The group and I were having brunch together, the light breeze outside and the warm sun shining our faces golden.
"How was prom?" Innes asked, talking through a mouthful of egg.
I'm not planning on telling them about me and Lavender's situation. I don't want to ruin me and Ollie's . . . fresh relationship. No more dally with crime. So I just sat back and let them do the talking.
Molly giggled. "It was fun."
Ollie palmed his cheek, keeping eye contact with me. "It was so fun."
A flutter of hearts between us bloomed.
"How was prom for you?" Molly looked at Innes.
"It was okay."
"Weren't you waiting for somebodyyy?"
"Luka."
"Oh." Awkward crickets.
"Well did he come?"
"No."
Me and Molly glanced at each other.
"Did you at least have fun? I'm sure you had fun!" I chuckle, desperately taking gulps of water.
Innes sighs. "I had fun."
Molly almost jumps. "Yes! Yes, you had fun!"
"What happened with you and Tyler?" I ask her. Definitely curious and disturbed.
"Oh, God . . . " Ollie cups his face.
"Oh, God!" She bursts into an ear-to-ear smile. "We kinda have this . . . thing going on."
"Oh, God . . . " Ollie repeats. "Molly wouldn't shut up about it."
I chuckle. "What happened?"
"Tyler happened."
We cringed.
"Steph," Innes called. "you were dancing with Ollie on prom."
My stomach sank.
Molly nudged her brother. "I saw that too."
"What?" He playfully laughed. "I can't dance with him now?"
"People might get the wrong idea and think you're dating." Innes eyes us both.
"Like it's bad?"
None of us say anything.
Molly slowly shifts. "Are you guys . . . dating?"
The drains from my face. I need to do something. Anything!
A waiter walked past us.
I quickly hit his knee and, of course, he lost balance of a tray full of mimosa.
Well . . . you could guess what happened next.
"Ahh!" Innes rapidly wiped her pants spilled of that champagne-orange-juice.
"I'm so sorry!" The waiter, panicked and confused, quickly took a handkerchief and tried helping. Yet the more he 'helped', the more the mimosa spread.
I sighed, relieved yet scared. My heart racing, I loudly chuckled. "A-are you okay???"
"No!" She looked at the waiter. "And— And just get out here!"
"O-okay!" As he tried to leave, I kicked his ankle. I watched the poor waiter tumble down and hit his chin on Innes' lap.
"Holy shit!!!" Molly, who was out of her seat, jumped and hysterically laughed, pointing at her best friend.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so—"
"Shut the fuck up!" Innes yelled, her Russian accent coming out thick.
Ollie watched in horror. Somehow, I caught his attention.
'Get out of here!!!' I manically mouthed at him.
'How???' He mouthed back.
'I don't know! Just come back when they've forgotten about us!'
Ollie picked up my signs and very artificially laughed. "Oh, ah, hahaha! Let me just go to the bathroom . . . to get tissue for Innes . . . ?" And he runs away.
"Wait! Don't you want to watch?!?" Molly yelled out.
"Tissue!" And Ollie disappeared into a building.
"Do you guys know Farlows???" If I'm going to leave, I better leave to do something important. Check on who owned Lav's receipt.
Molly shouts through the commotion. "Isn't that a fish shop???"
"Uhh . . . I heard they sell something to get rid of stains!"
"Mimosa fucking stains!!!" Innes screeched from the top of her lungs, echoing through the terrified apologies of the waiter.
Molly winced. "Stop fucking screeching so loud!!!"
The waiter continued spreading the mimosa. "Please don't get me fired—"
"Shut up!!!"
I slipped out of my seat and escaped from the heated, chaotic mimosa fiasco.