Page 17 of The Burdens We Share
I feel the nostalgia myself. “God, that feels like a lifetime ago,” I say in disbelief.
Aria reaches out and runs her fingers through my hair, “Not to me. I remember it like it was yesterday that you showed up at that bar playing that pink bass guitar in your little pink cowboy boots and hat. I even remember you singing in the most off-key and horrible voice I have ever heard in my life.”
I laugh at her and swat her hand away, “So what I can’t sing? You can’t either.”
Aria chuckles, “Yeah, but at least I didn’t pretend I could.”
Brody inserts, “She has a point there, Iv. You sound like a shrieking dolphin.”
We all burst out into laughter and I feel eyes boring into my head. I turn to find Dallas watching me intently with intrigue on his face as if the concept of me smiling and laughing is foreign to him. I quickly look away and focus back on the script. I start chuckling as I read. “Do you guys remember this?”
I flip the page so they can read the scene about our first tour. Brody shakes her head in disappointment, “Do you guys remember any of that tour? I don’t remember any of it.”
Aria smirks, “That’s how you know it was fun.”
Brody snorts a laugh, “God, we must’ve snorted our weight in coke that tour.”
I groan, “We did. My nose was bleeding for a week after.”
Brody makes a retching sound, “Oh my God, and all the whiskey we drank.”
Aria points an accusing finger at her, “You’re the one that drank the whiskey. We kept it classy with the vodka.”
“There was nothing classy about me puking in the parking lot of that pharmacy,” I make a disgusted face thinking about it.
Aria nods, “Okay, you’re right. That was totally disgusting of you.”
Brody sighs, “But we had so much fun.”
I nod, “We did.”
Aria looks up at the ceiling. “Sometimes, I wish we could do it all again.”
“The drugs?” Brody asks, her face paling.
Aria shakes her head, “No. Just having that time together. Fuck the drugs.”
I rest my head on her shoulder. “I miss it too.”
Brody slaps her palms down on the table, “You guys! Stop acting like we’re dying tomorrow. We get to live a whole lifetimetogether.”
I shrug, “It doesn’t feel the same anymore.”
Brody groans, “Is this because I got sober?”
Aria rolls her eyes, “No, Sticks, it’s because we’re growing up.”
I frown, “I don’t wanna grow up.”
Brody plays with the engagement ring on her finger, “No matter how our lives change, we’re always gonna be Satan’s Angels.”
Aria’s eyes land on her engagement ring and suddenly my ring finger feels very naked. “We have matching tattoos. We’re all kinda stuck together for life.”
I think of our little angel wing tattoos that we all got on the backs of our arms. A moment of silence spreads around us and I break it a minute later with laughter. Aria tilts her head, a smile on her lips, “What’s funny?”
I have to stifle my laughter, “Do you guys remember that guy who grabbed my leg and tried to pull me off the bar a couple years ago?”
Brody bursts out laughing so hard, that tears start welling in her eyes. “Holy shit! I do!”
