“He’s got a point.”
“It’s Morven though. Man, he’s such a dick.”
“I hear you.”
“I just wish I could see her, y’know? It’s like a chunk of me went with her. It’s mad painful. I guess you’d know something about what that’s like.”
“Yeah.” I rub my neck. “Maybe.”
She lifts her head and shifts her weight. “Must be all right now though. I saw you and Jasper in there shaking hands, doing your little dance. You’re one of them now.”
My turn to scoff. “I think I could go to about a million finishing schools and still not know the right thing to say.”
“Good,” she says, with a capital letter and a period at the end. “You gotta stay you. Hell, we’ve all gotta do what we gotta do, you know?”
Her lip twitches like she’s thinking hard about something.
“Whatareyou gonna do?”
She narrows her eyes. “Dunno yet. Something.”
A slight breeze picks up, whirling a couple of leaves and a candy bar wrapper around.
When I look back Olivia is pushing off the wall. “I’m gonna get a drink. Can’t avoid the circus forever.” She makes toward the street. “You coming?”
“Yeah.”
As we walk back to the street, she glances down at my feet. “You got your dancing shoes on?”
I laugh. “Never leave home without them.”
A car is pulling up as we emerge from the alley and I’m shocked when the back doors open and my parents, glammed up to the nines, hop out. Mom is wearing a shimmering black dress embroidered with glistening beads, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her wearing so much makeup. Dad is in a fitted charcoal suit, his top button undone, hair combed neatly into place.
“Whoa,” I say, and my parents turn, surprised to find their son gawking at them. “You guys look…amazing.”
Mom lifts her shoulder casually, as if to sayI know.“Don’t look so surprised, kiddo. We were people once too.”
“How come you’re not inside enjoying the party?” Dad asks, wrapping a hand around Mom’s waist.Mom has a waist!
“I, uh, just needed a break.”
Olivia adjusts the straps of her dress beside me.
“Oh this is Olivia Castillo, Beta Salazar’s daughter.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Mom says.
“We were just getting some air,” Olivia says, smiling at my folks. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. See you all inside?”
I nod and she heads in by herself, her shoulders back, her head high.
“You having a good time?” Mom asks once we’re alone. There’s concern in her eyes but also hope. This is the first major pack event they’ve been invited to and I don’t want to disappoint them.
“Yeah, of course,” I say. “You wanna go in?”
“Lead the way, son,” Dad says.
I head inside with my parents close behind me. The party has continued on as if nothing has happened. Music is blaring, lights are flashing, drinks are flowing. The crowd is dancing and laughing like they’re having the time of their lives. We’re barely over the threshold when Jasper appears.
