The Girl Who Saw Through Jem

Jem: Moments of Stars [EDITED]

"Come on, it's the only way we'll have fun!"

"No."

"Lula isn't here. Golden opportunity."

"For what?" she demanded sharply as we stood outside the shop, arguing. "Doing stupid things?"

"Exactly!" She still wasn't convinced since her eyebrows furrowed, her delicate lips were clasped together like a complicated opening to a woman's purse. "Come on, Porcey. Live a little. Don't be such a prude."

That struck a nerve. "Fine," she snapped, "But you're paying."

I grinned and wrapped her into a hug, lifting her from the floor as I picked her up easily. "Let me down," she grunted unceremoniously, patting my shoulder to indicate she couldn't breathe in my bear grip.

"Jesus."

"You're the best, Porcey."

"Whatever." I took that holy last word as Godspeed into the alcohol store.

I didn't know how they did it in China but the shopkeeper barely blinked as I carted off two bottles of vodka onto his counter. He didn't even ask for an ID. He just swiped it through the scanner and asked for money. I was assuming they didn't care as long as they got paid.

Goddamn, I loved this country.

So basically, that was how we ended up dining outside the noodle shop, sucking delicious wheat noodle drenched in salty pork soup with tiny meatballs and drinking 'water' out from my trusty flask. The alcohol had done its trick to Ellis, seeing as how she wasn't pissed anymore and she was gradually loosening her up by the cheery grin on her face, easing up her troubles from getting caught by Lula on alcohol. She twirled a noodle with her chopstick and swallowed it effortlessly in one gulp, then graciously dabbed her tissue on her mouth and reapplied her Burt Bees lip gloss, causing it to become slick and shiny. I attempted to look anywhere else but her lips.

"Pass it over," she motioned a come hither sign at my flask.

"Greedy," I retorted at her but relented. She drank heavily, swallowing and wincing as the fiery drink burned her throat. She swirled my flask and went for another dip, despite being the party pooper who was originally against the idea of buying alcohol while underage. "You know for someone who said no, you're shockingly eager."

"Well, I'm taking your advice," she replied coyly, setting down her chopsticks parallel on top of her bowl and lacing her fingers into fists, "I have to live a little, don't I? Life is short."

I snatched the flask from her fingertips but she wasn't mad about it. She didn't even register it. I toasted to her and she sniggered, raising her ceramic tea cup to collide with my flask. "Damn right it is," I thumped my chest, heart swelling with pride. Because she finally got it, finally understood my whole cause, and honestly, I felt like she would be the only one smart enough to get it.

-

Basically, we were hungover for the remainder of Thursday morning so we were awake but we weren't properly functioning until Thursday morning. I made the discovery that Ellis was even less of a party when hungover.

"Ow," she groaned, shuffling into breakfast the next day, glaring at the kind waitress who directed her over to our table. The waitress scattered, her cheongsam tightening against her thighs as she escaped back to the podium to greet other guests. Ellis rubbed her forehead and eyes, moaning as she thumped her head against the table and the cutlery rattled, attracting some weird glances from the nearby tables but most of them returned to their own business. "I hate my head."