“I heard what you did at the shelter, Megan.”
“What did she do?” Allison’s head spun around to look at Lily.
“She gave away a bunch of new designer clothes to the girls there. It was a cool thing to do.” Lily gave me an approving smile. I glanced out the window, uncomfortable with her praise.
“You bought them new clothes?” Allison asked.
“No, my mother gives me clothes instead of attention, so I put them to good use, since I never wear them.” I continued to gaze out the window to avoid the looks of pity they might give me. But when I glanced into the rearview mirror that’s not what I saw. Lauren was peering at me with knowing smile. I had no idea what it meant, but before I could ask, Lily shrieked, “Oh my God, I love this song.” She bent over the seats, reaching to turn up the radio. The song that rang out of the speakers promised that we’d have a good night. It was the perfect song to start our evening.
Allison turned around in her seat, leaning over the headrest to stare at me, her lips turned upward into an almost smile.
“What?” I asked, after she sat silently for a few seconds.
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Have you finally done what no other girl in the last three years has been able to do?”
“Is she talking in riddles?” I asked, glancing from Lily to Lauren. They both laughed, but Allison ignored us.
She smirked at me and tilted her head. “You are, aren’t you?” I shrugged my shoulders and gave her a look of complete confusion. “You’re dating Nate Green?”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. It was such a big deal in our school. His name was whispered in locker rooms and in most of the girls’ bedrooms. Since he kept to himself and rarely spoke to anyone, he was a mystery to them. Now that I’d been seen with him, so was I. “Are you serious?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Come on, don’t lie. I’ve seen you with him. You must be dating.”
“Maybe he’s tutoring me. Did you think of that?”
“It’s a possibility. Except you’re rich and everyone knows he wouldn’t help you. Besides as far as I know you’re passing all your classes. So come on, spill it.”
I smiled, wishing I could keep silent. I loved being linked to the mysterious handsome loner. There were so many crazy stories made up about him and I wondered if there were any about me yet. But I couldn’t hold my tongue just to appear mysterious. I wanted these three girls to be my friends since I was suddenly without any. All eyes were on me. Lily was as close to me as she could get without sitting on my lap and Lauren was glancing between me and the road. “No, we’re not dating.”
Three disappointed expressions stared back at me. Since they couldn’t date him themselves, they’d settle for someone they knew, as long as they could get a look into his life.
“Then why are you hanging out?” Lily asked, picking up her purse and looking through it.
“First of all, we’re not hanging out. He’s protecting me from the people that slashed my tires and I’m volunteering at Riley House. He works there.”
“Well, that’s disappointing,” Allison mumbled, turning around to face the front again. “I thought I’d finally get to hear about the infamous Nate Green.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but he’s told me many times he doesn’t date, or socialize.”
“I bet you can change that. You just have to try harder.” Lauren spoke for the first time since I’d gotten in the car.
I looked at her. She was turning on to Kendal Avenue, the road that led to Montaview Heights. “Yeah, Lauren, you said that before, but I tried and he turned me down flat.”
“Just keep trying.”
I sighed, tired of her cryptic words. “That’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one he keeps turning down. There’s only so much rejection I can take.” She only shrugged her shoulders and shifted her eyes back to the road ahead.
She stopped at a stop sign and I was pretty sure we were almost there. We were no longer in the middle-class neighborhood of Montaview. The houses were smaller here and there seemed to be more garbage on the lawns. I noticed guys in jeans and leather jackets loitering outside of houses and businesses. They were staring at cars and people as they went by. Occasionally, they’d whistle or yell at girls walking along the sidewalk.
We pulled into a parking lot lined with a chain-link fence. “Where’s the bar?” I asked, looking around and only seeing the lot, cars and a deserted building. A few groups of teenagers were huddling in the corner of the lot.
“Around the corner. You can never get a spot out front,” Lauren informed me as she turned off the car and then reached for her purse.
“Remember, everyone, just take something you can pretend is ID and money, otherwise leave it in the car.” Allison was digging out her money and what looked like her student ID and stuck it in her bra. She didn’t have any pockets in her dress.
I pulled out my library card that I hadn’t used since middle school, not wanting to lose anything else. Then I took out a couple of twenties, folded them up and stuck them in the front pocket of my jean skirt.
Everyone climbed out of the car and I followed them around the corner. There was a line of teenagers along the street, in front of a large red brick building. Two windows on either side of the door were covered with some kind of black material. A dark sign with white lettering above the door read Manic. The walls of the building were vibrating with bass-pumping music.
We crossed the street and stood in line. There were at least twenty people in front of us; it’d be midnight before we got in. “Don’t worry, the line goes fast,” Lauren said from beside me, answering my thoughts.
“You come here a lot?”
“Occasionally. Allison first brought me here last year. Now we come whenever they have new bands playing.”
About ten minutes later we were standing in front of a bouncer, a big muscled guy with black hair. He was wearing a tight black T-shirt and black jeans. “Hey, girls, come to see the new band?” he asked, a lot friendlier than he looked.
He nodded at the card Allison held up. “Yep, are they any good?” she asked.
He shrugged as the rest of us flashed our fake cards. “Not my taste, but you might like them.” As we started to walk away, he grabbed Allison’s arm. Fear knotted in my stomach and I froze, waiting to hear that we were busted. “Remember the rules, Ally and be careful.” She smiled as she patted his cheek. He let her go.
Chapter Ten
Are We Having Fun Yet?
We followed Allison into the wide open room. There was a long bar to the right with small tables throughout and along the back wall was a large stage. A group of guys that looked like they were in their early twenties stood above us singing a heavy rock song I had never heard before. The lead singer had long brown hair and wore a ripped T-shirt and jeans. The rest of them were dressed basically the same. The dance floor was packed with dancing bodies and tons of teenagers stood along the walls watching.
“Isn’t this amazing?” Lily yelled over the music. She was standing beside me as we stopped to see if there was a free table.
I had to admit it was. I had been to a few clubs downtown but nothing as wild as this. There were so many different types of people here; it was awesome. I nodded to her just as Allison spotted a table near the bar.
“How do you know the bouncer?” I asked Allison as I sat down on a chair across from her.
“He’s my uncle.”
“What are the rules?”
“Only drink soda and never leave it alone. And never leave with people we don’t know. If we do, we can’t come back.” Sounded sensible enough; I had no problem with the rules.
“Come on Ally, let’s get some drinks,” Lauren called out over the noise. “You two stay here and hold the table.”
I watched them weave through the hordes of people heading toward the bar.
“So, what’s Nate like?” Lily asked, leaning in to hear me over th
e loud music.
“At school he’s grouchy and annoyed most of the time, but at the shelter he’s funny and charming. He jokes with everyone and really cares about the people there.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like him.”
“I know, but he’s really happy at the shelter. It’s strange, it’s like he’s a different person when he’s there.”
“I said hi to him once. He just grunted and walked away.”
“You know he’s like that with everyone, right?”
Her eyebrows rose, her bright green eyes flashed. “Not you.”
“At school he only tolerates me because of the trouble I’m in. But he’s told me many times he didn’t want me around. When I ask him anything personal, he ignores me completely.”
“He sounds charming,” Lily remarked, sarcasm coating her words.
“Yep,” I replied dryly, watching the dancers bounce around on the dance floor.
Lauren and Ally came back and placed four sodas in the center of the table.
“What were you guys talking about?” Lauren asked as she sat down next to me, the smell of her fragrant perfume floated in the air.
“How Nate Green is rude to her at school, but nice at the shelter,” Lily volunteered, taking her soda from the girls.
“He’s rude to you?” Allison asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders, hoping to move the conversation to something else. I really didn’t need to be reminded every five minutes of how Nate constantly shot me down. I took a sip of my drink.
“She said he always tells her he doesn’t want her around.” Lily was yelling a little louder than was necessary.
Allison leaned back in her chair. “What a jerk.”
“It’s who he is, but I’m used to it. Uh… who’s that?” A guy with long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and a gold hoop earring in his left ear was sitting at the bar staring at Allison.
“Oh, that’s Marty. He has the hots for Allison. Here he comes.” Lily looked down at her drink.
“Hey, Allison, do you want to dance?” Marty asked, leaning against my chair as if I were invisible.
“Sure.” Allison stood up and sauntered to the dance floor, her hips swaying in time to the music. He followed behind her with his hand on her lower back. Her long ink-black hair swung as she moved to the music.
Lauren and Lily stood up to dance. “Do you mind watching the table?” Lily asked me, “I’ll just dance once then I’ll come back and trade,” she promised before turning away with Lauren.
“Go, I’m fine. I don’t really like this music anyway.”
“Thanks and don’t worry, they’re not the only band of the night.”
Thank God. I wasn’t in the mood for classic rock. The guys looked like they climbed out of a time machine from the eighties.
“What are you doing here, rich girl?”
I turned around at the sound of a familiar voice and saw Eddie standing with some guy. He appeared to be the same age as Eddie, with light brown hair and blue eyes. I smiled and stood up, giving my co-volunteer a friendly hug. “What do you mean? I come here all the time.”
He laughed. “Yeah, right, you really fit in well. What you’re wearing probably costs more than the bar.”
“Hey, I blend in.” I looked down at my outfit, suddenly self-conscious.
“You do. I’m kidding.” He sat down in Lily’s chair and brown hair, blue eyes sat across from me. “Megan, this is my friend Danny.”
Danny’s mouth turned at the edges into a near smile, extending his hand to me. I took it, noticing he had a tattoo of a snake on his wrist. His hand was warm and clammy.
“It’s nice to meet you, Danny,” I yelled above the loud guitar solo. I looked up on the stage and saw the short guitarist crawling around on the floor. I shook my head, really hoping the bands got better. Danny nodded to me but said nothing, turning his head to watch the band.
“So what are you doing here?” Eddie asked again.
“I’m here with some friends. They’re dancing so I’m holding the table.”
“Which ones?” He looked out at the dance floor, trying to guess who I was with. I pointed to Lauren and Lily, who were dancing in the center. I spotted Allison in the corner by the stage glued to Marty. “The little blond is cute. Is she rich too?”
“Eddie, would you stop talking like that?”
He laughed. “I’m sorry. What’s her name?”
“It’s Lily and if you’re nice I’ll introduce you.” The song ended and the girls came back. Eddie stood up, letting Lily sit down and slapped Danny, pulling him out of his chair for Lauren to sit. It didn’t matter, though, because Allison didn’t come back. She stayed on the dance floor with Marty. Danny sat back down and Lauren and I shared a chair so Eddie could sit. I introduced Eddie to Lily. They smiled at each other and nodded. “And this is Lauren.”
Lauren simply smiled at him. However, he stared at her with a curious expression. “Have we met before?”
Her face was blank as she looked him over. “No, I don’t think so.”
“I never forget a face and you seem so familiar.” His face held a puzzled expression, trying hard to figure out where he knew her.
She shook her head. “Sorry, but I don’t know you.” She quickly turned to Lily, asking about the song that was playing. Was it me or was she avoiding him?
The band played two more songs and then was replaced by an indie band, whose lead singer was amazing. He wasn’t bad on the eyes and his voice was so good I had to get up and dance. I left Eddie to watch the table. Danny danced with a girl that had purple hair and a pierced eyebrow.
After a couple of songs I went back to sit down and keep Eddie company, but Danny beat me to it. He was sprawled on the chair next to Eddie drinking what looked like beer. “So you’re the rich girl that Eddie volunteers with?”
The harmless nickname that I was called at the shelter seemed almost sinister coming from Danny. “I guess so, I do volunteer with him.”
“And you’re a Banks.”
I was becoming very uncomfortable with his line of questions, I looked to Eddie for help, but he was talking to Lily. I hadn’t even seen her approach.
“Yeah, so?” I folded my arms in front of me, not hiding my annoyance.
“Do you want to dance?” he asked as the music turned to a slow song. I could think of a million things I would rather be doing right about then. And dancing with someone who only seemed interested once he found out my last name wasn’t one of them.
“No thanks, I’m good.”
He shrugged and stood up, heading over to the bar. Lily leaned over. “I like your friend, is he a good guy?”
I glanced over at Eddie, who had followed Danny to the bar. “Yes, he is. But I’m beginning to think that Danny is a jerk. He barely spoke to me until he found out my last name.”
Her face scrunched up in sympathy. “That must really suck, not knowing if your friends are with you for you, or your money.”
“It does. And it’s happened a few times, but I’m a good judge of character. I can usually spot them right away.”
“Yeah, Lauren can too. She’s met a few people like that, especially here; once they find out she’s a Riley. We don’t usually use her last name.” She looked up, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, her body swaying to the music. “Is that Nate?” she asked, pointing to the back corner near an exit door. I followed her gaze, but only saw the shoulder of a guy who was wearing all black. I couldn’t even see the color of his hair from this distance.
“I don’t know. I don’t see him. But I doubt it. He would never come to a place like this.” I looked around the room. “Where’s Lauren?”
“Huh, that’s weird, she was right behind me. Maybe she went to the washroom.”
“Hey, guys, could you watch the table?” I called to Eddie and Danny, who were walking toward us with drinks in hand. “We lost Lauren, so we’re going to go check out the washroom.” We stood up to wait for them.
&n
bsp; “Sure, but Lily, when you come back you owe me a dance.” Eddie pointed at her with a wink. She giggled as she took my hand.
Danny rubbed up against me as he passed. “You owe me one too,” he whispered in my ear. His hot breath smelled of beer. Lily jerked my hand, pulling me toward the washrooms. I nodded to Danny, unsure of what to say.
The bathrooms were down a hall at the end of the bar. We ducked elbows, swerved from flying drinks and avoided guys who wanted to dance. Finally, we could see the door to the washroom. We pushed our way through and stopped. There was such a long line. We couldn’t even shut the door. “Lauren!” Lily yelled. A few different-sounding voices echoed her, but no one answered back. Where was she?
We headed back into the main room and stood in the doorway of the washrooms, looking around for her blond hair and red silk top. “There she is,” Lily called out, pointing to our table. Lauren was back in her chair taking a sip of her soda and talking to Eddie. Allison was there as well, huddled with Marty.
Lily started to make her way back to the table. I was about to follow her when I was suddenly pulled and shoved into a corner. It was dark and the main lights didn’t reach this far; no one would even see me here. I started to scream, but was cut off by a hand covering my mouth.
“Shh, it’s me,” said a very familiar, deep voice.
I squinted to see the face in the darkness. “Nate?” When he nodded, I shoved him away. “What are you doing? You scared me half to death.”
He took a step back and under the small light from the bar, I could see him more clearly. He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans—he was obviously the guy Lily had seen. “What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same question. I told you not to come here, remember?”
Okay, now I was mad. I was getting used to him bossing me around, but now he was following me.
“You have no right to tell me what to do.” I shoved his shoulder, but his expression was unfazed.
He glared at me. “Have you forgotten about your trouble with the football team? What if Shane shows up?”
“I know them. They wouldn’t set foot in this area. Besides, I can handle myself.” I shoved past him, intending to stomp away, but he grabbed my arm. His fingers were warm as they wrapped around my skin.
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