Page 76 of Underground Prince

“Don’t worry about the movie,” I said through my laughter. If we talked about this any longer I’d be offering him up a seat in the seedy underbelly, and hell if I knew what he’d say to that. “I’m wide awake and ready to go.”

“Cheers to that,” Verily said. “You want a beer?”

“Do I look like I want to stay dry?” I replied.

Noah asked me as Verily handed me a can from the six-pack beside her, “Does that mean you do, though? You want to try your hand at poker?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. I’m intrigued by it. A friend mentioned this movie tonight and I was curious.”

“Then you should come one night. To our game.”

I flopped onto the couch cushions, our expressions mirroring each other’s as we both processed the question. I guess he was as confused with our strange olive branch of the evening as I was.

“Maybe I will,” I said after a moment.

Verily gestured for me to chug quick. “We’re gonna be late if we don’t move our butts.”

“Let’s go,” I said, taking one last gulp of beer and leaving the remainder on the table.

Verily picked up the conversation again when we stepped outside, exclaiming over the October nip in the air, and Noah offered his scarf, wrapping it around her neck a few times before moving it up to her face, mummy-style. She laughed and slapped him away, her fingers trailing across his hand, and as I witnessed the exchange, ice flowed into my veins, unrelated to the temperature outside.

A cold realization.

“Scar? Scar.” Verily nudged me. “You okay?”

“Me? Fine.” I shook myself out of it, brushing invisible hairs off my face. “God,” I said, stamping my feet against the bitter air. “Where’s a damn cab when you need one?”

* * *

The Drop Down was packed in, piled up, and topped off with hustle and shouts. Arms reached over heads to pass drinks down the line, girls danced in their heels as overflowing shots were spilled on them, and hand clasps and shoulder slaps were the popular greetings of choice.

Someone smacked against my shoulder as they passed, dragging me further into the place Theo had taken me to, the spot I raced to after my first confrontation with Noah.

Verily hooked her fingers with mine, jerking me forward. Noah yelled above the ruckus, “I’ll get us drinks!” before he was swallowed up by the rest of those clustered around the bar.

“There!” Verily yelled by my ear and pointed.

Erin, Jamal and Lila were clumped in a corner by the pool table, parked close to the chalkboard of names of who would be next to play.

Like an old photo negative, I could layer one scene over another, adding one more person to the mix. Or removing. It was so obvious I couldn’t believe I didn’t put it together before, but maybe this was what it took. My friends, huddled together at their usual spot, as the trigger to an overflow of tremors.

I changed tactics, letting the natural tide of patrons guide us to the back of the bar, but my friends weren’t to be dissuaded. Once they caught sight of us, they pushed forward.

“Whoa, twice in two weeks?” Jamal said as soon as we were within earshot, but it was affectionate. “C’mere, Scar,” he said, and enveloped me in a hug. I tried to relax into it.

I wish Verily understood just how much this hurt.

“Hey, lady!” Lila squeezed my shoulder before pecking Verily on the cheek. “You guys have arrived at the perfect, crowded-ass time.” Her tiny body blocked another group of people from coming any closer and taking over our meager space. “Nice hair!”

“Sign of a good time, right?” Erin said. Screams of encouragement almost drowned out her statement as a group of guys across the way directed a fluorescent green funnel in one their buddies' mouths and fist-pumped. “Are we getting too old for this?”

“Hell, no!” Verily said, throwing an arm around me. “We should be over there asking to go next! Right, Scar?”

The guy nearly fell to his knees from the gush of carbonation down his throat. “Let’s start with a drink first before you want me to puke for decades,” I said.

A bobbing head amidst the crowd nabbed my attention, and Noah found his way to us, handing me an iced-over glass of beer. “Figured you’d want to stick with your original choice.”

“For now,” Verily sang. “It’s the freakin’ weekend! What are we waiting for?”

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