Charleigh
Where is Alexander?Charleigh wonders. It’s almost time to light the firecrackers, and the man is nowhere to be seen.
He’s probably inside, taking a piss, which Charleigh needs to do as well, so she pushes herself up to standing. Her legs are wobbly. How much has she had to drink? She will hate herself tomorrow. She breaks apart from the crowd that’s knotted together around the pool.
She feels herself smile.
This has been a huge success, and the night is still young.
That hot little Luke has been the life of the party; she watched as Nellie watched him, enraptured, in love. And she herself feels better about Nellie being with him. Not that she ever felt bad about it, scratching her way out of nothing as she did when she was Luke’s age; everyone knows she’s not judgy like that.
But still. Good to see the boy can be charming, even effusive.
And where is he now? Come to think of it, where is Nellie?Hope springs through her chest as she imagines them upstairs in Nellie’s bedroom, entangled on top of her comforter.
But she’s almost to the back patio when her daughter comes charging past her, face streaked with tears.
“Baby! What’s wrong?” Charleigh slurs at her.
“Nothing, Mother,” Nellie growls, her fists tightly balled by her sides.
Charleigh rushes over, tries to put her arms around her.
Nellie swats them away. “Not now.” She darts off down the hill.
But it’snotnothing; Charleigh can see them: Blair and Luke walking together, touching, coming out of the woods like a single entity. Blair’s hair is a rat’s nest, her shirt inside out. She’s laughing, leaning even more heavily into Luke.
That little fucking shit. I will destroy her.
54
Jane
My voice is hoarse from all the talking. I’m sosickof this party, so ready to blow this pop stand.
Luke and I put on quite the show—I honestly didn’t think he had it in him, he’s such an anarchist—but he played the part well. Too well. My stomach hurts thinking about it.
A little while ago, Pa came over to us and clapped us both on our backs, his eyes dancing. “Well done, you two. Well done!”
Ugh.
I scan the drunken faces for Luke. I haven’t seen him in a sec.
I need to find him, beg him to take me home. We rode in the Camaro, Pa and Mom following us in the truck.
I haven’t seen Mom lately either, come to think of it. And Nellie’s dad is nowhere in sight.
I see Nellie, though, near the champagne fountain, chugging. After downing a full glass, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, stomps over to the bar. She snatches a whole bottle oftequila, screws the top open. Seems to swallow it whole before staggering off to the woods.
I actually feel like going with her.
That’s when I see them.
Luke and Blair, coming down the hill together.
Everyone sees them. They’re a spectacle.
Blair’s making sure of that with her loud cackle, her nauseating squealing. The way she walks, knocking into Luke’s shoulder, like they’re a couple. Which ittotallylooks like they are right now.
