Chapter 2

The first thing I heard after entering the room was a loud buzz. After all, Paula and Tyler's small living room was filled with seven people who were talking and laughing and listening to quite loud music – luckily no one was singing. I scanned the whole room and decided to sit in the biggest armchair they had in IKEA last year. It was really enormous but I didn't mind. I liked it either way.

Having tucked both feet beneath me, I leaned back in the armchair and immediately caught Isobel's eye. She smiled to me and said, "I've never seen a lunar eclipse. Have you?"

"Yes, I have. I think a couple of time. They were quite nice."

"I bet they were." Isobel was Paula's cousin and at the same time her best friend. She was living in the farthest away borough of our city, just next to the river, and was still at uni studying social anthropology. I met her two years ago while camping in the mountains but we'd never had a close relationship. At the beginning, I tried to make friends with her, yet we couldn't get on and eventually I gave up. Though I liked her and her boyfriend, Noah, who had just finished texting someone.

"I'm glad that you came today, girl," he said, looking at me and smiling. "There's no use sitting at home and boring oneself to death."

"I know." That was my only response. Only four people felt really bad about what happened last December and supported me since then. I was grateful I had such good friends around me. I didn't know whether I would have managed to move on if it weren't for them.

"Okay, guys," Paula shouted, interrupting my dark thoughts. "Food's ready so have some of it. We have everything – beginning with sweets and ending with vegetarian snacks. Bon appétit."

"I hope there is this yummy salad Toni made last week," Isobel said and tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "I couldn't get enough of it." She stood up. "Come on or they eat it all."

She and Noah walked up to the table which had been already surrounded by the rest of Paula's guests. I watched her attentively. She and Paula looked alike as they both had long blonde hair and pretty round faces. Their eyes were different though, reflecting their personalities – Paula's were brown and cheerful, whereas Isobel's blue and always serious. I didn't know if the latter could laugh aloud. I'd never witnessed that.

As for Noah, he was a rather handsome guy. If you preferred carrots, of course. He was tall, red and freckled. I was sure he could easily pretend to be one of the Weasleys and no one would ever notice the difference. Noah had just graduated in history and was looking for a job just like me, though he had more chances in getting one. Being a curator's nephew was surely to his advantage.

"I'm coming." I heard my voice and found myself slowly approaching the table. But I wasn't even hungry.

###

Sitting between Paula and her younger brother Dominic made me realise how much I missed our house parties. They weren't huge and loud Hollywood styled events with loads of alcohol, drugs, and nakedness, and where at least one of the guests ended up behind bars. God, we weren't that crazy. Our parties were cool and cosy meetings in no more than eight to ten people held twice a month. Of course we danced, listened to loud music, and drank alcohol but rarely did we get plastered. Mostly because of lack of quids.

Today's eclipse party was a quiet one. There was music in the background but none of Paula's guests danced. For me, we were too hungry to concern ourselves with such trivial matters as dancing, and surely the delicious food in front of us was more appealing.

I started playing with my fork and food about fifteen minutes ago. I wasn't hungry or interested in the conversation at the table. I just felt a bit under the weather and wanted to go home, but I didn't want to leave the flat so early. It wasn't even nine o'clock.

Propping my head on my fist, I noticed that they were now talking about the eclipse but what went in one ear, went out the other. Except for me, the only people who weren't paying attention were Janelle Monáe's biggest fan in the universe and her Italian husband. Dark-haired Amanda was unsuccessfully trying to feed Marco, a devoted vegetarian for over fifteen years, meat pie. They were married for over a year and I was still wondering why and what for. The two clearly didn't make a match, not only when it came to food or tempers, but mostly in everyday life. Yet he was head over hills with her. I wished I had–

Everyone in the room laughed. I looked up. Clearly, I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I barely noticed the glass of wine near my hand. And to think I sat just next to it and didn't even drink…

"Yeah, I swear to God that I didn't know," Dominic said. "You know that driving my car is the worst thing in the world. Everything is acting up again."

"So maybe it's time to buy a new one?" Tyler asked, winking to him.

Paula's younger brother slung his arm across the back of my chair, suddenly finding his nails more interesting than Ty. "Sure. If you have some money to spare, don't hesitate. Give it all to me."

Paula snorted. "You think he's got money? Please."

"Exactly. We eat whatever we find in the rubbish," Ty said. Paula flashed him a disgusted look. "It was a figure of speech, darling."

"A very bad one."

"If you need a new car, I can take you with me to the city," Marco said. Well, apparently, Amanda wasn't trying to feed him anymore. "It turns out that I know someone who wants to sell his. But you'll need quid."

"And that's the problem, mate. Dom hasn't got much." Ty made a wry face.

"Shut up, Ty. Adults are talking business now." Dominic poked his tongue at Tyler. "I do need to get rid of that bloody set of wheels."

"My goodness! I've forgotten about the damn blood moon!" Paula yelled and immediately picked herself up. "Hurry up! Or we're going to miss it."

"Hey, don't worry. It will last till night," I assured her. "At least, I hope so."

"Come on, everyone!" she shouted, poking the closest people to her. "Izzie, Noah. Get up. How on earth could I forget about that damn thing?"

I laughed. "You know, the next eclipse that will be that long is in the next century."

"You too, get up," she commanded me, pointing the door in front of her. "And out."

Just like everyone else in the living room, I reluctantly stood up and started approaching the glass door. Paula was indeed bossy from time to time, especially to her friends. "Can I take my wine with me?" I asked, hoping she would agree.

But it wasn't her voice that said, "I didn't know you had a habit of kicking people out of your flat, Paula."