30.

Judy and Ellie are in their dorm room and preparations begin for the night ahead and even though these particular preparations are just for the two girls themselves, Judy already feels as if things are getting a bit too excessive. Ellie has an assortment of clothing laid out, most of which is dark in colour, and she also has quite the assortment of make-up too.

'Is all this ... like ... necessary?' asks Judy. 'I'd understand if we were a little older and were about to hit town but...'

'Yeah, it's only within the school hall, I know though I am ready for a good night, and I am ready to go all out. Hey, you haven't ever dressed up or worn make-up before?'

'We're fifteen, I'm fifteen, I haven't done much of anything before beside move around that is and move a lot at that.'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything ...'

'I know but hey, you are going to behave tonight, right?'

'Me?' asks Ellie as she then Judy both smile, 'and just what do you mean by that?'

'As in you and Steve?'

'Yeah, of course, well maybe ... we will see. Right, are you ready for some fun?'

The smile the girls shared strengthens; a sense was definitely growing that this party thing could definitely be fun. Judy was ready to go in a matter of minutes; Ellie however took more than just a little while longer to ready herself for the evening ahead.

The school hall had been well transformed. The powers that be more than seemed to have gone all out on attempting to make this evening something extraordinary, or maybe something more distracting than anything else. Lowered lighting, multiple mirror balls including a rather large one hanging from the center of the room and at such a point it is used as a central attraction, it is a sight to create serious awe. Also set up is a DJ box, assortments of goodies and soft drinks set out though the guys from the football team ensured stronger beverages would be available and Ellie had a hand in that too.

Judy and Ellie arrived into the room together and to Judy it was if she stepped into yet another world and this one being the most fantastical yet. To her, something like this definitely is something brand new and she most definitely likes what she sees. It is a Belle of the ball moment without the ballgown or the Prince Charming.

Quite the gathering within the building in general prior to the girls' arrival though at that there was and is plenty of space to maneuver in the hall even with the fact many more students and instructors would still arrive, the near-by corridors and the yard would too provide plenty of room for overflow ensuring things don't get overly crowded.

Music is played from that DJ box but not so loudly that a conversation or three couldn't be had. Upon entering into the school hall Ellie didn't take long to make her way towards the boys while Judy got herself an orange drink or what she thought was an orange drink along with a small plate of goodies before moving to take a seat towards the left of the hall where a number of seats were free.

Knowing she had left Judy be and that Judy was and would be fine with that, Ellie glanced over to see where Judy had made her way to. When she looked for a second time, she saw a tall, older and relatively handsome guy move to take a seat right beside Judy. The two sit quietly for a couple of moments, both fully aware they were sitting in close proximity to one another.

Soon he breaks the unspoken awkwardness only to replace it with a spoken awkwardness.

'Hi' he says briefly looking at Judy before turning his head to look away.

'Hi' responds Judy not quite knowing what else to say though continue to speak she does. '... Do I know you?'

'Why? Do I look familiar?' he asks taking a little more time than before to look towards the girl next to him.

'Kinda, yeah you do, but I don't know why.'

'Ah, you probably have seen me about the place, you know? I guess everyone who comes here has seen everyone else at some point or another by now.'

'Yeah, that is quite possible. I'm Judy by the way.'

'My name is Peter, nice to meet you.'

'You too.'

There is no handshake or any other kind of greeting at this point other than a slight nod from this Peter fellow who seems more than a little uneasy, continuing to look around as if he were watching out for something or as if he felt that sitting next to Judy was something he shouldn't be doing.

'Everything alright?' Judy asks.

'Huh? ... Oh yeah.'

'You are not in some kind of trouble or something, are you?' Judy felt this to be a perfectly natural question to ask though if this guy was in some kind of trouble, then he would hardly tell her, would he? It's not like she knows him so well or at all even.

'Me? No, no trouble here. Actually, it is I who wanted to ask you as to how you are.'

'I am well, not a bother with me.'

What a strange conversation and situation Judy felt this to be despite all which has come prior to this moment in time. Life may have become a little less ordinary, but this particular moment felt odd. Taking a mouthful of drink makes Judy cough which in turn makes some of the drink spill onto her clothing.

'What the hell is in that?' she asks standing up off the chair she sat upon once the coughing has passed.

'Drinks have been spiked most likely' he says as he makes his way to his feet in an attempt to aid Judy. 'I'll ... just go ... eh ... get some napkins or something.'

Having seen what had transpired Ellie straight away moves to be at her friend's side.

'You alright?'

'Yeah, what's in this stuff?'

'Vodka or gin depending on where you picked it up from. Hey, who's the guy? Do you know him?'

'No, kinda, I don't know.'

'Which is it? You either know him or you don't.'

'He just looks familiar that's all.'

'Well, it also looks as if he is heading outside.' Ellie points towards to where they had entered moments earlier, seeing where that familiar stranger to Judy has gone. 'Maybe you should go say hi again; after all he did say he would be right back, so maybe he wants to be followed.'

The girls take a moment together before Judy feels a 'what the hell?' come upon her. There is no reason why this Peter fellow should seem in any way familiar to her. At the same time, she feels there would be no harm talking to him some more. She is not in any danger, at least not from this older boy, so out after him she goes.

Judy fully expected to have to go looking for this Peter guy, so she was more than a little surprised to see him standing by a bicycle stand not so far from the schools front entrance. He is just standing there looking up and away into the darkening sky.

'Hey' she says moving slowly towards him.

'Hey yourself' he responds looking back to her.

'Thought you said that you would be right back.'

'Guess I did in a way, got a bit distracted, sorry about that.'

'You do get distracted quite easily, don't you?'

'Yeah, I do, but with good cause.'

'Really? And why would that be?'

'Judy, I know I may come across as strange, but I know some things and these things bother me.'

'And what bothers you has something to do with me, right?'

'Well, basically yeah. You are in danger here; you can feel it. It is hard to explain but you do feel it.'

'Who are you?'

'Just a friend.'

'Just? You say that as if nothing matters and if I am in danger as you say then I think there is nothing just about anything.'

'Judy, when you first came here, did you come here willingly?'

'What do you mean?'

'I don't mean to frighten you or anything like that, but I know things and I think you know what I am talking about.'

'First of all, I am not frightened; in fact, I am quite calm. Second, I have no idea what you are going on about, maybe you have had too much of that orange juice from inside.'

'Speaking of which and the fact that danger is not immediate, wanna head back inside?'

'That might be a good idea.'

Things may be more than a little strange and with such an odd conversation having been had, Judy should really be somewhat rattled, but she is not, if anything she is as calm as she said she is and heading back into the school hall more than proves this for the music playing is a song she knows well and has a thing for.

'I love this friggen song' she speaks out loud.

Judy can't help herself; she feels like dancing so dance she will. Normally she is reserved and held back but right now, she is more than up for some fun. During the evening she drinks more than one or two of the orange juice beverages knowing full well that there is more than just orange juice in the plastic cups they are dispensed in. She was having herself a 'what the hell?' moment which was lasting quite a bit more than a moment, quite a bit more than several moments in fact.

Things become blurred fairly quickly, there was dancing, lots of dancing, there was singing to come, and there was avoidance, avoidance of any of the school instructors as indeed Judy wasn't taking things easy. Chaperones as it would appear were not doing a very good job. Someone else arrives to this moment. He is some who Judy does know but if she were to see him as he appears right here, she would struggle to believe it is the same person she knew from elsewhere.

Soon enough it was morning and Ellie pulls back the curtains of the dorm room and a strong bright white light enters the room making Judy's head hurt more than it has ever hurt before.

'Ugh' she says turning to try avoiding the light and catching herself from falling out of bed and onto the floor.

It is at this point Judy realizes that she is back in that dorm room she shares with Ellie, and Judy also realizes that she has no idea as to how she got back here. She then realizes that there is very little that she does remember from the evening before. There is Peter though, yeah Peter, just who the hell is Peter?

'Good morning' speaks Ellie being wide-eyed and cheery.

'Good? What is so good about it? ... Ugh.'

'We do have a lecture to be at in twenty minutes.'

'We do? What time is it?'

'Eight forty.'

'In the morning?'

'Yes, in the morning.'

'Who schedules a lecture so early in the morning after a night like last night?'

'So, you remember last night?'

'Not particularly, why? What happened?'

'Judy, we need to talk, but it's gonna have to wait until later, c'mon, get yourself up.'

'Ugh ...'