Invisible String ☾ Nancy Wheeler

Five

Emily's POV:

Steve hands me the beer can with a smile and walks back over to his original spot.

Would it be awkward if I gave the beer can back?

I awkwardly sit in the chair beside Barbara's, nervously tapping my nail on the unopened can.

Steve punctures a hole in the beer can with a knife and quickly shotguns it within seconds.

I furrow my brows in confusion and look over to Barbara, seeing that she has her hands shoved into her blue puffer jacket pockets with a look of annoyance.

I lean close to Barbara. "Not impressed?" I whisper.

She scoffed. "Not even close." She muttered and I watched as Steve plopped onto the pool chair with a sigh.

He plucks the cigarette he had behind his ear and prepares to light it.

Nancy, witnessing the whole thing, lets out a chuckle. "Is that supposed to impress me?"

"You're not?" He asks, still keeping the cigarette between his lips.

"You are a cliche, you do realize that?"

"You are a cliche." He moved the lighter close to his lips once more. "What with your grades and your band practice--"

"I'm so not in band."

I rest my head on my hand, trying to drown out the flirting. At this point the longer I sat here, the more the money is not becoming worth it.

"Okay, party girl. Why don't you just, uh," Steve offers the switchblade to Nancy. "show us how it's done, then?"

She takes the knife from his hands. "Okay." She grabs another beer from the cooler beside her and stands up from the chair, facing us.

Still keeping the cigarette between his lips, "You gotta make a little hole right in the bott--" His voice muffles but Nancy cuts in.

"I got it." She smiles.

"Yeah, she's smart, you douche!" Tommy laughs with his arm slung around Carol's shoulders.

He uses his free hand to crush the empty beer can against his head and drops it on the deck with a chuckle.

And he wonders why he's struggling in his classes.

Nancy slices the bottom of the can with ease and similar to Steve, she tilts her head back as she drinks the beer.

Holding his flask up with a grin, Steve begins to chant, "Chug, chug, chug, chug!" Tommy and Carol drunkenly join in as well until finally Nancy drops the can of beer, letting it clatter on the floor.

Tommy let out a series of whoops as Nancy did a half-bow with a grin until her eyes eventually met mine.

I didn't utter a word but she winked in my direction. Oh.

"Emily, your turn." Nancy encouraged.

Oh no. I shake my head. "No thanks. I-uh, I have to drive."

"Don't waste your time, Nance." Carol spoke up with a fake pout before Nancy could. "Mute over here looks like she's never done it with the way she's been tapping the can. Can't let the chief ground her for life, huh?"

"Maybe I was saving it to throw it at your head." I mutter in annoyance.

"Speaking up now, mute?" Carol harshly remarked. "You don't have your sidekick here with you this time."

"Ooh, fight! Fight! Fight!" Tommy chanted but Nancy dismissively waved her hand at him with a glare.

"If you don't know how, it's okay. Next time." She reassured.