Chapter Eight
Jude
I felt like death.
Not the dramatic kind where everything fades to black and angels start singing.
No.
The real kind.
The pounding, dehydrated, why-the-hell-did-I-do-that kind.
My head throbbed with every heartbeat, like someone had taken a hammer to the inside of my skull and decided to keep a steady rhythm just to piss me off.
My mouth was dry, my stomach was questionable, and the smell of bacon drifting from the kitchen should’ve been a good thing, but right now it just made everything worse.
I sat at one of the long tables in the clubhouse, hunched over a steaming cup of coffee like it was the only thing keeping me upright.
Across from me, my dad, Maniac, watched me with way too much amusement for this early in the morning. “You look like shit,” he said.
I lifted the mug, took a slow sip, and immediately regretted it when the heat hit my tongue. “Feel like it too.”
“Good,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Builds character.”
I gave him a look. “Pretty sure I’ve got enough of that.”
“Not from where I’m sitting.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue.
Behind him, in the kitchen, my mom, Wren, and Carnie were moving around like it was just another normal morning. Pans clattered, voices overlapped, and the smell of breakfast kept getting stronger whether I liked it or not.
Around the rest of the room, people were scattered everywhere.
Kingston and Fox were at one table, heads bent together over something on Kingston’s phone.
Thorn leaned back in his chair with his boots kicked out, looking far too relaxed for someone who’d been dealing with drunk idiots all night.
Ender and Basil were arguing about something I didn’t have the brainpower to follow, while Slayer, Brinks, and Nickel sat nearby, throwing in comments like they were refereeing the whole thing.
At the bar, the women had taken over.
Alice, Karmen, Calla, Nikki, Clove, Eden, Mayra, and Raven were lined up on stools. Cora moved behind the bar, pouring orange juice and champagne into glasses like she’d done it a thousand times.
“Here you go,” she said, sliding a mimosa down the line.
“Bless you,” Karmen said, grabbing it immediately.
“Alright,” Alice announced suddenly, loud enough to cut through every other conversation in the room. “We’re doing it.”
My dad didn’t even look in her direction. “I don’t even want to know what she’s talking about.”
I nodded slightly and took another sip of coffee.
Talking felt like a bad idea.
Thinking felt like a worse one.
“I thought D-D-Dad said it was put on the b-b-back burner?” Eden said, sounding cautious.
Alice waved her hand like that idea had never existed. “That was when the crazies were after us. They’re gone, so now we are going to have a graduation party for you.”
She bumped her shoulder into Eden, who looked like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or run. “We’ll have the party next Saturday.”
Nikki choked on her mimosa. “Uh, are you crazy? That’s like eight days from now.”
Alice nodded like that proved her point. “Yeah, that sounds like just enough time.”
The door to the clubhouse opened, and Wrecker walked in. “Enough time for what?” he asked.
Alice turned toward him, already smiling. “Eden’s graduation party. Next Saturday. Be there, although it’s here, so you’ll be here.”
“Here, here!” Karmen called.
Eden looked at her like she’d lost her mind.
“It was a lot of here that deserved a here, here,” Karmen tried to explain.
“Here!” Calla added, lifting her glass.
“Dear G-G-God,” Eden stuttered, “I can t-t-tell you are her child.”
“Party next Saturday sounds good,” Wrecker said.
The entire room froze.
Even through the haze in my head, I felt it.
That moment of collective what the hell just happened?
Wrecker dropped into the chair next to me like nothing weird had occurred and looked around at everyone staring at him. “What?”
“You just agreed to Alice’s crazy idea of throwing a grad party in eight days,” Nikki said.
He shrugged, leaning back like he hadn’t just sealed his own fate. “I just figure with only a few days to plan it that she won’t have much time to cook up some crazy shit.”
My dad tilted his head. “I mean… you’re kind of right.”
Wrecker chuckled. “This ain’t my first rodeo, guys.”
“I feel like I should be offended,” Alice said, narrowing her eyes at him, “but honestly now it’s like a challenge to see what crazy things I can come up with.”
Wrecker shook his head, already doomed. “Give it your best shot, babe.”
I winced slightly. Even hungover, I knew that was a mistake.
“I’ve got the food covered!” Carnie called from the kitchen. “And the cake, too.”
Alice pointed dramatically toward her. “I didn’t doubt you for a second.” She snapped her fingers in the air. “I need a notebook.” Before anyone could stop her, she jumped off her stool and bolted down the hallway.
“I don’t know if it’s badass for me to admit this,” Raven said slowly, “but I’m kind of scared to see what Alice cooks up.”
Nikki patted her hand. “We just do what she tells us and be the cool aunts when this is all done and over.”
Raven nodded. “I mean, I can do that.”
Alice came back seconds later with a notebook and pen like she’d been preparing for this moment her entire life.
“Okay,” she said, flipping it open. “We need decorations, food, which Carnie has, drinks, obviously, games, music—” She paused as her pen flew across the paper. “A bounce house,” she added suddenly.
“No,” Eden said immediately.
“A slip-and-slide.”
“No.”
“A mini petting zoo.”
“Absolutely not,” Eden said louder.
Maniac pointed at Wrecker. “You can’t even say shit because you are the one who pretty much threw down the gauntlet for her to go crazy.”
Wrecker dragged a hand down his face. “Yeah, I see that now.”
“Do you think people are going to be able to make it with such short notice?” Calla asked.
“I mean, of course the whole club will be there, but anyone else to invite?”
“Devil’s Knights!” Mayra said immediately.
“Shit,” Brinks muttered. “Alice and Meg together is just a hilarious train wreck waiting to happen.”
Alice looked at him over her shoulder. “Why do you think we keep going on vacation with them? It’s a guaranteed good time.”
“I’ll send out a group text to the Devil’s Knights ol’ ladies,” Mayra said.
Alice nodded. “Perfect. Anyone else? I think we should just put out a mass invite to the whole town.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Wrecker said quickly. “I think you need to reel in that mass invite, babe.”
Kingston dropped his head into his hands. “We are so screwed.”
Ender patted his back. “It’s okay, brother. You’ve made it this far being Alice’s kid. I’m sure you’ll make it through Eden’s graduation.”
“Uh,” Eden said, raising a hand, “h-how a-a-about we first try to c-c-come up with a guest list? I’m not really w-w-wanting to have to entertain t-t-the whole town of Weston.”
“Fine,” Alice grunted. She clicked her pen and leaned over the notebook. “Rapid fire who we want there.”
Names started flying.
“Jim from the bank,” someone called.
“Mrs. Spangler,” Karmen added.
“Eli from the hardware store.”
“Don’t forget Pete, he fixed the mower last year.”
“Coach Daniels.”
“Eat—” Basil started, then paused. “Wait, is that a person or am I hungry?”
“Both,” Thorn said.
“Don’t forget about Ever and Lark from the Dairy Bar,” Calla added. “We should invite Ever’s parents, too.”
“And her boyfriend,” Clove chimed in.
Something in my chest twisted.
Sharp and unexpected. It hit fast enough that I couldn’t hide it completely. A low groan slipped out before I could stop it.
My dad’s eyes flicked to me immediately.
I shifted in my chair, picking up my coffee like that had been the reason.
“Still feeling like shit?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said, even though that wasn’t what it was.
Alice kept writing, not noticing anything off. “Ever, Lark, Ever’s boyfriend…”
Boyfriend.
Didn’t like it.
Alice leaned back, looking over the list. “That’s only like thirty names. I think we just need to put it out for everyone to come.”
“Fucking Christ,” Wrecker sighed. “We are not inviting the whole damn town, Alice. I know things are quiet with the Northbound Reapers, but I think we still need to be a bit cautious.”
Alice pouted. “You said we could have a party.”
“Thirty people, plus our club and the Devil’s Knights, seems like a damn big party.”
“More like a rager,” Pipe grunted from the doorway.
Alice tapped her pen against the notebook. “I know there are more people we need to invite.”
“That’s enough,” Wrecker said.
Alice waved him off like he hadn’t spoken. “Let’s talk about entertainment.”
“Dear Lord,” Wrecker muttered.
“Live music,” Calla suggested.
“Yes,” Karmen said immediately. “We need dancing.”
“No blow-up c-c-costumes,” Eden said quickly.
A chorus of groans went up.
“Come on,” Alice said. “Those were fun.”
“Clove g-g-got kidnapped,” Eden shot back.
“That was unrelated,” Clove said defensively.
“It was absolutely related,” Raven said.
“Okay,” Alice admitted. “No blow-up costumes.”
“Thank God,” Nikki said.
The conversation rolled on. Ideas stacking on ideas, half of them ridiculous, the other half somehow worse.
I leaned back in my chair, letting the noise wash over me because no matter how loud the room got, one thing stuck.
Ever.
And her boyfriend.
The idea of them both being here next weekend together didn’t sit right.
I rubbed a hand over my jaw, staring down into my coffee like it might have an answer.
It didn’t.
None of this did.
I just knew I didn’t fucking like it, and that didn’t make any damn sense.