No Matter What You Do

10. Happy Birthday

Never been to a club. Not one that didn’t have a bunch of nerdy kids who talked about books. I’ve said too much.

The venue is in the middle of a half-empty parking lot. Above the building is a blinking neon red-and-blue sign that reads “DropStix.”

A sudden rush of something unpleasant travels through my body. As Brandy and I make our way to the door, I push down the anxious barf that I feel rising up. I did not think this through. I can hear the music and people from here.

The bouncer at the door stops us, informing us it’s a private party.

“Lainey Coleson plus one,” I tell the large man. “I should be on the list.”

The man looks at his clipboard and then lets us both in. Part of me was afraid he’d be checking IDs but apparently not. As we go in, Brandy links her arm through mine.

The blasting music gets much louder as we step deeper inside. The kind of loud that makes your body freaking vibrate. If I could blast off into space and out of this place, I would.

“Can you identify anyone?” Brandy asks in my ear. The whole club is dimly lit, and there must be half the population just out on the dance floor. I’m not even gonna try to look for familiar faces. It seems I don’t even have to because I hear Cameron’s voice and spot him hugging Tamara.

“Cameron’s by the bar.”

“Oh yay!” Brandy says, yanking me in that direction.

Tamara pulls away from Cameron to give me a hug. “So glad you made it!” Her eyes slide to Brandy, and she points to her. “Where have I seen you?”

“I stripper danced on Cameron’s table.”

Her response causes a weird, strained laughing sound to come from me.

“You’re right. I did see the pictures.” She chuckles.

Cameron clears his throat. “Really considerate of you to wear clothes today.”

Brandy exaggerates a fake laugh and comically regains a straight face. “Funny.”

I look at Cameron. “Cameron.”

He cocks his head. “Coleson.”

Tamara brings me to the dance floor. As she dances, I just stand there, way too aware of where I am. Too self-conscious to participate.

“This is a nightclub,” I say robotically to Tamara.

“It is.”

“There’s a bouncer.”

“Correct.”

“We’re underaged.”

Tamara’s face contorts into realization. “You looking for alcohol? Technically, the bar is closed. But the punch on the soon-to-be cake table is spiked.” She whispers the last word. “Think of it as a giant cocktail.” She puts a finger to her lips.

We spend a whole song talking about random things then I excuse myself and join Brandy at the bar where she still resides with Cameron. Once I’m only a few feet away, I feel someone bump into my shoulder. I turn to see a tall blonde girl with brown, uneven roots. She looks as if she frowns twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

“Hey!” Brandy says, sliding off her barstool.

“What?” she asks. Her tone tells me I’ve done some terrible and nasty thing to her. I haven’t!

“Are you always so clumsy?”

“Excuse me?” The blonde narrows her eyes into slits.

“Watch where you’re walking.” I wish Brandy wouldn’t fight my battles for me, but no words come out of my dumb mouth.

“Maybe Little Miss Mute should stand somewhere else.”

Brandy takes a step toward the girl, mimicking her despicable fa?ade. “Maybe you should back off.”

“I don’t take orders from whores.” The blonde girl smirks and looks me up and down, taking in my outfit. “You remind me of my homeless aunt.” Before Brandy and I can fully digest her words, she struts to the other side of the bar.

We exchange disconcerted looks.

“Cameron, who the fuck was that bitch?” Brandy blurts.

He slurps from his cup of punch. “Not my place to say.”

If looks could kill, Cameron would be decapitated on the hardwood with the look Brandy’s giving him. He leans back against the counter for protection.

“Chill. It’s Tamara’s controlling, crazy ex-girlfriend,” he reveals. “Her name’s Brazely.”

“Stupid-ass name,” Brandy says, very matter-of-factly.

“Why’d they break up? Why is she here?” I ask before realizing how incredibly nosy I’m being.

“Like I said, crazy and controlling. What she just did to you was a nice way of telling you to fuck off. And for all I know she snuck in through the bathroom window. I wouldn’t invite my ex.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Cameron shrugs. “She’s also insanely jealous. You’re hot, and you’re friends with her ex. Immediate threat.”

I do my best to disregard his casual comment on my appearance. You’re hot...

I have been here less than a month, and I am already making enemies.

Cameron excuses himself and tells us he’s off to find my brother.

Brandy grabs my arm. “Forget her, let’s start this list.”

I look to the dance floor, and I find Tamara dancing by herself. It doesn’t stay that way for long though. Brazely is soon up from the bar and at her side. It kind of feels like she’s marking her territory.

Moments later, Tamara’s cake is brought out, and most of the guests join in singing for her. Tamara waves to me and holds up a plate of cake once they’ve cut it. It’s not long before Brazely sees and whisks her away. I’m starting to see the controlling trait Cameron was talking about.

Brandy and I grab a piece of vanilla cake and a cup of spiked punch. “First item is to kiss someone,” she says.

“I can’t kiss anyone here. I don’t know anyone.”

“Your choice. But if we go with people we know, you’re stuck with Cameron, and I with your brother.” Just the idea of her and David kissing makes my skin crawl.

“I don’t think I can.”

“You might change your mind after a couple of glasses of this.” She swirls her cup of punch.

I allow myself enough to get tipsy, and it only takes two glasses. How much tequila is in there?

Cameron and David come into view again, and she makes a beeline for David, leaving Cameron with me. He goes straight for the cake table as I watch Brandy and my brother head back to the bar.

“That punch is strong,” I say with a long blink.

He laughs to himself. “Yeah. I can see that.”

Shut up.

He shoves some cake in his mouth. “You better be careful. That punch has been spiked, but you never know what other people have put in there.”

“You sound like my mom.”

He takes another forkful.

“Sorry,” I say out of the blue. “I guess it was easier to see you as a dirty cheat.”

He licks the frosting off his fork. “How do you see me now?”

I go for the more literal approach. I start at his feet. He wears rugged brown lace-up ankle boots, blue distressed jeans, and a gray Henley that hugs tightly to his biceps. “Put on a flannel and I’d see you as a lumberjack. You’re not dressed like a Californian.”

“Look who”s talking, Pippi Longstocking.”

My hand flies to one of my braids. I look back at Brandy. She nods, then places her hand on David’s thigh. They”re already in conversation, so it looks natural when she does it.

You can do this, Lainey.

The biggest difference between Brandy and me is that she is smooth, and I most definitely am not. “Wanna play a game?” I ask.

Cameron arches his eyebrows. “Depends. Elaborate.”

Another glance in Brandy’s direction. “Close your eyes, and I’ll tell you.”

Brandy silences whatever my brother is saying with a kiss. He grabs the back of her head and pulls her closer, making it even deeper. I’ll never kiss someone like that.

“I’ll close them if you promise I won’t end up with cake smashed in my face.”

I promise him. He softly shuts his eyes.

Brandy pulls away from David and rubs a thumb across his bottom lip. She glances at me. It’s my turn.

Even though he can’t see me, I cover his eyes with my hand.

“I’m waiting…” Cameron says impatiently.

It’s too late to back down. I wonder what I must look like to Brandy. Stupid. I gulp some air, then get on my toes. I press my lips to his. That’s all I can say about it. It can barely be considered a kiss. I’m so nervous I forget to part my lips. To my surprise though, I feel his lips press against my own. I pull away and uncover his eyes. Poor Cameron looks at me with such confusion that I wish I could disappear.

Almost as if reading my mind, Brandy hurries to my side. “I need to pee,” she says. “Come with me, Lainey.”