“Uh, babe, can you help me?” River calls Aspen out of the room.
I check my phone for the fifteenth time today, but there is still no reply from Max. Last week, she blew me off when I asked to go shopping together. Then, when I asked to see her before the party, she said she was too busy with work. I knew she was blowing me off, but I don’t know what I did to deserve that.
It wasn’t like I was the one who fell asleep or made a wedding registry for us or something. She was clearly overreacting, but I don’t know how to tell her that if she isn’t talking to me. Groaning, I down the rest of my drink and pick up a second cup. The warm liquid runs down my throat, and I try to figure out what kind of liquor she used.
I head back into the living room, and Gus is standing off to the side alone. I can’t tell what they’re dressed as, maybe some kind of Greek God? They have on a blue cape and a brown toga-looking dress. Their black hair is tousled back and they are nodding their head along to the music that’s playing in the background.
I take another sip of my drink and decide to try to make amends. This is my chance to say something, and then hopefully things won’t be so weird between us. I glide my way acrossthe room, and Gus’s eyes widen when they see me, their body stiffening.
“Hey, I was hoping I could—” I start, but LULY—Emily—steps in between us. I glance down at her, Gus’s costume making sense now. They’re dressed as Meg and Hercules from the Hercules movie by Disney.
“No,” Emily says, handing Gus a drink and putting her free hand on her hip.
“I was just trying to apologize, I didn’t want to start anything,” I say, putting my hands up in surrender.
“We’re not interested,” Emily says, glaring at me. She’s easily a handful of inches smaller than me, but she’s all muscle from dancing, and I’m worried she could take me. I don’t blame her for being pissed. I’d kissed Gus when I thought it would help make Max jealous, knowing Gus was already with Emily.
“Gus?” I look at them, hoping they might call their girlfriend off, but they look down instead.
“Take a hint and leave us alone. Gus isn’t interested in an apology, and I’m sure as hell not either.” Emily scoffs. She turns her back to me, and I sigh, leaving them alone. So much for making amends with them.
I can’t help but check my phone again, still nothing from Max. My costume is blowing up on socials, but besides that, I don’t have any reason to keep checking my phone.
Everyone’s mingling, so I go as far from Gus and Emily as I can and have small talk with Isla and Rae from the tattoo shop. Hazel is coming later with her girlfriend, and sure, there are a million people here, but all I am doing is looking out for Max. I have my eyes on the door as I finish my second cup and decide to pee before I get a third.
River even has the bathroom decorated so it glows in the dark, and the mirror is bordered in fake blood. I take a fewselfies and post them to my stories before heading back to the kitchen.
I have more weight on my body than my friends, so it usually takes a lot to feel the extent of my drinking. But whatever Aspen is putting in them, I’m already feeling a nice buzz. I grab a third and head back into the living room when I stop in my tracks.
Max is standing across the room, drink in hand, talking to a woman in a slutty Superwoman costume. The woman’s whole ass is hanging out, and she’s laughing at whatever Max is saying. I don’t know when she got here, but Max is wearing black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a tie hanging around the side, with a Superman shirt under and a pair of black glasses. A simple costume that this chick is obviously eating up.
Max leans in and whispers something to her and the girl puts her hand on Max’s arm. That’s when I chug the rest of my drink and crumple the cup before I toss it in the garbage next to me.
What the hell is going on? Is she here with this woman? Is that why she didn’t want to see me this week? Did she think she’d show up with someone else and I wouldn’t notice? Sure, we aren’t together, like romantically, but don’t I deserve some sort of heads up? If I had a date with someone else I would’ve given her a heads up. And to show up in a matching costume with someone? That isn’t something you do with someone you just met or even on a first date. What the hell is going on?
I storm across the living room, my anger getting the better of me, and the third drink hits faster than the first two. Max’s eyes go wide, I guess my face isn’t hiding how angry I am. I stop just before Max and her friend.
“Hi Max, aren’t you going to introduce me?” I glare at the woman before looking back at Max. “Cute costume,” I scoff.
“Cari, this isn’t what it looks like.” Max sighs, rolling her eyes.
“It looks like you blew me off to wear a matching costume with someone else.” I cross my arms. I was a little loud, but I wanted to be sure she heard me over the music.
“We didn’t—” the woman starts to say but I cut her off.
“This isn’t about you.” Then I look at Max. “Yes?”
“Cari, can we please not do this?” Max sighs again.
“Do what? I think I deserve an explanation here,” I say angrily.
“I’m out.” The woman picks up her drink and walks away from Max and I.
“Are you happy now? Am I not even allowed to talk to another woman?” Max asks angrily.
“You’re seriously turning this on me? You’ve been blowing me off all week.”
“For good reason,” Max mutters under her breath.
