Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga) (15 page)

Welcome, Snarklings!

This post is on another horror flick cliché that drives me batty!

Why is it that the characters in horror flicks don’t own a decent flashlight?

Whenever they use one, as soon as the character goes into a dark room, it begins to flicker, and then goes out. Then the character repeatedly flips the switch and smacks the flashlight against their palm, only to have the light blaze brightly just as the killer/monster strikes?

Ugh!
I’m going to recommend LED here. Lasts a lot longer and might save your ass.

Peace, love, and horror flicks,

Zombie Queen aka Sloane

The night of Diego Velazquez’s party finally arrives. Which means I’ll soon be hanging with Hayden. Alone. Sort of.

I check my reflection in the mirror and try to decide if I need to add a choker to my outfit. I’m wearing a red bowling shirt with onyx shorts and suspenders, over black-and-white ripped stockings that rise above my knees. Then I slip on a pair of platform Mary Janes. This is my first date in months and I want to look perfect. My hair flows loose down my back, the purple highlights glossy under the lamplight.

“I look pretty good,” I tell my reflection, then glance at the heap of clothes on the bed.

Jinx peeks out from under a lavender corset. No way am I going to change again. I’ve spent all evening rummaging through my closet, mostly driving myself crazy. Picking this outfit was hell, and I’m not going to search for something different.

The doorbell chimes.

Oh, my zombie bits.

My palms start to sweat with first date jitters and my heartbeat kicks into overdrive. My hybrid date is here. I should’ve told him that I’d meet him at the party. Already I want to blow chunks and I haven’t even seen Alien Boy yet.

My gaze roams over my reflection one last time. Maybe I should wear boots instead of heels...

The doorbell rings again.

I’d better get my butt moving before Jonah answers the door and does something embarrassing. I grab my velvet handbag and dash down the attic stairs.

“Sloane!” my mom calls. “Hayden Lancaster is here.”

“I’m coming,” I tell her when I get to the second-floor landing.

Thankfully, it was my mom who greeted Hayden and
not
my bratty little brother. When I reach the foyer, she’s waiting by the front door, holding it open. I kiss her on the cheek.

“Have fun.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me as if to say,
hubba hubba
at Hayden’s epic hotness
.
“And try to be home by sundown,” she teases.

“Mom. Please.” Rolling my eyes, I shut the door behind me.

Hayden looks extra yummy in dark jeans frayed at the bottom, with a leather belt, and a snug gray, cotton shirt. He probably doesn’t even realize he’s irresistible to all women. Which, let’s face it, he is.

“Damn, Sloane,” he says with an appraising stare. “You look amazing tonight.”

My heart flutters, and I play with my suspenders. “Thanks.”

He crooks his arm. “Shall we?”

I link my arm through his and he escorts me to the Range Rover. A crescent moon peeks out from behind a thin veil of clouds. The stars shine coldly through the warm spring night.

Hayden opens my door, then goes around and gets in on the driver’s side. He starts the car and we speed into motion.

Hayden drives fast—at warp speed—and my nervousness increases with every mile. I can’t believe I’m going to a party with Hayden. A week ago, I would’ve sworn on my mother’s life that I’d never hang with the in-crowd cronies, let alone with a Lancaster. Now look at me. At this rate, I’m going to have to start reminding myself that I prefer originality over social acceptance.

“Excited about the party?” he asks.

“It should be fun.” I rub the leather seat. “I was curious, how can you afford a Range Rover as nice as this?”

“It’s actually my dad’s. He drives a company car, and never uses this one, so I sort of inherited it on the condition that I stay on the honor roll.”

“Which is easy for a brainiac like you.”

“Yup. If you need any help—”

“I’m good. Got a 4.0 this semester.”

“Any
other
areas of tutoring you need help with?” he asks suggestively.

Smiling, I shake my head. “Just keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel, buddy.”

He grins and turns up the radio on an
Imagine Dragons’s
song while I inspect every inch of him. His square cheekbones. The curve of his shoulders beneath his shirt. His muscled arms and strong hands. Those full lips. My throat catches. I can’t help but imagine what it’ll be like to kiss him.

All too soon, we arrive at the house, which is in full-on party mode. Music blares from the open windows and kids spill out the front door, talking and laughing. Beer bottles and plastic cups are strewn on the lawn, with teens sitting on the porch talking. Diego’s home is a two-story structure built across the street from the beach and somewhat remote. Hayden parks behind a truck with one tire resting on the curb. I open my door and slide off the seat.

It’s showtime.

“You ready to do this?” he asks.

I raise an eyebrow. “Exactly what kind of statement are we making here?”

“The one that says we’re friends and we don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

Only friends? Well, that kinda sucks.

We enter the living room, shoving past gyrating kids dancing to a techno beat. A beach ball is slapped through the air. Emma is talking with a hottie who’s at least six inches taller than her, and Kaitlyn is flirting with some older guy. The stench of cigarettes, heavy cologne, and stale beer overpower my senses. Square couches and ottomans dot the room on a sticky hardwood floor. Half the school seems to be present, along with about twenty other people I don’t know. One look at the outfits and I realize I don’t blend in, but I don’t standout, either. Not that I’m trying to wave the freak flag, but for a change, I feel beautiful—like I belong.

“Let’s go out back where it isn’t so loud,” he suggests.

“Definitely,” I reply.

Hayden takes my free hand and a shivery jolt goes through my entire body. His fingers feel warm and slightly rough, his grip confident and firm. He leads us through the crowded room and into the kitchen, then out the backdoor. Every girl with a pulse eyes me with envy. I have no idea what I’m doing or where this is going to go. All I know is that this night is going to be epic.

We sit in two lounge chairs on the deck overlooking the water, lit by a single bulb flickering in and out of life. A strong breeze lifts my hair, making it swirl wildly around my head, like Medusa. I smooth the flyaway strands down and get comfortable. The sky is an amazing purplish black set against the dark blue of the sea, and I can’t believe views like this actually exist in the Bay Area.

“This is much better.” He leans back, seeming relaxed and happy. “We can hear each other now.”

I gaze at the ocean, casting sidelong glances at Hayden as he stares at my profile. I barely stifle a laugh at the absurdity of it all: Alien Boy and me. At a party. Like it’s completely normal. I almost pinch myself. I’m really here. With Hayden.

Turning my head, I catch his burning stare. His eyes never leave mine. No one has ever looked at me in quite that way before. Like he’s trying to commit every inch of my face to his photographic memory. Guys usually only gawk at my chestal region. They don’t typically seem that interested in slightly overweight, fashion-forward me.

Behind us, the music cranks up so loud on a bass heavy
Black Eyed Peas
song that a slight vibration glides over my spine. I bob my head along with the hip-hop tune.

“Why did you want to come tonight?” I cast a glance at his face
and
manage not to blush.

He gazes at me, his expression warm. “Are you already questioning my judgment?”

“Maybe.”

“Do you want a drink?” he asks.

“No thanks.” I already feel out of control, and I don’t need liquor to make it worse. No telling what stupid stuff I’ll do or blurt out.

A streak of light moves rapidly across the sky, and then fades out suddenly.

“Did you see that?” I ask, excitedly. “It was a shooting star. We should make a wish.”

Hayden smiles and says in a low tone, “You do realize a shooting star is actually just a meteoroid. No more than a tiny fragment that’s the left over dust from a comet. It’s those pieces that can travel at great speeds—”

“Hayden, seriously? An astronomy lesson? Why can’t you just see how beautiful and amazing the stars are? Maybe it’s a sign.”

“A sign of what?”

I turn away, but I can’t hide the red glow that warms my face. “You know, like fate or something.”

“I suppose…” he pauses, staring up into the darkness. “Is there some rhyme we need to say or something to make sure our wish comes true?”

A slow grin spreads across my face. Hayden’s actually indulging me, and not getting all Mr. Mature Mega-Brainiac for a change.

“No. Just make a wish.”

“Should we do it at the same time?” he asks.

My smile widens. “Sure.”

He closes his eyes, with an amused grin playing across his sexy features. I close mine, too and make a wish.

“So, how does this work? Do we tell each other what we wished for? Or won’t it come true?” he asks.

I open my eyes and look at him. “Hush! I’m wishing and I can’t concentrate with you asking so many questions.”

“I’ll wait.” He whistles a soft tune, then laces his fingers together and tucks them behind his head.

“You’re impossible!” I laugh and playfully swat at him.

“Share time?” His eyes twinkle. “Is it safe now?”

“We both saw the shooting star, so I think it’s all right to share our wishes,” I say. “What was yours?”

His gaze rests on my mouth, and his tongue darts out, wetting his lips. “I’d rather you went first.”

My cheeks heat. “It’s kind of embarrassing…”

“You can tell me anything.” He looks up at the twinkling starlight and sighs deeply. A long pause glides between us, then without looking at me, he whispers, “I will never make fun of you. I promise. Your friendship means a lot to me...”

My breath hitches, and I have to remind myself to breathe. Hayden is so damn gorgeous and romantic and sweet.

“Your wish?” he asks.

“For more moments like this,” I say softly. “And you?”

“You know what?” His eyes burn into mine. “You drive me totally crazy...but in a really good way.”

My toes curl in my platform Mary Janes. Warm tingles spread over my skin. “You, um, didn’t tell me your wish.”

“No. I didn’t.”

He leans close, bringing our mouths within kissing distance. Restlessness unfurls inside me, spreading through my veins and spiking my pulse. He pushes a few strands of purple hair out of my eyes and tucks them behind my ear. All these forbidden, unfamiliar emotions surface and go berserk in my body. Despite the fact that I still don’t know much about this guy aside from the fact that every girl at this party wants him, he’s technologically savvy, has superpowers, and that he’s part alien, I’m beyond thrilled to be here with him. Nothing matters other than the tingle of my fingers, thighs, and lips. It feels as though Hayden is reaching out to me on a cellular level, drawing me to press every single inch of myself against his muscled bod. Never in my life have I felt an attraction this strong. With a crooked smile, he leans back on the lounge chair.

Wow. Such a romantic movie moment.

I clear my throat. “So what’ve you been up to since we, you know, talked?”

Hayden shrugs. “Building my spaceship.”

“What?” I straighten and one hand flies upward to clutch my throat. “I thought—”

“Sloane! I’m kidding! Had you going, though.” Smiling, he shakes his head. “The usual. Some computer programming, resting, and getting medical treatments from my uncle. But mostly annoying the hell out of my parents. What about you?”

“Thinking. About you. A lot.”

His mouth lifts into a hangdog smile that I’m starting to adore. “I’m glad you agreed to come tonight.”

My heart flutters around on feathery glitter wings. “Me, too.” I mentally roll my eyes. Do I sound as lame to him as I do to myself?

Silence stretches between us, and while it isn’t awkward, I suddenly want to learn everything I can about Hayden Lancaster…
and
get him to divulge his wish.

I run my bottom lip between my teeth. “Did you read the last article I wrote?”

“Yeah, about those cheesy flashlight clichés used in scary movies? Funny stuff. But why do you use the pen name, Zombie Queen?”

“It’s cute and I used to want some anonymity.” I happily ramble on about scary movies and my “Fright Night Babble” column before I shut myself up. “Sorry, I’m just really passionate about the horror genre. Once I get started, you can’t shut me up.” I shrug. “I must be boring you to death.”

“Nah. I like listening to you talk.” He takes my hand for a moment and squeezes it. “Every bit of you is fascinating to me.”

Gulp. I’m about to turn into mushy girl-goo at his feet. How I don’t melt into a puddle is beyond the laws of physics.

He gazes up at the stars. “When I was younger, my mom used to make up stories about the Zetas’ unique alien society. She has a terrific imagination.”

A boy who loves his mother. Cute.

“She sounds great,” I say. “Tell me one of the stories.”

“If you insist.”

“I do.” I settle in and listen to one of Hayden’s wicked cool childhood tales. His melodic voice is mesmerizing and I soon find myself drifting into the imaginary world he creates. Hayden is not only the hottest nonhuman on the island, but he’s also smart. Funny. Creative. And sexy as hell.

When he finishes, he gets real quiet. I look over at him and my stomach twists with nerves and expectation. His long stare becomes intense, like a warm caress. That heated gaze fries every brain cell I possess and I swallow hard.

“What are you thinking about?” I whisper.

“Your smile. Those glossy lips.” He scoots closer to me. His gaze drops to my mouth. “I’m thinking about kissing you...”

Major tingles everywhere. And I mean, major. My body trembles.
Yes! This is it!
I want to kiss him. So badly.

He inches his face closer to mine. His minty breath fans my cheek. His hand lifts my chin, tilting my head toward his, and I hold very still. My stomach hollows out and my eyelids flutter closed. Any second his mouth will lock onto mine. His tongue will—

The back door crashes open. Emma and Kaitlyn tumble out, arms around each other and giggling. Hayden and I freeze, and then move apart. Instantly, the crashing waves, laughter, and music come rushing in on my senses. It’s like waking up from a deep sleep only to enter sensory overload.