst exhaled deeply. "I will start the aura reading now. Are you prepared?"

Niko nodded and stared intensely into her cerulean eyes. She returned his gaze, studying the dark flecks in his irises.

"The first thing that pops out to me is passion. Fiery passion. There is a power behind your hard work and efforts. But for every bright light there is a heavy shadow. I can sense the darkness, but it's obscured under..." she closed her eyes for a moment. "Something indescribable. It might be dangerous to you and to people close to you, but only you can uncover that."

Shel watched Niko closely, his heart pounding louder with every word. Niko's stare remained focused on Amethyst and he appeared unfazed.

"Are you ready to move on to the tarot phase?" Amethyst opened her eyes. Again, Niko nodded.

"Since this is your first experience with tarot, we'll start with a simple Past, Present, Future reading," she spoke as she expertly shuffled her deck of cards.

"I'm going to spread out the cards face down. The three you pick will represent your life in the order of Past, Present, and Future. Don't think about the cards you pick, let them draw you in," Amethyst finished spreading the cards and sat back with her hands on her lap.

Niko glanced quickly at Shel, then turned his focus to the cards. He exhaled and tapped his first card. Amethyst moved it in front of her in the first position. Niko closed his eyes for the next pick, his hand hovered over the cards and he made a selection. Again, Amethyst moved the card. Niko chose the third card quickly without hesitation. It was moved into position, and Amethyst cleared the remaining cards.

"We'll begin with the Past," she flipped the card to reveal the 6 of cups. Niko's eyes fluttered from the card to Amethyst.

"The 6 of cups is a fixed card. It is a card of relationships, but not of romance. It indicates familial love, nostalgia, and happy memories. In numerology the number 6 represents community, family, and responsibility." Amethyst tapped the card gently.

"Let's move on to the Present," Amethyst waited for Niko's nod before flipping the card to reveal the Ace of Swords.

"The Ace of Swords is a relatively simple card. It represents a new beginning. As with most things, there are challenges to overcome. But the Ace of Swords emphasizes success. The card can also represent something, or someone, being the best choice," Amethyst hid her amusement behind a professional tone.

"Your final card, the Future," she slowly turned it over and revealed Judgment.

"Judgment is more complex, with more possibilities for interpretation. Judgment represents cause and effect. You get what you put into the world. It is the penultimate card in the cycle of life. Perhaps something that you once lost will return, or you will be given a second chance."

Niko's normally composed exterior appeared shaken. Shel wondered if it was the alcohol or if the reading actually impacted him. He wanted to reach out and comfort him, but Niko quickly shifted his expression to a charming smile.

"That was really interesting. Thank you, Amethyst. You have a great talent for this," Niko's tone was almost robotic.

"You're welcome. Hit me up if you want a more specific and detailed reading. I can do career, friendship, romance..." her voice trailed off.

Sierra leapt up from the beanbag and pointed her manicured finger at Niko.

"You know what you need after that?" she tossed her head back before Niko could answer. "Shots!!!"

"Count me in, I want to get to your level," Shel stood up and hung his arm around her shoulder. "Coming, Niko?"

He grunted as he stood up from his uncomfortable position. Shel gestured for Niko to join him on his other side. He couldn't reach Niko's shoulder so he hooked his arm around his waist. He gently placed his palm over his abdomen, trying to avoid feeling him up.

"Oh my god, and when we come back we're all gonna play spin the bottle!" Sierra proclaimed. "No party poopers or I'll hate you!"

Sierra winked at Shel who would have been a lot more anxious about the activity if it wasn't for the creeping intoxication. The trio unlinked and made their way to the kitchen once again.