Stolen Moments by Ntombie

My name was Alix Stevens, and I lived in a small apartment on the third floor with my mom, in a fifteen-story building at the heart of Manhattan.

July tenth had arrived—it was my birthday. To celebrate, my best friend, the eccentric Marina, had decided to take me to a new nightclub that had just opened recently.

Personally, I was never used to this kind of outing. My mom and Marina constantly criticized me for spending too much time locked away in my room, drawing.

I loved drawing, and I knew it was mostly because of my father, who passed away when I was eight. He had been a talented illustrator and an incredible teacher. He had even created a comic book with one of his closest friends.

Drawing always brought me comfort, because every time I picked up my pencils, it felt like I could be with him again.

"Alix, Marina is here!" My mother shouted from the living room.

My mother had a habit of yelling, even when we were only a few meters apart and my door stood wide open. My mother always carried a playful, almost childlike air about her. At thirty-four, she worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today was her day off; unfortunately, she had decided, much to my dismay, to team me up with Marina for this outing.

I always felt overshadowed by Marina. I wore jeans every day, while she always dressed in skirts or dresses. She was tall and blonde, with stunning brown eyes, while I was average in height, with black hair and green eyes.

My mother often told me that, with eyes like mine, I could win over any man. But for that to happen, I'd have to actually be interested, and the truth was I was painfully shy, especially around men.

"Alix, are you ready for the fittings!" Marina exclaimed as she entered my room.

"Oh, please, Marina, I'm perfectly fine with what I'm wearing!" I exclaimed, already irritated before she could even begin.

Marina struck a dramatic pose, folded her arms across her chest, and looked me up and down before bursting into laughter.

"My dear, there's no way you're going out clubbing in that outfit," she added, turning to the bag she had brought along.

I looked at her, feeling hopeless. Please, not another clothes fitting session.

I had no choice in the matter, since my dear mother got involved, and before I knew it, I was practically dragged off for a fitting session in the bathroom.

The outfits were just as revealing as I had feared, and each one made me more uncomfortable than the last. Their expressions said it all when they had me put on a very sexy black mini-dress with a front opening and an especially short hemline.

And as I expected, it was this dress that my mother and Marina both chose without hesitation, even though I felt completely exposed in it.

"Great, you look stunning!" Marina said, but to me, the dress seemed almost vulgar.

"You're stunning, my darling; you'll turn heads for sure," my mom whined.

"Mom, stop crying." I tried to console her, thinking she was being a bit too sentimental, almost as if she were the one in my place.

I forced a smile as Marina grabbed our bags and led me toward the door, sending me into a new chapter for my seventeenth birthday.

Derek's POV:

I parked the motorcycle in front of The Dead Rabbit bar, where I planned to meet my best friends. For once, I had no errands to run in town; I had promised my best friend I would join him at this new nightclub. He nagged me so much about it that I even started having nightmares.

When I entered the bar, Ayden and Sophia Larson were already at our usual table.