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ᴛᴀᴇʜʏᴜɴɢ’ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ
“Well, if it isn’t my favourite little brother, Tae-Tae. What brings you here, baby bro? Did you miss us?”
I scowl as everyone laughs. I hate those nicknames. But I pretend to be unbothered by their mocking laughter, thankful that my voice is deeper and more intimidating now to conceal my nerves. “I came to make an offer, Vic. An offer you can’t refuse.”
His black eyes flash. “Is that so?” he exchanges a look with Frankie, his right-hand man. Frankie sniggers, probably finding the whole situation amusing.
I jut my chin and nod. “Yeah. And I’d appreciate it if you take me seriously.”
Vic arches an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands behind his head. The rest of his loyal followers keep their eyes on me, completely forgetting about the poker game they were just playing. Judging by how much cash, jewelry and other valuable stuff are piled up in the center of the table, they were already far into the game until I showed up. The grimy lighting illuminates the tendrils of smoke that curl from the tips of their joints, as well as the faded gleam in their eyes from the alcohol’s effects. Maybe that can be an advantage to me.
“Go on, then. What’s your little offer?”
It’s not even funny, but everyone titters away at Vic’s words, clearly high on all substances. I breathe through my mouth, trying not to inhale too much of it, because it always gave me the worst headaches.
“I’ll work for you again, but on one condition.” I stare him dead in the eye. “You leave Chae Ri alone.”
“Cherry? My sweet Cherry?” Vic shakes his head, cackling. “I’m sorry, Tae, but as much as I’d love you back on the team, I can’t replace Cherry.”
“What if I told you she’s not who she says she is?”
Vic smirks. “Tae, take a look around. None of us here are who we say we are. That’s why we all get along.” He leans forward. “That’s why she fits in so well with us.”
Another chorus of laughter. I clench my jaw.
“Well, there’s a reason I’m telling you to drop her, and that reason is that she’s a mother.”
Vic scoffs. “What do you mean she’s a mother? She doesn’t have a kid.”
Now it’s my turn to smirk. “Oh, but she does. A daughter. And that daughter is my girlfriend.”
Frankie’s jaw drops. “You don’t mean -“
I nod, triumphant. “That’s right. She’s Aria’s mum, not her older sister. Which means -“
“She’s a cougar. Man, I love older women,” Vic fist-bumps Frankie on his right. “Score.”
I grimace. This isn’t how it was supposed to go.
I slam my hands on the table, hard, causing everyone to jump. “Didn’t I say to take me seriously?” I snarl. “I’m not here to fuck around. I’m here to talk serious business, Vic.“
The couple of women who don’t look much older than me look surprised at my outburst, while the men of the group, especially the ones who’ve known me since I was fourteen, seem entertained.
“You’ve gotten feisty ever since you left, haven’t you, Tae? Maybe leaving us was a good thing,” Vic chuckles. “But why would you come back now? Do you really wanna get involved with us again?”
“I want you to leave Chae Ri alone,” I repeat sternly. “You can ruin my life, make me do whatever the fuck you want, but don’t you dare ruin her life. She doesn’t need to associate with a bunch of low life scums like you.”
“Whoa, Tae, be careful what you say, us low life scums aren’t afraid to beat the shit out of you, ya know,” Kev raises his fist at me. Kev used to be one of my closest friends in this group before he betrayed me by running away from the scene of the crime. That was the first night I got caught, the first night I fought with my mum, and just looking at the bastard’s face makes me wanna beat the shit out of him.
“Oh, but Tae,” Vic croons, ignoring Kev. “She chose to associate with us. She’s a grown adult who can do whatever she wants, so why the fuck do you care?”
“Because she’s your girlfriend’s mum? Is that why?” Frankie snickers. “You got the hots for her or somethin’?”
It takes everything in me not to lunge over the table and punch him in the face.
“Are you going to accept my offer or not? I bet I could do a better job than her.”
Vic guffaws, smoke billowing from his lips. “Oh, I doubt you can satisfy me the way she does. Or are you willing to do that too?”
Everyone hoots with laughter while I burn with anger. How did I used to put up with these guys? Was I really as stupid as them? Or just really desperate to be cool? Probably both.
“Vic, is it really that hard to find a woman your age who will date you? I mean, just by looking at you, it doesn’t surprise me,” I can’t help my victorious smirk when I see his face twist into indignant rage while his so-called friends laugh at my remark.
“Oh, Vic, he just roasted the shit out of you, man, what are you gonna do?” Frankie asks.
Vic sneers, glaring at me. “You know what, you little punk? You’ve been exiled ever since you decided you were too good to associate with us, so I reject your little so-called offer because guess what? You’re not one of us. You were never one of us. And I don’t need you anymore. No one here does, because we’re no longer taking applications. Got it?”
“Fine,” I spit. “It was a mistake coming here, anyway.”
“It was a mistake alright. I hope to never see your face around here again,” Vic shoots back.
“I hope to never see your face again – period,” I retort with a wide smile and a waggle of my fingers. “Ba-bye.”
As I head to the door, I hear him mutter, “Fucking weirdo.”
I stop in my tracks, spinning on my heel. “What did you just say?”
Through the clouds of smoke, Vic leers at me. “I said you’re a fucking weirdo. Got a problem, baby Tae-Tae?”
I feel my left-eye twitch upon hearing him call me that, and I dig my nails into my palms, trying not to explode, but the more I look at Vic’s leering face, the more I can’t control the overriding urge to hurt him. Properly this time.
“Is baby Tae angry? Is he gonna throw a tantrum?” Frankie teases, triggering a wave of laughter. He looks at me with a sly smile, holding out his rolled joint. “Hey, Tae, chill out and take a drag. You look like you need it.”
Vic’s expression transforms completely as he beckons me over along with everyone else. “Yeah, Tae, come join us for a game. I’ll let you hang with us, just this once.”
I flick my tongue over my lips, contemplating. Maybe if I stay for a bit, I can convince them to accept my offer. Or at least get information on their next plans.
I raise my head, eyeing them all. “Sure,” I smile, and Frankie cheers while the rest look surprised at my answer.
“Kev, get him a seat,” Vic snaps his fingers, while one of the women with hair as red as blood and tattoos snaking along her collarbone pats her lap, regarding me with hooded eyes.
“Or you can sit here, baby,” she bites her lip, and I immediately turn away, my face suddenly feeling extremely hot.
“I-I’ll sit there…” I stammer, making my way to the empty seat Kev pulled out for me right next to Frankie and the red-haired girl. She winks at me once I sit, and I suck on my bottom lip, wondering if maybe I should’ve just gone home. But then I remember that I’m doing this for Aria, even if she doesn’t know I’m here. The only way to know what they’re doing is to join them, and just like the saying goes, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
“You remember how to play, right?”
“Of course.”
Leo deals out the cards again, restarting the game, while one of the ladies brings in more alcohol. It feels weird, being here again with these people, some which I know, and some which I don’t, so when they pass me a bottle of beer, I take it, because I can’t possibly endure this sober, even if I hate the taste.
It stops feeling weird once the beer settles in, making everyone somehow bearable, including Frankie and Vic, who don’t stop teasing me the entire time, except this time, I’m laughing along. And sometimes, I’m the one cracking the jokes as we play a game I haven’t played in a while.
“Oh, Tae, you’ve gotten good at this! I remember last time you played, you sucked,” Frankie slaps my back good-naturedly.
“I guess I’m just lucky,” I grin as I rake in my winnings. Ten dollars and a pack of gum? Not bad.
“We should make this more interesting,” the red-haired girl beside me speaks up with a conniving smile.
“For the last time, Ruby, we’re not playing strip poker,” Kev groans.
“You’re no fun,” Ruby pouts, and I wonder how old she is. Twenty-one? I’m turning twenty-one at the end of this year. Not that it matters right now.
“Come on, let’s finish this game,” I say, and Kev rolls his eyes.
“Of course, you would want to, since you’re winning.”
“It’s not my fault you all suck,” I surprise myself with my own blunt words.
“Okay, new game! This time, I’m dealing,” Kev glares at me, and I pull a face, making him wrinkle his nose in disgust.
I just need to stay long enough to get information out of them, that’s it.
“I give up!” Kev slams his cards down in frustration as I win once again.
Vic taps his chin in thought as he scrutinizes me. “You know what? We could really use you for this Friday night at the casino. Maybe it’s the beer, but I’m feeling like giving you another shot. Whaddaya say, Tae?”
“I had an offer, remember?” I cock an eyebrow. “If you really want me to help, you know what to do.”
Vic exhales, scrunching his eyes up. “Fine. We’ll leave Cherry Pie out of this one. So, will you join us?”
It feels like my initiation all over again, and on the inside, I want to run away, but on the outside, I wear a poker face, looking Vic dead in the eye as I say, “It’s a deal.”
Frankie immediately hooks an arm around my neck, ruffling my hair. “Ay, it’s good to have ya back, kid.”
When he finally releases me, I straighten my leather jacket, my lips curving into a devilish grin. “It’s good to be back.”
【★】
ᴀʀɪᴀ’ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ
Ever since I came home, things have been far from peachy. Although I apologized, there is an unspoken distance between my mother and I. Our relationship has been tarnished, which makes me nervous to ask if I can go to Ella’s party this Friday.
I really want to go.
Maybe it’s because it’s my first party invite, or because I feel like this is the only way to see the real Ella and decide once and for all whether we should try and rekindle our friendship, but I’m eager to attend and experience a party firsthand for myself.
But I wish Taehyung could come with me.
“No, Aria, you have to experience this alone. You need to get out of your comfort zone without Taehyung. It’s not like you can depend on him forever,” I berate my reflection while experimenting with various makeup looks, even though I haven’t even told my mum yet.
“Hm, maybe I should sneak out?” I merge my lips together, pondering aloud.
“Sneak out where?”
“Ah! You scared me!” The lipstick falls from my fingers onto the carpet as I spot my mother in the mirror, standing behind me all of a sudden.
“I scared you because you’re thinking of doing something without my permission, right?”
I spin around to face her, fuming. “Why do I need your permission to do anything? It’s not like you asked me before going out.”
“Well, that’s because I’m your Eomma, and you did give me permission to go out, remember?” she raises an eyebrow, and I frown.
“Yeah, for the first date, before I knew who he was,” I bend down to pick up the lipstick, twisting it back down with a slight pout. It’s ruined.
“Then you’ll be happy to know that I’m not going out this Friday as planned,” she crosses her arms, sighing as she sits on my bed. “Vic says we’ll go out another day.”
“Go out? As in, you’re dating him now?” I curl my lip.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she sighs again, before cracking a cheeky grin. “There’s definitely a spark.”
“Please leave if you’re going to talk about that, Eomma,” I point to the door, but she doesn’t budge, instead grabbing one of my pillows and hugging it to her chest.
“It’s only been five days since I met him, but I haven’t had this much excitement in so long,” she says. “I know you’re going to say, oh, but Eomma, he’s too young for you. Yes, Aria, I know, but it’s not about that. He makes me feel young again. He’s shown me how to have the kind of fun that I missed out on during my twenties. It’s like I’ve been given a second chance…the universe gave me an opportunity to relive it the right way, and am I really the bad guy for taking it?”
She peers at me with sad eyes that plead my sympathy, something that I can’t help but feel for her. A second chance…I guess I too was also given a second chance, one that involves someone who meant a lot to me in the past, a friendship lost in time. Everyone deserves a second chance, right? A chance to see how things could have been, and to see if things can continue just how they were before, and if not, at least you won’t regret finding out, right?
“No,” I finally answer. “No, Eomma, you’re not the bad guy. I’m the bad guy for getting mad at you,” I walk over to her and plant myself on the bed. She sets the pillow down before letting me give her a hug, a real, sincere hug since our little fight yesterday.
“No, baby, you had every right to be mad. I went a bit too far, didn’t I?” she says sheepishly, and I nod.
“Yeah, you did,” I laugh when she jokingly smacks me on the arm.
“Hey, only I’m allowed to point out my mistakes, not you,” she nudges my cheek with the knuckle of her index finger. “But I’m still going to see him.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s someone I get along with, Aria, and if you get along with someone, you want to hang out with them as much as possible,” she smiles, her eyes glittering with a memory.
“So you’re friends?”
She chortles. “More like friends with some extra benefits. Financial benefits, Aria, don’t let your mind wander,” she holds up a scolding finger.
“Oh, thank goodness,” I wrinkle my nose, and she laughs.
“I mean, of course, there are other benefits -“
“I don’t want to know!” I block my ears, springing up from the bed.
“I was talking about his motorcycle, Aria, seriously!” But from the way she smirks, I can tell there’s more that she’s not telling me, and for good reason to. It’s not like I tell her what Taehyung and I do. Eurgh, how embarrassing would that be!
“Anyway, didn’t you say you are sneaking out somewhere?”
“Uh, yeah, I swear I was going to ask you,” I chuckle, twirling the end of my ponytail. “See, there’s this party tomorrow night…”
【★】
I didn’t tell her it was at Crown. I don’t know why, but I thought that if I did, she wouldn’t let me go. So I told her it was at Ella’s house, and that her parents would be there, and everything would be safe and secure.
I also told her that Taehyung will be coming with me, and as soon as I said that, she relaxed.
I can’t relax as I hop out of the uber, alone, and pull out my phone, tapping out a message to Ella. She promised to meet me out front, but I don’t see anyone here. It’s starting to get dark, the lights of the city skyline reflecting on the Yarra river. A chilly breeze snakes up my dress and through the waves of my hair as my heels click on the pavement, so I draw my black furry coat around my waist even more, wishing I could wear something heavier. The things we do to look good.
“Aria!”
I’ve never been so relieved to hear my name shrieked like that as that moment when my eyes fall on Ella, a blonde beauty with a curvaceous figure bursting through her red dress. She looks expensive and divine and unlike anything I’ve ever seen her, and when we embrace, she even smells expensive.
“You’ve arrived at the perfect time! The party has just begun to warm up. Oh, I can’t wait to introduce you to the girls, they’ll absolutely love you!” she babbles as we enter the building, our heels echoing on the marble floor. We take the elevator to one of the top levels that is reserved for VIPs only, the dark wood of the furniture gleaming under the gigantic glass chandelier. Crimson balloons bob at the tables where people mill about, delicately holding flutes of champagne while conversing over the music. Everyone looks intimidating, yet inviting at the same time, and I feel my heart race until Ella hands me my own glass of champagne, guiding me through the crowd towards a particular cluster of girls with glittering eyeshadow and artificially-bronzed skin.
“Aria, I’d like you to meet the girls,” once they all turn to me, I feel their immediate scrutinization, their false eyelashes sweeping the air as they size me up.
“I love your coat. Is that mink?” a brunette with piercing green eyes reaches out, and that initiates them to swarm in closer, complimenting various accessories and eventually deciding that I am pretty enough to suit their standards. The brunette’s name is Mia, and with each compliment I receive their names, one by one. I recognize the girl with dark hair and large honey brown eyes to be Layla from English class, and then there’s Sienna, the tall girl with toned limbs, indicating that she plays sport. And finally, Opal, a small pale girl with dyed black hair that fades out into an electric blue, a girl who offers to dye my hair if I ever want to change up my look.
“Well, girls, I’m so glad you all like her but I have to steal her away from you for a few minutes,” Ella shoots me a smile, grabbing my wrist and tugging me through the crowd to meet more of her many friends. I notice very quickly that there are no parents here, only people over eighteen, yet there seems to be a lot. How can someone know this many people?
“Hey, boys, this is Aria, and before you ask, no, she’s not single, she’s taken, so don’t get any ideas,” Ella waggles her finger from side to side with a mock-stern gaze, as if she’s a mother scolding her sons, and I stifle my giggle, feeling the champagne she handed me as soon as we walked in bubble in my bloodstream.
“Damn, what a shame,” one guy with really pretty blue eyes and a gelled quiff says with a flirty wink.
“That’s Ben. He’s a player.” Ella rolls her eyes at the boy, then proceeds to introduce me to the rest, a few I remember from high school, and others I don’t.
The more people Ella introduces me to, the more champagne I drink, which makes me feel less anxious and more at ease with each group of new faces.
“This is fun,” I giggle while clinging to Ella’s arm.
“Aw, I’m glad you’re having fun. Care for an hor d’oeuvre?” she pinches a couple from the server that suddenly appears, handing me a piece of food that tastes crunchy and salty and creamy.
“Mmm. Yummy,” I grin, flipping a thumbs up. Ella flips one back, until I notice there’s a bit of cream on the corner of her lip. “Ooh, lemme get that,” I reach over with my thumb and she giggles as I swipe my finger over it, presenting it to her. “Got it!”
“You always take care of me, Aria,” she smiles. “I remember that.”
“I remember one time you did a whole presentation with vegemite on your chin,” we laugh at the memory.
“You kept pointing to your chin while I was speaking and I was so confused,” Ella laughs. “I thought you were just thinking, like how you stroke your chin when you think.”
We clutch each other as we laugh some more, and then we are joined by the girls again. We make our way to our own table as the waiters come in to serve the meal. Meanwhile, Ella grabs a microphone from out of nowhere, standing on a chair to address everyone at the event.
“I would just like to say thank you all for coming tonight. Everyone here means a lot to me, and I hope you enjoy the food and most importantly, have fun! There are pieces of paper on each table for you to each write one thing you love about me,” she tosses her hair with an airy laugh. “I will be choosing my favourite one and the winner gets something special so make sure to write something amazing! Oh, and – “
The waiters bring out a massive cake as the lights dim, and Ella pretends to look shocked as we all start to sing happy birthday, completely interrupting her speech. She blows out the candles while Layla and Mia get out of their seats. Layla places a golden crown on Ella’s head before Mia ties a sash around her that says Birthday Bitch. When Ella reads it, she lets out a high-pitched laugh, finding it hilarious.
“Happy Birthday, Bitch!” Mia shouts into the microphone, and everyone goes wild, laughing and whistling. I look around, feeling like I’m in some kind of teen movie, except the kind where the popular girl is rich enough to afford renting out a whole floor at a casino.
Once Ella returns to her seat, she completely ignores me, and the whole situation feels awfully familiar, being surrounded by pretty girls who were bubbly and popular, leaving me out of their conversations. I chew on my food in silence, regretting coming here. Why did I agree to come?
“Let’s make a toast for Ella’s special day!” Opal raises her glass, so I do the same, not wanting to look like the odd one out any more than I already do. When Ella clinks her glass with me, she says, “Are you enjoying the food?”
I nod, forcing a smile. “Of course! Everything is great.”
She doesn’t speak to me after that.
The cake goes around, and then it’s time to write one thing we love about Ella. Feeling salty, and a little courageous due to the alcohol, I write, I love her ability to make you feel left out in any social situation. I smirk as I fold the piece of paper in half, placing it in the bowl.
She’ll never know it’s me.
After stuffing ourselves with expensive food, the party spills onto the allocated dance floor. Ella stands up and leaves with her girlfriends, completely abandoning me, and I sigh, prodding my cake with the fork and pouting.
“This sucks.”
“I think it tastes pretty good, actually,” a voice I vaguely recognize speaks from behind me, and I gasp when I see who it is.
Charlie.
My first crush. The first boy that caught my eye back in primary school, but I never told anyone about him. Not even Ella.
“Remember me?” he flashes a toothy grin, the same toothy grin he has had since prep, and I simply blink, my heart fluttering at his handsome looks. I forgot how good-looking he is. That and his sense of humour were the reasons why I liked him, couldn’t help but stare at him at any opportunity I got all throughout primary school, and then for the first part of high school until I found a new boy to secretly crush on.
“Uh, yeah,” I let out an involuntary giggle as if I’m twelve years old all over again. “Charlie.”
“And you’re Aria,” he scoops up a piece of cake, placing it into his mouth as he maintains eye contact with me. Even in the dim lighting, I can still see the colour of his eyes. Leaden blue. “Are you and Ella friends again? I’m surprised to see you here.”
“Yeah, I guess we are,” I tear my gaze away from him, staring at my slice of cake.
“This cake is good though, right? It’s the only reason I came,” he grins, and I reflect it.
“Same. Though seeing Ella wear a sash that says birthday bitch is also a highlight.”
“What else would you expect from Ella?”
We laugh at the truth of that statement, and just as I’m about to take a bite of my cake he says, “Hey, you don’t wanna dance, do ya?”
“I don’t dance,” I lie, and he laughs.
“Neither do I, but I think it’d be fun, come on,” he holds out his hand, and I hold up my own, saying, “Wait,” before shoving the spoonful of cake into my mouth. He chuckles as I stand up, brushing my hands on a napkin and slipping off my coat. “Okay, I’m ready to look like an idiot.”
“Please, I think I’ll be the one looking like an idiot,” he insists as we weave between the empty tables. I follow him with an excited heartbeat, wondering how I got to be in this situation, casually chatting to my first crush, and then him asking me to dance with him. Despite reliving the cold memory of being left out of Ella’s exclusive circle of friends, it feels like I’ve been given a chance to relive a different kind of memory that only remained in my imagination – hanging with Charlie. I’ve been given a second chance, and it’s not like I’m going to kiss him or anything. I’m just going to dance, and maybe talk a little, laugh at his jokes…harmless stuff.
But would Taehyung be happy to hear you talking to another guy? If he saw you right now, dancing and laughing with Charlie, would he approve?
【★】
ᴛᴀᴇʜʏᴜɴɢ‘ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ
“No!”
The man beside me throws his cards down on the green velvet table, frustrated. He’s lost everything, and we’ve won it all.
“How is this possible? This must be rigged or something,” the man grumbles as I rake in our winnings.
“I guess I’m just lucky,” I shoot a wink at Vic and the gang, who are all smiling in celebration.
It’s the fifth man we’ve won against tonight, and a small crowd started to gather after our third win, curiosity driving their interest towards the Korean guy in the leather jacket who keeps winning every round.
“Surely you can’t be this good,” my next competitor steps up, and I arch an eyebrow.
“Would you like to test that?”
And so I win against him too, and the best part about it all is – I don’t have to cheat. I’m winning because I have strategy, and after the seventh win, Vic and Frankie pull me out.
“Just how the hell are you winning? Not that I’m complaining,” Vic chuckles.
I shrug in response as Ruby, Kev and Leo join us at the lounge. We order a round of drinks and clink glasses in cheers.
“You were so cool out there, Tae,” Ruby says, and I bite back a smile. It feels good to be cool again.
And this time, it’s because of my own natural ability, and not because I did something illegal.
“Eight thousand dollars!” Vic cackles, kissing the cheque. “All thanks to you, Tae.”
“Are you glad that you took my offer now?” I raise my eyebrows, and he laughs.
“Of course! What would we do without our little baby Tae, right, guys?”
Everyone chimes in agreement. Ruby pinches my cheek, teasing me. “Baby Tae,” she giggles.
“Hey, you’re the same age as me, you can’t call me a baby,” I argue, but she continues to squeeze my cheeks, cooing at me.
“Yeah, I can!” she laughs in my face, the alcohol taking full effect already. I gulp my own glass down, shifting away from her. She loves to touch people, even if she just met them, casually or flirtatiously, it doesn’t matter to her. I suddenly remember what Aria said, about me always invading her personal space when we first met, and how quickly I become comfortable with people. Ruby reminds me of myself then, except I have a girlfriend now, so I can’t just get comfortable with any girl like I did with Aria.
There’s no girl for me like Aria.
“Let’s play the slot machines!” Frankie announces, standing up along with everyone else. Vic whispers something to Frankie, and they nod, as if they have some secret business between them, but my line of sight is blocked by Ruby, who drags me by the hand, insisting that we play on a slot machine together, and that she knows a cool trick to win.
“Sit,” she forces me onto the chair, then perches on my knee, looping on arm around my shoulders while the other arm works the slot machine, pressing a button repetitively, without even putting any money in yet.
“What are you doing?” I ask, and she turns to me with a mischievous smile.
“Watch this, ready?” she presses a button, and the betting price increases to one cent, and then she touches another button. “Now the lever is looser, see?” she demonstrates, and sure enough, it’s loose. “Make sure no one’s watching,” she whispers, and so I flick a glance around at the security, but their attention is elsewhere.
“The next trick is to pretend to be a couple,” she lifts my arm so that it circles her waist, murmuring, “Just play along, trust me.”
I hold my breath as I hold her, my cheeks burning as she leans against me to fish a few coins out from her pocket. She inserts them into the machine and pulls the lever, all while giving me a running commentary.
“Now the last trick is to jolt the lever just a little bit, like this…”
We watch as the screen blurs with spinning symbols, and then –
“It’s a triple match!” she squeals, flinging both her arms around me. I accidentally catch a whiff of her intoxicating perfume and I rear back, subtly trying to push her off my lap, but she doesn’t budge, instead celebrating loudly so that the guard nearby notices.
“Is everything alright here?”
Ruby grins at him, keeping her arms around my neck. “We just won big, sir! I guess it’s all thanks to our love for each other!”
The guard grunts, walking away, and Ruby shoots me a wink.
“And that’s how you win five hundred dollars on a slot machine.”
“I don’t think we needed to pretend to be a couple, though,” I gently push her off my lap, and she stands beside me with a hand on her hip.
“Oh, but that’s the best part! The security hate couples. Find them sickening. Probably because they’re all single. Saddos,” she scoffs.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being single.”
She arches an eyebrow at me. “Like you’d know, Mr I have a girlfriend.”
“Oi!”
We both turn to the burst of noise to see Frankie dashing out with a security guard tailing him, as well as Vic running off in the opposite direction. Ruby and I exchange the same look of panic. It’s time to go.
We collect the money and make our way toward the exit. Ruby grabs my hand and leans against me, giggling, and I sigh, forced to play along in order for us to walk out of there without any suspicion. I glance over my shoulder, but I can’t see any of the others in the casino. They left without us.
“Don’t let them get away!” a guard shouts, pointing to Vic and Frankie who head for the revolving doors now. The guard who shouted speaks into his walkie talkie, saying something about locking down the whole building so no one can escape.
“Just keep walking,” Ruby hisses, her grip on my hand tightening, but before we can even get anywhere, there’s the sound of a siren, and the revolving doors stop revolving, locking everyone in.
Frankie and Vic are caught, making me wonder where the rest of us are.
Us.
As if I’m one of them.
“Hey, lovebirds, aren’t you with them?” the same guard from before marches up to us, and we shake our heads.
“No, sir.”
“I’ve never seen them before in my life,” Ruby lies, and the guard nods his head, leaving us alone.
“Let’s just wait for them to sort it all out,” Ruby says, leading me away from the casino. “Come on, I wanna show you something.”
Luckily the guards are too busy with Vic and Frankie to worry about two people sneaking away, and I don’t know why I follow this crazy girl with the blood-red hair who doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything.
I’ve never met a girl like her before.
“Check this out. Isn’t it so cool?” Ruby spreads her arms and tilts her head up to the ceiling, which dangles with a color-changing chandelier. There’s a fountain, and a water-wall, as well as a large black stone marble staircase leading up to the VIP rooms. Ruby is already dragging me up those stairs, her enthusiasm similar to that of a child’s.
I can’t help but catch her enthusiasm as we climb up the stairs, eventually reaching the top with heaving breaths. Ruby sweeps a hand through her hair while gazing around, the blue light turning her hair purple and making her face appear even paler than before. She smiles, beckoning me to follow her again.
“Hey!”
A guard approaches us, and I feel my heart skip a beat as he folds his arms.
“Are you guys here for Miss Armstrong’s birthday party?”
Ruby glances at me, nodding. “Yeah, of course! I hope we’re not too late?”
I raise my eyebrows when the guard lets us through, and sure enough, there’s a sign saying, “Reserved for Private Event” outside a closed door.
“Have you ever gate-crashed a party before?” Ruby asks.
“No.”
“Oh, it’s so much fun,” she grins wickedly before opening the door.
Inside, there’s people. Lots and lots of people, all dressed up in fancy clothes, and I spot shiny red balloons, among them a gigantic number nineteen, and tables of half-drunken glasses of alcohol as well as untouched slices of cake. On the far-left side, music and lights blare while bodies dance, completely oblivious to the two gatecrashers. I am frozen, taking everything in with a gaping mouth.
“Ooh, free cake? Yes, please,” Ruby walks up to an empty table and grabs a plate of cake and a spoon, separating a chunk before holding it up to me. “Say ah.”
“What are you, my dentist?”
The words come out so quickly they surprise me, as well as Ruby, who just laughs, feeding me the cake through my lips. I frown as I chew, trying to recall where I’ve heard those words before. I never said them, but they sound so familiar…
“Let’s dance!” Ruby also loves to drag people around by the hand, something I prefer doing over being dragged, but it seems like I have no choice with this girl.
She draws me in with her hand gripping my jacket, flipping her red hair and shaking her hips. I stand still, watching her with a pit of longing for someone else who danced like that, someone with black hair and no tattoos, someone who let me drag her by the hand instead of dragging me around, someone who has my heart, no matter where she is.
Oh, how I wish I were with her right now. Whose birthday is this anyway?
The DJ suddenly stops the music and a tall girl shouts into a microphone, “This one’s for the birthday bitch, Ella Armstrong!”
The music resumes, and everyone cheers as a Rihanna song comes on. I watch the tall girl step off the stage toward a blonde girl with a crown on her head, and through the flickering lights and crowd of unfamiliar faces, I swear I see her.
The girl on my mind, making me feel guilty for even letting Ruby drag me here. But she can’t be here…
This one’s for the birthday bitch, Ella Armstrong!
That’s not the same Ella that used to be Aria’s friend, is it? It can’t be.
A break in the crowd allows me to catch another glimpse of black hair, cat-like eyes accentuated with eyeliner and those rosy lips that I’ve kissed so many times. Those same lips stretch into a smile now as she dances with someone who looks very…male.
“It can’t be,” I say aloud, and Ruby frowns at me.
“What’s wrong, baby Tae?” she presses a palm to my cheek, but I ignore her, squinting at the girl who looks like my girlfriend, laughing and having fun with some guy with golden brown hair and a sharp jawline.
“I think that’s her,” I say.
“Who?” Ruby tries to follow my line of sight, and that’s when a bright light flashes across the dance floor, bright enough to confirm my suspicion.
“Aria.”
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