I stand there tapping my foot, waiting for the girls to pipe down.
“You’re the worst friendever, Carrie!” Becca scowls at me. She gasps. “Oh my God! Is that my dress?”
Lois nods approvingly. “It suits her.”
Becca smirks. “It’s got a full-length zipper, Donny’s going toloveit!”
“Yeah, although wearing it with tights… Tights are a pain in the ass.”
“Enough!”
I cover their mouths with my hands. These girls are out of control.
“Don’t mess up my lipstick,” Becca mumbles, prizing my fingers away.
“I can’t deal,” I sigh. “I’m gonna need a drink. Or two.”
Lois points to the door. “By the way—who’s the girl? The one who looks like she’s about to puke?”
“Shit! Amelia!”
I beckon her over, praying this goes smoothly. From the way she’s glaring at me, prayers are all I’ve got—she clearly hates me for bringing her here. But if I can learn to get along with her brother, I’m pretty confident I can tame her, too.
“Girls—this is Amelia, Donovan’s sister. This is Becca and Lois,” I add.
Lois smiles at her. “Welcome to Sycamore! Where you from?”
“Washington, DC.”
“You looksomuch like your brother, it’s crazy. I’ll get you two drinks!”
By the time Lois reappears clutching our cups, I’m still searching for a way to break the ice.
“Hey, guess what,” I try. “Amelia got dumped when school started, too. Guess ditching your girlfriend to screw around is trending.”
“Wow—you really know how to make people comfortable, don’t you?” Amelia gives me a hard stare. “What’s your secret?”
“Pure talent.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.” Lois rests a hand on Amelia’s wrist. “Same thing happened to me, but now when I look back, I kinda think it was the best thing to happen to me.”
“That makes me feel a whole lot better,” Amelia drawls. “You’re dating one of my brother’s friends, right?”
Lois nods eagerly. “Lane. The big guy, over there.”
“He and my boyfriend write porn movies together,” Becca offers.
“Porn movies?” Amelia arches an eyebrow. “Fascinating.”
“It is, in a way!”
I suppress a heavy sigh and bring my cup to my lips. Just as I’m about to take a swig of beer, I sense movement behind me, followed by a soft weight landing on my head.
“What’s up, girls?”
Donovan rests his chin on me; his hands are draped over my shoulders.
“It’s my birthday, remember? Shouldn’t you be gathering ’round in a circle, worshipping the ground I walk on, or something?”
