Page 36 of Firefly
“OOOOO!” Bianca yells, barreling into me and wrapping her arms around my waist. Her dark curls bounce wildly while she grins. “Holy shit, you look emotionally unstable.” And I laugh.
“Thanks?”
“That was a compliment,” she says, handing me a drink. “Now come disassociate with us.”
God, I love her.
Bianca Banks is the only real friend I have. She’s loud, reckless, and loyal. Completely unafraid to tell people to fuck off. She is also Justin’s twin sister.
She drags me deeper into the party where Reid sits at a card table counting cash.
“Well look who escaped the country club,” he drawls, and I want to laugh. His drawl is terrible.
“Barely,” I say as he studies my face carefully for a second before his teasing expression softens. “You good?” he asks.
No, I’m not.
“Peachy,” I lie, and he snorts.
“Liar.”
Across the warehouse, Ryker and Ryder Rivers lounge on a couch with their girlfriend sitting between them. Kayla.
God, I don’t know how they are still with her.
I would’ve thought they’d have kicked her to the curb by now. She notices me staring and rolls her eyes.
Wonderful.
Kayla hates me for reasons still unclear. Maybe because Ryder smiled at me once three months ago. Maybe because she just enjoys being a cunt.
Hard to tell.
“Well,” she says loudly as I approach. “If it isn’t Barbie herself.” But Bianca flips her off.
“Give it a rest Kayla.”
The bitch smirks into her drink. “Just saying. Didn’t know princesses knew how to sneak into parties.”
“I didn’t know insecurity could wear lip gloss,” Bianca fires back, making me laugh.
“There’s the first real smile she’s had all week,” Ryker says, and the comment catches me off guard, maybe these people really do see me.
More than my father ever has.
“FYI Kayla… I didn’t sneak in. I don’t need to when I’m a part of the crew,” I say, and she snarls, so I inch closer and bend down right in her face. “Let’s not forget how and why you are even allowed in here,” I say as my eyes shift to the left and right of her as I lick my lips. “These two are your reason. Maybe I’ll just take them off your hands.” And I back away, but not before blowing her a kiss and snatching her drink from her hands.
“You fucking cunt,” she spits, but I pay her no mind.
The twins know their place, and they know she can’t touch me or else they will have to deal with Reid.
“Damn that was fun.” Bianca laughs.
I throw back the red Solo cup and swallow its contents, then let myself disappear into the noise for a while.
Cards. Music. Laughter. Smoke.
No Brayden. No church. No pretending. Just freedom.
