“You don’t seem fine to me.”
I was silent for a moment before looking at him.“I’ll get over it. I always do.”
“Do we need to put you on suicide watch until then?” he said it jokingly, but I could tell he was serious.
“No. That’s what the mood stabilizers are for.” I ripped some blades of grass and dropped them near my foot. I was starting to feel better.“Where are my shoes?” I asked, suddenly realizing they weren’t on my feet.
“You really are crazy.” Dennis laughed as I grabbed a handful of grass and threw it at him. He was gone and back before it even reached the ground.
“Thanks.” I half smiled as he dropped both shoes in my hands.
“So your dad murdered someone?” he asked, retaking his seat in the grass.
“Yeah.” I pulled my hair to the side and lay back.
“How long is he in prison for?”
“Life.” I closed my eyes as a fresh wave of emotion hit.“Death row. I haven’t seen him since I was nine.”
“How come?”
“He disowned me for testifying against him. Even though I don’t know what else I was supposed to do. I was a child and a material witness. It’s not like I had a choice.” I opened my eyes to make the memory less real.“Anyway, I don’t wanna talk about it.”
We settled into a silence that might’ve lasted five minutes or twenty—I couldn’t tell. The party was raging down the street. I glanced over, wondering if we should go back or call it a night. My mood might be okay now, but it was probably risky.
“Your cousin’s here.” Dennis stood and nodded toward the sidewalk, where Sean and Ari were approaching.
“I wonder how drunk she is now.” I fixed my smeared makeup before standing to brush the grass off my shorts and legs. I strapped my heels on and followed him to the sidewalk.
“Emery! I missed you.” Ari threw her arms up, running to meet me halfway. She tripped over an untied converse and I caught her.“How’d that happen?”
“I don’t know.” I helped her back to the sidewalk.“I don’t think the grass likes you. And I missed you too, drunkie. And you,” I gave Sean an accusatory look, “I thought you were keeping her with friends?”
“I didn’t do it.” He held his hands up. “She ran off when they weren’t looking. I found her outside coming this way so I followed.”
“Huh. Okay.” I didn’t argue because that was one hundred percent a drunk Ari thing to do.
“So who’s driving?” Sean asked. Both he and Dennis turned to me with adorable smiles.
I unhooked the keys from my shorts and pushed Ari into Sean’s waiting arms.“She wanders off while drunk. Don’t lose her.”
“Wait,” she grabbed onto my arm in distress,“don’t go alone. You can’t go alone. What if Dennis kills you?”
“…what?” I glanced at Dennis, who was equally bewildered.
“I said what if Sean kills you,” she repeated. Or so she thought.
“You’re such a ditzy drunk.” I laughed and patted her cheek.“I’ll be back.”
“You really shouldn’t go alone,” Sean said.
“It’s literally half a block away. We can see each other the entire way there. And if I die it’s okay because everyone will remember me in a cute outfit.” I dismissed their concern andsangall the way to the car.
It was deserted along the street, but I could still hear the party going four blocks down and Ari’s drunken ramblings from the way I’d come. I slid into the car and screamed.
“Your screaming is even worse than your singing,”Dennissaid, shutting the passenger door.
“You followed me?”
