Evan’s easygoingness fell away and he dealt Jane a severe look. “Pranav is herewith his girlfriend.”
Jane looked flustered. “Wow, okay. I wasn’t—look, there’s Lexi and Stella.” She grabbed my hand and towed me away. I sent Evan an apologetic look over my shoulder; he shook his head, and the crowd swallowed him.
It turned out I really liked rum and cokes.
An hour or two later, a boy slapped my shoulder and I spun around. “You’re it!” he shouted, and spun away into the night.
I stared at my friends, appalled. “What just happened?”
“You’re it!” Jane echoed, laughing. She waved her hands toward a half dozen teens running about by the water line. “Go get them!”
For a moment I didn’t move. Then I grinned widely and handed Jane my cup. “Hold my drink.”
By the time I came back to where our group spread around one of the firepits, I was exhausted from running and almost deliriously happy. I plopped down on a log beside Jane and watched flames lick the night. Above us, the stars spun, streaking and darting, like we couldsee their light traveling the void in real time. The world smelled like bonfire and ocean, tasted like salt and rum, and it felt like our world, like we owned the whole thing, like we were young and powerful and the kings and queens of existence.
I was sohappy. Did this mean I was a happy drunk? Because I was happy. And drunk. And probably quite witty? Did everyone appreciate my wit?
I turned to Jane. “Do you appreciate my wit?”
“I do. You are the wittiest of wits. Your wit is like a wick, burning high and bright.” She over-enunciated each word, which made them sound like poetry. I was impressed.
A nearby boy squinted at us. “You guys are weird.”
I raised my Solo cup to him. “Weird is either the height of compliments or the most banal of insults. I shall accept it as the former.”
“Me too.” Jane knocked her cup against mine. “Chime chime. It’s supposed to chime chime.”
“Chime chime.”
The guy shook his head and walked away.
Jane leaned her head against my shoulder. “Chime chime.”
I stroked her hair and inhaled the woodsmoke, watching as sparks vanished from the fire into the night.
Suddenly, she sat upright. “Okay. Let’s find some cute boys.”
“Okay. Yours can’t be Pranav.”
She shook her head solemnly. “Not Pranav.” Then she made a face. “Did you hear Evan? He scolded me!”
“Because he’s your friend and wants you to be happy!”
“He’s a jerk. I hate him. I hate rich boys.”
“Me too,” I said loyally. “Ugh.”
She pointed at me. “You definitely need a fling. You said you were going to have one. You have to vanquish your stupid ex from your memory.”
“Like an exorcism. Or like repelling a Dementor.”
“Yes. Exactly. You need a ghostly animal.”
“A Patronus. Yes. We must set a Patronus against my memory of Matt.” Though Matt wasn’t the person occupying my thoughts anymore.
“Yes. And your pat thing will be...” She gestured widely at the group before us. “One of these bros.”
I inspected said bros and wrinkled my nose. “I’m not sure bros are my thing.”
