October 6, 2021 - Harlem, New York City, United States

“Why do I have to go uptown to study anyway? I know we are just going up there so you can flirt with your boyfriend.” Ella whined a bit on the A train as it pulled away from the station.

“Shut up… it isn’t that big of a deal and I like to get out of the Village sometimes for a change, you know. Plus it is Thursday night and we can go out afterwards. You have been a total bore lately.” Charlie was definitely more dressed for going out than studying and was carrying a night bag which meant she was staying at her boyfriend’s place in Morningside Heights.

Charlie was putting on way too much makeup - and, in Ella’s opinion, the lipstick didn’t work with her pale white skin and freckles, but it prompted Ella to take out her compact and doing a bit of touch-up. The train car was filling in, but fortunately they had managed to grab seats. Her eyes were burning a bit from wearing the contacts and she popped them out.

“Aren’t these just the coolest contacts you saw?” she asked Charlie, establishing her almost crystalline eyes as vanity contacts. Charlie didn’t look up but mumbled an affirmative, so Ella began adding some heavy eyeliner for the hell of it.

Charlie looked up and made a startled noise, “those are intense… and will look amazing at 67 when we get there.”

“Charlie, what? You said we were going studying. I am carrying around this ridiculous backpack.” Ella had really needed to get some work done and it was a bait-and-switch. “You traitor!”

“Relax, just a couple of cocktails… Connor is bringing a friend.” she said sweetly.

“This is a complete set-up! This is like involuntary Tinder. No thanks!”

“Relax, he is handsome, see here. Columbia Law.” She pulled out a phone and showed her a pic of Connor and another guy. Connor’s close-cropped red hair and freckles on pasty skin glowed in the pic while his friend was leaning into the 70’s vibe with shoulder length hair and a striped long sleeve polo and, damn, were those bell-bottoms? He was cute… but no.

Ella said, “He is like Jade’s match. Send her the picture, she might be interested.” But recognizing her doom, Ella eventually folded to having just a “couple” of drinks..

They came up the stairs from the station and started the walk to the bar. It was March and there was a biting chill to the air still, Ella wrapped her arms around herself and started walking faster only to be held up by Charlie who was navigating in those ridiculous heels. Suddenly the street lights went out, and, looking around, Ella noted all the building lights also.

“A power outage, what the hell?” Charlie yelled.

Ella was about to agree when she suddenly saw a flashing green light from an apartment across the street. She could feel some bass filtering through her bones.

“Looks like a party,” she said dreamily and started heading across the street, ignoring the car that slammed its brakes as she stepped over the cub.

“Ella, what are you talking about? Where are you going?”

“To the party… Come on…” and Ella walked up to the door which swung open silently without her pressing the buzzer.

Charlie had pulled out her phone and was talking to Connor while chasing after Ella, “Yeah, the power went out, we are going to…” Charlie looked up to see, “above BLVD.”

She switched her attention back to Ella, “what party? The building is dark!” But Ella was not there, the door was shut, and the buzzer wasn’t working.