Home > Absolution (Youngblood #5)(3)

Absolution (Youngblood #5)(3)
Author: Monique Orgeron

Silence. She can’t even deny it anymore or come up with another lie to spin it.

“I just want what’s best for you,” she says meekly.

“I’m old enough to decide what’s best for me.”

I’m met with more silence before she gets her second wind and tells me, “One day, you will see everything I sacrificed for you. One day, you will apologize. Today, I know is not the day, but you listen to me; you will buckle the fuck down. You will quit all this bullshit and pass your damn classes. Then, I will let you do what the hell you want. Until…”

Right then my door swings open, hitting the wall behind it. So much for privacy. Hannah and some other of my friends stand there dressed in short ass skirts and high heels, laughing. I can hear Brittany still yelling at me, but I’d quit listening as soon as my girls showed up, flashing in my face how much fun they are going to have tonight.

“I got to go.” I hang up without another word to Brittany, with a smile on my face. “What the hell?! Where are we going tonight?”

“YAY! I knew you would change your mind.” Hannah claps her hands and squeals, running toward me, throwing her arms around my neck. “Now, let’s get you dressed.”

 

 

2

 

 

Chloe

 

 

Hannah, Kim, and Stacee with two e’s, all pile into the Uber, shoving me in the back of the minivan.

“Y’all don’t think this dress is too short?” I ask.

“NO!” They all yell, tired of me pestering them about the mini tight, purple glittery, barely there dress they squeezed me into. God, if Brittany were to see me now, she would die. My big sister has the best fashion sense of anyone I’ve ever met. Sexy, but always elegant and classy. This dress, while being sexy, is a far cry from elegant or classy. It reeks of desperation and I might be a tad desperate, but I’m not trashy and right now it’s exactly how I feel.

“You look great, Chloe. Now, stop moping. The guys are going to flock to you in this dress,” Stacee with her two e’s says.

I can’t help rolling my eyes at the thought of me caring what she possibly thinks. It’s ridiculous and Hannah knows it. She looks back at me, offering me a small smile. It’s her way of telling me it will all be okay. We’re the closest of this group. We met in our freshman year. Stacee and Kim came a little later. Hannah introduced me to them when she saw how boring I actually was. They’re fun all right, and very, very, loose. That’s what my mom would’ve said.

My mother might have been a free spirit about life, but not about everything. Not when it came down to Brittany hanging around certain types of girls. Ones Mom knew were going to get her in trouble. The word loose floated around our house like a curse word. I remember because I would antagonize Brittany with the word. Running around the house, repeating ‘loose,’ over and over again. Now, I think it’s comical. Loose. How much looser can you be, than her own daughter spreading her legs for money? What a hypocrite.

Needing to get my mind off my overbearing, lying, sister, I ask, “Where are we going, again?”

“A club,” Kim says this time.

“Yeah, I know. But what club?”

“I’m sure you’ve never heard of it. It is extremely hard to get into and they don’t advertise.”

“What kind of club doesn’t advertise?”

“The best kind.”

Stacee turns around and tells me, “Why don’t you relax? I got us the invite. My date will be waiting for us there, and if you’re lucky, you might like one of his friends.”

I shut my mouth, not wanting to come off like I’m new to all this, even though I kind of am. Until last year, I never really went clubbing, or to parties, or did anything my sister didn’t think was a good idea. I was the good obedient little sister, well, mostly. I’m kind of a hothead, maybe a tad stubborn, but I always wanted to make Brittany proud of me. Then I learned the truth. It took me a long time to realize I didn’t have to be that girl anymore. A late bloomer is what Hannah calls me. Slowly, Hannah’s words got me to see the light. I was missing out on way too much. Too much of everything. Not anymore, though. I might have missed out on having the wild high school experience, but I’m determined to have a true college one.

“All right ladies, we’re here,” the Uber driver says as he puts the van in park while I peek out the window at an old looking warehouse.

Even with the packed parking lot, I get out confused. “This can’t be the club.”

“Oh, but it is,” Stacee says while flipping and swooshing her hair up to give it a wilder look.

“What’s it called? It has to have a name.”

“The Rings. Now, come on.”

Hannah pulls me toward the door behind Stacee and Kim while I try to figure out what the hell is so special about this club and try not to break a damn ankle.

Two giant, mean-looking bouncers stop us at the door wanting to see IDs, and ask how the hell we heard about the club.

“My date is waiting inside for me, and these are my girls,” Stacee tells one of the bouncers while openly flirting with him. “Here’s his card. He said if I had a problem to show it to you.” She slowly drags the card out from her cleavage and passes it off to the giant. I’m sure the damn thing is still warm from her fake tits.

“All right, y’all can go in.” He keeps the card and both giants move out of our way, letting us pass.

I’m still being dragged by my friends who are practically bouncing with joy, shrieking as we enter a hallway. A freaking beautiful hallway. It is like we’ve been transported into the most upscale club in the city. The dim lighting gives the narrow room a beautiful glow against the purple… is that velvet? ... wall covering. Damn, the ambience is pure luxury. Then we hit open space, kind of. The club is swarming with sweating, beautiful people at every turn. The scene is a mixture of diversity, including all different ages and clearly wealth. Some people dressed in club attire and others wearing stuffy suits.

My curiosity gets stomped on by Hannah. “Come on,” she scolds and with a tight grasp on my hand keeps pulling me along to a bar stretched across one of the walls.

“What can I get for you ladies?” A handsome bartender asks.

“Shots!” Kim yells, beaming at him with her golden eyes. “Tequila, then we all want a round of fireball.”

“Whoa. Two shots right off the bat?”

“Calm down, Chloe. It’s just to get us warmed up,” Hannah tells me.

Not even fifteen minutes later, we’ve taken our two shots each and Stacee is hunting for her date. Some date. Shouldn’t he have picked her up?

“Hey, there he is.” She hits Kim on the arm, and we all look in the direction she’s pointing. Not bad. He’s cute, I guess, for an older guy. Not really my type, but I can see the appeal.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He kisses Stacee on the lips then looks at all of us. “Well, hello ladies, can I buy you all a drink?”

I’m about to say no when Kim rushes in and tells him what she wants. Even Hannah orders a drink, then he pauses on me.

“No, thank you.”

“She’ll have a slow screw,” Stacee orders.

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