They Wish They Were Us(46)
I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the insane pounding in my chest. I thought my skin might split open. Then I turned to Shaila and closed my eyes, hoping she would meet me halfway. I parted my lips and thought of Adam, how it felt when he touched my skin in the hammock months before. The phone flashed and Shaila’s warm mouth pressed against mine. Her tongue slithered against my teeth, wet and unsteady. My whole body began to shake. Shaila must have known because she lifted her palm to my cheek and held my face steady just for a second.
After a moment, we pulled apart, and Shaila’s dark, furious eyes met mine. She brought her hand down and wrapped her fingers around my wrist. “Never let them see you hurt,” she whispered. Before I could respond or even nod, she was already standing, pulling on her jeans.
It’s only a kiss, I told myself. But, once in the car, I had to sit on my hands to keep them still.
Those two items are still on the list, I think, but tonight when Quentin passes around clipboards fixed with the paper checklists, I can’t see them in the dark.
“You have to meet back here at midnight. If you’re late . . .” Nikki trails off. A devilish smile spreads across her face and she crashes the two bottles in her hands together. “Disqualified!”
No one had ever been DQ’d as far as I know but we’d heard rumors about one car back in the early 2000s that didn’t make the deadline. All of them, even the seniors, lost their Player status and their access to the Files. They were disinvited from every social gathering for the rest of the year. Legend has it their college acceptances were revoked, too.
“Then you’ll present your checklists and your souvenirs to the judges: Jill, Quentin, Henry, and yours truly. You all paid a ten-dollar entry tonight, and whichever car wins gets to keep the whole pot!” People hoot and holler all around us. “A little something extra,” Nikki says with a smile.
Henry appears by my side, takes my hand, and throws it into the air. “Make us proud!” he says. I tilt my head up and sneak a peek at the Little Dipper. Then the stars that form two twins. Gemini. I imagine the tiny stick figures dancing around with one another and my stomach settles.
Nikki rolls her eyes and stomps a boot on the car. “All right, Players! You have five minutes to find your teams.” She pulls a whistle out from her pocket and puts it to her lips. “Ready! Set! Go!”
“Jill! Henry! C’mere!” Quentin yells from across the gravel. He holds one last clipboard, and I finally get a look at the list.
YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, IS TO COMPLETE AS MANY TASKS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT. IF THE ACTIVITY TAKES PLACE OUTSIDE OF THE JUDGES’ SIGHT, YOU MUST DOCUMENT THE ACT ON YOUR PHONE. JUDGES WILL TALLY POINTS AT MIDNIGHT.
? Bring us a license plate with the numbers “69” next to each other
? Jump in the ocean with all your clothes on
? Jump in the ocean with all your clothes off
? Get something . . . ANYTHING . . . pierced
? Make an outfit out of trash and wear it for the rest of the night
? Do donuts on the Gold Coast football field
? Put a Gold Coast Prep sweatshirt on the Teddy Roosevelt statue at Cartwright High
? Make out with someone in a different class
? Smash a plate in a public place and yell, “Opa!”
? Juul with Mr. Beaumont
? Make a Dairy Barn drive-thru run . . . naked
? String a bra up to the top of the Gold Coast flagpole
? Make out with someone of the same sex
? Lie in a lawn chair in a bathing suit with a tropical drink in ShopRite
? House 4 pizzas, 15 garlic knots, and 2 gallons of ice cream from Luigi’s in 15 minutes. NO PUKING!
“Jill, you ready to go?” Henry holds Bruce’s door open for me and I slide in the back seat with Nikki, our knees knocking together.
He takes off, and we head to our first destination, Diane’s. The tiny bell chimes when we push through the door and Diane turns to throw us a look, different than the one I get when I come here with Adam or Jared. Skeptical.
“Look at you, dawlings,” she says in her twang. She walks over to the booth by the window and drops a few menus on the table.
“Hiya, sugar,” Quentin says. “Don’t you look mah-velous.” He bows like we’re in the presence of royalty. Gold Coast royalty, at least. Diane rolls her eyes.
“What can I get fo’ ya? Road Rally tonight, is that right?” she asks.
My head snaps up. “How’d you know that?” I ask.
“Oh honey, you can’t hide anything from us. We all know when you have your little pawties.” Her accent is thicker than usual, meaning she’s probably slipped a little nip into her nighttime coffee. “What’ll it be?”
“Mozzy sticks and fries,” Henry says. “Please.” He flashes her a toothy grin.
“You got it,” Diane says. “Just tell yuh buddies no games in here! Last year, that Gardner boy tried to steal all our ketchup bottles. Not cool.” She jabs a finger, painted in a bright red that matches her hair.
Nikki leans in and whispers, “We gotta be more chill.”
“Everyone knows everything. If someone wanted to shut this shit down, they would,” Henry says, stretching his arms out to span the entire back of the booth. His fingertips press against my shoulder.