I remembered the last time we were in here together but knew he would never try anything with Caleb right there.
“Sure,” I answered. “Let’s play volleyball,” I suggested.
“But we’re uneven,” Beck whined.
“What?” I scoffed. “You scared, Rebecca? Let’s do Caleb and me against the rest of you.” I looked at him and he nodded, rubbing his hands in challenge. “How’s that for fair?”
I laughed at her face as we all took our places as Kyle pulled the net across the pool and clicked it together on the other side.
“Oh, you are so going down now, little miss perky. Ralph, set me up,” she said in determination, but her pink frilled bikini was refuting her tough-girl stance.
He did and she served a wide ball that knocked over my glass of tea on the table.
“Hey!” I yelled.
She looked surprised at first but then smirked.
“See? Mess with me and you get the horns.”
I rolled my eyes at her mistake and her bravado and we began to play. Beck was ok for someone trying not to break a nail the whole time and Ralph’s competitive spirit matched Caleb’s. Kyle was just normal Kyle. It was so nice.
We lost by one point. But that point made all the difference and the smack talk ensued as we went inside to get ready to go out to the club Caleb told us about.
~ Twelve ~Once Caleb and I made our way down to the foyer to wait for Beck and Ralph – we invited Kyle but he said he had plans with Amber – I told Dad where we were going. He wanted us to take Bish with us.
“Dad, please. I can’t deal with this tonight. I want to go out to get away from Bish and everything else.”
“Maggie, I don’t feel safe with you-“
“I’ll be with Caleb,” I argued. “I’ll be as safe as I can be.”
“I’m not knocking Caleb, I just think the more bodies, the more protection. You and Bish could spend a little time together.”
I took a slow deep breath and spoke low with calm and conviction.
“Did you not see what I did to the bathroom upstairs? I can’t, Dad. He’s making me too crazy right now and none of us would have any fun. I need some fun. I need to take a minute and just be a teenager.”
“But, Maggie, you wanted this remember? You wanted this life with Caleb and all the things in it.”
“I’m not blaming you, Dad, I’m just saying I’m going out and without Bish.”
“I can’t allow it. I think he should go, end of discussion,” he said and went upstairs to fetch Bish, I saw in his mind.
I stood there and seethed. Caleb said my name but it sounded weird, muffled. I looked at him and there was a wall of energy ribbons between us. He gave me a surprised look.
“Calm down, baby. It’s ok.” He walked through them. It was the strangest thing to see all those wormy little strings going through his skin. When he reached me he touched my cheek to draw off my anxiety. “Breathe, Maggie.” I did as he said and slowly the ribbons dissolved away. “It’ll be ok. I’ll keep you occupied and away from Bish, I promise.”
I needed to control my thoughts, my emotions. I nodded and tried not to think about it as I heard footsteps down the stairs and then their thoughts.
Ugh, Maggie looks so fantastic. What the heck is she doing to her skin? It’s like flawless. And her arms are so toned. No wonder Caleb can’t keep his hands off her- crap, forgot my hand bag. I wonder where we’re going. I wonder if I can trick the bartender into serving me, worked in Chattanooga. Now where’s the bag...there. Ok. Good. Ready. Now focus, Rebecca. She has something to tell you, she’s been hiding it for weeks. She’s gonna spill it tonight. I can feel it. She’s probably pregnant so school your face and don’t let it show how you think she’s ruining her life and is a complete idiot.
She took a big mental breath and descended the stairs. I shook my head at her and looked at the wall clock in anticipation. Bish joined us along with Dad, and to my dismay, Jen was with them as well…and she was dressed to go out.
“Dad, what’s up?”
“I figured Bish and Jen should go and be chaperones.”
Ah, no. I heard Caleb groan in my mind. Now what?
“Where are Peter and Rachel?” I asked.
“Oh, they went shopping. They always go to this little place when we come here,” Jen answered.
“Ok, fine, let’s go,” I said, not willing to dwell or think about any of it.
We went outside and I looked at the cars. We’d have to split up. Crap!
“How do we do this?” Bish asked.
“Why don’t you ride with us,” I offered to Bish and Jen.
“But we don’t know our way around,” Beck said. “And I missed you and I want to ride with you.”
“Ok.” I thought fast. “Why don’t we ride girls and guys?”
Caleb’s dislike of that idea was evident in his mind but everyone else was fine with it. Beck was ecstatic and Jen and Bish were relieved, fearing they were going to be stuck riding together.
I kissed Caleb quickly and pulled Jen’s arm gently to guide her with me as we got into Peter’s rental Beamer and the guys piled into the Jeep. I sat in the back so Beck wouldn’t feel left out and Jen drove.
“So, Jen, how have you been? Oh, wait. I’m sorry, this is Beck, my friend from home, and this is Jen, Caleb’s sister.” After there ‘nice to meet you’s, I got back to my point. “Anyway, how have you been? How’s Maria?”
“She’s great. She’s staying with Gran.”
“Oh, boy,” I laughed. “She’s gonna be so rotten by the time you get back.”
Jen laughed too and nodded.
“Yeah,” she groaned playfully. “I know, that girl loves her some Gran.”
I saw how Beck was looking very lost so I changed the subject.
“Ralph is very sweet lately, Beck. How are you guys doing?”
“Awesome, he told his parents off and he’s going to school with me.”
“Really,” I gasped and laughed. “That’s awesome, I think.”
“It is, you know how he is about his parents. He stood up to them and for me.“ She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling or crying, I didn’t know which. “Maggie I am so totally falling in love with him.”
“Aww, Beck, I’m happy for you.” I reached over the seat to grab her arm. “Ralph is a good guy.”
“Yeah he is. I mean, I don’t wanna move too fast. We’re not gonna live together or anything, but the fact that he wants to go to school with me has to say something right?”
“Yeah, I think so,” I said slowly and heard Jen’s thoughts of longing and disappointment, but she kept her smile in place and she looked between us and the road.
Dang it, it seemed every subject we went to was making one or the other uncomfortable. So I told them all about Caleb’s gig the next night and how he’d been practicing all week. Beck thought Zeke was hilarious and fabulous, couldn’t wait to meet him while Jen concurred with my assessment that he was crazy.
Once we arrived downtown, Jen pulled into the parking lot of a big warehouse looking place. It was dark, dank, dirty and disturbing. There was no indication that it was a club and not an abandoned warehouse used for illegal operations and squatters, except for one neon sign on the front that read ‘Lively Pony’. The Jeep pulled in right behind us and the guys jumped out quickly to meet us.
“Omgosh, look at this place,” Beck said and shivered with excitement. “It’s so mysterious, let’s go in!”
The thump of the music was barely heard as we made our way through the parking lot almost overflowing with cars. We were a train as we zigzagged through the parked vehicles. Caleb towed me behind him with my hand firmly in his, then Beck was being guided with hands on her hips from Ralph. And Bish, if he realized he was doing it or not, walked closely behind Jen and had a hand out to the side slightly, as if to steer her if she tried to go the wrong way.The bouncer was a strangely gangly guy, not the type you’d expect from a place like this. There was a small line that was started at the underground stairs to the door. That’s why you couldn’t see them from the street.
“I said no and once we’ve reached a certain capacity, I can’t let in the good looking challenged, sorry,” the bouncer whose nametag read ‘Toad’ said blandly. “Next.”
The two guys he turned away were blinding mad, their minds blaring obscenities and anger. I cringed into Caleb’s side and tried to force their thoughts away. He put a hand on my head to press my face into his neck and sent me warm calm. When I lifted my head, I saw Beck watching us. She was smiling but she looked confused.
“Why did they turn those guys away?” I asked to distract.
“Did you see all that metal in their mouth? And I’m not talking about tongue rings,” Ralph explained. “And that one guy had on suspenders under his blazer.”
“Poor guys, that’s so mean.” Everyone chuckled slightly and I looked around confused. “What?”
“Honey,” Beck said slowly like I was a toddler, “that’s what happens at these things. You can’t just throw on any crap you want and not fix your hair and expect to get in. It is important to have a certain look. This isn’t a honky tonk bar from Chattanooga, ok?”