“What do you think? That I’m stupid? I’ll handle it when I’m ready, okay?” Sadie glared back at Mauve, then slammed her suitcase. “I’m going to shower.”
She stormed off, the door banging so loud behind her that I jumped.
“That went well,” Mauve said with a grim smile.
“You think?” I shook my head, sure they were both insane.
“Actually, yes. By tonight she’ll forget about hating me and tell me about whatever new guy she’s interested in. It’s not like she needs to steal — her parents are both lawyers and loaded. She just does it for attention, so I give her attention and she’s okay. Some problems are easy to fix.”
Mauve said this so sadly, I knew she was thinking about her daughter again.
But there would be no more talking about this or any other problems tonight.
It was Girls’ Night Out — and we were going to party.
* * *
Club Revolution was tucked behind a church and a liquor store, almost hidden beyond the crush of bodies flowing into it. By the time we arrived, the place was rocking with wild music. People weren’t just dancing inside the club, either, but outside on the terrace, hands waving and laughter rippling like uncorked champagne.
Walking between my two roommates, I felt self-conscious, wondering if everyone was comparing us. Gorgeous, pink-haired Mauve wore a slinky halter-top with black leather pants; petite Sadie had her long braids coiled high on her head and held in place with a glittery tiara that made her look like an exotic princess; and tall, thin Sharayah, excited but nervous, wore a long-sleeved, white knit shirt over a swirled skirt — which was a little boring for clubbing, but had a hidden pocket which was perfect for tucking away the GEM.
My last night as Sharayah, I thought, with both relief and regret. I planned to have fun — but within reason. Which is why when my friends offered to get me a drink, I said I’d go get my own, and bought a Coke. (Rum and Coke, I’d tell anyone who asked.)
We made our way to a table, sitting down with our drinks. Immediately a blond guy with wire-rimmed glasses came over and asked Mauve to dance. She checked him out, smiled as if she liked what she saw, then drained her drink in one gulp and waved at us as she headed for the dance floor.
Sadie watched her enviously and said something to me, but the band was so loud I couldn’t hear her. She gestured to me and then to the dancing crowd, tilting her head in a You want to dance? gesture.
I shook my head and mouthed, “No.”
Sadie shrugged, then went off on her own, melting into the throng of dancers.
The music was so fantastic, like an invisible magnet pulling at my body. Maybe I would join Sadie. It wasn’t like I needed a guy to dance with. Girls danced together all the time. Or I could just sit here, sip my drink and think “strategy” for the Voice Choice competition.
Eli had agreed to drive me, and we were leaving before daylight. I didn’t expect the competition to be huge like the mega-thousands lining up for American Idol—there would probably be only a few hundred entrants. Still, I had to make sure Sharayah got noticed. Luckily I’d read lots of books about the music industry and knew that gimmicks like showing up in a costume were for amateurs. Professionalism and perfect pitch were key. Sharayah already had a great voice; I’d supply the professional attitude.
Song selection would be tricky. I had a few ideas, but wasn’t sure which suited Sharayah’s voice best. Eli could help me decide, I thought, taking another sip of Coke.
It seemed like fate was paving the way for Sharayah’s singing stardom. She had the voice, I had the know-how and Eli would be there for support.
What could go wrong?
As if thinking about Eli had its own magical power, I looked up and there he was.
“So how’d you get in? Aren’t you underage?” I teased.
“No younger than you,” he said, loud enough to be overheard even in the noisy nightclub.
“But my I.D. shows I’m twenty-one.”
“I.D. isn’t so hard to come by … one way or another.” His smile always curved a little unevenly, which was so cute. He was dressed in black slacks and a button-down beige shirt — probably too formal for a beach-themed nightclub where half the dancers wore swim trunks or bikinis, but I thought he looked perfect.
I gestured for him to sit down, but he shook his head and pointed to the dance floor. “Want to dance?”
My feet were tapping and my body swaying, so the answer was yes. I did want to dance, and specifically with him. I stood and clasped his hand; his gentle yet firm, warm, comfortable hand that I wanted to hold forever.
As we neared the dancers, a familiar pink-haired girl slipped out of the crowd and hurried toward us.
“I see you changed your mind about dancing.” Although the sound was louder on the dance floor, the acoustics must have been better because I could hear Mauve fine.
I nodded. “Yeah. Eli asked me.”
“You’re going to dance with him?” she asked incredulously.
Eli and I immediately dropped our hands and stepped apart.
Mauve rolled her eyes, then looked closer at Eli. “Too young, but cute enough for some fun. Go find someone who doesn’t share your DNA, Rayah, and I’ll dance with little bro.”
Then she grabbed Eli’s hand and jerked him toward her. Eli shot me a helpless what can I do? look before he was swallowed by the crowd and I lost sight of him. Embarrassed, I stood there — not sure whether to retreat back to the table or join the dancers.
After sitting alone for what felt like hours, but was probably only fifteen minutes, I felt someone tap my shoulder.
“Guess who,” a deep voice whispered in my ear.
I’d only heard him once before, but with my shoulder tingling from the gentle touch, I knew exactly who stood behind me.
Slowly, I turned around.
19
Dyce wore his cap slightly tilted to one side, along with dark blue slacks, a gray windbreaker and a satisfied smile. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”
“Me either,” I told him. “But I hope you aren’t planning to ask me to dance. I was in the mood, but that’s over and gone now.”
“Who wants to dance at a dance club?”
“You’re teasing me,” I protested, blushing. “And it’s not that I don’t like dancing. I do, a lot, it’s just that … ” Babbling Alert flashed in my head and I stopped before I completely lost all my pride. “Anyway, what brings you here?”
“I came with some friends, but they’ve ditched me and I’m getting tired of waiting around for them.”
I frowned at the writhing dance floor. “I know what you mean.”
“You’ve been ditched, too?” he guessed.
“Not exactly. Everyone else just wanted to dance.”
“Except you,” he guessed with a sympathetic nod. “This band is all noise and no substance. I can’t stand another minute in here. Come on, let’s go outside.”
I didn’t agree with Dyce about the band — the music was rockin’ with a raunchy edge that almost lifted me out of my chair. I peered through swaying bodies, searching for Eli or my friends, but a spinning strobe light distorted colors and shapes, making my eyes ache. I wanted to dance — but only with Eli. Although he hadn’t intentionally left me, it bothered me that he’d gone along with Mauve, who thought he was cute. And why hadn’t they come back yet? The band was on a new song, yet there was no sign of Sadie, Mauve or Eli returning for me and I wasn’t about to dive into that crowd searching for them. I was done waiting around — they could just come and find me.