Life of the Party (52 page)

“I was sick!”
Charlie insisted. “So was she!”

“Yeah right,
with what? Cocaine?” Ralph scoffed again, his pudgy face leering.
“I’m not an idiot, Charlene. I know what you girls do around here.
And I know that you were out at the Aurora almost every night last
week. Sick? That’s insulting.”

Oh no. I bit my
lip, closing my eyes as the situation really sank in. This wasn’t
happening. I had enough money troubles already without losing my
job. No, I needed my job. I needed the tips, I needed the money. I
needed to get high tonight, as soon as work was over. I needed
cigarettes and alcohol and I needed to pay my rent. If Charlie and
I were to get evicted, I’d be forced to move back in with my
parents. I cringed at just the thought. No, I couldn’t lose my job.
I made too much money at it. There was nothing else I knew of in a
town this small that could compare.

“Please,
Ralph.” My voice seemed quiet and shaky after Charlie’s confidence.
I cleared my throat and forced the words out. “What if we promised
to be better? I mean, things kind of got out of control, but we’re
good at what we do. I mean, we were, I guess. But we can be again.
You know how well we work together, how good we can be. Most of the
customers like us. Please? I can’t lose this job.”

Something about
my statement sparked an idea in Ralph’s mind. He sat for a moment
and then he sighed, considering my words. His chair groaned as he
leaned back in it. When finally he looked up at Charlie and me
again, there was a strange glint in his green eyes, like an evil
thought had just occurred there.

“You’re
desperate to keep your job, then?”

“I’d like to,
yes.” I admitted.

“Yes.” Charlie
agreed.

“Okay, fine.
You can both keep your jobs.”

A smile spread
across Charlie’s face. She looked over at me with happy
surprise.

“Oh, thanks
Ralph. That’s great—”

“On one
condition.” He continued, interrupting her. Charlie stopped
mid-sentence and waited, glancing at me again, cautiously this
time.

“What is
that?”

Ralph’s smile
was sardonic. “Lock the door.” He ordered.

“What?
Why?”

“I take care of
you …,” he shrugged, “… you take care of me.”

He jingled his
belt buckle.

It took me a
moment to realize what he meant by that. I actually gasped. Charlie
got it faster than I did. Her face froze in anger and disgust.

“Fuck you.” She
spat. “Never.”

“It’s your
job.” Ralph turned to me repugnantly. “Mackenzie?”

I was at a
loss. I needed my job; I needed it badly. What was I going to do
without any money? The panic rose in my chest again as I realized
that tonight we’d have to go without—no heroin, no cocaine, no weed
even. No nothing. I bit my lip. Maybe … maybe it wouldn’t be so
bad. Maybe it would be quick. And besides, if I had the money, I
could get the drugs, and if I had the drugs, I could forget about …
it … later.

“Mackenzie!”
Charlie glared at me in horror. “We are leaving. Now!” She grasped
my arm and slammed the door open, pulling me from Ralph’s office
and out the back door so fast I couldn’t even resist. My cheeks
flushed scarlet, the blood was pounding in my head.

“What the fuck
was that?” Charlie demanded angrily, wrapping her arms around
herself against the cold as we stumbled to her car. “Were you
actually considering it!?”

“No! No!” I
lied, shaking my head—furious, desperate. I couldn’t believe what
had happened. I couldn’t believe I actually considered it, even for
a moment. So much for being pure. By the time we reached her car,
my tears were blinding me. I felt so ashamed of myself.

“Fuck Charlie!”
I screamed. People on the street turned to stare at me, but I
didn’t care. I slammed my fist into the hood of her car. “I can’t
believe I just lost my job!”

She was
wide-eyed, watching me. “It’s okay Mac. You’ll get another
one.”

“Ugh!” My
breath was frosty in the dimming light. “Yeah, maybe tomorrow, or
next week even. What do I do now? I need money now!”

Charlie shook
her head. “Get in the car, Mackenzie.”

I obeyed, only
because the cold was starting to numb my fingertips. It felt like
it could snow any moment. I rubbed my hands together to warm them
as Charlie started the car. We sat in silence for a moment, letting
the engine warm up. I reached for a cigarette, vexed when I
realized my pack was almost empty. I had no money for more.

“Fuck!” I
exclaimed again.

“Okay, Mac.
Calm down.”

I breathed for
a moment, shutting my eyes, trying not to panic. “What am I going
to do?”

“How much do
you need?”

“I don’t know.
Enough for the week. And for rent and stuff, next week.”

“You mean, you
don’t have anything?”

“No.” I
muttered sheepishly. “I spent almost all of it last weekend.”

“What about
Grey?”

“Nothing. Not
until they start doing gigs again.” I shrugged.

“Well … what
about your parents?”

I cringed,
instantly rejecting the thought. “No, Charlie. I can’t ask
them.”

“Why not?”

“Because.” I
shut my eyes, shaking my head. I didn’t feel like getting into it
with her. I could picture the faces of my parents as I asked for
money. I knew my dad would gloat. “See, I knew you couldn’t do it
on your own,” his face would say.

I shook my head
again, resolved. “I just can’t ask them.”

“Oh, okay. So
you almost went down on that guy because you were so desperate for
money, but you can’t ask your parents for some?”

I glared at
her. “I did not almost—”

“Whatever.
Mackenzie, just don’t be an idiot. Ask your parents.”

I sighed. Loud
and long. I did need money. I became more desperate for it as the
agitated minutes passed by. “Fine.” I relented—angry, irritated.
“Fine, I’ll ask them. Will you drive me there?”

“Sure.” Charlie
threw the car in reverse and backed out of the stall. “I’m sure
they’ll understand.”

My answer was a
grumble.

When Charlie
pulled up at my parents’ house it was empty, vacant—I could already
tell. It had a hollow, dark feel to it … something I was all too
familiar with. Something I’d come home to regularly. No one inside.
No one expected anytime soon.

“They’re not
even home.” I sighed.

“Well, you can
call them later.” Charlie suggested. “I’ll drive you again.”

“Thanks
Charlie.”

Just as she was
about to pull away, I stopped her.

“Wait.” My
parents still had my things from Marcy’s wedding. I kept putting
off picking them up, unwilling to face my parents again until they
apologized for the whole Craig Donovan stunt. But since they
weren’t home, I figured it was the perfect time. “I’ll be right
back.”

I ran up the
drive, pounded my code into the keypad and opened the door. It had
been months since I’d been home, but I didn’t waste any time
looking around. The bag full of my stuff was in the front entry,
where it had probably sat since mom called me weeks ago to come and
pick it up. As I slung the bag over my shoulder, something else
caught my eye.

It was my mom’s
purse. Just one of many. It was hanging over the deacons bench
perched against the wall, and the flap had come open, the contents
inside bulging out. I didn’t even think twice. There wasn’t even a
whisper from my conscience that what I was doing was bad.
Unthinkable until now. I opened up her purse and took what I knew
would be inside. A neat green roll of twenties. There were a few
red fifties tucked in as well. Why my mom always insisted on
carrying so much cash was beyond me, but at the moment, I was
thankful for her odd little habit. I stuffed the money into my
pocket—there must have been at least three-hundred dollars
there—and felt instantly better.

I ran back to
the car after locking up the house, a broad smile of relief upon my
face. Charlie noticed the change in my attitude immediately.

“Find what you
were looking for?” She wondered curiously.

“You could say
that.” I grinned.

I was dying. I
tried to swallow and my poor parched throat scraped in protest.
Unwillingly I opened my bleary eyes, desperate enough for water
that I forced my weary muscles to work and get me out of my bed. It
was cold away from Grey’s slumbering form. I leaned on the wall for
support and made my way painfully to the kitchen, trying to hurry,
knowing that the faster I made it there the faster I could get back
in bed.

It was quiet in
the house, still early. I padded to the sink, clad in nothing but
Grey’s black Iron Maiden t-shirt and my underwear, and filled up
the closest cup I could find with sweet, cold water. I chugged it
back, my throat sorely struggling to swallow down the liquid,
easing as the cool wet relieved the tightness there. I sighed, my
eyes barely open, and poured myself another cup.

As I drank, I
noticed the door to Charlie’s room was wide open, her bedding
rumpled, her bed unmade—but clearly not being slept in. I frowned
with concern and my heart went out to my friend, knowing the state
she was in and the reason she was in it. Zack. I bit my lip as I
remembered the harsh reception Charlie had received from her
once-boyfriend the night before at Grey’s house. I had convinced
her to come in after our brief stop at my parents’, knowing how
badly she wanted to see Zack and hoping the two of them could be
reconciled. But Zack had barely given her a glance when she
entered, just a small impertinent nod that was easily translated
into a dismissal. That was it. No words, no apologies, no
explanations. Like Charlie wasn’t even worth the effort.

I had watched
as a spasm of pain quickly shadowed Charlie’s beautiful face, but
she composed herself before anyone else could see and then
wordlessly left the room, slamming the door on her way out of the
house. I followed her, my heart breaking for her, into the cold,
wintry evening.

“Charlie, I’m
so sorry.” I called. I hadn’t time to put on a jacket, and wrapped
my arms around myself for warmth. “Forget about Zack, he’s
nothing.”

“Whatever.” She
made a noise—like a half-laugh, half-sob—and continued storming
towards her car.

“Wait, Charlie,
don’t go, please? Wait for me, I’ll get some stuff, we can go back
to our house ….”

“No thanks.
Don’t waste a second away from Grey. Not for me.”

That brought me
up short. My breath hung icy in the cold air. “But what are you
going to do?”

“I don’t know.
Go find Courtney, go to Jack’s house.”

“No, Charlie.”
I followed her out to the car, lowering my voice so the neighbours
couldn’t hear. “Please, don’t go to Jack’s. Grey says it’s not
safe.”

She made
another noise—a half-sob, half-scoff—and shook her head at me.

“Perfect.”

“Charlie
….”

She sighed.
“Go, Mackenzie. I’ll be alright. I’m not mad at you. I just … I
need to be … away. Okay. I’ll see you later.” She got into the car
then and slammed the door. I stepped out of the way, backing onto
the sidewalk as she peeled out into the street, watching in worry
as the red taillights slowly bobbed off into the night.

Grey met me at
the door with our jackets, stopping me before I could get back
inside and really let Zack have it. I was seething, partly from the
horrible, hideous day I’d already been through but mostly out of
worry and anger for my friend. If anything bad happened to Charlie,
anything at all, I was going to place every ounce of the blame on
Zack.

“Come on,
sugar. Don’t worry about it. He doesn’t deserve her, she’s better
off.” Grey had convinced me, with the warmth of his arms, to let it
go. I relented and leaned against him, but my tension didn’t ease
any. I knew what I needed to make me feel better, to help me get
over the stress of the day. To help me forget that I had lost my
job and stolen from my mother, to help me forget the leer on
Ralph’s face as he jingled his belt buckle. To make me forget what
I had almost done ….

“Don’t be upset
Mackenzie. Please?” Grey misread the look on my face, thinking it
was worry for Charlie. His blue eyes were pleading. “How can I make
it better?”

Grey hated to
see me upset, ever. He would do anything to make me happy again. At
this thought an idea occurred to me, something I never would have
considered before. But I was desperate, and I had discovered a
weakness in Grey that could be easily manipulated. Me.

I shut my eyes
and leaned against him, letting a sob-like shudder run through me.
He felt it and his arms reacted, pulling me close. His hand stroked
my hair, reassuringly, and he kissed my cheek just below my
ear.

“What’s the
matter, Mackenzie? Tell me.”

I shook my head
and sighed. When I spoke, my voice was hoarse, like I was holding
back tears. “It’s nothing.” I choked out. “I’ve just had such a
terrible day.”

“Don’t cry.
Please? Do you want to … should we push off? Would that help?”

“Maybe.” I
whispered.

“Wait here.
I’ll be right back.” He kissed my forehead and headed quickly back
inside. I stood out in the cold, relieved and amazed by how easily
Grey had caved … but there was no joy in my victory. If anything, I
was saddened by what I had done; what I was capable of. For the
second time that day, I felt ashamed of myself.

But I knew it
wouldn’t take long until I forgot all about it.

I shook myself
back to the present and poured the rest of my drink into the sink.
I hoped fervently that Charlie was okay, that she was safe
somewhere. I hated to think of her at Jack’s house, the thought
made me agitated and nervous. With a sigh, I headed back to my
bedroom. There was one sure way to forget about it all.