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"He broke up with me." Jen stared at the beige tabletop, considering her life the same color after Nick left her dejected. "He said I'm too much for him and too busy to care about someone else."
Nikki scoffed. "This coming from the guy who's ghosted you a few times? Bold."
"I know, but still. Is what he said really true? Am I really too much to handle? Am I really that busy?"
"Jen, you're the definition of busy, but it means you've got a lot going for you, so you shouldn't stop and second-guess yourself because of some boy. You didn't need him anyways."
She rested her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her open palms, slumping over. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I didn't want him. I wanted things to work."
"Yet he wasn't man enough to tell you when things weren't working anymore. He should've told you when it became an issue, and he damn sure shouldn't have neglected you." She stopped to eat a couple of her fries. After swallowing, she continued, "Even if he felt like you weren't doing your part as a girlfriend, he still wasn't being a good boyfriend."
She lifted her head. "That's true. He really was awful at communicating."
"See? And if he couldn't talk to you without you mentioning shit to him first, was it really a relationship worth having?"
Nikki always had one question capable of stopping Jen in her tracks. If the relationship had persisted, then it would have consisted of nothing but Jen bringing issues to hisattention and Nick neglecting her for his art—wash, rinse, repeat. He would have continued to be awful at communicating and excellent at leaving her in the dark under the guise of "honing his craft." Yet she was "too busy to care about somebody else." She wanted to laugh.
"Wow," Jen started, "I never thought about it like that, but now that you mention it, it wasn't. He wasn't worth my time."
"I rest my case." Nikki proceeded to sip her drink.
"You'd make a great lawyer, you know."
She chuckled. "If I ever wanna hate myself for a decade, I'll definitely become one. Until then, I'm strictly poly-sci, not pre-law."
"Just a suggestion."
She placed her hand on her chin. "Actually, now that I think about it, it's not so bad. I already hate myself at the Khaki Barn, but at least after law school I'd get a salary worthmy misery."
"And as long as the Clones don't Legally Blonde their way into the school, you should be fine."
"Exactly."
While Nikki and Jen continued to chat, Caitlin returned to the Lemon from her break. A frown marred her face.
"What's wrong with you, Blondie?" Nikki asked.
After she opened the oversized lemon and stepped inside, she whimpered. "I ran into Benj on my way past A&F…" She livened. "They had this really cute dress in the display window, and I wanted to go in and try it on so bad,"—her tone fell into sadness—"but then I saw him."
"Did he try and talk to you?" Jen asked.
"Yeah." She put on her work hat, then donned her apron. "He told me that he really misses me and he can't stop thinking about me." Her gaze fell to the counter. "This whole thing sucks, because I was really getting over him, and then he comes and tells me that."
"Guys really have godawful timing," Nikki said.
"They do," Jen and Caitlin chorused.
"What is this about timing?" Sydni asked as she approached the table and took her seat on the end closest to the Lemon.
"Oh, nothing. Just talking about guys and how they always screw you over out of the blue," Nikki informed.
She scoffed. "Ain't that the truth?"
"Still thinking about Alejandro?" Caitlin asked.
"Yeah." She sulked. "Is it stupid that I'm sad about something ending before it could even begin?"
"Not at all," Jen said. "You just had expectations about someone you liked, and he was a letdown. That's normal."
With a sigh, she admitted, "You're right."
Nikki grunted. Given everyone's issues concerning their love lives, this felt like a coordinated attack on her girls. "Okay, no one mention any guy's name for the rest of the day—I'm serious."
They all sent her curious looks.
"Alejandro, Nick, Benj—I'm sick of their asses. I don't like how they hurt you guys, and, more importantly, I'm tired of talking about them. It's bad enough we give guys the power to hurt us by getting vulnerable with them, and now we're giving them more power by talking about them. We need a sabbatical from these dicks."
"So, like a girls night out?" Caitlin asked, sporting a hopeful look by the end of her question.
"Exactly like a girls night out, Blondie. I say we go out Friday night and raise hell."
"Where should we go?" Jen asked.
"Ooh! There's this really cool nightclub I heard about downtown. I think it's called Soundboard or something?" Caitlin mentioned.
Sydni gasped. "I saw that place when me and Alejan—I mean, some irrelevant-ass guy—went to the bowling alley. It looked kinda lit."
"Then that's where we're going," Nikki said.
"Are you sure we should be doing that?" Jen asked. "We're not legal, remember?"
"I know, which is why we need some new identities for the night." Mischief tugged Nikki's lips into a grin.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no—remember what happened the last time we used fake IDs?"
Sydni's eyes widened. "There was a last time?"
"Uh huh. Last year, when my sister was in town, Jonesy made us some fake IDs, so we snuck into a club, but Ron busted us."
"Oh, yikes."
"Oh, yeah."
"Trust me, I know better than to let Jonesy make any fakes now," Nikki said. "In fact, I know where to get some good ones."
Jen crossed her arms and glared at her.
"I'm only down for a girls night out if there's something illegal involved, Jen. You know that."
A moment of quiet deliberation passed. "Fine," Jen conceded.
"Nice." Unbothered, Nikki rose from her chair. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to handle."
As soon as she walked to Jonesy's latest job, Nikki ambushed him with the question: "How fast can you get me some fake IDs?"
Though she wouldn't let him make the fake IDs, that didn't mean she wasn't going to consult him about them. In fact, he was her gateway into getting them; his friend's older brother operated as a "master of the dark web." She needed this guy's handiwork for her plan to work; fake IDs had changed in complexity since the last time the gang crept into a club.
Jonesy's brows rose in initial curiosity, but fell as he smirked. "Tryna sneak into another club, huh?"
"Uh huh. That's the plan."
He placed his hand on the small of her back and coaxed her closer. "Well, I can have 'em for us by Friday, sweet cheeks."
She broke his embrace. "Not so fast, Casanova: It's a girls night out. We all need time away from testosterone, not with it. And don't call me sweet cheeks again. It doesn't work."
His shoulders slumped and he looked down. "Oh."
She crossed her arms. "So, think you can still get them by Friday?"
"Yeah, I can." He used the most dejected tone he could muster. She half-expected him to hit her with his puppy-dog look. "I just thought we'd have ourselves a hot date night, but I guess not."
"Crybaby ass." After an eye roll, she said, "We'll go eventually."
She watched his ego reinflate as he straightened his stance and livened his voice. "I'll have one for myself made just in case."
"Of course," she droned.
He stroked his chin. "Damn, now I gotta find plans for Friday night. I gotta do something fun since you're gonna be out."
"I'm sure you'll find something. You always do."
"Yeah, you're right."
Noting that she should head back to work soon, she didn't want to part ways with him on a rude note. She realized her own penchant for sardonic remarks had ruled the conversation, so she let her affectionate side appear. She stood on her tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him smile. "See you later, Casanova." As she made her way out the store, she pointed in his direction and said, "Make sure to let me know about those IDs."
"I will, baby. I will."
"Attaboy," she murmured under her breath with a smirk.
Having finished his shift at Burger McFlipsters and changed out of his uniform that reeked of grease and onions, Wyatt sat in the game store, happy to be with Jude in normal attire. The two of them discussed the prospect of a new album from the Mighty Weasels until Jonesy arrived, done with his job for the day as well. Afterwards, the conversation shifted to the latest episode of an anime they loved and finally convinced Jonesy to watch.
As much as Wyatt loved hanging out with the girls, he couldn't talk to them about the nerdier side of life. Nikki hated sci-fi, Caitlin considered Teen Titans an anime, Sydni thought Batman fought alongside the Avengers, and Jen would only touch a video game if it involved sports. He appreciated them in many regards, but they were not fluent in nerd culture.
Luckily, his boys were. In their younger years, Wyatt used to collect action figures (which Jonesy would try to rip open because he thought they were new and to be played with, causing Wyatt to cry for him to stop). Sometimes, when their parents arranged playdates for them, the boys' military figures would terrorize Jen's dolls. Nikki wouldn't care either way; she usually invested herself in the graphic novels from their elementary school's book fair.
As they grew older, Wyatt and Jude entered into the world of superhero comics. Jonesy would listen to them summarize the plot points, though he would occasionally read them, too. The three of them would discuss the moments that fascinated them, the theories that kept them awake at night, and the fictional heroines that ushered them into puberty.
Now, they traded their comic books sessions for science-fiction films, an obsession with the War Star Galaxy franchise, subtitled animes on illegal streaming sites, and glimpses of provocative fan art on social media.
"Hey, Jude," Jonesy started, "you down to smoke Friday night?"
"Hell yeah. What's the occasion?" Jude asked.
Of course, as the boys grew older, their interests changed in other ways. Jude fell in love with marijuana in all her forms and strains. Jonesy couldn't get high during hockey season, lest he get dismissed for failing one of their random drug tests, but that didn't prevent him from blazing away his two brain cells during the off-season.
"Nik told me the girls are all sneaking into some club on Friday—she said something about having a 'girls night'—and I haven't gotten high in forever, so, I figured, why not have a boys night in?"
"Wicked. My parents are going on a date night or somethin', so we can hang in my basement."
"Sweet."
Wyatt furrowed his brow. Were Jude and Jonesy really making plans in front of him? His mother taught him to never do such a thing, and now he knew why. Sure, their plans had to do with weed, but he found it insulting.
"Hey," Wyatt interjected, "what if I wanted to hang out with you guys Friday?"
Jude and Jonesy looked at him, then at each other. They burst into laughter.
He frowned throughout the duration of their laughing fit. Now he felt doubly disrespected.
Once their laughter subsided, Jonesy calmed and asked, "Oh, wait, you were for real?"
"Yes, I was for real. I want to hang out with you guys on Friday, too. I don't want to be the only one without plans."
Jonesy brought the side of his hand to his neck, making a slashing gesture. "You're not gonna wanna hang, dude. Me and Jude are gonna get high as hell and see where the night takes us. That's not your thing."
Perhaps Wyatt wanted to comprehend the hype behind marijuana. Was it a miracle? Why did his boys love it so much? How would it affect him? Would it help with his creativity? After all, plenty of musicians he admired admitted to smoking for inspiration.
His two best friends laughing in his face—especially Jonesy—made his blood boil in his veins. It made him indignant.
"Maybe I want to try it and see if it is my thing," he bit.
Jonesy smirked, calm and complacent. "Fine, then we'll see you on Friday night."
"Fine. I'll be there."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Friday night saw Caitlin styling the blonde hair that swept her shoulders. As she carefully unraveled her curling iron, separating it from the section of hair she curled, she hummed along to the bubblegum song playing on her speaker. If she wasn't curling her hair, she would have twirled and sang around the room in Disney-princess fashion.The prospect of getting better (and getting lit) tonight tickled her. She needed to drink, dance, and deliberate about Benj. She had no clue what she would do, but she hoped to stumble upon an answer as the night progressed.After finishing her hair, touching up her makeup, and throwing on her party clothes, she spotted headlights from her bedroom window. It appeared to be Sydni's car. Earlier in the girls' group chat, they had decided Sydni would be the one to get Jen and Nikki, given that she and Jen resided in the same neighborhood, Jonesy took his and Jen's shared car before she could protest, and Nikki only lived ten minutes away from them.At Jen's behest, the girls met at Caitlin's mansion; it left the smallest possibility of their plans being foiled by parents. Her dad left for a weekend-long business trip this morning, while her mother left to attend a reunion with her sorority sisters. (Caitlin longed to do the same someday.)Thus, Sydni, Nikki, and Jen came to her place under the guise of a sleepover. Caitlin wanted to pick them up one-by-one in her car, but Jen pointed out all the cracks that would cause that plan to crumble. First of all, they would be out until the middle of the night—way beyond their respective curfews. Second, their parents would notice if they came back potentially inebriated or reeking of smoke and liquor. Third, they would be grounded forever. There were other countless factors that Jen had detailed and Sydni had added onto, both of their cautious natures prevailing. After all, the girls already had fake IDs (which Jonesy had given to them earlier that day at the mall). The last thing they needed was for their families to find out about it.Caitlin came downstairs and swung open one of the double-doors, letting them in. As they gathered inside, she asked them, "So, do I look like a Camille yet?""I don't know any Camilles, but I do know you look really poppin'," Sydni said."Yeah, you look good, Blondie," Nikki added."Aww, thanks." Her cheeks flushed. "You guys like great, too!"And they did. Nikki wore navy sneakers, black leggings, and a purple tee with a distressed back, which impressed Caitlin since Nikki seldom wore anything revealing; she also liked Nikki's purposely tousled hair and smoky purple lipstick. Sydni, on the other hand, wore her hair in a ponytail, large silver hoops, a halter bodysuit, mid-rise jeans, and sneakers. Jen sported a messy bun (not unlike her style of choice at school dances), a tank top, jeans, and sneakers. Caitlin realized she was the only girl brave enough to wear heels. She also noticed Jen shifting in her stance."You okay, Jen?" Caitlin asked."As okay as I can be," she replied in a monotone voice."Jen, for the last time, we are not getting busted tonight," Nikki stated."I'll believe it when the night's over," she mumbled.Nikki threw her arms in the air, frustrated from apparently having this conversation before. A moment later, she lamented, "Ugh, I need to a drink to take the edge off.""Ooh! That reminds me!" Caitlin exclaimed before rushing to her kitchen and retrieving a glass bottle adorned in a fancy label. "I found some Château Brittany we can drink!""English, Blondie.""It's a French white wine. I got it from my parents' wine closet, but I know they won't miss it. It tastes amazing.""Wine closet," Sydni stated in disbelief. "Wine. Closet.""Yes, you heard that correctly," Nikki said. "It caught me off-guard the first time she said it, too.""Caitlin, how many rooms are in this house?" Sydni asked with her brow furrowed in disbelief.She put a finger on her lip as she pondered the question. "Um, I kinda lost track.""Wow," Sydni mouthed.Nikki snorted. "Someone should get Jude to count." She then paused, considering something. "You know, I'll drink whatever I can get my hands on tonight, so I'll take you up on that wine, Blondie… Nikita's trying to get fucked up tonight," she said, referring to the name on her fake ID.Jen flipped. "You just told me in the car that you wouldn't do anything reckless tonight!""Relax, mom. I'm only exaggerating. I don't plan on getting shit-faced. Shit-faced isn't exactly fun."Nikki wasn't wrong about the repulsion of total inebriation. Caitlin recalled her first brunch with drunkenness. After too many glasses of sangria punch, she laughed too hard at a handsome boy's joke while drinking and snorted it onto him. She became the joke of the evening."If you say so," Jen said to Nikki, not sounding assured.Seemingly content with Jen's answer, Nikki asked, "So whose car are we taking: Barbie's or Bambi's?""We should take Caitlin's," Jen said. "If we take hers and leave Sydni's behind, we can use that as an alibi. After all, our parents think we carpooled with her to get here." (This was a half-truth, given that they all planned on spending the night at Caitlin's place before going home the next day)."Makes sense," Sydni said."Yeah, that's a good cover," Caitlin added.Once they settled upon that, Jen sighed. "So, I guess I'm the DD for tonight, huh?""I mean, I'm not a drinker, so I can drive there if you wanna drive back?" Sydni replied."Sounds good to me," she said, still unconvinced that the night wouldn't burst into flames.However, no one bothered to note Jen's tone aloud. Instead, they decided to leave in Caitlin's car and proceed to the club.When indignant and challenged by Jonesy, Wyatt wanted to know the allure of weed. He sought to understand why his friends and esteemed artists loved it so much.Now, after he rang the doorbell and waited on Jude's front steps, he chastised himself. He wondered what he had gotten himself into.If only he hadn't stooped down to Jonesy's level, then he would be at home working on the lyrics and composition of his songs. Though he had lamented that he didn't want to be alone, that was the lonely boy within him crying out—the one who wanted to be around his guy friends because he spent so much time around his three older sisters. The refined young man within him just wanted to be at home honing his craft. He didn't fit the mold for drugs. He should have been working on music and calling his girlfriend, not stooping around with the boys.Wyatt facepalmed himself upon a realization: Oh, man. What if I have an asthma attack?Though he hadn't had one since middle school, he'd left his inhaler in a bedroom drawer. What if his asthma returned as he smoked? What if his chest tightened and he couldn't breathe and he passed out in Jude's basement? His parents would surely find out and lock him in the house for life—if he wasn't dead by then. Then again, he knew that incurring the wrath of two no-nonsense, Afro-Caribbean parents would make him wish for the sweet release of death.Seeing that neither of his friends had come to the door yet, Wyatt glanced over his shoulder at his car parked on the street. He could make a break for it.He would make a break for it.Wyatt walked down the small set of concrete stairs, almost trekking into the driveway until a smug voice asked, "Leaving so soon? We haven't even had fun yet."He froze in his tracks. He then turned around, facing Jonesy as he hung out of the front doorway with a shitty grin."I was just gonna get something from my car," he said."Sure you were," Jonesy replied, that grin never leaving his face."You know what? It's not important," he said in a deflated tone as he walked towards Jude's house again."That's the spirit," Jonesy said while he held the door for Wyatt.He sighed in surrender. He just hoped he wouldn't die tonight.It took forever for the girls to find a parking space. Sydni circled the block five times to find a spot, asking Jen to look out for her if a spot opened up. Nikki and Caitlin sat in the backseat, trying to help find spaces as well, but the white wine rendered them useless in that regard.Once they found a spot, they parked and walked to Soundboard with their fake IDs in tow."This line is atrocious. Are you sure we'll be able to get in for free?" Jen asked, referring to the club's policy to let women in without charge before 10pm."Oh, we'll totally get in," Caitlin replied. "It's probabubbly just guys holding the line up. Y'know, since they have to pay and all.""'Probabubbly'? That's new," Sydni noted."It's probabubbly because someone had too much bubbly," Jen replied. "If we're gonna get in without being busted, you two should keep the talking to a minimum.""I guarantee there's plenty of people here that are hammered already. It's pregaming for a reason. We'll blend right in," Nikki said."Because we blended in so well the last time," Jen muttered.Nikki side-eyed her, but kept her mouth shut.They all stood in line for a while, conversing about the night, complaining about the wait, and checking out the scene before making their way to the door.A large man greeted them at the entrance. His muscles weren't veiny or bulging like the bouncers depicted in movies and shows. He didn't look like an ex-wrestler (or an ex-con). However, his size and definition managed to intimidate Sydni and Jen. Caitlin and Nikki, on the other hand, remained calm and collected as they showed him their IDs.After a few tense moments, he ushered Camille Clarke, Nikita Wu, Janine MacArthur, and Sarah Simms into the club for free. They barely made the cut-off (to Jen's audible fear), but they made it regardless.Upon going inside, Caitlin felt a rush of adrenaline, warmth, and wine through her veins. She buzzed with entrancement as she looked around the club. She gaped as if they had entered another dimension. Bright neon lights, several lounge rooms, a packed bar, a huge dance floor, and steps to a second floor greeted her.Though she regarded the club they snuck into last year as cool, this one enthralled her."This place is amazing," she exclaimed over explosive EDM."It certainly is something," Jen said as she looked around in bewilderment.Caitlin saw this scene still made her uneasy, so she grabbed Jen's hands, exclaiming, "Come on! Let's go dancing!"Before Jen could reply, Caitlin swept her away and onto the dancefloor. Nikki and Sydni looked at each other, shrugged, and then followed their friends onto the floor.Jen remained rigid, unwilling to express herself and give into the beat.While initially remaining stiff like Jen, Sydni eased into the rhythm and liberated her body.As Nikki moved, her buzz influenced the way she gyrated her hips."Wow, Nikki, you've got rhythm!" Sydni said before dropping it low."Mother made me take ballet," Nikki said. "I guess it paid off."Caitlin danced in her own dream world, giddy and jumping around off-beat. She pumped her fists in the air, merely excited to be alive. The white wine helped her worldview. Then it hit her: "Guys, I gotta go pee.""Breaking the seal already, Blondie?" Nikki asked."Huh?""It's when you pee for the first time when you're drunk. After that, you won't be able to stop.""Wait, really?""Uh huh. It happens to me sometimes. It's a bitch."The girls escorted Caitlin to the bathroom, letting her break the proverbial seal. After relieving herself and washing her hands, she went to get paper towels when a pair of clear heels and a pair of heeled gladiator sandals caught her attention."Oooh, I love your shoes!" Caitlin said once she looked up at the people the shoes belonged to.The gladiator heels belonged to a woman with brown skin, burgundy hair in a messy braid, and a black strapless dress. The clear heels belonged to a woman with pale skin, dirty-blonde hair, a blue bandeau, and a blue miniskirt."Thank you!" the women chorused."Your outfit is so cute! You're really stylish," the gladiator girl said."Yeah, you look stun," the other girl added."Aww, thank you!" Caitlin said. "You two seem super sweet.""So do you!" the girl in the clear heels said. "My name's Camryn.""And I'm Callista," the girl in the gladiator boots said."OMG, my name's Caitlin!""No way!" Camryn cried."No way is right," Jen said before whispering in Caitlin's ear. "What happened to the fake names? Are we not using them all night?""Oh." Caitlin processed Jen's tone and remembered to keep her voice hush when discussing illegal matters. "I thought we just needed them to get in.""Well, we're talking to strangers. I assumed we'd keep it up for strangers.""Relax, silly. If I'm buzzed, they must be kinda hammered.""Is everything okay?" Callista asked, breaking them away from their sidebar conversation."We're fine. Everything's totally fine," Jen said, sounding rigid and anxious."Yep!" Caitlin agreed, sounding upbeat and amused. "Oh! I almost forgot! These are my friends: Jen, Sydni, and Nikki!""It's so nice to meet you guys! Me and Camryn have been dying to meet people all night!" Callista said. "You guys look like so much fun! Can we hang with you guys?""Yeah, can they, Jen?" Caitlin pleaded.All three girls stared at Jen with inebriated puppy-dog eyes.Jen cracked a Stepford smile as she strained, "Sure.""Yay!" Caitlin exclaimed. "Let's go, girls!"Caitlin and her new bathroom fashion friends sprinted back into the club with glee. Sydni, Jen, and Nikki trailed behind.Nikki snorted. "Drunk bitch bonding at its finest."When Jen wasn't frowning upon the hedonism that consumed the clubgoers, she spent the night warning her friends."Should you really be drinking more?" she asked as she watched Caitlin and Nikki down a couple tequila shots at the bar. After all, they'd imbibed enough in the car."Don't let him hit on you! You're underage, remember?" she whispered harshly into Caitlin's ear after a guy tried to woo her."I know you said you're not much of a drinker, but please don't drink tonight," she reminded Sydni. "I don't want to be the only sober one.""Are you sure we should be hanging with these girls?" she asked her friends when Caitlin's "bathroom besties" weren't paying attention. "What's gonna happen if they sober up and start asking questions?"She wanted to be the one asking questions before anyone else got the chance. What made them think their new friends of the night didn't have the power to rat them out? Just because they were intoxicated didn't meant they would stay silent, nor did it mean they couldn't find out. Inebriation would make it harder, yes, but not impossible."Okay, what's your deal?" Nikki asked, retrieving her from her thoughts."What are you talking about?" she replied, her brow furrowing."You've been doing nothing but complaining the whole night, and, when you're not complaining, you're moping around, and it's pissing me off.""Well, excuse me for not having fun when any moment we could get busted and arrested! I don't know about you, but being escorted into the back of a police car—especially my dad's—doesn't exactly tickle me."Yes, her father demonstrated lenience and kindness,—and it helped that Jen had disciplined herself at an early age—but he wouldn't appreciate his daughter being two years too underaged in a downtown nightclub with her drunk friends and even drunker strangers because Caitlin just had to make friends with randoms."Stop acting like we're involved in white-collar crime, Jen. At least we're not"—Nikki ran a finger between her nose and upper lip—"like those bitches in the bathroom."So Jen wasn't the only one who saw girls snorting white lines sink-side. Didn't they know that it could be laced with fentanyl or potentially stop their hearts or collapse their nose? She'd seen enough episodes of Cops to know. Cocaine-related banter aside, she retorted, "Even if we're not like those girls in the bathroom, we're not exactly on the right side of the law. We could go down at any second.""And you don't think I know that already?" Nikki asked with her arms crossed and eyebrows lowered. "But just because we could get busted at any second doesn't mean I'm gonna spend my whole night wondering 'when' we're gonna get caught. I've got better ways to spend my time." Before Jen could respond, Nikki continued, "Besides, why would you come with us if you knew you'd be uncomfortable? You could've backed out anytime. I'm not Jonesy; I'm not gonna pressure you into doing anything you don't wanna. You should know that about me by now.""Maybe I didn't want to be left out," Jen mumbled in a defeated voice. However, her tone became defiant as she said, "And, even though you're not the peer-pressure type, you're always so… so… nonchalant. Sometimes you can be so apathetic about the wrong things. It's like you don't care about the bigger picture or the little details sometimes.""I may not have my entire life written down in a journal with numbered pages, but I think about everything, so don't tell me that I don't think about the little things. For someone with so much foresight, arguing near people about being underage is a surefire way to get us busted. I thought you of all people would have accounted for that."Jen's jaw dropped, but nothing came out. She appeared dumbfounded."Yeah, I thought so," she said before turning around almost walking away."Nikki, wait!" Caitlin said."Where are you going?" Sydni asked."I'm going to the bathroom to be by myself… or, at least, as alone as I can be. Don't worry: I'll text you guys when I get there." Though Jen couldn't make eye contact, she felt Nikki's eyes on her as she hissed, "After all, I know how to be responsible. See you guys in a little bit."With that, she left.After Nikki stormed off, Jen kept silent, especially after finding out the girls Caitlin met in the bathroom were also underaged. She avoided eye contact and shifted in her stance to the music.Unfortunately, this left Sydni with a limited range of people to socialize with, as she spoke to Jen the most throughout the night; the two of them had bonded over maintaining sober and being cautious people. However, Sydni was more willing blend into the scene than Jen. Tonight made Sydni uneasy too,—the most illegal things she'd ever done was download music for free and stream movies on sketchy sites—but she wanted to give it a chance. It wouldn't hurt to move her hips to the pulsating music. Dancing was the only thing she could do now that Nikki fled the scene, Jen wouldn't speak, and Caitlin kept Callista and Camryn company.While dropping it low to Usher on the dance floor, she felt a buzz in her back pocket. She stood up and grabbed her phone. She hoped to God it wasn't her parents. If they found out, they might ground her until hell froze over. She knew her parents, mainly her father, wanted her to live a little, but not to the point where they had to bail her out.After checking who texted her, goosebumps pricked her skin. While joyful that it wasn't her parents, she didn't anticipate Alejandro.Hey morenita. Been thinking about u.If u give me another chance, I promise I'll treat u right. U deserve it.Her head spun. She didn't know what to make of it.Though she hated to interrupt Caitlin and her friends' tipsy ecstasy, she asked, "Um, you guys mind following me? I need advice."They followed her near the lounges, where it was less raucous, where Nikki and Jen had argued earlier."Um, so… Alejandro kinda texted me," she said."OMG, what?!" Caitlin shouted."Who's Alejandro?" Callista asked."This guy I liked," Sydni said. "He says he wants me to give him another chance. Is it… bad that I'm considering it?""No," Caitlin said as her bathroom friends exclaimed, "Yes!""Wait what?" Caitlin asked."Bitch, these are booty-call hours," Callista slurred."If a guy's hitting you up this late, he's not thinking about you. He's thinking 'bout getting ass," Camryn explained."If he really wanted you, he'd see you in-person and be a man about it. As matter of fact…" Callista snatched Sydni's phone before she could do anything. She typed something and hit the send button, sending Sydni into panic mode when Callista returned her phone. "There."Sydni read the text over and over with wide eyes, not only lamenting the harshness of it, but also how many drunken typos pervaded it.
do i look like i talk to guys who hmu this late?
if u really want me so bad then u needa strt by doing better
"I'm gonna throw up," she lamented to herself, wondering how many times could something end before it could begin.Wyatt walked to Jude's basement with Jonesy trailing behind him. He could feel the self-satisfaction radiating from Jonesy. After all, he had convinced Wyatt in a few words to stay and brave it out.On the bright side, the sounds of Ariel Pink greeted him. Jude and his calm demeanor also welcomed Wyatt as he made his way down."Glad ya made it, bro," he said as he pointed playful finger guns at Wyatt.Being around him made the tension in his shoulders dissipate. However, his mind remained tightly wound. "Thanks." He took a seat on the floor across from Jude, just as Jonesy sat adjacent to both of them. "Listen, I want to stay and hang with you guys, but I'm not sure if I should smoke, since I'm asthmatic and all.""It's okay. I know you're afraid of heights, man, but gettin' high isn't about physically being up high. You're only on top of the world in your mind," Jude elaborated, tapping on his temple as if his brain contained all of life's answers."No, Jude, I was talking about having asthma, not acrophobia.""Oh. Well, I got some edibles, so that way you don't have to smoke anything.""Really?" He tried not to sound distraught, but it slipped into his tone."Yeah, really," Jonesy said, appearing mischievous like a Cheshire cat. "You can get nice and high without any risk." Any danced on his tongue. He saw through Wyatt's cop-out.Wyatt's mouth ran dry. He forgot that edibles existed. Damn it all, he thought he finally found a way out of this situation. He wanted to leave, but Jonesy eyeing him compelled him to stay."Oh, okay," he forced himself to say as Jude presented him with something wrapped in aluminum foil. As he peeled the foil back and peered at its contents, he found brownies. If he didn't know they were laced with weed, he would have mistaken them for normal ones.While Jude reached for his joint (or blunt—Wyatt didn't know the distinction), he felt Jonesy's eyes on him. Thus, he broke off a brownie corner and brought it to his mouth. He parted his lips and put it in his mouth, closing it and assessing the taste. It didn't taste abnormal. In fact, it was very fudgy. Perhaps its intense chocolate flavor ensured the marijuana couldn't be tasted.Overall, he enjoyed the corner he sampled.He looked up to find Jonesy distracted by the joint-blunt-whatever between his lips. With eyes closed, he inhaled and let the smoke caress his lungs, then exhaled and let it fill the air.Wyatt smelled it, recognizing it as the skunky odor that always chased Jude. However, it was magnified. Not used to being around it, he coughed. At the few parties he had attended, he avoided the people passing weed around, so he never had been in its immediate vicinity."Ugh, it's been so long," Jonesy said, his eyes still closed. He seemed entranced. Wyatt figured weed's effects were not that instantaneous; thus, the act of smoking itself might have caused Jonesy's delight.However, given that weed didn't act instantly, Wyatt wondered when his edible would. When would he feel the effects of this seemingly normal dessert? How did smoking weed contrast with eating it?"Jude," he started, "when do edibles usually kick in?""I dunno. It kinda varies. Like, if I haven't had anything it eat, I start feelin' it in a half-hour, tops. But if I pigged out before, it takes me about an hour.""Oh, okay."He didn't eat much today, so maybe he would feel it sooner than he thought. As he watched Jonesy and Jude pass their joint-blunt-whatever (or was it a spliff?) back and forth, he eyed the brownie he'd broken. It didn't taste bad at all and, judging by his friends' relaxed demeanors, he'd be fine.He broke another piece and ate it. Then another. Then another. Before he knew it, only a corner of the brownie remained, but he didn't want anymore. He liked chocolate, but he could only eat so much of it in one sitting. He felt bad that he didn't eat the entire thing, though. He didn't want to be wasteful. After all, he heard weed wasn't a cheap hobby. (Then again, Jude seemed to have an unlimited supply over the years. Then again, he also had two jobs. They were part-time and minimum-wage, but they were jobs nonetheless.)Wyatt wrapped the corner and the whole brownie he didn't touch in the aluminum foil, setting it aside in case the boys wanted some."You feel it yet?" Jude asked. His eyes reddened. His drooped with stoned bliss.Wyatt assessed his own state. He didn't feel any different. "No, not yet.""Lemme know when you do.""Okay." His eyes darted towards Jonesy. "You're awfully quiet."He removed the joint from his mouth. Smoke rolled from his parted lips. "Dude, I'm happy as shit." He let out a couple dumb chuckles.Jude did the same.Wyatt eyed them curiously. It was like they spoke their own simple, stupid, spaced-out language. He wondered how many brain cells died tonight and if he should mourn them.As time marched onward, Wyatt began feeling… odd. He couldn't pinpoint when the high hit him, but, once it did, it didn't let go of him. Life didn't feel real. Time trudged instead of flying. As Tame Impala played, the guitar riffs stretched infinitely. His mouth felt drier than the Atacama Desert. His temperature shifted, rivaling that of the Sahara."Anyone else feel really hot?" he asked while tugging at his collar. "Like, really, really hot?"Jonesy shook his head. "Nah.""Me neither," Jude said. "I'm feelin' as cool as a… What's that thing people usually say?""Ceiling fan," Jonesy offered."Yeah… Wait, no, it's somethin' else. It's like a fruit or somethin'."Jonesy sat and silently deliberated. "Dude, I got it: cantaloupe.""That's it!" Jude said.Wyatt heard their conversation and knew it was all wrong, but he couldn't correct them when he felt all wrong. His senses had distorted, not in a hallucinogenic way, but in a manner that stunted what he could do. His sight and coordination felt warped. Life looked like a series of snapshots rather than one continuous image, not to mention the images were sharper and brighter than his normal vision. His body worked in slow motion. His depth perception left him."I'm feeling really hot right now," he said through his cotton mouth.He'd never desired water and fresh air more than he did right now.He needed it. He needed hydration. He needed to breathe.He stumbled onto his feet, grabbing the hem of his shirt and attempting to peel it off his body. After a couple moments of struggle, he pried it off and tossed it onto the carpet."Dude, what are you doing?" he heard Jonesy ask. He couldn't comprehend it, though. His voice sounded distant. Detached.Instead, he looked across the room and recognized the basement's fridge. Ignoring his confused friends, he plodded in its direction and opened it, grabbing the first bottle of water that he saw. Eureka.He opened it with haste and chugged it. With his head tilted back as he drank, most of it missed his mouth and dripped down his chin onto his torso. He didn't mind. It soothed his burning body and dehydrated mouth. However, he needed more.When he finished downing the first bottle and tossed it to the ground, he grabbed another. This time, instead of opening it, he proclaimed that he needed the summer air.With his water bottle in hand, he stumbled to the back door which led to Jude's backyard. After he ran out into the open air with his water bottle in hand, he set it down to kick off his shoes and take off his pants.Minutes later, when he succeeded in taking off his clothes,—remaining in his boxers and socks—he opened the water and poured it all over himself, reveling in its chill. It complemented the hazy summer air.He soared light years away from earth. His mind amplified alarming thoughts about being caught, but his body felt too lax to care. Fog enshrouded his better judgment and his motor controls. Once he plopped down into the cool grass, he let his body buzz and his mind rattle with the paranoia he could not physically fight.Jonesy looked at the open back door, then at Jude. "Dude, what the hell is up with him?""I dunno, but he's tweaking." Jude scratched his stubbly chin. "I can kinda relate, though. Every time I was too high, I went outta my mind."After a long moment, Jonesy's eyes narrowed. "Wait a second: how much of that brownie did he eat?"Jude reached over and grabbed the foil-wrapped edibles. After unwrapping the foil, he exclaimed, "Holy shit!"Jonesy leaned over and saw only a corner of Wyatt's brownie left. "Holy shit is right! No wonder he's tripping!""Damn, he's screwed.""Super screwed.""Dude.""Jude."After the two of them fist-bumped and grinned, Jude said, "Okay, we seriously gotta help him. I've been too high before, and it's not fun. Everything is super overwhelming, and then you start googling if you can die from weed, and then you wonder if that'll tip off the feds, and then you get all paranoid and stuff.""How'd you calm down?"Jude sat in silence, thinking. "Dang, I really don't remember, but we gotta come up with something, though. Can't just leave him hanging."Jonesy racked his foggy brain, hoping to find a solution to their problem. Which of his friends would come through for him? Who else had multiple experiences with weed?Caitlin confided in him that she'd smoked once or twice before, but she didn't mention anything about a bad experience. Jen never touched any substance ever, not even champagne when Emma offered her a sip around the holidays. (Lame, he thought.) Sydni stayed away from substances, too. However, it sounded like some of her friends from Baltimore didn't. Perhaps he could ask her to ask them."Who did I miss?" he asked aloud."I miss Starr. I really needa take her out soon. Maybe we can go laser-tagging or something.""Shit, we could ask Nikki!" he exclaimed, ignoring Jude's spoken thoughts. "She's been high a few times, and she told me one of them was super shitty!""Then what are we waiting for? Call her!"Jonesy grabbed his phone. "I'm trying!" He proceeded to hit each button slowly, relearning how to open his contacts app and find her number. Though he knew it by heart, the cloud of smoke obscured it from memory. Minutes later, he called her and, as the dial tone sounded, he said, "Okay, I've got it. I've got it. Everything's under control."Nikki loved Jen. An argument wouldn't compromise that. They'd argued before. That's what sisters (in everything but blood) did. However, she could do without Jen's know-it-all nature. It pissed her off that Jen of all people—the person she'd known the longest—would underestimate her. For Jen to accuse her of being short-sighted, her own short-sightedness prevailed. For someone so concerned with getting in trouble, arguing about being illegal in a nightclub packed with people wasn't one of Jen's smartest moves.Nikki didn't want to think about this anymore. It already killed her buzz and sobered her up. She just wanted to go to the bathroom, relax for a few minutes, and text her boyfriend to see what he was up to.On her way to the bathroom, however, she blindly bumped into somebody."My bad. Didn't mean to— Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed after realizing who she ran into."Nice to see you too, Nikki," Stone said with a smirk.Her brow furrowed. "Oh, I am not drunk enough for this."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Oh, I am not drunk enough for this."When Nikki had said that guys had godawful timing the other day, she didn't lie. In fact, the universe validated her statement by presenting her with Stone.Brushing her snarky comment aside, he asked, "How are you? It's not everyday I see my ex in a club, so I guess I should ask."She crossed her arms. "Annoyed now that you're around. Why are you here anyways?"She wanted to ask if he stalked her during her misery. After all, he seemed to appear at her most inopportune moments last semester."I'm with a couple of friends," he replied."So am I. So, where's your little girlfriend? Fifi, right?""Mimi. And she's with someone else. We broke up.""Gasp. I can't believe it.""Still as sardonic as ever, huh? You haven't changed.""Still popping up when I least expect it, huh? You haven't either."He chuckled. "I've gotta say: You and your temper are still attractive. You've always had a way with words, Nikki.""Oh, no—I'm stopping you right there. You don't get to take my virginity, dump me, and then flirt with me when your relationship goes to shit. I'm taken, so you should take the hint."Before he could respond, she pushed past him and went to the bathroom. She then texted the girls to let them know that she ran into somebody unexpected and that she would tell them about it when she came back from the bathroom. She just needed to be by herself (in a room full of drunk and high bitches) for a moment.She leaned against the wall with her arms and attitude crossed.She couldn't believe his gall. He deserved a special place in hell for being horrible in bed, trying to dump her via her best friend, breaking up with the ex he dumped her for, thinking of her as broken without him, and hitting on her when he was the broken one. He was such a slimy motherfu—Buzz. Buzz.In the middle of her mental lashings, her phone vibrated her back pocket. She grabbed it and saw Jonesy's name and photo fill her screen. The thought of him calmed her. Though she harbored resentment towards her ex, the drama surrounding him did make her realize that she wanted to be with Jonesy, who had soothed her after Stone stirred her with rage. Jonesy remained there for her in the aftermath.After accepting the call and holding the device to her ear, she asked, "Hello?""Babe, I'm so high right now.""Really? I'm kinda drunk." (However, her argument with Jen and run-in with Stone made her sober up.)He snickered. "Hey, if I'm high and you're drunk, you know what that makes us?""What?""Crossfaded."She burst into stupid giggles—the kind that made her shoulders jump in amusement. Despite it being a lame joke, plenty of corny things tickled her while inebriated. She heard him laughing on the other line as well, obviously influenced by his high state.Once her fit subsided, she asked, "So, did you call for anything, or did you only wanna crack jokes?""Oh, yeah… So, me and Jude kinda have a situation."She furrowed her brow despite his inability to see it. "What happened?""Um, we accidentally got Wyatt super high off an edible, and we need your help."Her eyebrows shot up. She blinked once. "I'm sorry—what?"
I'm drunker than I thought.
"I'll explain everything later, but, um, yeah. Wyatt's super high and we're tryna take care of him. So, you've been too high before, right?"Though her shock remained, she mustered, "Yeah. I had too much of a brownie and that shit snuck up on me.""Okay, 'cause he did the same thing.""Yikes. If I felt like I was gonna lose it, I know he's probably going out of his mind.""Yeah, he kinda is. So what'd you do to calm down?"She searched her brain for the incident. "Um, Jude made me keep drinking water. My mouth was insanely dry, so it helped me." She stopped to think. Another detail hit her. "Oh, and, every ten minutes, he kept telling me that things would be fine. It really helped hearing it from someone else, because I remember being paranoid and twitchy. It felt like my body was vibrating. Like, I really thought I'd fly away. I couldn't calm myself down for shit, so he helped keep me down to earth. Does that help?""Does it? That's exactly what I needed. You're a lifesaver." He paused. "Damn, I love you, baby. We gotta get high together sometime.""Love you too, Jonesy." She smiled. "So, our couples' bucket list consists of clubbing and getting high, huh?""And some other things, too. I just can't think of 'em right now."A chuckle escaped her lips. "Of course you can't. Then again, I really can't either." She supposed she remained tipsy at the very least. A haze still surrounded her brain. "You're lucky I remembered that time I tripped on that brownie.""Hell yeah, I am. Anyways, gotta go. Thanks, babe.""Anytime.""Bye.""Okay, dude," Jonesy started as he put his phone in his pocket, "Nikki said to make sure we give Wyatt water. And she said something else, too. Hmm…"Jude tittered. "Dude, that's like a tongue-twister.""What is?""We give Wyatt water."After pondering it deeply, Jonesy snickered. "Oh, shit. It kinda is.""Betcha can't say it three times fast." Jude's voice sped up. "We give Wyatt water. We gift whiter water. Weed killer Wyatt water… Damn, I can't even say it."The two burst into dumb laughter."You said weed killer, man," Jonesy exclaimed through his laughter. Once his laughing subsided, he said, "Oh, shit, I remembered the other thing Nik told me.""What?""We gotta tell him everything's gonna be okay. She said you calmed her down by telling her that she'd be fine and that her high wasn't permanent.""Oh, yeah.""So now we gotta go get Wyatt."Neither of them moved."Okay, now we gotta get Wyatt," Jonesy reiterated.They remained seated on Jude's basement floor, staring at one another."Wanna wait a few minutes? I don't feel like movin'," Jude said."Yeah, that works."Duty chased Jen around. She couldn't help that. She followed her father's example. Every time she strayed from her moral compass, she felt like a dirty disappointment. Her strong sense of responsibility didn't render her immune to screwing up. Yes, she had stolen an overpriced jacket from the Penalty Box to impress Carson, a boy whose name she shouldn't even recall. Yes, she had allowed her envy of her older sister to affect her judgment. Yes, she had goofed off at work after finding out her flawless career-aptitude test result. However, after all of these things, she realized her error, repented, and recentered herself.Yes, she strayed, but not for long.Lately, with all these responsibilities on her back,—assuming the role of senior-class president, striving to become the assistant manager at the Penalty Box, preparing for university applications, looking at the material for her senior-year classes in advance—she kicked her focus into overdrive. She couldn't afford to make mistakes that would sabotage her progress. Going to the club felt like a regression. She didn't want her aspirations to unravel because of one night. One false move, and she'd be taken down.A few weeks ago, she relaxed at Jonesy's pool party upon realizing that she wouldn't take the fall for it. She didn't choose to throw it. Tonight, however, she spent money on an illegal ID that she wouldn't need in less than two years. That implicated her.Ever since her argument with Nikki over a half-hour ago, she remained quiet. It didn't occur to her that she would be the one capable of taking herself and her friends down. When Nikki brought it to her attention, she immediately froze. Sydni always mentioned feeling like someone called "Booboo the Fool." While Jen didn't know who that was, she knew she felt like him (or her). She didn't realize she'd be their own undoing.She could've gotten them all caught during that argument if someone with a stronger compass overheard.She longed to redo the night. If presented with another chance, she would have released the tension in her shoulders more, danced without shame alongside Caitlin, tried white wine for the first time, engaged in conversation with Callista and Camryn, and discussed more than her bad nerves with Sydni. Most importantly, she would not have said what she said to Nikki.She knew she made a mistake as soon as the accusations flew out her mouth. Insinuating that Nikki was careless? A big screw-up. Though Nikki freed her inhibitions more than Jen, she also took everything seriously (except her job).If anything, Jen should have confessed how she longed to act like Nikki (and Caitlin, too). She envied their carefree natures. While Nikki didn't live for a good time like Jonesy, Jude, and Caitlin did, Nikki had no problem drinking, smoking, pranking, and dancing. An irreverent, sarcastic, and wonderfully dry sense of humor followed her.She could never be that person. Duty chased Jen into a corner. Lately, with the weight of her future crushing her, she couldn't fight it.Since childhood, she looked after herself. She knew to do her homework after coming home. She knew the chore schedule by heart, remembering when to do hers (and do extra). She wanted to do more for her mother, who frequently came home tired with plenty of papers to grade and lesson plans to prepare. Dealing with high schoolers drained her mom. She wanted to do more for her father, whom she saw less and less as she grew older and older because he worked longer and longer shifts for his police precinct.Besides, someone in her home had to become self-sufficient. Courtney had always been a social butterfly, relying on what other people could do for her. She let looks and charm reward her with opportunities. This, in combination with seeing her parents work hard, forged Jen into an independent busybee. She relied on her brawn and brains, knowing that beauty would fade.I would be the only person in a club thinking about my whole life story, she thought.Even when realizing that she might have been too tense for her own good, she still couldn't bring herself to relax."Hey," Sydni said, gaining her attention, "there can't be two nervous bitches in the club tonight.""Hmm?""I know your fight with Nikki's got you down, but it's just a little lonely out here when you're living in your head.""I'm sorry," Jen said. "I just… said things that I shouldn't have. I was so nervous about getting caught that I treated Nikki and Cait like they don't know any better."Children. She treated them like children. All night."They're actually pretty tame compared to one of my homegirls back home," Sydni said. "When she gets pissy drunk, she's the one who needs time-out, so I get where you're coming from. I've been in your shoes before. I'm scared of being underage around this stuff, too. But I wouldn't have gone if I didn't think Caitlin and Nikki wouldn't look out for us. If they were acting out of pocket, I would've stepped in by now… Or, at least, I would've tried to."Jen sighed. "You're right. I guess when I really think about it, they weren't that bad.""Yeah. Worst thing was when that sleazy guy tried to hit on Caitlin."She shuddered. "I am so glad she didn't let him get her number.""Me, too."She wished she didn't treat Nikki and Caitlin like inebriated infants. She truly acted like a mom when she shouldn't. It not only stressed her out to assume the role of a mother, but it also belittled her best friends' agency. She loved to give others guidance. She demonstrated care that way; she didn't foresee herself stopping anytime soon. Rather, she needed to learn whenher friends needed her guidance.Now that she stopped to think about it, the girls didn't need her help. The boys did—namely Jonesy and Jude. She loved them, but they defined hot mess. (At least Wyatt remained self-sufficient.)Then again, Nikki could handle Jonesy. Instead, she'd help Jude if the situation really called for it.What could she say? She liked to be needed.A while later, Jonesy and Jude decided to get Wyatt and bring him indoors again.He sat upright. After chugging some more water, he groaned. "I never should have come here.""Then why did you?" Jonesy asked."Don't act like you didn't pressure me into staying!" Wyatt snapped.Jonesy recoiled.He calmed down, then sighed. "I just felt left out as 'one of the boys.' I don't know if you guys have noticed, but you guys do some of the same things, like drink and party and smoke weed. And I don't." He frowned. "I miss when the three of us used to be super-tight. Like, I love my sisters and the girls, but hanging out with you guys was a break from being around as much estrogen. I miss when we used to play games more often or talk about comic books or do other things like that. Now that it's about weed and parties and sex and… other forms of hedonism, I don't feel as close anymore. So, yeah, that's why I joined you guys. You guys making plans in front of me reminded me of how much things've changed."He hung his head low after spilling his innermost thoughts to Jonesy and Jude. He couldn't gauge their reactions since he purposely avoided eye-contact, but he didn't expect much.A minute later, he heard a tiny I'm sorry, man. Wyatt met Jonesy's eyes, filled with redness and remorse.After texting the girls and finding out where they were, Nikki joined them again."Hey," she said after finding them, grabbing their attention.Caitlin ambushed her with a hug. "Nikki! You're okay!"She stood there with her arms down, not reciprocating, being squished by a size-zero. "Why wouldn't I be?" she strained."'Cause you left ages ago and I had no idea when you'd be back!""Barbie, I've only been gone a half-hour."Caitlin let her go. "Oh."Despite being crushed, Nikki understood where Caitlin came from. The passage of time felt different when drunk. That, and being by oneself as a girl in a club could spell disaster."Glad you were looking out for me, though," she said to Caitlin.Caitlin smiled. "Always."Once the moment between Caitlin and Nikki ended, Jen approached her.Nikki crossed her arms, wondering what she would say now. Would Jen accuse her of abandoning them? Would Jen lament that Caitlin had been a handful while Nikki went away? Would she complain about dropping it like it's hot being Sydni's go-to dance move? Would she critique Caitlin's bathroom friends for breathing?"Nikki, I'm so sorry about what I said," Jen said. "I shouldn't have said that you don't care about things. That couldn't be further from the truth."Great, now I'm an ass, she thought. At least she didn't voice her questions aloud and make the situation worse.Nikki sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping on you the way I did. I wanna say that it was the liquor talking, but it was really me. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I was frustrated as hell… but that wasn't the way to go about it.""I forgive you. I'm sorry for being a big Debbie Downer. I hope I didn't ruin tonight.""Jen,"—Nikki's lips lifted into a smile—"stop apologizing. I forgive you."Jen pulled her into a hug way gentler than Caitlin's. "I love you.""Love you too."Given that Nikki didn't contact her sister anymore and Jen envied her own for a while, the two of them regarded each other as sisters. Though things occasionally came between them,—like their fight over being in DawgToy's music video or Jen's middle-school crush on Jonesy—she remained grateful that nothing broke them. In fact, they grew stronger than ever."Aww, group hug!" Caitlin exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the two of them.Nikki laughed at her unrelenting bubbliness. She couldn't tell whether it emerged from tipsy Caitlin or regular Caitlin. Either way, she appreciated Caitlin as another sister, too. She'd had a tougher time taking to her, as her starkly different personality made it harder for Nikki to see a place for her. Despite certain incidents involving Hunter and Tricia, Caitlin really proved herself as a great friend.Nikki glanced at the gap between Jen and Caitlin's shoulders, finding Sydni staring anywhere but the group hug."Bambi," she started, "get your ass over here. It's a group hug for a reason."Sydni perked up, smiling on her way over as she gently wrapped her arms around everyone else."Thanks, Nikki," she said in a dulcet tone."Anytime," Nikki replied.Sydni was a timid yet endearing soul, someone as soft as Caitlin (or perhaps even softer). Given her boyfriend's penchant for arrogance, Jude's permanent residency on Cloud Nine, and Caitlin's affinity for pollyanna, Nikki enjoyed having another level friend within the group. Without knowing it, Sydni had joined the Sane Man Gang, accompanying her, Jen, and Wyatt."This is so beautiful," Callista said in an awestruck (and slurred) voice."I know right?" Camryn asked. "You guys are so beautiful!"Nikki snorted as she and the girls parted. "Thanks.""By the way," Jen started, "for the rest of the night, I promise to loosen up. I won't complain, I won't be uptight, and I won't make a big deal out of things."Self-awareness from Jen? That's new.Nikki crossed her arms. "Sounds like a lot. Sure you can handle it?"She nodded. "I've handled worse.""True. Well, here's to Fun Jen making an appearance.""Here here!" Caitlin exclaimed."Did you drink more when I left?" Nikki mused.She laughed a couple dumb giggles. "Just a teenser," she replied, holding her index finger and thumb close together. A moment later, she asked, "Hey, didn't you have something to tell us? You texted about running into somebody, right?""Yeah, who'd you see?" Jen asked.Nikki groaned at the thought of her ex. "Ugh, of all people, I ran into Stone."Caitlin gasped. "What?!""Who's Stone?" Callista asked."Nikki's ex-boyfriend. He was her first.""Caitlin!" Nikki snapped."Oopsie," she said, flushing after spilling her friend's business."Anyways, what happened? What did he say?" Jen asked."He was trying to hit on me and shit, but I shut him down. I told him there's no way in hell that I want him back, not after the shit he pulled before we broke up," Nikki explained."Was it the closure you never got?" Caitlin asked.Recalling the run-in aggravated her, but she simmered down. "Closure is a lie, but it did make me feel better. It means there's one less grudge for me to hold." A snort followed her sentence."Well," Caitlin started, "I think you just helped me make my decision about Benj.""How so?"She shrugged. "Just hearing about you running into your ex and hearing about how you handled it. As much as I wanted Benj to be The One, I don't wanna be with The One I've Been with Twice. And I definitely don't want The One That Tricia's Been With. I just wanna be able to shop at A&F in peace.""Ladies, I think we just had a breakthrough," Nikki joked.Jude's basement remained deafeningly silent save for Jonesy's hushed apology."If it makes a difference, dude, I actually kinda look up to you," Jonesy confessed."Really?" Wyatt asked, genuinely taken aback."Yeah. You're really good with chicks, man. You've got all your sisters and your mom and the girls," he said, referring to Nikki, Jen, Caitlin, and Sydni at the end. "Before Jen and her fam came along, you know how it was just me, my dad, and my brothers, so the only chicks I really knew were her and Nikki. I'm still tryna figure out this stuff. Shit, me and Nik didn't even stay friends, so it's not like I have that many girls that are just friends."That was true. Despite Jonesy's flirtatious ways (or perhaps because of them), he didn't have many female friends. Jen, Caitlin, Sydni, and sometimes Joanie were the only girls Jonesy interacted with on a friendly basis. Even he and Nikki turned their platonic relationship into a romantic one.Maybe Jonesy chased girls romantically instead of platonically to fill a void. After all, his mom was absent for a majority of his life…Wyatt realized how many differences separated him from Jonesy. Wyatt looked up to his three older sisters. Jonesy led his two younger brothers. Wyatt's mother had been present throughout his life. Jonesy's had been absent since the seventh grade. Wyatt led with kind intentions rather than carnality. Jonesy let his hypersexuality drive him. Wyatt liked academics. Jonesy preferred athletics. Wyatt saw the beauty in femininity. Jonesy used masculinity as armor. No wonder the two of them operated differently.However, all Wyatt could say was, "Oh, wow."He seldom heard such genuine words from Jonesy. That's how he could validate them."I care about ya a lot, Wyatt," Jude added. "If I don't make it seem that way, then I'm really super sorry. You guys know it's a lil lonely being an only child, so you two have always been my brothers."Between the sleepover that Jude forced while his parents were out of town and plenty of other incidents, Wyatt knew that he cared. He didn't suppress his deeper emotions like Jonesy."Yeah, you guys… really mean a lot to me," Jonesy said. He kept scratching the back of his head as he spoke. "I'm not always the best at showing it, but yeah. You guys have been my A1s since day one."Wyatt fell hush. He didn't know what to say."So… do you forgive me?" Jonesy asked."Yeah, do ya?" Jude asked."I do," Wyatt said."C'mon, let's fist-bump on it," Jonesy said as he extended out his fist.Wyatt followed suit, as did Jude.He felt like an overjoyed child as they did the secret handshake they came up with in fifth-grade. He couldn't believe he still remembered, as they hadn't done it in ages.Wyatt chuckled. "That felt nice.""Yeah, it did," Jonesy said."Aww, I love you guys," Jude interjected out of nowhere, probably driven by the friendly vibes in the air."We love you too, bro," Jonesy said as he patted Jude on the back.Jude appeared content."Okay, guys," Wyatt started, feeling an empty sensation in his abdomen, "I'm starving."Jonesy and Jude looked at each other with smirks on their faces."Why are you guys looking like that?""Oh, Wyatt. Innocent, innocent Wyatt. The munchies are gonna hit you like a runaway train with a high-ass conductor," Jonesy said.While Sydni, Caitlin, and her bathroom friends danced, Jen and Nikki sat in a lounge area.After exchanging jokes about Caitlin and Callista's similar lack of rhythm, Jen sobered. Though she had made up with Nikki, something still weighed her down, down, down."I know we cleared the air already, but I can't stop thinking about earlier. That's probably why Nick broke up with me, isn't it? Because I act like that?""Don't beat yourself over that guy. He didn't even date you long enough to even know all your qualities," Nikki said."I know, but he still didn't get to see the best of me." She frowned. "Now that I think about it, none of the guys I've dated have… Well, except for Travis, but, even then, he was away most of our relationship." She sighed. "Am I ever going to find a guy who can handle me? Like, all of me?""Don't be ridiculous. You will. Just not at the Penalty Box. You've struck out enough there."She thought of all the boys she'd gone out on dates with at that store: Nick, Griffin, Cory, and Charlie. None of them worked out. "You're right. From now on, I am not dating anymore of my coworkers. They all suck.""Good. Also, from now on, don't focus on these boys, Jen. If you keep hunting them down, you're just gonna end up dating another shitty one. Just focus on all the things on your plate, and the right one is gonna come along. Trust me."Jen did. After all, Nikki never went out of her way to find a stable relationship, yet somehow ended up with Jonesy. Perhaps there was merit in letting the right one find her instead of trying to desperately find him. She didn't need to halt her grind over someone who would hold her back. She wanted someone who would have her back.Besides, she had the love of her friends, who already had her back and accepted all aspects of her. She also had the love of her parents and sisters. (She could live without the love of Robbie and Diego, though. Those little demons didn't have the capacity.)Now that she thought about it, Jen didn't need a guy's validation. Her friends and family fulfilled her enough."You know what? That makes sense," Jen conceded. "That's it; I'm taking a break from guys from the rest of the summer. If the right guy needs me, he'll find me.""I've taught you well," Nikki said with a proud grin afterwards. "Now, can you go to the bathroom with me? I've gotta piss so badly right now.""About to break the seal?" she asked as they got up and walked."Oh, I'm about to clobber the seal."Jen giggled. "You mean club, right?""Yeah, that."Though the club didn't close until 3am, the girls decided to leave around 1.Caitlin said goodbye to her bathroom friends, who then took off in a Lyft.The girls stood around in the stale summer air. They all looked at each other with uncertainty. An empty night lay ahead of them."So, what now?" Sydni asked. "Are we going back to your place, Cait?""Going back so soon?" Jen asked before Caitlin could reply. "I was hoping we could hang out a little longer and ride around the city or something?"After all, she didn't usually stay out this late. She already broke her self-imposed curfew. She wanted to stay out and sightsee with her girls, especially since her parents didn't know that she broke it.All of them stared at her with wide eyes."Okay, who are you and what have you done with Jen Masterson?" Nikki joked."I'm serious, guys. I've been holding you guys back all night, so I want to make amends. I wanna hang out and have fun if you guys are willing to stay out."Sydni smiled. "I love riding around, so I'm down.""I don't mind," Nikki said.Caitlin clapped her hands and bounced in her heels. "Oh, I am so down!""Alright then," Jen said. "Let's go for a joyride."Jude revealed his snack stash to the boys, letting them go ape and satiate their intense need for food."Food has never tasted so good," Wyatt said with a stuffed face."Truer words have never been spoken," Jude said."Bone apple tea, dudes," Jonesy said.They vegged out to their heart's content while LCD Soundsystem played in the background. Jude binged chips with his eyes closed. Wyatt ate pizza and bopped his head to the music. Jonesy ate chocolate-chip cookies and scrolled on his phone."Life can't get any better than this," Jude said."Jude Levi Lizowski," a woman's voice started, "what the hell is going on?!"Wyatt whipped his head around, only to find Jude's parents standing near them.Life would soon end for all of them. Wyatt prayed that the sweet release of death would kill him before his own parents did."What are you guys doing back so soon?!" Jude asked."That's not important. What's important is that you and your friends are doing drugs in our house," his father snapped.His mom shook his head. "I knew you smoked, but I never thought I'd catch you, Jude."Jude shrunk at the verbal lashings.His mom continued, "I'm disappointed in you, but I'm most surprised to find you here, Wyatt. I thought you kept my son on the straight and narrow."Wyatt stammered, "Mrs. Lizowski, I'm so, so sorry. I just— I can't— I have—""And you, Jonesy: I'm sure your dad would love to know what you've been doing with my son.""Please don't tell him I'm down here!" Jonesy pleaded, begging on his knees with his hands clasped. Wyatt had never seen him so desperate. Granted, the circumstances called for it. Both of them had something at stake: survival (especially in a household with no-nonsense parents of color)."I'll do anything," Wyatt began. "Please don't call my parents! It won't happen again, I swear!""Yeah, what he said!" Jonesy cried.Jude's mom sighed and rubbed her temples. "As long as this is the last time we witness such behavior, we won't tell your parents about this incident.""We won't?" her husband asked."No. Youth is filled with… mistakes and borderline-illegal behavior. However, I better not see any of you making a habit out of this. Understand?""Yes!" Jonesy and Wyatt exclaimed without hesitation."Alright. May I kindly ask the two of you to leave so my husband and I can speak to Jude?"Jonesy and Wyatt grabbed their belongings and fled the scene.The next day, the gang (minus Jen and Jude) met up at the Big Squeeze. The guys listened to the girls as they recounted not only their night at the club, but also the activities afterwards."…And then we were at the stoplight next to these guys, and, the next thing you know, Jen was totally racing them!" Caitlin exclaimed inside the Lemon, reliving her astonishment and excitement from the night before."Whoa, Jen got into a street race? I didn't know sis could drive over twenty miles per hour!" Jonesy said with widened eyes."Regular Jen doesn't street race," Nikki started, speaking on her best friend's behalf, "but apparently Fun Jen does.""Me and Fun Jen need to have a chat. A long one," he replied."So, what happened with you guys last night?" Caitlin asked.Jonesy facepalmed himself, then asked, "What didn't happen?" Jonesy asked. "Someone over here got too high, we had to help him, and then Jude's parents caught us."Sydni gasped. "Wyatt, you got smacked?!"Everyone furrowed their brows at her."The hell is smacked?" Jonesy asked.If her skin could betray her embarrassment, she'd be several shades of red right now. With a nervous laugh, she clarified, "My bad, y'all. Smacked means high. I forgot that Baltimore slang isn't exactly universal.""Oh," the rest of the gang chorused."Well, in that case, he got super smacked," Jonesy explained. "Super-duper smacked. So smacked that we had to drag his ass back inside the house.""And I'm never doing anything like that again. Worst night of my life," Wyatt said."Yeah, I'll bet. I'm surprised that you're still alive if the Lizowskis told your parents," Nikki said."Well, actually, they didn't," Jonesy interjected."What?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow."We had to freaking beg them not to tell our parents, so they let us off the hook, but, to be honest, I'm not sure if Jude's still alive or not.""Yeah, I tried texting him all morning, but he never replied back," Wyatt said."Damn, he might be grounded 'til college." Jonesy grabbed his lemonade, taking the top off and lifting it into the air. "I might have to pour one out for him.""Oh, no," Caitlin started. "The last time you did that, I had to clean it up, Jonesy."He set his cup down on the table, looking dejected. "Fine. I won't pour one out for the homie.""Especially if he ain't dead yet," Sydni added."Hmm?" Jonesy asked.She pointed in the distance, causing him to turn around and find Jude approaching the table."Dude, you're alive!" Jonesy exclaimed upon seeing his best friend.Jude strolled to his seat and sat down. "Barely. My parents really grilled me when you guys left.""Yikes," Nikki said. "Did you get grounded for eternity?""Nah, they didn't ground me, but they basically told me to get my shit together. Told me I can't spend the rest of my life playin' video games and gettin' high. They even asked if I started looking into schools and stuff, which I totally have. It just sucks having them look at me funny.""Oof, hang in there, buddy," Jonesy said."I'm trying. I really am."Sydni hadn't heard from Alejandro since the previous night, not since one of Caitlin's bathroom friends took her phone and texted him for her. She had tousled and turned in her bed, worrying over his perception of her. She knew the little bit of everything between them had ended after that ghostwritten, drunk text had sent. After all, the message's tone took aim at him; the contents insulted him in so few words. They implied that he had no character.Okay, he did try to sleep with her on the first date, something which left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't mind being the object of his affection, but did something about her imply that she sought that kind of connection? Did something about her scream "you can get it on the first night"?Nevertheless, he seemed to have other redeeming qualities, ones she yearned to discover. He burst at the seams with untold stories and undiscovered traits. She wanted to learn these things about him. Something about his life and the surface details she knew about it excited her.She had to lay this excitement to rest, though. After last night's texts, their only interactions would be on a hi-and-bye basis.She needed a distraction.Folding. Folding would do the trick.Chrissy wanted her to tackle a stack of baby tees anyways. She might as well do it: steer her mind away from unrealistic thoughts of him and appease her manager in the process.She lifted a shirt, folded it in half, and then folded it again, setting it down on the display. As she did this for other shirts in the pile Chrissy left for her, she eased into the trendy pop music that played above her. She wouldn't devote anymore mindspace to him. She wouldn't overthink something that was obviously over. She wouldn't let—Sitting on the edge of the display table, her phone lit up with a new message. She leaned over and read it. Her heart threatened to stop.
Are you at work right now?
The first message she'd received from him in over twelve hours. Regardless of whether she replied back or not, she'd be a fool not to do something.Yeah, she replied back, hoping that her one-word response without punctuation would distract him from her swiftness in replying. Perhaps the aloofness of her message would mask the eagerness in her response time.K, I'm coming over.Oh, God. She thought he'd never interact with her again, not go out of his way to see her. She lamented Nikki not working today; she needed to have a friend on standby in case things went awry. She didn't know what to expect. Would he drag her for last night's messages? Would he tell her in person that he changed his mind about wanting her? What could she expect when he threw all of her expectations by the wayside?She told herself to calm down and finish folding. At least by the time he came, she would have her work done.Of course, by the time he came, she completed her work, but she couldn't soothe her nerves. Not when she anticipated him and his every word."Hey," she said when he approached her."Listen," he started, "I'm sorry for giving you the wrong impression. I shouldn't have texted you so late. My mother raised me better than that, bonita." He grabbed her by the hand and reduced her brain to mush. "That's why I want to ask you the right way: Will you give me another chance? I promise we can go as slow as you like.""I…" she started.I don't know what to think. He— He really wants another chance? With me? After last night? For real? …Why?"Of all the girls you can have, why me?" she asked in a soft voice, barely above a whisper. "What makes me worth having?""You're magnetic, morenita. It's something sweet about you, and I want to get to know it. After all, my last girl wasn't exactly nice personified."She giggled a little. Heather was not pleasant… which brought up another issue. "Don't you like your girls with a little more bite and a little less… whatever I am?""I like my girls fascinating. Like you."She gave him a lopsided grin."So, what do you say?""You make a very convincing case. So… I say yes. We'll give this another go."He let go of her hand, instead stroking beneath her chin with his index finger. "Perfect."Her body temperature spiked by a few hundred degrees. Her mouth went dry. "Yeah. Perfect," she chirped, hoping he didn't notice how she went haywire at his touch.