The Clique (10 page)

              “Always. How about you, Hannah?”

              Both of the other girls agree. Kate volunteers her house, and Hannah promises to raid her parents’ wine closet.

              “You want boys there?” Aude asks.

              “No. Just us.”

              “Done.” Student council ends, and they all drive over to Kate’s.

              “My mom’s gonna be out all night,” Kate says. “So you guys can crash here if you want to.”

              “Let’s get this party started!” Aude runs down the half-flight of stairs to Kate’s kitchen. “I’ll make some appetizers!”

              Kate gestures to a spot on the couch. “You wanna sit down, Maddie?”

              “Yeah, I guess.”

              Hannah arrives with the wine, and before long the group has put away one, two, three bottles. Even Kate, who normally doesn’t drink, matches Aude and Hannah cup-for-cup.

              Maddie can feel the alcohol dulling her senses, bringing a lovely glowing feeling to her body.

              “I love you guys,” Kate says.

              Aude giggles. “Someone’s drunk.”

              “No, I’m not. I just love you guys, so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

              “Kate, you’re slurring your words.” Aude opens another bottle. “You’re
sooo
wasted.”

              “I am?” Kate jerks upright. “Oh shit! What if I have a hangover tomorrow?”

              “Just take some Advil.”

              Hannah tilts her glass, splashing a little on the floor. “Or, get Mr. Silveris to let everyone nap. I bet he’d be down for that... Or you could just skip class entirely.”

              “I can’t. My mom would know. They call your parents, right?”

              “Yeah.” Hannah takes a swig of wine. “But if you get home before them, you can just delete the message.”

              “Yup,” Maddie agrees. “That’s how I get out of our art class.”

              Aude stands. “Well, this is getting boring. Let’s do something fun!”

              “Like what?” Kate asks. “We’re all drunk.”

              “Not me,” Hannah and Aude say at the same time. Aude points to Hannah. “See,
we
aren’t drunk. We can go for a drive.”

              “Can’t we just stay here?” Maddie asks. “I’d rather keep drinking.”

              “We can take the wine with us! Come on, we can take my car.”

              Kate sighs. “Why do I feel like this is the beginning of some ‘don’t drink and drive’ commercial?”

              “It isn’t!” Aude takes a few steps toward the front door, stumbles on the carpet.

              “See, you
are
drunk!” Kate accuses.

              “No, I just tripped. I promise, I’m not drunk.”

              She seems pretty drunk.
Maddie shakes her head. “We aren’t driving anywhere, Aude.”

              “But I wanna do something!”

              “We could walk to the park,” Kate suggests. “Play hot lava or something.”

              “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!” The girls slowly rise, and follow Aude down Kate’s front steps.

              Aude may be drunk, but she definitely handles it better than the rest of them. Kate stumbles a few times and Maddie does too, once or twice, but they make it to the park in one piece. One game of Hot Lava is all it takes for Maddie to figure out how bad the idea is: she gets the wind knocked out of her by a piece of railing, and Kate nearly chips her tooth on one of the jungle gym bars.

              “Guys, I think I’m just gonna sit out for a while,” Maddie says, sitting on a rock off to the side.

              Aude slides down a pole and comes over. “Are you alright?”

              “Yeah, I’m fine. Just resting.”

              “I don’t mean like that,” Aude whispers. “I mean—about the other thing.”

              Maddie frowns. “The student council thing?”

              “Yeah.”

              “I don’t know. I guess.” Maddie watches Hannah and Kate play. “I’ve just been feeling so—“ it takes a moment to come up with the right word “—so inadequate lately, you know? Like nothing I do is ever gonna be good enough.”

              Aude takes a seat next to Maddie and hugs her. “Oh Maddie, you aren’t inadequate.”

              “I know. That’s just how I feel sometimes.”

              “Why?”

              Maddie stares at some wood chips on the ground in front of them. “Do you really want to know?”

              “Of course.”

              “Well, you know my parents just divorced, right?”

              “Yeah, I remember.”

              “Okay. My mom sort of hasn’t called, in like three weeks.” Maddie releases a deep sigh. “When she left, she didn’t even say goodbye. She was just there one night, and when I woke up in the morning my dad was holding divorce papers. She didn’t explain it to me, she never even talked to me. I guess I’m not worth talking to. Not good enough.”

              Aude blinks. “Fuck her.”

              Maddie squints. Did Aude just cuss? “What did you just say?”

              A smile spreads across Aude’s face. “Fuck. Her. Your mom’s a bitch if she doesn’t think you’re worth spending time on. She should want to spend every minute with you.”

              The conversation doesn’t leave Maddie in a happy mood, but something about the way Aude’s smiling makes her want to smile too. “Maybe you’re right. I wish I could just forget about her.”

              “Then forget. Look, I bet she’ll eventually realize what a horrible mistake she’s made. And if she doesn’t—well, that’s why you have us. We’re your family.”

Friday brings George Washington’s first dance: the Back-to-School Dance. Audrey can hardly focus on her classes; she and Kate head straight to Kate’s house after school, to get ready.

              “What about this one?” Aude holds up a small, blue dress.

              “Yeah, that’s pretty. But didn’t you wear it last year?”

              “Oh, I think you’re right. Okay, then what about
this?
” She holds up an even smaller black one.

              Kate sniggers. “That’s from middle school. I wore it to graduation, remember?”

              Aude holds the dress up to the mirror hanging at the back of the closet. “You did? Dang, this has a lot of cleavage. They let you wear this?”

              “Yeah. No one even noticed.”

              Aude smiles. “I think I’m gonna wear it. I’m not much taller than you were, in middle school.”

              “Go for it. But Aude, isn’t it a little too, uh, skimpy?”

              “Naw—“ Aude pulls off her shirt “—I mean, the bottom’s below my fingertips. Kinda.”

              “I don’t wanna get turned away at the door.” Kate takes Aude’s place in the closet while Audrey goes to the bathroom to put on makeup.

              “We won’t. They wouldn’t dare turn
me
away,” she jokes, not realizing how conceited it might sound until the words are already out.

             
“Well if they do, I’m blaming you.”

              Aude opens a new bottle of ivory foundation. “Kate, you know if they actually enforced dress code at these things, no one would be let in. Well, except the boys.”

              Kate laughs. “Now that’s an image. A gym full of boys, all awkwardly standing around.”

              “Oh, I bet a few would be dancing. Like Gabe would be, for sure.” Aude decides she wants to stand out
. Red lipstick sounds perfect.
She looks in the mirror, careful to avoid using too much.

              “Sean too. Aude, they could dance together!”

              Aude holds back a laugh. “We should totally make them dance together tonight.”

              “Yeah. Hey, do you think I should wear that red dress you wore to Hannah’s party a couple weeks ago?”

              “I dunno. I went to school in that, remember?” Aude sets the lipstick down and pokes her head into Kate’s room. “Never mind. You’ll look like ten times better than I did. You have to wear it.”

              Kate blushes. “Thanks.”

              “No problem. Could you help me do these wings?”

              “Sure.” Kate drops the dress on her bed and picks up the eyeliner pencil. “You know, you really should learn how to do this by yourself.”

              “I know.” Aude closes her eyes. “And I’d try, but you just do it so much better.”

              “Thanks. Okay, one more. Aaaand—done.”

              “Thanks.” Aude looks in the mirror. “Perfect, like always.” She smiles sheepishly. “I meant the makeup.”

              “Yeah, I figured. Well, I’ve gotta change.”

              Aude applies mascara and eyeshadow, finishing just as Kate comes in. She waits in Kate’s room, playing games on her phone and trying not to touch her face.

              Finally, Kate steps out of the bathroom. “Tada!”

              “Oh Kate, you look amazing! Sean is so lucky!”

              Kate’s eyes twinkle. “Thank you. You look better.”

              “Oh, no.” Aude stands up and walks her friend back into the bathroom. “Here, I want you to look in the mirror.”

              “Uh, ok.”

              “Now say to yourself, ‘I look great.’”

              “I look great.”

              “’I am beautiful.’”

              “I am beautiful.”

              “’I’m gonna be the sexiest bitch at this dance, and I’m gonna break some hearts.’ Sorry.”

              Kate giggles. “I’m gonna be the sexiest bitch at this dance, and I’m gonna break some hearts, sorry.”

              “No, you weren’t supposed to say sorry. That was just because I cussed. Oh, whatever. You ready to go?”

              “Yeah.” They head downstairs, and wait for Sean and Gabe for several minutes. Kate’s doorbell rings.

              “I’ll get it!” Kate makes it to the door before Audrey. Aude stands to the side as Kate pulls it open.

              “What’s fun?” Sean smiles. Aude notices his eyes on her, and smiles back.

              “Uh, not much. How are you?” Kate says. Aude can sense her disappointment, and wishes she could mentally will Sean to tell his girlfriend how nice she looks.

              Gabe wolf-whistles. “Holy shit, you look—Audrey, wow.” He just shakes his head, as if he can’t come up with words.

             
Sean, tell Kate she looks pretty! Now!
Aude tries to communicate the message via a complicated pattern of eye movement, but she’s pretty sure it only makes her looks spastic. “Thanks,” she says quietly. The boys back out of the doorway to allow Aude and Kate through; Kate comes last, locking the door behind her.

              “Ooh—“ Aude grimaces on the way to Gabe’s SUV “—I’m not sure these heels are gonna last through Nate’s after-party.” They all scored invites, thanks to Hannah.

              “You can always take them off,” Gabe offers. “I have a spare pair of shoes in the trunk.”

              “Aha, yeah right.” Aude and Kate climb in the back.

              Gabe checks his car’s digital clock. “Actually, the dance doesn’t start for another hour. Any ideas?”

              “Uh, we could go back inside and hang out,” Kate suggests. “My mom has a Wii.”

              “Alright.”

              Aude frowns at her friend. “Hey Kate, do you still have those super fancy flats your mom bought you?” It can’t hurt to spend one dance without heels, especially when they’re cutting into her heels.

              Kate gives Aude a sympathetic look. “Um, yeah, they’re in my closet. Under the t-shirts, but like farther back. Close to the skirts.”

              “Okay.” Aude kicks off the heels and leads the way back inside. She brings the shoes upstairs and trades them for Kate’s soft ballet flats.

              When she comes back downstairs, Kate and Sean are rocking out on fake guitars while Gabe sings an absolutely horrendous version of “Misery Business” by Paramore. Aude dances over and sits down next to him.

              “Hey babe, you wanna sing?”

              Aude raises her eyebrows. “Alright.” But before she can start, the screen turns red. “You failed,” a male voice announces.

              “Well that’s not very nice.” Aude hands the plastic microphone back to Gabe.

              “Yeah, well, it was a poor song choice. I told you we should’ve done Smoke on the Water.”