Nico walked into the party, and the only thing she felt was hot. There were so many people on the first floor but not including the couples walking to the second-floor hand in hand, clearly drunk. Nico turned her head and saw that the living room was filled with people dancing, talking, or making out on expensive couches. As Nico watched the crowd, she heard someone calling them more like Nate.

 

"Nate! Hey Nate," A guy called out, emerging from the crowd of people, and Nico turned her head toward Nate and saw Nate break out into a huge smile and started walking towards the guy.

 

"Evan, hey, I am so glad you are here," Nate said, hugging the guy. 

 

Nico got a better look at the guy, and he wore a grey flannel that was open and revealed the white t-shirt that looked tight on him, and he wore black jeans with black Tim's that matched. His raven hair was tied into a high bun, and the longer Nico looked at him, she noticed that he was pretty tall, standing next to Nate; he looked around six feet tall. Nico glanced at Nate and saw that he was close to him with a smile on his face while this guy had an arm around his waist and finally put two and two together.

 

"I am glad that I came. I am mostly happy that I got to see you again." Evan said, matching Nate's smile. 

 

Evan felt the mood change when he felt some intense glares at him. Evan turned his head and noticed Nico and Emily staring at the pair. Nate felt Evan tense up and shift his gaze toward and fuming Emily and a bored Nico. Nate awkwardly cleared his throat, looking back at Evan, who was looking at him with a bit of fear in his eyes.

 

"Um, Evan, these are my best friends, Emily and Nico. This is Evan, a guy I have been talking to." Nate said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

"Nate talks about you guys a lot. It's nice to meet you guys finally," Evan said, reaching out his hand.

 

"Is that so because Nate hasn't mentioned anything about you," Emily said, crossing her arm, glaring at Nate, and Nate shifted his gaze towards Nico. He was looking at her with pleading eyes to help him, leaving Nico to groan inwardly.

 

"Nice to meet you, Evan. I'm sorry about my friend. She can be a bit protective, especially with this one over there," Nico said, grabbing Evan's hand and shaking it slightly before letting go.

 

"No, it's alright. I get it." Evan said, rubbing the back of his neck, smiling, and letting out an awkward laugh.

 

"Okay, so now that formalities are done, how about we have a little fun? I was dragged out of my house, so rather have some fun before I go back into my cave of solitude, okay." Nico said, shifting the conversation to be less awkward because Emily looked like she would skin him alive.

 

"I agree with that. Let's go," Nate said before grabbing Evan's hand and pulling him towards the dance floor. Nico looked at them and smiled a little because of how happy Nate looked. Nico shifted her gaze toward Emily, and she was watching him but with an odd look that Nico couldn't make out.

 

"Hey, you alright," Nico asked. Emily only nodded before looking at Nico with a smile, but to Nico, that smile felt off to her. Nico tilted her head in confusion and opened her mouth to say something, but Nate called them.

 

"Come on guys, you just gonna stand there all night. "Nico turned towards Nate, who had a big smile and motioned Nico and Emily to join him on the dance floor. Nico looked back at Emily, and she was staring at Nico, wondering if she would join them. Nico gave Emily a small smile, grabbed her hand, pulled her toward the dance floor, joined Nate and Evan, and began dancing the night away. 

 

Even though Nico would rather be at home right now, she doesn't hate that she was here spending time with her friends and having fun. The rest of the night consisted of dancing, mainly drinking from Nate, and having fun. Evan tried to make Nate pace himself and took care of him, relieving the tension a bit. Even Nate commented that he didn't want Emily to scare him away because he was a good one causing Evan to blush at that, which was funny to Nico. At some point, Nico felt a bit stuffy and headed outside to get some air. Nico walked out onto the front porch, felt the cool breeze across her face, and took a deep breath. She sat on the white swinging bench looking out onto the empty road, lost in thought.

 

"Well, out of all the places, I never thought you would be here," Nico heard, pulling her out of her thoughts. Nico whipped her head to the left, noticing that Zane was standing there with a red solo cup in his hand, looking down at her with a lopsided grin, and Nico chuckled to herself.

 

"Well, what can I say? I'm just full of surprises," Nico said, shrugging her shoulder. Zane chuckled and walked toward the banister placing his cup on the ground and leaning against it, looking back at Nico.

 

"That I can not argue with." Zane agreed. 

 

Nico looked at Zane and got a better view of him. Zane wore a black jacket with a red button-up shirt underneath and skinny black jeans with red and black converse. All in all, he didn't look bad, and ironically, Nico and he was matching. Despite the case being the first noticeable thing, Nico's red bodycon dress ended toward the middle of her thigh with black accents all along with the dress as she wore black and red stilettoes with red and black straps wrapped around her ankles. Nico mentally groaned because she never let Nate pick her outfits out again. Nico sat there with Zane with the muffled music playing in the background until Nico broke the silence.

 

"So you enjoying the party," Nico asked. Zane only shrugged his shoulder, moving away from the railing and sliding into the bench next to Nico.

 

"It was getting too much for me for a while, and I needed some air. What about you." Zane asked.

 

"You know, I am not going to lie. I am having some fun, considering this is my first party," Nico admitted.

 

"Wait, this is your first party," Zane said in shock, and Nico nodded her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

 

"I work a lot, so I never have time to go to parties," Nico said, shifting her gaze elsewhere.

 

"At the bookstore, right? I've noticed you there before," Zane said, and Nico chuckled to herself.

 

"Are you following me, Mr. Peters," Nico said, and Zane's face twisted into uneasiness.

 

"Please don't. That makes me feel like my dad." Zane said, shaking his head, and Nico laughed a little.

 

"Sorry, but I can't because if that's the reaction I get every time I say it, then it never goes away," Nico said, laughing. 

 

Zane only shook his head and leaned back into his chair, turning his head to look out to the empty street and Nico following suit falling into a comfortable silence. After sitting there, Nico felt a chill and shivered from the cold. Zane noticed and shifted toward the end of his chair and slid his arms out of his jacket's sleeves, taking it off.

 

"Here," Zane said, passing his jacket to Nico, and his gaze shifted towards his jacket and him.

 

"Oh no, I am fine," Nico said, waving him off and pushing his jacket back towards him, but Zane gave it back to her. 

 

"Come on, Nico, it is obvious you need it more than me," Zane said, and Nico gave in and took his jacket, putting it on.

 

"Thank you," Nico said, giving Zane a slight smile.

 

"Don't mention it," Zane said, falling back into a comfortable silence. Nico looked at him and wondered why he was still out there, so she decided to voice her inner thoughts.

 

"Hey, aren't you friends looking for you," Nico asked, and Zane sighed, not turning towards her.

 

"Nah, they are too busy playing beer pong or trying to pick up girls, and I'm not in the mood for that," Zane said.

 

"Oh, I see," Nico said.

 

"Why you don't want me here," Zane said, looking back at Nico and watching her frantically shake her head.

 

"No, not at all. I was just curious," Nico said, waving her hands at him.

 

"Okay, well, can I ask you something that made me curious," Zane asked, leaning toward Nico.

 

"Um, sure," Nico said, playing nervously with the end of Zane's jacket sleeve.

 

"Well, it was something I have been thinking about since this morning. That book that was on your nightstand," Zane said in a severe tone.

 

"Yeah, what about it," Nico asked.

 

"Is that book yours," Zane asked in a worried tone.

 

"N-no, actually, I got it from work. My boss told me I could take a book from the pile they were getting rid of, which piqued my interest." Nico confessed, and Zane's expression softened a bit.

 

"I see," Zane said, shifting his gaze away from Nico, deep in thought.

 

"Why do you ask," Nico asked curiously, wondering what Zane saw that made him so serious suddenly.

 

"Well, while I was waiting up in your room, I read a few pages before you took the book, but from reading those few pages alone felt somewhat off," Zane said, looking back at Nico. She was surprised that she never expected that comment to come out about the book and wanted to know why.

 

"Off how," Nico questioned, sliding closer to Zane, sitting at the edge of the chair, anticipating his answer.

 

"I don't know how to explain it. I thought it was just about the town's history, but then it took a weird turn. Didn't you look through it? "Zane responded, moving closer to Nico, where their knees were now touching.

 

"I didn't get to read it thoroughly. I just briefly skimmed it, but what do you mean it took a weird turn." Nico asked in a low tone, afraid of people overhearing them even though they were alone.

 

"Well, on one of the pages was a list of people describing when they were last seen and numbers next to the names. I don't know. It was like whoever wrote this journal was tracking these people who disappeared or something, but I know that this book is no joke." Zane said, looking back at Nico, who had an unreadable expression on her face. 

 

After hearing that, Nico was even more curious about who the owner was and what they were doing. Zane placed a hand on Nico's knee, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked at Zane, and he had the same look of curiosity she had. Nico opened her mouth to ask Zane what else he had read, and suddenly her phone rang on the table in front of her. Nico reached for her phone, picked it up from the table, and noticed that she had received a text message from Emily asking where she was. Nico sighed and replied to Emily before looking back at Zane, wondering what was happening.

 

"Sorry, my friends are looking for me. They are ready to go." Nico said, getting up from her chair with Zane mimicking her actions. Nico gave him a small smile and started to walk away, and Zane grabbed her wrist. Nico snapped her head back to Zane, surprised by his actions.

 

"How about I come with you," Zane said, taking a step closer towards Nico, still having a hold on her wrist. Nico looked down at her wrist and then back to Zane, and he looked down. Realizing that he was still holding her wrist, he let go of her wrist, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

 

"Why," Nico asked Zane, not breaking eye contact.

 

"Y-you piqued my curiosity, and I want to know more," Zane said, shifting his gaze away from Nico.

 

"I don't think that is a good idea," Nico said, taking a step back from him and rubbing her arm.

 

"Why not," Zane said, looking at Nico confused.

 

"I don't think your friends would be okay with you leaving with me," Nico said, hugging her arms and looking away from him.

 

"So they don't need to know," Zane said, shrugging his shoulders, and Nico sighed about him not seeing it.

 

"Goodnight, Zane. I'll see you later," Nico said, turning away from him and heading back to look for her friends.

 

"Wait, hold on," Zane called out before she got too far. Nico stopped and looked back at him, and Zane walked up to her and held his hand out.

 

"Pass me your phone," Zane said, and Nico hesitantly passed him her phone, and Zane turned it on. 

 

He looked at the phone for a minute before turning it back to Nico, gesturing for her to unlock it. Nico reached for her cell phone, took it back, and typed her password before passing it back to Zane. Zane fell silent, looking through her phone before pulling it out of his pocket, turning it on, and typing on it before giving Nico her phone back. Nico looked at her phone and saw that Zane's name was on it, along with his number.

 

"You know, if you just wanted my number, you could have just said that in the beginning," Nico said, watching him slide his phone back into his front pocket.

 

"I thought that is what I did," Zane said, and Nico chuckled at him and started to walk away.

 

"Goodbye, Zane. Oh, wait, your jacket." Nico said, sliding his jacket off her shoulders, but Zane walked up and stopped her.

 

"Keep it. You look better in it than I do." Zane said, sliding it back on her shoulders before taking a step back from her. 

 

Nico felt her cheeks heat up, and she turned around and headed toward the door. Nico walked up to the door and opened it before looking back at him, giving him a small wave before heading inside to look for her friends. 

Once the door closed, Zane sat back in the chair, looking at his phone with Nico's contact on the screen. Zane smiled before turning off his cell phone, sliding it into his pocket, grabbing his neglected cup, and taking a sip before getting up and heading back inside.