The place gets packed quickly, and I decide to limit myself to one beer because the bathroom options here are not good. It’s basicallyhead outside and find a hidden spot in the woods.
No thank you.
Charlie heads out to the area that was once a dance floor but Wes, Sophie, and I hang back. My phone vibrates in my back pocket, so I pull it out and see there’s a text from Mom:
MOM:Where in the world are you?
ME:A party on some land some friends own
MOM:Who’s driving?
ME:Wes. And he’s drinking water
MOM:Okay. Text me when you leave
I’m shoving my phone back in my pocket when I hear someone beside me say, “Coach wouldn’t tell me why you’re suddenly interested in golf.”
Spinning around, I see Locke standing there and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
At least Coach Cantu isn’t putting it out there as to how bad I screwed up. “I took his class. Why would I do that if I wasn’t interested in golf?”
“I’ve never seen you at a tournament, but the last week of senior year, you’ll be there every day?”
My lip curls. “Why are you worried about what I’m doing?”
“It’s just surprising. You’re the last one I would have picked to give up all those parties to hang out at the golf course.”
Yep. He’s got me there. So I decide to ignore him and turn my attention back to the dance floor. Charlie has noticed I’m talking to Locke and I know I’m going to get interrogated later.
“I’m surprised you’re here,” I say to Locke, still not looking at him. “Don’t you have to be there pretty early tomorrow?”
He holds up a water bottle, right in my line of sight. “This may be the last Wagon Wheel party. Couldn’t miss it.”
I hold up my red Solo cup. “Yeah, same!”
Miller and Will are on a makeshift stage on the other side of the dance floor, where they’re DJ-ing with a laptop and one of the biggest speakers I’ve ever seen. Will holds a big flashlight and Miller has a microphone. As they randomly point the spotlight on someone and call out their name, that person has to show their moves.
It’s not long before that light finds Charlie.
“Charlie Messina!” Miller yells. And now Charlie is doing some dance move I have never seen and definitely never want to again. But of course, because it’s Charlie, there are cheers from everyone in the room before Miller and Will move on to the next victim.
Wes steps in front of Sophie and me. “Come on, it’s time to dance,” he says, pulling us toward Charlie. And since Locke didn’t bother saying bye to me earlier, I follow without another word.
It gets hot quick with so many bodies packed into this building and no air moving at all except for what’s flowing in through the open back doors.
I fan myself with my hands and lean close enough to Sophie so she can hear me above the music. “I’m getting some water!”
She nods as I walk away. I have to dig in two ice chests before I find a bottle.
“Is there another one in there?”
I look up and see Leo.
“Oh, hey!” I say, then reach back into the ice chest, pulling a second bottle out for him.
“Thanks,” he says, when I hand it over.
He’s a little sweaty, too, and those curls have kicked into high gear. I look around for the Evil Joes but don’t see them.
