The streets were slick with concrete and neon, more like cyberpunk art than reality. The 24/7 sat out of place with its thatched awning of crisscrossing wood fiber. Everything seemed unreal. Especially the warmth of Josiah's fingers woven between his.

"This is a rare thing for me too, but no… I don't mind. It's rather nice, actually," he said, wincing mentally because he couldn't think of a better word to use than the weak, rather wishy-washy 'nice'. The landscape changed almost drastically, concrete giving way to gravel and overarching elm trees. There was no more neon; even the street lights cast a softer glow. This was Inverness Avenue, purely residential, purely elite. The sprawling houses were hollow and ghostly. But there was one with all its lights on, juddering with beats and drunken feet.

"We're here," Finn said needlessly. His voice sounded quizzical to his own ears. The wrought-iron gates were open, the door gaping, high-schoolers spilled into the darkened lawn. One had only to step among them to be lost, to be borne along until dawn.