Life of the Party

by Christine Anderson

  “I don’t have it.” I admitted, my cheeks flushing red with heat. The clerk raised a doubtful eyebrow at me, as if to say, “nice try, minor.”

  “You don’t have it? Check again. You probably just missed it.” Grey assured me. He stepped forward and flashed his I.D at the clerk, who, satisfied, proceeded with the transaction.

  I stepped back, calmed myself from full fledged panic, took a breath, and slowly looked through the slots of my wallet and then again through my purse, my hands shaking with near desperation. It wasn’t there. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. I had checked and rechecked my wallet before leaving the house, making sure I had my ID with me, knowing how badly it would suck to leave it behind. Without my license, there was no way I’d get into any clubs. No way I’d celebrate my eighteenth birthday. The whole weekends plans came crashing down around me, all of them weighing on that one stupid, plastic card with my birth date plastered officially across the front. The exact card I was missing.

  “Any luck?” Grey asked casually, handing me the pack of cigarettes.

  “No.” I shook my head in humiliated stupor as we left the store. I went over each and every one of my actions during the past twenty-four hours, trying to remember if I’d taken my license out for any reason or left my wallet somewhere by accident. But that was the thing. I was so paranoid about losing my ID that I’d kept my purse with me nearly every second. Except for the two minutes I’d left it in Charlie’s car when I ran in to use the bathroom at the gas station on the way ….

  I gasped out loud, covering my mouth with my hand. A sudden thought occurred to me, but it was so horrible, I didn’t even want to entertain it.

  “What?” Grey wondered. “Did you leave it somewhere?”

  “No, Grey.” I turned my dark, wide eyes up to him. “I think Charlie took it.”

  “Charlie?” He looked sceptical. “Why would she do that?”

  “Because. Because, she’s been … choked at me lately, because you and I are … and she and Zack … aren’t.”

  “So you think she’d ruin your whole weekend because of that?”

  “I don’t know.” I sighed. “I can’t think of any other explanation. Grey, I made sure it was in there. I know for a fact I had it with me.” I blinked back exasperated tears. This was so unfair, so brutally stupid.

  “Hey, its okay, Mackenzie.” Grey took my hand and smiled at me hopefully. “Maybe it’s back at the hotel. We’ll go and check.”

  I nodded glumly and let him lead me down the city streets, totally miserable. The day was cloudy and cold, threatening with icy rain. People bustled around us and the traffic sped by noisily. I wrapped my arms around myself and frowned.

  My license wasn’t at the hotel either, but deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be. I just knew that Charlie had taken it. I hated to think she could be capable of such spite, but with the way she’d been acting lately, it really wasn’t that surprising. Even still, it hurt to think my friend harboured such malice towards me, that she would sabotage all my plans just because she was jealous of my relationship with Grey. I didn’t deserve her anger; it wasn’t my fault that her boyfriend was a total dick.

  “So, what’s going on with Zack, anyway?” I asked Grey as we searched; perturbed that Zack’s idiocy had ended up ruining my weekend.

  “What do you mean?” He wondered innocently.

  “You know what I mean. Charlie, remember her? He hasn’t even called her.”

  “Oh, right. That.” Grey shrugged and continued looking through my purse.

  “Yes, that.” I stopped what I was doing and looked up at him. “So?”

  “So ….” Grey sighed. “Mackenzie, it’s none of our business.”

  “Um, yeah, it wasn’t my business until my friggin’ license was stolen.” I insisted. “But it sure the hell is now.”

  “Fine. Zack is seeing somebody else. Okay? Happy?”

  “What! He is? Here?” I froze in disbelief. I thought of my friend at home, pining for a boyfriend who was totally cheating on her, and felt a little less anger towards her. But only a little. “Are you sure? How do you know?”

  “Because, normally I share this room with Zack. He was nice enough to stay with Alex for the weekend. But trust me. I know.”

  I cast a wary glance at the other bed. “Then …. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because you would tell Charlie.”

  “Of course I would.”

  “You ever heard of the phrase, ‘shoot the messenger’?”

  I stared back at him in amazement, “Yes, but don’t you think she deserves to know?”

  “Yeah. But I think that Zack should be the one to tell her.”

  “But he hasn’t, Grey.” My voice rose defensively. “And she’s totally heartbroken because of it. You should see her.”

  “It’s none of our business.” Grey stated again.

  “Well, I’m telling her.” I decided. He just shrugged, like he didn’t really care.

  “Suit yourself.” He answered noncommittally. “Just keep me out of it.”

  “I will.” I shook my head and bent down to rifle through my suitcase again, riddled with disbelief. I had always feared the worst as far as Zack was concerned, but it was still shocking to learn the truth.

  After our search proved fruitless, I flopped down on the bed, defeated.

  “Ugh, this sucks.” I covered my face with my hands. I wanted to punch something, to hit something really, really hard until all my anger and frustration were released. Better yet, I wanted to get high. I wanted to get wasted, even more so that I had that morning, but now, ironically, without my ID the Club was out of the question.

  “This ruins everything, doesn’t it?” I spoke through clenched teeth, staring up at the ceiling in aggravation.

  “Man, you’re dramatic.” Grey chuckled, and his blue eyes were amused as he looked down at my despondent form lying crushed across the bed. “Nothing is ruined. So the plans change a bit. No big deal.”

  “No big deal?” I looked up at him incredibly.

  “Yeah.” He shrugged. “We’ll find something else to do.”

  “Like what? Watch the UFC?” I suggested sourly.

  “Maybe.” He grinned. “Just leave it up to me, Mackenzie. License or no, I promise you an eighteenth birthday that you’ll never forget.”

  I sighed. It wasn’t that I doubted him, but I couldn’t see how anything would top the Club, especially after I’d had my heart set on it for so long. But Grey’s handsome face was so hopeful, so eager, I couldn’t help but have my spirits lifted. It sucked that my birthday was ruined, it was a huge disappointment, but at least I got to spend it with him. Softly, I returned his smile.

  “Promise?”

  “Promise. Just let me make a couple calls.”

  “Grey.” I grasped his hand as he moved from the bed, and smiled my gratitude up at him. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I ruined your weekend.”

  “Mackenzie,” he smirked, “my weekend was made the moment you got off the plane.”

  Grey left shortly afterwards. I had no idea where he was going or what he was doing, but he promised not to be long and gave me a wicked grin before heading out the door. Fervently I hoped he was going to get some cocaine or something, I hadn’t been able to bring my own stash onto the plane with me and was beginning to get antsy from the lack, especially given the mood I was in. With a heavy sigh, I picked up the remote control and idly flipped through the channels on TV, trying not to feel too sorry for myself.

  I was smoking and mindlessly staring at an old episode of Family Guy when my cell phone rang. “Leila … you got me on my knees ….” Absently I fished through my purse and answered it, nodding my head in time with the song.

  “Hello?” I blew my smoke out.

  “Hello? Mackenzie?”

  “Oh … hi … Mom.” I muted the TV and sat up, totally surprised to hear my mother’s voice on the other end of the phone.

  “I just wanted to call an
d wish you happy birthday.” She was saying.

  “Oh … thanks.”

  “Have you had a good day so far?”

  “Uh … yeah, it’s been great.” I lied.

  “That’s good.” Mom’s voice was overly chipper; like last time we spoke was just the other day and not ages ago, when I was storming out of my sister’s wedding after my boyfriend punched the groomsman in the face. I shouldn’t have been surprised though, this was typically the way things went with my parents. It was easier for them to ignore the issues than to deal with them properly, to let them fester just below the surface—always present, but never talked about. I shrugged to myself. They could act like nothing happened all they wanted, but I still hadn’t forgotten how badly they treated Grey. And I hadn’t forgiven them for it either.

  “So, your dad and I were thinking about throwing you a little birthday party.” Mom continued hopefully. “Not much … just family. I think Marcy and Greg are coming over, we could have a little dinner, some birthday cake … what do you say?”

  “I don’t know.” I hesitated, grinning wickedly at a sudden idea. “Maybe … if Grey can come.”

  I caught her off guard. “Oh, um …,” she stammered, her careful composure shattered by my question. “Uh … well, do you think that’d be a … good idea?”

  “Yes.” I answered immediately. I knew there was no way Grey could make it; he had to stay in the city for at least another week. I just wanted to see what she’d say.

  “Well … it’s your party.” She agreed finally, but her voice sounded strained, like it had taken a lot for her to say. “So, we’ll see you tonight, then?”

  “Oh, no. Not tonight. I won’t be back in town until tomorrow.”

  “Oh, really? You’re not in town?”

  “No. I’m with Grey for the weekend. We’re staying together at a hotel.” I goaded.

  “Are you?” Mom’s nose was flaring; I could tell.

  “Yeah. ‘ Cause they’re in the studio right now, remember?”

  “Oh, right. I remember him mentioning that.”

  I rolled my eyes doubtfully. “Anyway, mom, I’m not sure what time our flight gets in tomorrow. It might be late.”

  “Well … do you need a ride home from the airport?” Her voice seemed buoyed by the thought. “We could come pick you up. Maybe go to dinner in the city?”

  Ugh. I had walked right into this one. The worst part was I did need a ride. If Charlie hadn’t begrudgingly given me a lift to the airport on Friday I would’ve been totally S.O.L, but I wouldn’t have lost my license either. What I really needed was a car. I shut my eyes and took a breath, resigned to my automobiley-challenged fate. “Yeah, sure mom.” I sighed. “I’ll find out what time our flight gets in.”

  “Great. I’ll tell your father.”

  “Okay.”

  “See you tomorrow, honey.”

  “Bye.” I flipped my phone shut and leaned back against the bed for a moment. This was going to be interesting. But it was only dinner. And a ride home. Surely I could live through that.

  Not two seconds after hanging up my phone, it rang again. Mom must have forgotten something. I rolled my eyes and answered abruptly.

  “What is it?”

  “… Mackenzie?”

  I sat up again, stock-still. Holy crap. “… Riley?” My entire being was startled by the unexpected sound of his voice—so unmistakable, so familiar in my ear. It was such a shock; I couldn’t decide how I felt about it. “Wow. Is that really you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.” He chuckled. “And is that how you answer your phone now?”

  “No, I just didn’t expect it to be … you.”

  “I know, it’s been awhile. I probably shouldn’t have called, but I wanted to wish you happy birthday ….”

  “No, no. I’m glad you called.” The moment I spoke the words, I realized they were true. There was no denying the instant, explicit joy that had surged within me at merely the sound of his voice. It just felt … right. “And thanks. I’m sorry, I just, I can’t get over … I mean, I can’t believe it’s really you.”

  “Don’t I sound the same?” He wondered.

  “Yeah.” I answered thoughtfully, “but no at the same time. You sound older or something. Different.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “How about me?” I giggled nervously. I lit a smoke to help my nerves and leaned back against the pillows, amazed by how flustered I was. This was Riley, one of my oldest friends, one of my best friends. And yet my heart was pounding in my chest. “Do I sound the same?”

  “Yes, you do. Exactly the same.” He spoke wistfully. “Just really far away.”

  “Yeah, well, I am far away.”

  “I know.” Riley chuckled mirthlessly. “So, anyway … what’s up? What’s new with you?”

  “Oh, not much.” I shrugged. “Uh … Marcy got married a few weeks ago.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot. How was that?”

  “It was alright. I can’t really stand her husband though. I don’t know what she sees in him.”

  “Yeah, well, you can’t help who you love.”

  “No, I guess not.” I relented, wondering fleetingly if he were referring to the Christian with that statement. I tried to shake the thought from my mind. “So anyway, what’s new with you? Are you liking it up there?”

  “Yeah, it’s alright. I spent the summer tree planting. Can you believe it? My whole summer.”

  “Tree planting?” I squinched my nose. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. It was this youth thing. I made some good money though.”

  “That’s good.” I giggled. “But that doesn’t really sound like you. You spent like, all last summer in bed during the day. Remember?”

  “Yeah, well, I had to build up my strength to party at night.” He chuckled. “Wow. That seems like a lifetime ago. I can’t believe we did that.”

  “I know.” I laughed with him. It felt really, really good to talk to him again, like actually talk, instead of just argue. It felt like old times again. I smiled into the phone.

  “So, what about school?” I wondered. “I thought you were looking into one.”

  “Yeah, I did. That’s what I needed to make the money for.”

  “Oh. So you are in school?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Which one?”

  Riley hesitated. “Uhh … well ….”

  “What? You’re not becoming an acrobat or something, are you?”

  “No. Not an acrobat.” He chuckled.

  “What then?”

  “Mackenzie,” he sighed.

  “What? Just tell me. I won’t laugh or anything. Let me guess, a figure skater? Is that what you’re going to school for?”

  “No. It’s a Bible school.”

  “A Bible school?”

  “Yes. Both Emily and I are enrolled, and we live in the dorms here.”

  “Together?”

  “No, separate.”

  “Oh.” I breathed with relief. The thought of him living with the Christian was too much to bear. “So … you’re in a Bible school.” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my tone, though I honestly did try. Never in a million years would I have placed Riley there. Of all places. I mean, I knew his views on certain things had changed, I just hadn’t realized how much. I tried to be supportive though. “Do you … like it?”

  “Yeah, I do, so far.” He seemed relieved. “It’s actually really, really good.”

  “But what do you … do?”

  “What you normally do at any school. Learn.”

  “But what do you learn about?”

  “The Bible.” He teased. “It’s not rocket science, Mac.”

  “Shut up.” I giggled. “I didn’t know.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to rethink the whole higher-education thing?”

  “Shut up Riley!” I laughed. “Be nice.”

  “Okay, okay.” He chuckled. “Sorry. I forgot how much fun you were to bug.”

  “Did y
ou?”

  “No.” Riley admitted. “I could never …,” he cleared his throat. “Um … anyway, what are your big birthday plans for tonight? Grey taking you somewhere nice so you can throw up everywhere, or are you just staying in?”

  I rolled my eyes, and sighed theatrically. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. This was going too well, wasn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean, Riley. This will only lead to an argument.”

  “No, no argument.” He argued. “Don’t get mad. I just want to know that you’ll be careful tonight. That’s all.”

  “You didn’t call after all this time just to lecture me, did you?”

  “No. I’m not lecturing. But I do want you to take it easy, Mac; I know what you’re like.”

  “You do? And how is that?”

  He chuckled. “Come on. You know how you are. There’s no middle ground with you. It’s either all or nothing, go hard or go home. Right?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged.

  “Yeah you do.” He chuckled. “Remember back in … um, grade five or six I think, when we had that UPC contest?”

  “Kind of.”

  “The school was doing that big recycling campaign. Whoever brought in the most UPC codes from milk cartons and stuff won a bike. You remember.”

  I did remember. “Yeah.” I relented. The bike was beautiful, a cherry red two wheel with spoke-clickers, fluorescent yellow streamers and a wire basket on the front. It was my dream bike. I just had to make it mine.

  “All the other kids brought in maybe thirty, or forty UPC’s. I think there was one that had a hundred or something. But then you came with … what was it, seven-hundred and thirty nine?”

  “Yeah!” I laughed out loud; I couldn’t keep the smile from my lips at the memory. I had terrorized my neighbours out of their garbage for weeks, unable to rest until I knew that shiny red bike was mine for certain. “But I won, didn’t I?” I giggled.

  “Yes, you did. That’s what I mean. When you get your head wrapped around something, you don’t quit. You know? That’s what worries me.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t even know. It’s not like turning eighteen really changes things for you, does it? You’ve been clubbing this whole time.”