Joe: Okay, miss you.
Me: I miss you, too.
The sweet words hit me like a dagger. I spend the next hour getting ready, pretending I didn’t check my phone every minute for another message. One that never comes.
Six
Sara
The lights from the club entrance illuminate the excited faces of Artemis, Mimi, Anne, as we wait in line. The bouncer, a familiar face, points at us to go in, causing heads to turn in our direction. Our stylish outfits and confident demeanors evoke looks of wonder from those around us. Besides being popular in high school, which I’ll never wear as a badge, we’re becoming royalty in the nightlife. The owners enjoy our habitual presence and being good for business, as they explain. “You girls bring life to the party.” I’m sure we bring a little more that I’d care to think about.What you don’t know won’t hurt you.
The owners welcome us with open arms, grinning as they watch the lively vibe we bring to the dance floor, our laughter and carefree dancing lighting up the room. Though it might feel reckless to some, we always know where to draw the line. Familiar faces are easy to spot even through the wave of tourists. Our protective circle of friends and staff makes us feel safer than even the most sophisticated home security system.
The bass thumps through the speakers with our favorite hip hop songs, sending exhilarating waves through my body, and I feel truly alive, surrounded by my girlfriends. But I miss Joe, and the more I dance, the more the truth that I belong with him is weighing on my soul.
Artemis grabs my hand to step on one of the bass that bounces through our feet and vibrates every inch of our skin, hair thrown everywhere, our bodies sweating, and us riding at dawn. My lacy black top and skirt are clinging to my skin, and Artemis is wearing pink velvet jeans with her crop top that shows her perfect stomach. Joe’s presence in my mind is overpowering me, and something makes my pulse race faster, and when I look over at Artemis to tell her I should go, I scream.
“What the fuck!”
“What? What’s wrong?” she yells back.
I’m so confused. “Your face is pink!”
“What do you mean?” She touches her face with her fingers.
The tempo of the beat makes it hard to stand still. I laugh uncontrollably, and the realization connects. The velvet must have traveled to her face with the intense bounce of the bass.
“Girl, it's your pants! The pink velvet is all over your face.” I’m wheezing at this point. She’s not a bit amused and grabs my hand to pull us to the bathroom, and we rush obliviously past a celebrity. Nothing phases us anymore.
She looks at herself in the mirror, and yup, pink specks cover her golden tan skin, making her hazel eyes reverberate. There'snothing I can do to help, and I fold over with tears of laughter. The one and only Artemis, whose jeans redecorates her face without permission, trying to wash it off with a cloth, but it's a failure.
“A bit of a change from cum on your face, huh?” I can barely get the words out. I'm laughing too hard.
“Shut up, Sara.” she smirks. Even she can’t take it too seriously. “We have to go home. No one can see me like —” She blurts out when Anne rushes into the restroom and cuts her off.
“Sara, Joe’s here, he says he needs to talk to you,”Anne says, a little breathless.
I straighten up, my stomach dropping, “What? Are you sure?” I widen my eyes, looking at my phone, but there’s no text from him.
“He said, It’s important. He seems a little impatient.” Anne lights up a cigarette, flicks the ash onto the floor because she doesn’t care, and leans in a little.
“Where did you see him?” I impatiently ask, a surge of confusion why he wouldn't just text me.
“He was in the club, but he just left. I told him you weren’t here.” She grins.
“You did what?” Anger surges into my throat, forming a hard lump that cuts off my breath. “Why Anne? Why would you say that?” I try to push past her, but she steps into my space, cutting me off.
“Word of advice? Don’t make him chase too hard. Boys like that, they break easy but then you become replaceable. It’s a balance I still have trouble with.”
“No shit!” I scoff.
Anne glances back at Artemis, then at me, and for a second her face softens. “But maybe that’s what you want. To see if he’ll shatter?”
I stare back at her, truly puzzled. “I don’t even know what the hell that means?”
“Let her do whatever she wants, Anne.” Artemis walks by to leave the restrooms. “I need a shot. Let’s go.”
Anne looks at her and gasps. “What happened to your face, Pinky?” she asks, holding her laugh in her hand.
