Alice breezes in and frowns. “What’s wrong, pretty little mermaid?”
“You know.” I run my hands over my tail. “What if we go out tonight?”
“Are you serious? Don’t screw with me.” She points a finger at me as she toys with the silver chain around her neck.
“Yes. Let’s go to one of your favorite haunts.”
Anything to get my mind off Sully and Gigi. I need something to focus on and to stop doom-scrolling. He’s coming over later. Sully will be in my bed, not hers. Why does that make me feel warm and tingly inside?
“Hell yeah!” Alice smacks my thigh. “Get out of that tail! We’re going to hit the town!”
30
Alicedressesmeinan off-shoulder black dress with a heart-shaped necklace and lets me borrow matching heels. She pours herself into a red dress with a see-through back and fire-red heels.
I curl ringlets into my hair and add dark eyeshadow, giving myself a smokey eye. My self-image is already improving while I twirl in front of the mirror.
Alice orders us a car, and it drops us off at her favorite club, The Rainbow Pony. She knows the bouncer, and he waves us in without checking IDs or forcing us to join the line wrapped around the building.
“Good to know people,” she shouts as she tows me toward the bar.
We grab the first two stools available. Alice sits on her knees, leaning over the counter to grab two glasses and the closest bottle of liquor, whiskey.
“To us!” She pours us each a double shot and lifts her glass in the air.
I laugh, clinking my glass with hers. “To us!”
We drink. She pours us more as my body shivers with the warm liquor burning its way through my organs.
“Can’t we order something?” I ask, accepting my glass.
She sticks her tongue out. “I’ll get the bartender if you need your drink watered down.”
Alice slams her hand on the bar and beckons the bartender a few feet away. He glares at the bottle of whiskey in her hand and takes it back. “Alice, you can’t take over. You don’t work here.”
“Damn right, I don’t. This bar would have top-class service if I did.” Alice smacks her lips. “Can you make my best friend an adios motherfucker?” She rips the bottle out of his grasp and pours herself another shot. “I’m good for now.”
He shakes his head as his hand wraps around the whiskey’s neck and he places it as far from Alice as possible.
Alice checks her phone and grins, a wicked spark in her eyes. “Emily’s already here!” she shouts over the music.
As a new song by Sabrina Carpenter blasts through the speakers, Alice practically vibrates with excitement. She leans in close, her voice loud in my ear, “I’m going to dance. Find me after you grab your drink!”
She gives my arm a playful punch before vanishing into the crowd, her body already moving to the beat.
The bartender returns with my blue drink. “Alice is a spitfire. Always in here trying to do my job. You know last week she hopped the bar and was serving people while I was in the restroom?” He whisks away the empty whiskey glasses. “She’s determined to get me fired.”
“She’s passionate,” I say, biting my tongue. I’m terrible at defending my bestie.
“Yeah.” His nostrils flare and he turns away to help someone else.
The music rocks the building as I sip my drink and search for Alice on the packed dance floor. A group of girls grab me to join them as they bounce and shimmy their hips. For a minute, I’m theirs until they drift off, and I’m free to wander again. I locate Emily leaning against the wall, smoking her vape, but Alice isn’t with her.
“Hey,” I say, my voice cracking. Her hazel eyes widen when she sees me.
“You look different with that eyeshadow,” she says. “Are you looking for Alice?” She blows white smoke over her head. “Didn’t believe her when she said you wanted to come out tonight. You seem like such a workaholic. No offense.”
“Yeah, well.” I shrug. “Thought it was time for a change.” What I needed was an excuse to get out of my head. I step closer to the wall to avoid a group of girls heading toward the bathroom.
