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answer. I stared at her for a second, still puzzled by the weird blankness on her face. Then I sighed. While I could argue with her—I could tell her no a dozen times—in the end, it wasn’t worth the energy. Especially when she’d teamed up with Craig. And maybe it’d be good for me to get out for a bit. Maybe it would help me forget the dreams.
    “Sure,” I relented. “Fine. Whatever.”
    The words had barely left my lips when the hallway burst back into life. Students once again began streaming past us, chattering happily. Craig looked up from his phone. Suzy’s face transformed back to its normal vapid enthusiasm, and she squealed as she leapt into my arms, squeezing me tight and effectively cutting off my air supply.
    “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” she cried. “You’re the best cousin in the history of cousins.”
    I couldn’t find any words to reply.
    “And the best girlfriend, too,” Craig agreed. “Trust me, you won’t regret this!”
    I was pretty sure I already did. But I just stood there, dazed and confused, as he kissed me on the cheek again, then turned and started down the hallway, whistling as he went. Suzy untangled herself from my arms and ran off after him, telling him to wait up. As I watched the two of them go, my eyes caught a glimpse of something I’d never seen before on the back of my cousin’s neck.
    A tattoo of the moon.

FOUR
     
    I kept my promise that night, walking past the seemingly endless line, which wrapped all the way around one city block, and wondered once again what had happened to my precious Luna. The once hole-in-the-wall club—with more cockroaches than clients—was now the must-go destination for Manhattan’s rich and bored. I was pretty sure the designer bags in this line alone could be sold for a down payment on a Park Avenue penthouse.
    I could feel the jealous stares burn at my backside as I shrugged by with a Forever 21 purse on my shoulder and waltzed up to the velvet ropes, giving the bouncer a burly hug. Why does she get to skip the line? Who does she think she is? Bruno hugged me back. He looked like total thug life, but was actually a complete teddy bear.
    “Hey, dollface,” he greeted. “Slumming it tonight?”
    I laughed. Bruno had been working the door since the days Luna paid actresses to line up and attract a crowd. He knew as well as I did how ridiculous this place had become. “Just came to check Craig out,” I told him. “And see some friends. Do you know if Trent is here?”
    Bruno shook his head. “Haven’t seen him yet,” he replied. “But I’m sure he’s on his way. You know he never misses a Friday.”
    I glanced at my watch. Great. I’d hoped to be in and out of here so I could get back home and get some sleep. Evidently luck was not going to be my lady tonight.
    Bruno unclipped the velvet rope, and I did a doubletake when I caught a glimpse of a small moon tattooed between his thumb and forefinger. The exact design of Suzy’s neck art. Was this some kind of new trend I hadn’t heard about? The symbol of a new band everyone loved? I shivered, feeling unnerved all over again. But Bruno just flashed me a toothy grin. “Have a good time!” was all he said.
    Pushing down my growing trepidation, I forced my feet to keep walking down the red carpet, through the main doors, down a black-lit corridor, and onto the main dance floor. It was early, but the club was already pretty packed with hot, blinged-out dancers, gyrating to fast-paced electronica mixed with hip-hop.
    At one time I would have jumped right in, dancing up a storm and working up a sweat. But tonight I was just too exhausted. I decided to head up to the VIP room and wait for Suzy’s stupid boyfriend to make an appearance. That way I could also say hi to Craig if I caught him between sets. Show him what a good and dedicated girlfriend I was.
    I pushed my way through the crowd and soon made it to the VIP gateway. The bouncer, a new guy I didn’t know,