by Cj Omololu
“Is it legal?” I ask.
Rebecca’s standing by Danny’s El Dorado, talking quietly with the other guitarist’s girlfriend, and laughs at my words, a short bark that echoes off the tall concrete buildings. “Right. You’re not afraid, are you?”
I look up at the tall fountain, feeling a ball of fear in the pit of my stomach. I fight back my natural reaction. “No.”
Eli grabs my hand and gives a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. Just stick with me and you’ll be fine. It’s all part of the fun.”
Melissa pulls her shirt over her head, steps out of her jeans, and kicks them into a pile by the front tire. A quick glance around tells me that everyone else is doing the same thing. Linzey walks over to me in her bra and underwear like she’s wearing a bikini at the Eighteenth Street beach. “Come on. You don’t want to get your clothes wet. Just leave them by the car so you’ll know where they are in a hurry.”
“Here. I’ll go first,” Eli says, grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. I hope my gasp isn’t audible as I take in his taut stomach and smooth skin. I had no idea what he was hiding under there. It’s hard not to reach out and run my hand over his chest. “It’s no big deal,” he says, kicking off his jeans until he’s standing there in a pair of tight boxer briefs, making exaggerated muscles with his arms. He’s the tiniest bit bowlegged, but his legs are long and muscular. Too late, I realize I’m staring.
“Okay, okay,” I say, taking a deep breath and quickly undoing the buttons on my top. I’m seriously glad when I realize I’m wearing one of Ava’s deep purple lace bras. I feel Eli’s eyes on me, and he shoots me a smile as I pull off the skirt I’m wearing and toss it down next to his jeans. I resist the urge to cross my hands in front of my chest. I just keep telling myself it’s no different from a bathing suit, even if I don’t really believe that.
“Let’s do it,” Amy says, leading the way up the concrete steps.
Eli reaches back and grabs my hand, and I feel my heart race with the possibility in that one casual gesture. I love the feeling of connecting with him, if only for this one crazy night. I feel a sense of possessiveness come over me, and I glance back to make sure Rebecca is watching. She is, her face unreadable.
We walk up several flights of stairs at the side of the building until we’re at the landing of the top chute of the fountain, the water rushing out in front of us. Melissa disappears around a corner, and the lights in the pool below flick on, making colored streaks in the water.
“Turn those off!” Amy says.
Rebecca looks sad. “Aw, come on. It’s so much prettier when the lights are on.”
“You know security always comes faster when they’re on. I want to get a couple of runs in at least.”
“Fine,” Rebecca says, walking back around the corner. In seconds, the water below is dark again.
“Security?” I ask Eli. My heart is racing, and I can feel my face getting hot.
“It’s okay. Follow me,” he says. “Melissa, let her have your board. I’ll bring it right back up.” He hands me her board. “It’s just like a waterslide. Give me a twenty-second head start, and then you go.” Eli positions himself at the mouth of the rushing water and dives in on top of the board. There are muffled whoops and cheers as he rides the wave down to the next level of the fountain and disappears around the corner.
“Go ahead,” Linzey encourages. I look behind me at everyone watching expectantly, and I know Rebecca is hoping I’ll chicken out. So much of me wants to hand the board to Melissa and walk back down the steps, but I can’t. Because Alicia wouldn’t. She would have been the first one down the chute, screaming all the way. I turn back around and take several deep breaths before pushing myself into the current. The water reeks of chlorine as it rushes by me, and I squeal as the cold waves wrap around my body. In seconds I’ve done the top of the fountain and stand up in the shallows to position myself for the next level. I gingerly lower myself into the waterfall and ride the next two levels, until I splash down in the darkened shallow pool at the bottom.
“You did it!” Eli laughs and reaches down to pull me out of the way.
I check to make sure that nothing’s popping out up top and reach back to discreetly fix the massive wedgie I got on the way down. “That was cool!”
“Let’s run these back up and give everyone else a turn.” We quickly walk up the concrete steps, our feet leaving wet trails on the still-warm stone.
A couple of the guys have already gone down without boards, so we hand the boards to Linzey and Rebecca for their turns. We’re so high up that the breeze is cooling everything off quickly, and I start to shiver as we stand and wait to get the boogie boards back.
“Come here,” Eli says, pulling me close to him and rubbing my arms. At first I’m still shivering, but then I let myself relax into the warmth of his body, believing for just one second that nothing bad can ever happen if I can only freeze this moment. I glance over at Amy and Melissa, who are pressed up against the cement wall making out, their hands wandering over each other’s bodies, having seemingly forgotten why we’re up here in the first place. Eli follows my gaze and grins. “Looks like they have the right idea,” he says, curling a strand of my wet hair around his finger.
I can feel the moment change as the grin slips from his face and his eyes meet mine. I lean into him just the smallest bit, giving him permission to do what I’ve wanted all night long. His lips are soft, gentle at first, and then more urgent as he bends down to kiss me, grabbing both my hands and wrapping my fingers up with his. I ease my hands free and put my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me until every inch of our skin is touching.
I hear the laughter and approaching footsteps as Linzey and Rebecca come back up, and I pull away from Eli just as they round the corner.
“Break it up,” Linzey says. She tosses the boards at us. “Your turn again.”
Eli grins and kisses my neck one last time. It feels like so much has changed between us in just a few short seconds. I see Rebecca turn away from us and then grab Danny as he walks by, pulling him down into an embrace of her own.
“You go first this time,” Eli says, walking over to the edge of the water.
“You just want to watch her ass!” Danny yells from behind us.
“Shut up!” Eli yells back, but I can see he’s smiling.
“It’s a free country,” I say, taking a couple of running steps and jumping onto the boogie board as it gets swept away. I can hardly believe the things that come out of my mouth when I’m Alicia. Suddenly I feel a weight in my chest. I can’t be her forever. At midnight or two o’clock or sometime next week, I’m going to turn back into Lexi, and everything will change.
In a few seconds, Eli lands next to me, and I push off with my arms, dragging my body through the shallow water to the other side of the pool, away from the landing site. It’s so much warmer in the water that I just lie there with only my face sticking out, looking up at the stars and trying not to think about the inevitable.
Eli splashes over to me after handing the boards off to Adam to take back up. We lie in the knee-deep water, and I can feel him reaching for my hand. “You having fun?”
“It’s awesome,” I say, trying to keep all traces of sadness out of my voice.
He squeezes my fingers and is about to say something else when we hear a shout from above us. “Flashlights! It’s security!” We scramble to our feet and splash our way to the side, leap over the concrete wall, and land on the lawn below. I can hear muffled screams as everyone else runs down the stairs. I look up and see several flashlights flickering on the highest landing as they search back and forth.
“Head for the truck!” Eli shouts, giving me a little push in the right direction. “Grab your clothes and just jump in!” I reach the door just as I see a small white car with yellow flashing lights turn into the driveway that leads to the complex.
“They’re coming!” I yell. I scramble for my clothes, dropping my skirt three time
s before I finally get it all and climb into the cab and slam the door behind me. Eli starts the truck and peels out of the parking spot with his headlights still off.
“See if everyone got to their cars,” he says, racing to the other end of the lot.
“I see Adam’s car moving,” I say. “And the lights just went on in the van.”
“Did Rebecca get back?” he asks. “Is she with Danny?”
I don’t like the urgency in his voice. Rebecca is Danny’s problem now. I see Danny’s El Dorado still parked in the lot. “I don’t think they made it.”
Eli turns and waits at the end of the lot near the exit, peering through the windshield. “Shit. We have to go back.” He starts to race back in that direction, when we see the lights in the car flick on.
“They’re in! Go! Go!” I say, watching the flashing lights of the security car get closer.
Eli throws the stick into first gear and guns it out of the parking lot, followed closely by Melissa and Amy in the van. My heart is pounding as we race down the industrial road toward the freeway.
“Are the security guys following us?” Eli asks, his eyes glancing in the rearview mirror.
I look back, but see only the two cars and the white van. “I don’t think so.”
Eli breaks into a grin, and the car slows a little. “They don’t usually chase us once we’re out of the office park.” He pulls over to the side of the road, and Melissa’s van passes us, honking as Amy waves from the passenger seat. “Let’s just throw our clothes on here.”
“Does that happen a lot?” I ask as I sit back in the seat and try to calm down.
“Pretty much every time,” he answers, his breath still coming fast from the excitement. “But worth it, right?”
I fish around for my shirt, realizing that I’m not self-conscious at all, even though I’m sitting in a cute guy’s truck in nothing but my wet underwear and bra. Say what you want about Alicia—she knows how to have a good time.
“Totally,” I answer. I look back at the parking lot in the distance and see one lone blue car off to the side, almost hidden in the shadows of the streetlamps. Someone didn’t make it out. “Whose car is that?”
Eli glances back. “I don’t know. I saw it too. Must be someone who works there. Nobody in the band has a Honda.”
A thread of uneasiness winds around my body at his words. I don’t say anything, but I don’t think it belongs to anyone who works there. The parking lot was empty when we pulled in, I’m sure of it.
There’s a bright yellow sports car parked next to Ava’s Mercedes in our driveway when I get home. It’s an old car, but totally restored, down to the shiny chrome tailpipe and the Playboy Bunny ornament hanging from the rearview mirror. Charming. I expect to see Ava and whoever owns the car in the family room, but the house is quiet and Ava’s door is closed when I walk down the back hallway. My hair is still wet, and I’m carrying Alicia’s boots as I pass the big mirror in the hallway. Most of my eye makeup is gone, and my lips have only a hint of color on them. Still more than Lexi would have on a good day, I think as I stop and look more closely.
“So apparently Alicia is a little sluttier than we thought,” Ava says from the doorway of her room, scaring me half to death.
“Jesus!” I whisper. “And she’s not slutty. I didn’t sleep with him.”
Ava wanders down the hall to take a better look, peering into my face. “Hmm. Your lips look puffy and it’s way past curfew.”
I can’t help the grin on my face, remembering how we must have looked running for the truck in our underwear. “Alicia’s not slutty, but she’s not Amish.”
Ava takes one hand and pulls at a strand of my wet hair. “Skinny-dipping?”
“God! No!” I smile. “But close.”
Ava grins too, her eyebrows raised in expectation. “And he kissed you?”
“Yeah. But I didn’t break any of the rules.” I hesitate, not knowing why I’m letting her get to me so much. “Why didn’t you tell me about Rebecca?”
“What’s to tell?” Ava says dismissively. “She’s a crazy ex-girlfriend. She got in my face one night at a club. Luckily, some of her friends pulled her away, or I would have had to deal with her myself.”
Somehow I doubt that—Ava wouldn’t risk messing up her clothes just to take care of Rebecca. “Well, thanks for the heads-up—she’s still hanging around.”
“What do you care? He’s just a band boy.” Ava yawns and shakes her head. “Crap, girl. I’d know that look anywhere. You like him.”
“He’s … nice,” I say, not wanting to give too much away.
“He is,” she says. “For a pickup-driving lead guitarist.” She leans toward me and whispers, “He’s perfect for Alicia. Not Lexi.”
I hate the way she says that, but I can’t deny that it’s true. “Right, like I’m going to tell him the truth anyway. ‘Hey, Eli? You know the first few times you went out with Alicia? Well, that was really Ava. The last few times, it was really me. And Alicia doesn’t really exist.’ Yeah, that’s a conversation I want to have.” Besides, Eli likes Alicia. Guys like him don’t go out with Lexi. “Speaking of cars—who owns the stonermobile out front?”
“Shhh!” Ava glances nervously at her door. I hear the toilet in her bathroom flush, and a few seconds later, a tall guy with sandy-blond hair appears behind her, wearing nothing but boxers. “Why are we up?” he asks, nuzzling the back of her neck until she giggles.
“Lexi,” she says, with an unnatural emphasis on my name. “This is Dylan.”
“Hey.” Dylan glances at me quickly and then doubles back with a leer. I’d have to be an idiot not to know what he’s thinking. Twin fantasies are so old, they’re cliché.
I stare at the two of them. “And you’re on me for breaking the rules?”
Ava leans into Dylan, who puts both arms around her waist. “Some rules were meant to be broken.”
“Come on, Alicia.… Let’s go break a few more,” he says, trying to pull my sister back into her room.
Ava slaps his hands away playfully. “I’ll be there in a second,” she says, pushing him back toward the open door.
“And who was accusing who of being slutty?” I ask the second he’s gone. “Rule number two—don’t sleep with any of the guys? Sound familiar?”
Ava pulls the door shut behind her. “Oh, come on,” she says, glancing backward. “Did you see him? Like I’m going to let that go home alone.”
I just shake my head. Not like I expect anything else, never mind the fact that she knew Alicia was already out with Eli. “Cecilia’s coming home tomorrow, so make sure everything looks decent.” I glance toward her room. “And that certain people aren’t still hanging around?”
“I will, I will,” she promises, opening the door and slipping quietly into her bedroom.
Not twenty-four hours later, I’m wearing a shiny blue top, the diamond pendant, and a ton of eyeliner as we walk up to a stucco apartment complex that has a massive kegger going on in the courtyard. I check my phone for the address Eli gave me. “This is it.”
“No kidding,” Ava says, shouting over the music booming from the front gates.
I feel a text coming in. “Eli’s coming down to meet us,” I say as I read it. Despite the crowds of people in every available open space, I spot him right away on the second-floor walkway, and my heart jumps. Eli smiles and waves as our eyes meet, and he pushes through the crowd toward the stairs. “There he is,” I say, pointing.
“Damn, Lex,” Maya says, nudging me. “Now I see what all the fuss is about.”
I whirl on her. This is why we don’t let other people in on it. “It’s Alicia,” I say, my heart racing. I look around, but it doesn’t seem like anyone heard.
“Ease up,” Ava says. “People might think you actually like him.”
“Shut up, Ava,” I say, my frustration rising to the surface. I knew this was a bad idea. I can’t have one little comment wreck this whole thing. Not now. “I swear to God, if you blow
this for me—”
“Don’t worry,” Maya interrupts. She puts a hand over her heart. “I promise I won’t. I’ll totally be careful.”
“I’m so glad you’re here! You look amazing,” Eli says, and reaches for my hand. I glance around at the people near us, seeing a few nods from guys who must know him.
I know I’m grinning like a maniac, but I can’t help it. “Thanks. This is Maya,” I say, giving her one last piercing look.
“Hey,” she says, giving him a little wave. “Alicia’s told us all about you. And the band.” The emphasis on the word “Alicia” isn’t lost on me, and I glare at her. Real subtle.
Eli doesn’t seem to notice. “All?” he says, with mock horror on his face.
I give his hand a squeeze. “Not all.”
“And you’re Ava,” he says, leaning over to give her a hug. She blushes just the smallest bit and surprisingly doesn’t say anything. Eli looks back at me. “No Lexi tonight?”
Ava gives a short, sharp laugh. “Right. Like Lexi would ever be caught dead at a party like this.”
It’s true, but I’m a little hurt, so I give her a look.
Eli grins and puts one arm around my shoulder as we turn to walk into the complex. “I don’t know, she seemed nice. A little serious maybe, but nice. I think you guys are too hard on her.”
I shake my head and roll my eyes. “No, really. We’re not.” The courtyard is taken up by a large pool with strips of grass and lawn furniture around the edges. It feels like almost every apartment door is open, with music spilling out into the eerie glow created by the lights of the pool reflecting on the hundreds of people who are wandering around. Nobody is in the pool yet, but I have a feeling that it’s only a matter of time.
“Most everyone is upstairs,” he says, grabbing my hand and leading the way through the crowd. “We’re not playing for another half hour, so we’ve got time.” Eli guides us into the apartment, and I say hi to Melissa and Linzey. I look around, but Rebecca is surprisingly absent.
“Holy mother of God,” Linzey says, her eyes wide, looking from me to Ava. “I know you said you look kind of alike, but … there are two of you.”
