"We'll get a hotel on Monday night," my mother told me as I pulled into the gas station, "stay over, get the dress fitted and head home. Maybe we can go to dinner, oh! Or see a movie."
"I doubt it mom," I slammed the door to pump gas and resumed it through the window, "I think maybe we should just get the dress and go home."
"Vivian, why are you so bitter about this?" She asked in a flustered voice. I winced, there was that word again. Bitter. I shut my eyes and screwed the cap to my gas tank back on and walked into the store without saying a word to her. I browsed the coolers for a drink I thought I'd want, and decided on a bottle of cherry coke. I walked to the counter.
"Hello ma'am, did you find everything alright?"
"Yeah," I said as he rang in my coke, "I have twenty in gas too."
"Alright," he handed me a receipt, "have a nice day!"
"Thanks," I tried a pleasant smile but he looked scared, "you too." I turned and bolted from the door to my car. My mother was pouting in that way that always made me feel really guilty and I sighed.
"Ready to go?"
"Which hotel are we staying at?" Her face lightened and her perfect teeth showed. She clapped her hands together like a child and I glanced at her from the driver's side. I sipped at my cherry coke as I pulled into traffic and headed towards the house. Viper was silent from the backseat reading a text on his phone. Blake had business to attend to, and asked if I could drive mother and Viper home. I agreed at the first opportunity to rid him of myself. I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. Viper jumped from the car and jogged inside. I felt the cherry coke working it's way through my system and groaned. I pounded on the bathroom door and Viper pretended he didn't hear me. I pounded harder.
"What?!" He yelled from the shower as the water died.
"I have to pee." I tipped my head back and whined.
"Well, I'm getting ready. I've got a date."
"A date?!" I cried, "What happened to brunette!"
"She was nice and all, but, Maya is way cuter."
"Maya?!"
"Yeah," he laughed, "she's a red head. Way feistier."
"Yeah, whatever." He yanked the door open and held his hands out to the bathroom.
"Your wish is my command." He said. I slapped his chest and shoved him out of the way.
"Move!" I slipped in and slammed the door. I sighed with relief and checked my face in the mirror. My makeup looked good, and my hair was nicer than I expected it. I studied myself and decided that if I would be spending time with my mother, I'd need to spend time with my friends first. I took my phone from my pocket and called Savannah. Savannah was my polar opposite, and yet my best friend. We'd met when I moved here in sixth grade, and after this summer, we'll be seniors together.I was about to give up when she answered quickly.
"Hello?" She asked in an over excited voice.
"Hey." I laughed quietly at her enthusiasm, "Let's go out tonight."
"Oh!" She cried out, "Yes! I've been dying to go out! You're like, psychic! I swear-"
"I'll be over at eight, wear something tight and bring your fake ID!" I yelled and hung up. I loved Savvy, but if I didn't end the call, she'd ramble until eight. I looked through my closet and grunted distastefully. I knocked on my mother's bedroom door and she called quietly.
"Come in." I studied her face as I walked in. She looked sunken, which either was really good or really bad. I was praying for good.
"Mom?" I asked, "What's wrong?"
"I just miss him more today than normally."
"Who?" I raised a suspicious eyebrow in her direction unsure who she could be missing.
"Your father." She said quietly.
"How can you miss him when you're moving on?" I asked in a more bitter tone than I intended.
"I don't know," she admitted, "he was my first love, it's hard to not miss him."
"Dad was your first love?" I smiled at her and climbed onto the bed.
"Yes, we met in high school. I was about your age. They told me it'd never last, but I tried anyway. I thought I'd proved them wrong until he left last year." My mouth curved into a frown and I looked over my mother. She looked pale and delicate, as she talked about dad. I smiled at her and encouraged her to tell me more. "I'll always love him Viva, you know that?"
"Of course I do," I patted her hand, "I will too. Even if he's marrying again, even if evil-stepmother is terrible, and even if he decides he doesn't love me someday." She smiled at me and pulled me into her chest.
"You remind me of him so much." She laughed sadly. "You look like him, act like him, have the same talents, have the same hobbies, and impress me everyday."
"Thanks mom." I whispered and cuddled to her for a minute. I lost sight of the real reason I'd came into her room in the first place. I looked around the room and spotted her closet. Ah-ha! I needed something to wear.
"Always." She said finally. I looked back up at her as I pulled away.
"Mom, can I borrow a cocktail dress?"
"For what?" She asked taken back by my question.
"I'm going out tonight."
"Where are you going that would require a cocktail dress?" She was skeptical for good reason, but I couldn't let her know she was dead on.
"Uh, Savannah's cousin's having a bridal shower party." I mentally punched myself for saying something wedding related. I knew my mother would have something to say about weddings and I shut my eyes and waited for it. She said nothing, just pushed from the bed to her closet. She reached in and pulled out a sleek black dress and black high heeled boots with delicate spikes on the back of them. They spoke danger, and sex appeal.
"You can wear these if you'd like." I smiled and hugged my mother.
"You're the best, did you know that?" I grabbed them and jogged to my room to get ready a bit more. I changed first, and studied my reflection. I looked sassy, and dominant. I tipped my head back and laughed. I felt better than I have in a while. I worked on my makeup next. I used dark colors to bring out the blues, and put on a simple silver chain for jewelry. My boots did the majority of accessorizing. I smiled, and checked the time. It was still early in the afternoon, but I decided I'd be ready ahead of time. I walked down the stairs into the living room to be greeted by girlfriend number six, this month. She was tall and dark skinned with thick red curls.
"Hello." She smiled at me, and I nodded trying to avoid making nice with someone so temporary.
"Yeah, hey." I turned to the stairs. "Viper, really?" I turned back to the brunette. She was studying me, and I knew I was lacking compared to her. She had a full body, and curves. I was a pole in a tight dress.
"Really what?" He called back, the smug smile was evident in his voice. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.
"You have a problem."
"I might," he admitted as he came down the stairs, "but I don't want to fix it." He kissed the red head and she giggled like a child.
"Yeah, well. We should look into it at the least."
"Maybe, but most likely not." He wrapped an arm around her and looked her in the eyes with his waterfall blue ones.
"Are you ready?" She whispered.
"Yeah, of course." He smiled at her.
"Bye Viva." He kissed my cheek and looked me over. "Try not to get into too much trouble dressed like that and tell Savvy that is she's interested yet, she can call." His date shot him a death glance, and I laughed to myself. I looked his in the eyes.
"No promises Vie! I doubt she's interested yet, but I'll let her know the offer stands."
"Love you." He shut the door and I heard a girly car start in the driveway and pull away. I sat on the couch and flicked through the channels. I could smell cinnamon and hear Whitney Houston singing from upstairs. That meant one thing and one thing only, my mother was writing again. She had been an author my whole life, and was just not getting 'famous' for it. She'd won some prize, and her books became well known. It was tradition for her to sit in a room burning strong scented incense and write for hours on a run down, old typewriter. She'd take it from room to room on a small wheeled table and leave balls of crumpled up paper with half paragraphs from one of her world class love stories laying around. It was always about the adoring girlfriend, with a troubled past who loses her love only to love again. A knock at the door sounded and I tugged it open only to see the brunette from last night. She leaned against the door frame cautiously.
"Hey," she uttered, "I know we got off to the wrong foot, but I need to see Viper. He's not returning my texts or calls. Is he here?" She looked into our oversized house and tried to spot some sign that he might be. I remembered Vie calling me bitter again.
"Actually, no. You just missed him, he's on a date with a cute red head named Maya." Her face contorted with all kinds of emotions and it gave me a sick sense of pleasure.
"Where did he go? Do you know?"
"Listen," I breathed, "I'm going to give you the Intel, in case someone didn't already. Okay?"
"What?"
"He's not into you, or else he'd be with you right now, not her. In fact, he didn't even waste a second date on you. He used you, that's it." Her mouth curved down and she looked about ready to cry. Most girls would feel remorse, and start trying to reassure the feelings of another. Not me, I smiled. Taking in her pouting lips.
"I'm glad someone told me, he wasn't going to."
"Yeah sure."
"I mean it," she turned, "thanks." She said with her back to me. I ignored her and shut the door. I sent a text to Viper's phone and said
"Just so you know, I cleared the air with Brunette. She knows her place." I waited a minute and drank some water. I packed aspirin in my purse and ate a couple pieces of bread.
"Thanks sis," his reply read, "you're the best. I owe you." He did, he owed me so many favors. I rolled my eyes and tried to think of something else to pass the time when another knock sounded at the door. I turned back and opened it. Savannah smiled at me. She looked like a million bucks. Her hair was tied back loosely, and her lips were pink and shiny. Her dress was gray with small pink designs up it. She was in a nice pair of black heels and her eyes were popping against the pink of her eye shadow.
"I know you said eight, but I've missed you so much!" She jumped up and hugged me. I was a bit taller than her, and she was childlike in my arms.
"I'm glad you came actually, let's go eat before we go out."
"You want to?"
"Yes, that's why I said it." I motioned to the door. I grabbed my keys and called a goodbye to my mother. She said nothing and I assumed she was too busy. I started my car and pulled into the burger joint in town. It was a two minute drive, and I was grateful. I spent a lot of my mother's money there. The man at the counter perked up as we approached. I rolled my eyes and ordered my usual, as well as Savannah's. I swiped my card and hurried for his view. I seated us near the window. She smiled at me and dug into the food.
"You know," she said finally, "you're such a good friend."
"Yeah, let's save the mushy talk for when you're drunk tonight." She laughed and whispered for me to sh.
"You're going to get our cover blown!"
"How?" I stuffed my mouth full and pulled my ID out. "What? No. I'm twenty two. There's no illegal activity here officer." She scoffed and laughed at my horrible attempt to be funny. We fed each other fries, and ate away at each other's usual food. I took the remainder of my drink to go. It had hit seven thirty, and I decided it was fin to go to the club a bit earlier than normal. I was cautious when I rounded the corner, studying the bouncer. I left my car in the back parking lot in case I got too trashed to drive. DJ was the bouncer, and I sighed in relief. I pulled my dress's neck lower, and let my tiny cleavage show. I walked to the door and flashed my ID to him. He smiled and let me and Savannah into the club without question. The line of rejections groaned as we got in and I tucked a couple ones and my number in his shirt pocket. He smiled to me, and I walked into the booming music.
"Can we dance?!" Savvy cried to me.
"I need a couple drinks first." I went to the bar and ordered a vodka tonic, and a Shirley temple. I drank them both down quickly. The bartender came back a few minutes later and looked at me.
"Is it that kind of night?" He asked with a big smile.
"Yeah, that kind. Could I get a couple shots of tequila, please?"
"Sure, I'll have them right over." I let the bad taste from the alcohols swirl in my stomach and avoided the sickness by downing the shots. A guy scooted next to me on the stool and studied me.
"Can I help you?" I asked in a tone that implied i meant no form of communications.
"How does such a tiny girl keep so much down?" He asked, looking me over.
"Well, I don't know." I said in what my brother would call the 'bitch pitch'.
"Well, I'd like to find out."
"Yeah, not interested. I've got to go find Savvy, I want to dance." I slipped from the stool and heard the bartender give the man some kind of motivation to drink it away. He was truly selling it. I found Savannah at a table with two boys. One was interested and one looked like he wanted a noose around his neck. I approached the table to talk to Savvy.
"Hey Viva," she smiled and wrapped her arms around my midsection as I plopped into her lap then turned her attention back to the boys, "this is my friend Vivian." They muttered hellos and I smiled politely.
"Let's go dance, please?" I smiled at her, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through my body.
"In a minute Vie," she turned to the cute brown haired guy, "like I was saying. We should totally talk again, you've got my number."
"Good, then let's end this conversation and go dance!" I yelled obnoxiously.
"Are you drunk already?"
"No, I'm just happy to be out with you Savvy, you're so good to me." She laughed.
"I'm going to take my drunk lover to the dance floor, I'll talk to you again." She got up and I followed her to the light up dance floor. I smiled as a couple of guys approached and handed us drinks. After a few more, and a couple of songs, I knew it was going to happen. My vision tunneled, and I got dizzy.
"Savvy, will you take me home?" I handed her my keys. "I think I'm drunk."
"I think you're beyond it, you're trashed." She laughed and lugged me to the car anyway. She seated me, and buckled me. She started the engine and drove towards my house.
"Like I said baby, you're so good to me."
"Yeah, you're the mushy one now." I was scrambling to think of what she might have been talking about but came up blank.
"I just love you, you know? Will you stay with me tonight?"
"Of course." She was happy to be the best friend possible.
"Man, have I ever told you I love you?" I felt like an idiot but just kept gushing out the drunken truths.
"No, but I could get used to the sound of it." She pulled into my driveway and tucked me in neatly. She had taken the heels of and dressed me in a comfortable T-shirt. I remembered feeling a little blushed that she had seen me in a bra, but didn't over think it. She was my best friend, and I was drunk. There was no obvious attraction to her. She laid down in my bed with me, and draped her arms over me protectively.
"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
"No," she whispered, "how much?"
"Dude, mroe than anything and anybody. More than Viper or mom."
"I love you too, now go to bed you terribly drunken girl." She laughed.
"Yeah, whatever," I bitched at her, "I love you. Goodnight."
"I love you too, for the millionth time. Goodnight!" I shut my eyes tight.