“Not from where I’m sitting.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue.
Behind him, in the kitchen, my mom, Wren, and Carnie were moving around like it was just another normal morning.Pans clattered, voices overlapped, and the smell of breakfast kept getting stronger whether I liked it or not.
Around the rest of the room, people were scattered everywhere.
Kingston and Fox were at one table, heads bent together over something on Kingston’s phone.Thorn leaned back in his chair with his boots kicked out, looking far too relaxed for someone who’d been dealing with drunk idiots all night.Ender and Basil were arguing about something I didn’t have the brainpower to follow, while Slayer, Brinks, and Nickel sat nearby, throwing in comments like they were refereeing the whole thing.
At the bar, the women had taken over.
Alice, Karmen, Calla, Nikki, Clove, Eden, Mayra, and Raven were lined up on stools.Cora moved behind the bar, pouring orange juice and champagne into glasses like she’d done it a thousand times.
“Here you go,” she said, sliding a mimosa down the line.
“Bless you,” Karmen said, grabbing it immediately.
“Alright,” Alice announced suddenly, loud enough to cut through every other conversation in the room.“We’re doing it.”
My dad didn’t even look in her direction.“I don’t even want to know what she’s talking about.”
I nodded slightly and took another sip of coffee.
Talking felt like a bad idea.
Thinking felt like a worse one.
“I thought D-D-Dad said it was put on the b-b-back burner?”Eden said, sounding cautious.
Alice waved her hand like that idea had never existed.“That was when the crazies were after us.They’re gone, so now we are going to have a graduation party for you.”
She bumped her shoulder into Eden, who looked like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or run.“We’ll have the party next Saturday.”
Nikki choked on her mimosa.“Uh, are you crazy?That’s like eight days from now.”
Alice nodded like that proved her point.“Yeah, that sounds like just enough time.”
The door to the clubhouse opened, and Wrecker walked in.“Enough time for what?”he asked.
Alice turned toward him, already smiling.“Eden’s graduation party.Next Saturday.Be there, although it’s here, so you’ll be here.”
“Here, here!”Karmen called.
Eden looked at her like she’d lost her mind.
“It was a lot of here that deserved a here, here,” Karmen tried to explain.
“Here!”Calla added, lifting her glass.
“Dear G-G-God,” Eden stuttered, “I can t-t-tell you are her child.”
“Party next Saturday sounds good,” Wrecker said.
The entire room froze.
Even through the haze in my head, I felt it.
That moment of collective what the hell just happened?
