Mandy and her clique arrived at Club Ice to find a line long enough to cover the length of a football field.
"Ugh," Giselle groaned. "We are going to be standing in line all night."
"Follow me," Mandy said. Penny and Giselle trailed behind as Mandy marched to the front of the line.
A college-aged bouncer with curly dark hair and a boyish grin was checking identifications by the door. Oh, this is going to be too easy.
"Sorry girls," the bouncer said. "You're cute, but you're going to have to wait like everyone else."
Mandy flipped her hair and flashed her best dazzling smile. The bouncer did a double take. His eyes fixed on her as though he were mesmerized. Entranced, he opened the club door, allowing all three girls to enter without checking their IDs.
"Wow," Penny said, as they stepped inside the dark room with flashing lights and loud music. "You are amazing! How did you do that?"
Mandy laughed, glowing with satisfaction. Influencing people had become second nature to her. Sometimes it felt like the world was in the palm of her hand. Anything or anyone she desired could and would be hers. Tonight she wanted to be adored, even if it wasn't real. At least it was something. At least for the moment, the pretense was enough. Mandy had come to accept that nothing in her life would ever be real. As long as she would always be fake, she might as well enjoy it as much as possible. Mandy accessed her powers and ignited the flame, letting it roar.
"I want to dance! Let's go, girls!"
As Mandy and her posse swaggered through the club, boys openly gaped. Club-goers stepped aside, creating a pathway to the center of the dance floor. Mandy moved with the confidence and agility of a seasoned dancer. Drawn by Mandy’s invisible force, hordes of college-aged guys encircled the witch and her friends. They were like celebrities in the middle of the dance floor.
Her brilliant smile captivated a tall boy who approached her. His blue eyes looked dazed as he staggered over, already intoxicated by her presence. Using her index finger, Mandy motioned him closer. The tall boy wrapped his arms around her waist, and they began to dance. Surrounding male admirers glared as he pulled her closer and whispered in her ear.
"Hello, I'm Dylan."