lush. I was going for another lemonade. Just another thing on my list to confess the next day, but He'd forgive me. Let's hope. When my foot touched the stairs I heard muffled laughter behind the door.
I wavered.
The Mussaurus might not be the actual smallest dinosaur in the world, but with the lemonade I wouldn't care. I'd still vote for the mouse lizard.
"Yo, man!"
"Brady—oh my effing God, man!"
My fingers clenched around the wooden stair rail when I heard Brady's muffled laugh through the door. Here we were, best friends, and where was I? Where was he? Not in the same room, that was for sure. Then the door flew open and Matt Krone stumbled above the stairs. He readied himself and squinted down at me. "I win, dude. I found her!" Laughing, he pointed at me and someone pounded him on the shoulder. Three more drunken faces peered over his shoulder and then Brady pushed them out of the way. He crossed his arms. "Whatcha doing, Ray?"
Clarissa poked her head around the door. "My dad's book collection is down there. I bet she was reading."
"My girl wouldn't choose books over me…would she?"
As I passed by him, I replied under my breath, "You tell me."
Brady stopped chuckling and shot me a dark look.
Clarissa laughed. "You should be asking who'd choose books over drinking. That's what you should be asking." The rest of the party agreed as a chorus sounded out with raised cups.
Brady tucked an arm around my waist and pulled me snug against him. Lowering his head, he breathed into my ear, "We're playing a game. Come play with us. It'll be fun."
The tension between us was thick and it had started before the party. I wasn't really sure where it came from, but Brady didn't seem inclined to address it. I knew why I was hurt by him, but I wasn't sure why he seemed angry with me.
Clarissa fell into step beside me. "Yeah, Rayan. We're playing P and A. We've got room for one more."
"It's Rayna," Brady corrected, a bit too fierce for the party cheer.
Clarissa stopped and blinked. She studied him for a second before she shrugged. "I know. I just thought the name was cool."
Without a response, he led the way through the crowd.
"Sorry." Clarissa turned to me.
"For what?"
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lip. "I just—it's like a nickname, you know. It wasn't meant…I wasn't trying to be mean or anything."
"Can I call you Clary?"
She looked horrified. "Hell no!"
It might've been the two lemonades, but I never thought that I'd see Clarissa Cumberly, Princess of Northshire Folk, look sheepish. "I really like the lemonade stuff."
"Huh?"
"Your things in that cooler. I like those."
"Oh." Clarissa looked confused for a moment. "I'll get you some more." As Clarissa darted towards the cooler, I squared my shoulders and headed towards Brady's corner. I'd play P and A with the best of them. I just had to get through a ton of immovable drunks first. When I got there, I wasn't sure who was the most unsure about our situation, me or them. Brady sat to my right and throughout the game, he'd rest his hand on my leg at moments. I jumped every time, which earned me crazy points with the others. He stifled his laughter every time and Clarissa watched with narrowed eyes.
When a seven was laid, I quickly threw my seven on top. "I'm out! I win…right?" I turned to Brady. I hardly won anything.
He choked back his laughter, but patted my head. "You won, Rayray. You did well."
I giggled and reached for my drink.
"Dude, she didn't—" one of the guys started to say, but Brady growled. The guy shut up and I finished my drink.
And then he stood up, ignored the protests, and hauled me with him. "I think it's time we got some fresh air. Don't you think, Rayna?"
I held my empty bottle up. "Empty. Another one, please?"
"Ah no. I don't think so. You've had enough. How many have you had?"
I frowned, tried to count with my fingers and gave up. A dark look flashed in his eyes, but he took my hand and turned towards the
I wavered.
The Mussaurus might not be the actual smallest dinosaur in the world, but with the lemonade I wouldn't care. I'd still vote for the mouse lizard.
"Yo, man!"
"Brady—oh my effing God, man!"
My fingers clenched around the wooden stair rail when I heard Brady's muffled laugh through the door. Here we were, best friends, and where was I? Where was he? Not in the same room, that was for sure. Then the door flew open and Matt Krone stumbled above the stairs. He readied himself and squinted down at me. "I win, dude. I found her!" Laughing, he pointed at me and someone pounded him on the shoulder. Three more drunken faces peered over his shoulder and then Brady pushed them out of the way. He crossed his arms. "Whatcha doing, Ray?"
Clarissa poked her head around the door. "My dad's book collection is down there. I bet she was reading."
"My girl wouldn't choose books over me…would she?"
As I passed by him, I replied under my breath, "You tell me."
Brady stopped chuckling and shot me a dark look.
Clarissa laughed. "You should be asking who'd choose books over drinking. That's what you should be asking." The rest of the party agreed as a chorus sounded out with raised cups.
Brady tucked an arm around my waist and pulled me snug against him. Lowering his head, he breathed into my ear, "We're playing a game. Come play with us. It'll be fun."
The tension between us was thick and it had started before the party. I wasn't really sure where it came from, but Brady didn't seem inclined to address it. I knew why I was hurt by him, but I wasn't sure why he seemed angry with me.
Clarissa fell into step beside me. "Yeah, Rayan. We're playing P and A. We've got room for one more."
"It's Rayna," Brady corrected, a bit too fierce for the party cheer.
Clarissa stopped and blinked. She studied him for a second before she shrugged. "I know. I just thought the name was cool."
Without a response, he led the way through the crowd.
"Sorry." Clarissa turned to me.
"For what?"
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lip. "I just—it's like a nickname, you know. It wasn't meant…I wasn't trying to be mean or anything."
"Can I call you Clary?"
She looked horrified. "Hell no!"
It might've been the two lemonades, but I never thought that I'd see Clarissa Cumberly, Princess of Northshire Folk, look sheepish. "I really like the lemonade stuff."
"Huh?"
"Your things in that cooler. I like those."
"Oh." Clarissa looked confused for a moment. "I'll get you some more." As Clarissa darted towards the cooler, I squared my shoulders and headed towards Brady's corner. I'd play P and A with the best of them. I just had to get through a ton of immovable drunks first. When I got there, I wasn't sure who was the most unsure about our situation, me or them. Brady sat to my right and throughout the game, he'd rest his hand on my leg at moments. I jumped every time, which earned me crazy points with the others. He stifled his laughter every time and Clarissa watched with narrowed eyes.
When a seven was laid, I quickly threw my seven on top. "I'm out! I win…right?" I turned to Brady. I hardly won anything.
He choked back his laughter, but patted my head. "You won, Rayray. You did well."
I giggled and reached for my drink.
"Dude, she didn't—" one of the guys started to say, but Brady growled. The guy shut up and I finished my drink.
And then he stood up, ignored the protests, and hauled me with him. "I think it's time we got some fresh air. Don't you think, Rayna?"
I held my empty bottle up. "Empty. Another one, please?"
"Ah no. I don't think so. You've had enough. How many have you had?"
I frowned, tried to count with my fingers and gave up. A dark look flashed in his eyes, but he took my hand and turned towards the
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