The magic of Mardi Gras in New Orleans had not yet worn away for Isabella and her friends. She got along better with her younger peers at New Orleans Supernatural Weekly than with her roommate's crowd, so she and three other writers had been attending parades together. 

Isabella, Lila, Josh, and Adam stood near the intersection of Poydras and St. Charles, near the end of the Uptown parade route. It was hot, and all four students were taking advantage of the city's lax open-container alcohol laws. The boys wore T-shirts and shorts, and the girls wore bikini tops with their short skirts, complete with glitter makeup, tiaras, and fairy wings. They were all decked out in plain beads. Overall, their appearance screamed "tourists." But then again, with a million tourists descending on the Crescent City...

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