THE GLITTERATI ☆ iv

iv ☆ THE BOY IN BLACK

APPROXIMATELY TEN hours passed before Sid woke, the sun rays peeking in through the window before now visibly reduced. She sat up and stretched, letting her eyes adjust to the light in the room before making eye contact with a boy in black who was leaning against her doorway.

Sid jumped to her feet, backing into the corner furthest away from the stranger in her bedroom. She assessed her escape options, deciding she’d have to incapacitate him in some way if she had any hope of getting downstairs and out of the apartment.

Where was her mom?

“Who are you and what did you do to my mom?” She tried making her voice sound confident and somewhat threatening but she could tell he wasn’t the least bit impressed.

“The name’s Alistair Crowe,” he smirked. “And I didn’t do anything to her, but she did tell me to tell you she’d be back later. Left a note for you downstairs.” He observed his nails nonchalantly, as if her little freakout was boring to him. Upon first glance, he didn’t look even remotely like any of the locals Sid saw roaming earlier. His entire wardrobe was black, his leather jacket giving him that cliche bad-boy aesthetic. His demeanor and attitude seemed to match.

This isn’t a fiction novel, Sid reminded herself.

“How do I know you didn’t write the note yourself?” Sid challenged, realizing how elementary that sounded after it was too late to take the words back. She was already losing this battle. She’d probably die of humiliation before he even got the chance to kill her.

Alistair’s laugh reminded her of her father’s for a split second and her heart softened. “That would’ve been far too easy, princess. Rest assured, I’m not here to drink your blood or take your kidneys. Honestly, blood makes me queasy, which would mean I’m not here just to kill you either,” he explained, another smirk playing at his lips when he noticed her shoulders drop in relief.

“Then why are you here?” She’d run out of textbook questions to ask so decided to go with something simple and to the point. And less humiliating.

“Well, believe it or not, Sid Carver, I just wanted to be a nice neighbor and invite you to a brunch event in Downtown Square, if you’re not too afraid of me to go.” The way he said her name hung in the air for a moment.

“Will there be vampires there who want to drink my blood? Or maybe have my kidney as an appetizer?”

He raised an eyebrow as if to process her question and think of a good, honest answer. “Maybe only one or two, but I’m sure if you just stay in the sun, you’ll be safe.” He scanned his surroundings, checking to make sure the coast was clear before adding, “They’re not the sparkly kind.”

His final remark made Sid laugh out loud and she let her guard down, deciding she could trust him for now. “Then I guess we’d better go before the sun sets completely.” He nodded, motioning toward the closet before opening it. Inside were two new additions, the garment kept in a gold bag instead of the black ones already hanging, and a gold box to match.

“We leave in an hour.” He turned on his heels without another word, leaving her to fend for herself when it came to the lack of contents packed in her backpack. She didn’t think far enough ahead for the road trip apparently when it came to preparing for a high-scale brunch event.

Thanks to her spontaneous nap, she looked well rested and ready to take on the day. Luckily, her mascara from the previous day seemed to be holding up pretty well, adding a brightness to her eyes.

She tended to her hair next, making do with water and finger-combing through her curls to make them more defined. Once she was satisfied with her look ― as satisfied as she could be ― Sid walked back to the closet, retrieving the new garment left by Alistair.

She lay it across her bed, holding her breath in anticipation as she unzipped the garment bag. Inside was a breathtaking dress ― it was black and lacy, with off-the-shoulder long sleeves and a layered skirt that flared out.

Sid slipped it on, surprised by the fact that it fit like a glove. She wasn't sure how Alistair got her size or how he even knew that they were in town but she pushed the thought from her mind. She was the type to overthink and overanalyze everything, which is exactly what she'd made a hobby of back home.

She decided she didn't want to do that here. The purpose of this was a new beginning. It was time for Sid to give herself permission to live a little. To try not to overthink, and simply have fun. To give herself a chance.

She went for the shoes next, a simple yet elegant black heel that paired perfectly with the dress. Sid observed herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing the girl staring back at her. She already had a certain confidence about her but the outfit had only elevated that, the red lip making her appear more mature and sophisticated.

She grabbed her phone before heading downstairs, Alistair standing from the couch once he made eye contact with her. He seemed to straighten up, as if he were the one underdressed now after her impromptu transformation. Sid grimaced, hoping it was good enough for the event. She hated feeling out of place, and she could only assume everyone at the event would realize she was new to Glittera Falls.

“How do I look?” She fidgeted with the hem of her dress, hardly able to keep still in anticipation of what was to come.

He grinned, giving her a single nod of approval. “Good enough. Not too appetizing for the vampires in town. You should be safe.”

Sid laughed, finding the note he’d told her about on the kitchen counter. She read it, confirming it was her mother’s handwriting and not Alistair’s attempt at concealing his intentions like she’d so graciously accused. “Looks like I owe you an apology,” she admitted, holding up the note her mother had left acknowledging the fact that she’d allowed a “kind boy” into their apartment.

“No need to trip over yourself, Sid Carver,” Alistair sneered. “I do take apologies in many forms, including cash, food, and ― my personal favorite ― a complimentary vampire hunt.” Sid rolled her eyes, following him out of the front door. He was a character, she’d give him that. Something about him did make her more comfortable given the circumstances, and she was grateful for that.

Grateful that he’d chosen to reach out. She was afraid that leaving Hayward Grove would make it difficult for her to make friends. Alistair had proved her wrong without even knowing.

“Remember, if I don’t come home tonight, my mom knows what you look like,” she warned, momentarily falling back into her habit of immediate mistrust. Some people’s intentions aren’t good, sure, but she had come to assume that with everyone she met. She was determined to step into the new version of herself. The elevator ride down to the parking garage was a relatively silent one, save for Alistair’s humming along to the elevator music playing around them. It was a cheery tune, which he seemed to know every note to.

When the song ended, a screen populated in the panel above where the navigation buttons hid, a feature Sid had yet to see. It seemed to be a countdown of some sort, only staying visible for a handful of seconds before it disappeared. Luckily, she’d caught the gist of it, gathering it was for an auction of some sort. Probably all designer jewelry, designer cars, and exclusive artwork.

All of which she felt that she didn’t have the status to observe, let alone bid on.

The elevator came to a stop, leading into the parking garage. She let Alistair lead, following him to a black Porsche convertible. She laughed at his license plate as he opened the passenger door for her.

BLK💀PRL

It was definitely fitting for the color and sleekness of his car. It was safe to say that black was his favorite color, hands down. He’d only matched with her unintentionally, completely unaware of the details of the dress until she came downstairs in it.

“So have you lived here since Glittera Falls was founded?” To say she was curious about the way the town had come about was an understatement.

She figured with Alistair showing her the ropes, he was as good a person as any to ask. Besides the fact that he was more approachable and down-to-earth than Winston. She wondered what her mom was up to, all the note told her being that she had to finalize a few things.

Alistair nodded, focusing on the turn he was making before answering. "Been here since day one. Thanks to the Founder, I was given an opportunity to become a resident. If it weren't for him, God knows where I'd be right now."

The Founder. Sid forced herself to ask the question she'd been wondering since Winston first mentioned him. "Will I get to meet the Founder?" Alistair froze at this, kicking himself for wording his answer the way he had.

"No one's seen the Founder except for this guy Holland. He's the co-founder of Glittera Falls and sort of a celebrity around here. He's the one that helped me, but it all came from the Founder. Everything goes through him."

"Is there a reason why he doesn't let himself be seen?" Sid wasn't sure if she was prying now given how Alistair reacted to her previous question, but forced herself to give it a rest regardless. There was no point in making too much noise when she'd just arrived. Besides, with the sophisticated feel of the entire town, she guessed there was a lot to learn if she wanted to get by without drawing any unwanted attention to herself.

"No idea," Alistair shrugged. "I take it he's busy running everything behind the scenes. Aside from him not being physically present, he's pretty involved in everything around here."

Alistair made another turn after a few minutes, crossing the border of the second province bleeding into the first. As they got closer to the entrance, Sid noticed a couple of stores they'd seen earlier.

Louis Vuitton. Gucci. Hermes. Balenciaga. PRADA.

Literally everything she either couldn't pronounce, or couldn't afford. She noticed now a car dealership tucked away behind the strip mall, catching a glance at a Mercedes on display similar to the one Winston was driving.

"I take it not everyone here's as down-to-earth as you?"

Alistair let out a howl of laughter, making eye contact with her for a split second in the rearview mirror. "Down-to-earth, huh? You've got a lot to learn, Sid Carver. I'm unique at best. A lot of the adults here think my fashion radar is broken, and that I belong on the other side of the bridge. Luckily, I have a group of friends I stay close to that kind of even me out so I don't stick out too much."

"Do I stick out?" It was the very thing she was worried about, her stomach making twists and turns in tandem with the car. She wanted to blend in.

Alistair made eye contact with her again, this time turning his view from the road as they reached a red light. He seemed to think about his answer for a moment, sending Sid’s stomach into a frenzy. She couldn't tell what, but there was something about him. Before she could get too far, her heart reminded her of Griff and she shook the thought from the forefront of her mind.

Friends.

"You stick out," he confirmed. She opened her mouth to say something but he continued before she could form any words. "But in your case, it's a good thing."

She tried to hide the fact that he'd made her blush, chastising herself under her breath for assuming anything. If that came from Griff, there'd be no doubt he was being flirtatious, but this situation was entirely different.

They'd only met no less than two hours ago.

Thankfully, he was too focused on parking the car to notice. The building Alistair pulled up to was much shorter than the apartment building, mostly consisting of glass windows. All he'd told her about the event was that it was for brunch, but what she saw in front of her didn't necessarily scream breakfast and lunch. "Is this where we're going?"

He shut off the ignition and she mirrored him as he got out of the car. "This is it. But we're not staying inside. We're going up there." He pointed toward the roof, drawing Sid's attention to a neon sign encased in acrylic that she hadn't noticed before.

It was a single word in an all-caps font, glowing bright green.

AMPERSAND,

it read, only the second 'A' was substituted for the very symbol the letters spelled out.

It was a prestigious rooftop eatery, the kind where reservations were next to impossible and capacity was limited.

"At least we'll be closer to the sun in case any vampires are attending," she shrugged, following him in. Alistair grinned at her, waving at the receptionist before leading her down a short hallway. They stepped into the elevator, nearly identical to the one in their apartment building.

Alistair hit the rooftop button, smoothing out his leather jacket. "A couple of things. Pretty much everyone knows you're new here, so you may or may not get questions. Just be yourself and I'm sure people will love you. And if we happen to get separated and you need some rescuing . . ." He dug into a pocket inside his jacket, pulling out two relatively small bracelets. "Just tap on this twice and I'll feel it."

He unfastened one, holding it out for Sid to put on. She offered him her wrist and he fastened it, doing the same for his own even faster. She tapped on the small interface to try it out and Alistair held his out for her to see, a green line flashing on his bracelet seconds after she touched her own.

He touched his bracelet just as the elevator came to a stop, sending a vibration through her bracelet and a green light. The elevator doors slid open, revealing an already bustling scene playing out before them. Sid looked up at Alistair as if to ask for guidance and he offered a nod of encouragement, stepping out of the elevator first. Sid followed him, trying her best to stay out of view.

It reminded her of her first day of kindergarten. Her father was the one to bring her to school, spinning tales the whole drive there to try and get her mind off of it. She was perfectly fine until they got the classroom door, sounds of youth coming from the other side. She looked up at her father just as she'd done with Alistair, looking for some type of guidance. Comfort.

Anything.

He knelt down to level with her, staring straight into her eyes. There was only one thing he could say that would calm her down. The lullaby. He hummed the first verse and soon enough she joined in, her anxiousness slowly disappearing. As they hummed the last line together, he'd open the classroom door. Brooks ran up to her, pulling her over to the table he'd saved for them and that was that.

This was different. She didn't have her father here, or Brooks, but she decided to take her own advice. She decided to do the very thing that had gotten her through that day, and every tough time since, down to twenty-four hours ago. Sing the lullaby. She started with the first verse under her breath as Alistair led her into the crowd.

She took in everything around her as she hummed, noticing the sign first. It was much brighter up close, casting a subtle green glow onto everything within fifty feet of it. There were circular tables spread across the entire rooftop in between the mixing and mingling, white tablecloths placed underneath gleaming dinnerware. Around the outside were benches and the occasional fire pit.

On the far side of the rooftop was an open kitchen, complete with seven chefs who were running back and forth in an attempt to fill orders. As Alistair pushed his way through a particular crowd, a waiter tapped on her shoulder, a silver platter in one hand stocked with refreshing drinks.

"Mocktail?" He held one out to her before she could respond, and he flashed a smile before moving on to another person. Alistair settled on a table where another girl already sat. She took one look at Sid and jumped up, her enthusiasm catching her by surprise.

“Hi! I’m Edie Manilove. It’s so nice to meet you,” she gushed, pulling Sid into a hug without warning, pulling back to get a good look at her. “By the way, you look absolutely stunning. I could never pull this off.” Sid smiled, taking a seat next to her.

“Nice to meet you too, Edie. I’m Sid.”

“Carver, right? Alistair told me about you and your mom,” she announced. “We’re practically neighbors ― I live just a couple doors down.”

It wasn’t much of a shock to her that Edie knew who she was, courtesy of Alistair himself. News seemed to travel fast in Glittera Falls, as she’d seen so far. Edie wore a peach wrap dress, with a clutch and heels to match. She could be a model, Sid noticing how little makeup she was wearing and slightly envious of the fact that she didn’t need any of it. That must’ve been the Glittera Falls trademark ― pretty people, pretty town.

Alistair sat on the other side of Edie, catching the attention of the waiter that’d given Sid a mocktail only moments ago. He smiled down at Sid before turning to face Alistair. “What can I get for you guys, today?” Alistair nodded toward Edie, who fumbled with a menu sitting in the middle of the table.

Sid followed suit, figuring the menu would be just as foreign to her as the stores she saw in the strip mall, all requiring some research before she could settle on an option. Surprisingly enough, the menu had standard dishes, all just with a bit more flair than a Denny’s or iHOP. Sid browsed it as Edie placed her order, deciding to settle on the strawberry brioche french toast. French toast was her favorite breakfast food, and when it came to her father’s preferences, it was a close second.

He’d always ordered an omelet of some sort, sometimes getting both when he was extremely hungry. She smiled to herself at this, watching as Alistair sent the waiter on his way.

"So how do you like Glittera Falls so far?" Edie asked.

"She just got here, Edie," Alistair warned. "She hasn't seen everything yet."

Edie grimaced apologetically and Sid shook her head in protest, not wanting her to think she overstepped. "Don't worry about it," she assured her. Sid glanced over at Alistair. "I'm perfectly capable of answering my own questions, thank you."

Edie snickered at her comment. "I love her. We're definitely going to introduce you to the group."

Sid beamed, happy she'd made an impression on Edie, and one positive enough for her to want to include her in their already-established friend group. "It's cool so far. I'm excited for the fresh start."

"Where did you move from?" Edie was leaning toward her now, clearly invested in her backstory.

"I lived in Hayward Grove. We were actually getting ready to sell our house and move, and we just happened to end up here."

"How do your parents like it?" Sid swallowed the frog that seemed to form immediately in reaction to her question, pushing past the grief to answer her.

"It's just my mom and I." Edie gasped, her heart sinking. She didn't mean to assume.

"I'm so sorry, Sid. I didn't know," she pleaded. "I know how that is. It's just my older sister and I. I know we just met, but I'm here for you if you ever need someone to talk to." Edie reached over and gave her hand a squeeze, offering her a warm smile.

Sid just barely realized Alistair had left the table. "Thank you, that means a lot." Edie nodded matter-of-factly, seeming to be back to her chipper demeanor.

"The group is actually supposed to be meeting up at the fitness bar this weekend. Would you like to join us?"

"Sounds like a plan." Edie smiled, turning in her seat as the background music died down and a woman stepped onto the small stage positioned underneath the sign.

Alistair slipped back into his seat, making eye contact with Sid from across the table before turning to face the stage. The chatter seemed to die down almost instantly, every pair of eyes giving the woman full attention.

"Good morning everyone! It has been brought to my attention that we have a new resident here with us." Sid flushed, watching in horror as every person around her turned to look her way.

She felt the bracelet Alistair had given her vibrate, somehow managing to interrupt her thoughts and ease her anxiety simultaneously. She looked over at him in thanks, quickly painting a smile on her face to please the eyes trained on her.

"Sid and her mother Elaine just joined us. Please be hospitable and show her the ropes. And Sid, I'd like to be among the first to welcome you to Glittera Falls. We hope you and your mother will find it to your liking." Sid nodded in thanks, the crowd erupting into applause.

She stepped off the stage, greeting people as she passed by, heading straight for Sid. Sid stood as she approached her, gathering it was the respectable thing to do. She wasn't completely helpless given the fact that her father’s time in the spotlight had taught her quite a bit about etiquette around people of influence.

She definitely seemed to be of importance, indicative in the way she carried herself and the way everyone around her seemed to grovel at her feet. She stuck her hand out to Sid, shaking it politely.

"It's very nice to meet you, Sid. I'm Clareice Townsend, one of the advisors to the Founder."

"Nice to meet you, too. Thank you for welcoming us." Clareice smiled, stepping away from the table and waiting for Sid to follow.

Sid shot a concerning glance toward Alistair and Edie before walking beside her, waving at the people who directed greetings at her as they passed. "I know the dynamics of the town can be . . . overwhelming for some people." The way she said this had Sid on high alert. She must've thought they were poor. "I want to make sure you don't have too much of an issue settling in. Are there any questions I can answer for you?"

She stopped abruptly, her facial expressions almost becoming robotic, reminding her of the way Winston was acting before his alternate personality kicked in. What was wrong with the adults here?

"Yes, actually." Sid decided to try her luck, figuring the robotic version of her might be better to test than the first that approached her. "I was wondering when I could meet the Founder? I was really hoping to thank him for the card he left us. And about this all being overwhelming, my mother and I aren't some people. We're getting along just fine, but I appreciate your concern." Clareice’s face deadpanned, all of the color leaving her skin for a moment.

"That's not allowed," was all she responded with, only addressing her question and not the suggestive comment she'd made. Her voice sounded distorted, hanging on that last word before she seemed to snap out of her trance completely. Confusion registered on her face next and she jumped, as if she'd forgotten Sid was next to her.

Sid tapped on the bracelet, hoping Alistair could reach her fast enough before anything else happened.

"Can I ask why? I haven't quite heard an explanation that makes sense yet." That was only partially true. She'd only asked Alistair.

Clareice turned on her, practically threatening her with her body language. Her face held an expression of anger now, and the tone in her voice rose an octave. "Do you know who you remind me of?" she snarled. She'd clearly thrown all of her professionalism out the window, not taking heed to how many people were watching her sudden outburst.

"You sound exactly like my old colleague, always questioning the rules and never taking no for an answer. Well, Sid, if you keep asking questions you have no business asking, there will be consequences. Do you want to find out what they are?" Thankfully, a few of the onlookers pulled her away from Sid, ignoring her screams of protest.

A hand closed around Sid’s wrist, making her flinch. She turned to see it was Alistair. To the rescue, just as he'd promised earlier. He ushered her back to the table where Edie was placing Sid's breakfast into a to-go container.

"I'm so sorry about that, Sid. Honestly, that lady is crazy."

"It's not your fault," Sid countered, thanking her for packing her meal for her.

"I'm gonna take her home," Alistair announced. Edie nodded in agreement, pulling Sid into a hug.

"Don't forget, this weekend," she reminded her. Sid smiled, promising she'd be there to meet the rest of the group.

Alistair guided her through the crowd once again and back into the elevator. He was silent for a minute, not too sure what to say to her right away.

Soon enough, he found his words, figuring anything was better than nothing. "I'm sorry, Sid. None of that should've happened to you, especially during your first day here."

Sid stopped him before he exhausted himself trying to find some sort of explanation for Clareice’s sudden mood swings.

"You don't need to apologize. She made a snide comment, suggesting that my mom and I were poor, so I set her straight and asked about the Founder. And that's when she went all psycho on me."

Alistair looked shocked for a moment, bursting into laughter. His laugh was undeniably contagious, sending her into a bout of laughter right along with him.

They were still laughing by the time they reached the parking lot. The drive back to the apartment building was a reflective one for Sid. She could only assess the town with the interactions she was given. She decided that Alistair and Edie and their willingness to take her in outweighed the comment Clareice made. As long as the good outweighed the bad, she didn't want to throw in the towel.

And regarding what a handful of people had watched unfold, she decided she didn't need to let her mother know about it right away. They'd gone through enough and she knew how excited she was about starting over here.

She decided that this time, she'd keep quiet. Allow her mom to be hopeful. After all, it was the first time she'd been this excited about something in years.

Alistair walked Sid to her door, holding her food out to her. "Thanks for everything today." She wasn't sure how to express her gratitude for the way he looked after her today. For bringing her along.

For simply being present.

Despite the turn of events when it came to Clareice, it was still a good day. Alistair shook his head, hardly thinking he'd done anything. Hardly aware of the impression he'd made on her. Just as she was hardly aware of the impression she'd made on him.

No matter his relationship status.

"Don't mention it, Sid Carver. I had fun today," he smiled, mostly to himself as he ran through the better half of the day in his mind. One of the best days he'd had in a long while.

"Likewise, Alistair Crowe," she teased, noting how he seemed to like saying her whole name. He started further down the hallway as she reached for the doorknob, turning back towards her and calling her name to get her attention.

"Yeah?" She craned her neck and made eye contact with him for the billionth time today. He paused for a moment, smiling to himself again.

His smile was just as contagious as his laugh.

"Keep sticking out, okay?" Immediately, a smile played along Sid's lips and she looked down in an attempt to hide her appreciation for the sentiment regarding their conversation from earlier. She realized she was still wearing the bracelet he'd given her earlier but when she looked up, Alistair was disappearing inside a unit a few doors down.

Sid tried to ignore the fact that her heart had been racing ever since she first saw Alistair, convincing herself that it'd never happen. As she closed the door behind her, though, she couldn't help but wonder if, somehow, he was thinking the same thing.