The Clique

by Valerie Thomas

  Maddie sidles up. “You two look like you’re having fun.”

  “Yeah, we are.” Aude notices Maddie’s empty hands. “Aren’t you gonna have something to drink?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Patriots, remember?” Over the summer Maddie developed a fascination with the George Washington dance team, and she’s trying to stay in top shape for the notoriously rigorous tryouts.

  Aude sighs. “I can’t wait till you make the squad. Then you can be fun again.”

  “I don’t have to drink to be fun. You don’t, either.”

  “Eh, I ain’t gonna argue. You wanna play beer pong next, Hannah?” The current game looks to be going south quickly for Sean, who’s already downed four of his six cups.

  “Let’s do it!” Hannah squints at something behind Audrey.

  “What?” Aude asks.

  “That’s so creepy. Dom’s just sitting against the wall, watching you.”

  “Who, me?”

  Hannah nods.

  “Well, since you’re not gonna drink—“ Aude smiles at Maddie “—you wanna distract him?”

  “Ugh, no.”

  Aude pouts. “Come on, I don’t like the idea of him staring at me. You don’t even have to talk to him. He can hardly talk to girls anyway.”

  “How do you know?” Maddie grimaces.

  “’Cause I distracted him last semester. Like literally, he couldn’t get a word out.” Aude giggles. “It was like having a lost puppy follow me around all night. He’s cute, in a really creepy way.”

  “I said I wouldn’t do it. I don’t wanna be his—his babysitter.”

  “Aww. Please? I’ll write your campaign speech for student council.” Maddie runs for class president every year, but Amanda always beats her out.

  “Fine. But it had better be good.”

  “Oh, it will be. We have next!” Hannah and Audrey step up to the pool table, where Sean is downing the second-to-last drink.

  “Won’t be long.” Devon smirks. Sean misses a shot, and Devon expertly lands a ball in his last cup.

  “Whoa, you okay?” Kate puts a hand on Sean’s back to stop his swaying.

  “Yeah. I’m good. I think I lost.”

  Kate laughs. “Yep, I think you did too. Here, let’s go get some fresh air.” She helps Sean find the French doors, and slides one open. They disappear into Hannah’s backyard.

  “Here, let’s go fill these.” Aude fills her arms with empty plastic cups, and fills them up with the keg. When each one’s about halfway full, she sets it down on the pool table for Hannah to move into position.

  “So you guys are gonna play?” Gabe swaggers up.

  “Uh huh.” Aude smiles at him. “Wanna be my pitch thrower?”

  “It’s pinch, babe. Pinch hitter.”

  “Whatever. Pinch hitter, then.” She fills up the final cup and hands it off to Hannah.

  “Actually, I was thinking we could go upstairs, to Hannah’s room.” He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

  “Later. I wanna party for a while.”

  “Oh, fine. Can I watch you play?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Aude takes her position opposite Hannah. Gabe squeezes through, bumping his elbow on the wall behind them.

  “You are so going down.” Hannah takes aim for her first shot.

  “Psh, no I’m not. I’m beer pong queen.” Hannah misses her first shot—Aude’s doesn’t even land on the table. They both double over with laughter. “I drunks I’m a little think,” Aude jokes.

  “Huh?”

  “I think I’m a little drunk. Now take your shot.” Aude keeps up a steady stream of shit talking, until she finally loses, drinking six cups to Hannah’s two. She spins from the table, nearly losing her balance.

  Gabe frowns at her. “You alright, babe?”

  “Oh yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go hot-tubbing!”

  Hannah groans. “No. No. Last time someone threw up in it, and I had to clean it all up.”

  “Aww, Hannah,” Aude bats her eyelashes at her friend. “That won’t happen this time. Besides, what would a party at your house be without a dip in the hot tub?”

  Hannah sighs. “Fine. But if anyone pukes in it, you have to clean it up.”

  “Deal.” Aude throws off her red dress. “You coming, Gabe?”

  “Of course.” He follows her out to the hot tub on Hannah’s back porch. Aude leans down, cranks the heat up to ninety-eight, pulls the cover off, and climbs in.

  “Aren’t you gonna wait till it’s hot?” Gabe asks.

  Aude shivers. The water’s almost as freezing as the time she went swimming in North Dakota. “I’m already in. I’ll just—sit down.” Her teeth chatter audibly as she immerses herself in the cold water. “Wow, I feel like that actually sobered me up a little!”

  Gabe raises his eyebrows. “Yeah, I guess it’ll do that. You sure you don’t wanna get out and wait for it to get warm? I could find you a towel.”

  “N-no, I’m good.” Aude hugs her arms in tight, trying to control her shivering.

  “Okay, then I guess I’ll, uh, join you.” Gabe removes his white shirt, revealing a set of toned abs, and ascends the hot tub steps.

  Hannah pokes her head out the back door. “What are you guys doing? Don’t you know you have to wait for it to get hot first?”

  Gabe slips an arm around Audrey, rubbing her shoulder. “Yeah, but we’re too cool to wait. You know Aude and I, we’re rebels.”

  Aude leans into Gabe’s arms. “I’m so cold.”

  “Yeah, this was probably a bad idea.” He laughs. “Oh well, it’s heating up pretty fast.”

  Once the hot tub heats up, it quickly fills: Sean and Kate find seats beside Aude and Gabe, with Maddie on the other side. The only ones missing are Hannah and Devon, who occupy themselves by playing on Hannah’s old trampoline.

  “You guys look so cute,” Maddie says, her eyes on Audrey and Gabe. “I wish I had a boyfriend.”

  “Well why don’t you?” Sean asks. Kate swats him on the wrist. “Ow! Hey, I’m just saying, I know a lot of guys on the team would be happy to ask you out.”

  “Yeah, I know, but—I guess I’m just picky. It isn’t about having a boyfriend, it’s about finding someone you can be yourself around, hang out with.”

  Kate and Audrey share a smile. Aude can tell they’re both appreciating the irony of their chronically-single friend preaching about what to look for in a relationship.

  Maddie’s still going. “The right guy has to be sweet, interesting, willing to listen to what you have to say.”

  Maddie, Aude wants to say, we’re still in high school! You don’t have to look for the perfect guy yet. Just find someone you like. But that could hurt Gabe’s feelings, if she implied he wasn’t her perfect guy. So she keeps silent. Instead, she leans back against Gabe’s chest and loses track of time for a while.

  Devon interrupts the soak by slapping a hand on the hot tub corner. “Do you guys wanna play never have I ever? I think we still have enough in the keg.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Maddie’s the first to stand up. She shrugs when Kate gives her a critical look. “What? I was thinking you and I could play with apple juice or something. I’m not drinking.” She steps out of the hot tub.

  Kate leaves next, and Aude moves to let Gabe up. He maneuvers around her and shakes his short blonde hair out before heading inside.

  Aude wobbles on her feet for a second. She takes a step toward the edge. “Oops!” she trips on something she can’t see under the water and her elbow hits on the hot tub lip, producing a loud bong that sounds a lot worse than it is.

  “You okay?” Sean looks concerned.

  “Yeah, thanks.” Aude giggles. “Maybe I’m still a little buzzed.”

  Sean glances around before helping Audrey to her feet. “I love you,” he whispers.

  Aude pauses a moment, considering his expression in the dark. It’s hard to tell whether he’s serious or joking. She decides he must mean the friendship kind of love. “Me too.” She hops
out of the tub.

  “Did you hear what I said?”

  “Uh, yeah.” Unfortunately.

  Chapter Four

  “You’re wearing so much mascara honey,” Aude’s mother frets. “Why don’t you go upstairs and fix it?”

  Aude’s mom’s idea of the right amount of mascara is none at all. She never wears makeup, except on the rarest of occasions, claiming it makes her look “like a harlot.” “Naw, Mom, I’m good.”

  “Well okay, honey. I just don’t want you to look ridiculous,” Audrey’s mom says.

  “Fine. I’ll go upstairs and clean some off.” Aude goes upstairs, but instead of taking off mascara, she double checks that her ugly blue skirt—one that extends all the way to her ankles—covers the bright red one she’s actually planning on wearing. She pops down on her queen-size mattress.

  The doorbell rings. “I’ll get it!” her father yells, loud enough that she can hear him even through the closed door. No, you don’t! She shoots down two flights of stairs, and reaches the door at the same time as her father.

  “Mr. Hughes. Audrey.” Gabe dips his head in a curt nod.

  “Gabriel.” Aude’s father doesn’t quite glare at Gabe, but his expression isn’t a happy one. “Back by eleven?”

  “Of course, Mr. Hughes.”

  “Alright, then. Have fun.”

  “Don’t worry,” Aude says. “We will!” She follows Gabe to his black Porsche Boxster. He turns it on and takes the first left.

  “So where are we going?” Aude shimmies out of her long skirt.

  “You’ll see.”

  “Come on, just tell me. You said it would be somewhere fancy.” She pulls her burgundy polo off, revealing a black shirt.

  “It is,” Gabe promises. “But I’m not gonna tell you before we get there. Just wait.”

  “Okay.” Aude looks out the window at the passing streetlights.

  Gabe pulls into the restaurant lot.

  “Wait, we’re going to Giovanni’s?” Audrey asks.

  “Yup.”

  “But that’s like, really expensive!”

  Gabe smiles. “Happy two year, Aude.”

  “You remembered!” Aude throws her arms around him. “But it isn’t for two weeks!”

  “Yeah, well, I couldn’t wait. Plus the Back to School dance is in two weeks, so I figured why not just celebrate now?”

  “Good point. Well, I’m glad I did my hair.” Audrey spent a little over an hour curling her hair, so that it twirls down in perfect spirals.

  “You look amazing, Aude. Well, do you wanna go in?”

  “Yep.” Gabe quicksteps to reach the door before Audrey; he holds it open for her. As Aude enters she notices that, except for maybe one other couple, the restaurant’s filled with older men and women, and businessmen in suits.

  “Can I help you?” A tall waitress asks. Gabe announces their reservation, and the waitress seats them in the very back.

  “This must be the cool kids table,” Gabe jokes.

  Aude laughs. “Then what are you doing here? I’m just kidding, I’m just kidding!” She screams as Gabe encircles her in a bear hug. He lets her go. An old man turns to scowl at her as she fights a giggle.

  “My mom thinks I’m cool.” Gabe sticks his tongue out at her.

  “Aww, I think you’re cool too.”

  “Good. So, do you know what you’re gonna order?”

  “Um, spaghetti?”

  “Half the menu’s spaghetti, babe. What kind of spaghetti?”

  “I dunno.” Audrey unfolds her menu. “The, uh, rigatoni sounds good.”

  “Mhm.” Gabe looks over her shoulder. “The Rigatoni D? You want the D?”

  Aude scoffs. “Don’t be so juvenile.” Then she laughs. “Okay, yes, I want the D. Why do you think they named it that?”

  “Probably so dirty-minded kids like us would have something to joke about. Or, maybe, the D stands for like delicious or something.”

  “That delicious D! Oh gosh, now I can’t stop thinking about it like that! I have to get something else.”

  The waitress pauses at a table across the way before approaching the pair. “Excuse me—“

  “We’re ready to order,” Gabe says.

  “Yes, well that’s um—“ the woman frowns “—I’m sorry, but you’re kind of disturbing the other guests.”

  Aude puts on her best apologetic face. “I’m sorry. We’ll be super quiet, I promise.”

  The waitress sighs. “Alright. Please respect our other patrons.” She walks away.

  “See?” Gabe laughs. “You’re gonna get us kicked out.”

  “No, I’m not. Besides, it isn’t my fault.” Aude sticks her tongue out. “You’re the one who’s making me laugh.”

  “I think it was the scream that did it.” Gabe glances around, frowning. “I guess we lost our waitress.”

  “Yeah, she probably wanted to give me a chance to tell you to behave yourself.”

  “Me? Behave myself? Never.” Gabe grins mischievously. “Who do you think complained about us?”

  Aude points to the elderly man the waitress talked to just before coming over. “Oh, it’s him for sure.”

  Gabe stands up and—before Aude can stop him—shouts, “Hey, what’s your problem with us? Can’t handle the delicious D?” He sits back down, laughing his head off.

  Aude tries to scold him, but she can’t keep a straight face. The waitress heads toward them, and she definitely can keep a straight face. “Sir, ma’am, I’m afraid you’re going to have to leave.”

  Gabe manages to look appropriately apologetic. “I’m so sorry. We won’t do it again.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s not an option. Would you please follow me out?”

  Aude follows her, feeling her cheeks flush as the waitress shoos them out like little children.

  When they get back to the car, Gabe is fuming. “How could they just kick us out like that? I had that reservation for months!”

  “I’m sorry,” Aude says, feeling like the whole thing was her fault.

  “No, babe, I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at them. We’re paying customers just like anyone else. And yeah, okay, we made some inappropriate jokes, and we were kinda loud. But that was why they seated us in the back, right?”

  “Uh, yeah.” Aude decides not to point out that he sort of harassed at another customer. “Oh well, let’s just go to McDonald’s.”

  Gabe smiles. “For our two year anniversary? You wanna go to McDonald’s, not even like Applebees or something like that?”

  “I’ve had enough of fine dining for the night. I just wanna get some dinner and then spend the rest of the night with you.”

  “Me too. Alright, McDonald’s it is.” Gabe opens the door for Aude, then gets behind the wheel and leaves Giovanni’s behind. They each have a burger off the dollar menu.

  Well, it isn’t fifteen-dollar pasta. Aude shrugs and washes the food down with a sip of Gabe’s Dr. Pepper. “What were we gonna do after Giovanni’s? If we hadn’t gotten kicked out, I mean?”

  Gabe shrugs. “I dunno. I was thinking we could cuddle in the back.” Aude knows from experience that by cuddle he really means make out.

  She sniggers.

  “What?” Gabe asks.

  “Well, I was just thinking about how I’m gonna tell my friends. ‘Last night we got kicked out of Giovanni’s because we wanted to taste their delicious d.’”

  Gabe releases a barking laugh. “Oh, not we. You were the one who wanted it.” He sighs. “I love you, Aude. I love how everyone at school thinks you’re like this straight-laced Mormon girl, but really you’re—“

  “Just as bad as everyone else?” she finishes for him.

  “No. Better than everyone else. Way better.”

  “Aww.” Aude leans in for a kiss: Gabe’s lips feel soft and warm, and even though his mouth tastes like mustard, it’s alright, because what matters is the here and now and the fact that they just got kicked out of one of the best restaurants in Denver and
they couldn’t care less.

  Chapter Five

  “Is your mom home?”

  “Nope.” Kate gestures for Sean to come in.

  “How about your dad? He’s still away on business, right?”

  “Yup. We have the house to ourselves.”

  “Cool.” Sean pulls his shoes off and sets them by the stairs. “I hope you don’t mind, I got the teensiest bit drunk before I came over.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I know you don’t like when I drink, so I figured I wouldn’t do it in front of you.”

  Kate scowls. “I don’t care where you do it, I don’t think you should drink.”

  “Why not, honeybuns?”

  “’Cause, your mom’s an alcoholic. And that stuff runs in families.”

  “I’m not an alcoholic.” Sean walks to the living room and falls down on the peach-colored couch. “I was just having fun. I still have the bottle in my car, if you want some.”

  Great, Kate thinks. How to ruin date night, a case study by Sean Adams. “No thanks. Let’s just watch a movie or something.”

  “Don’t you wanna get dinner first?”

  Kate assumes he means driving somewhere, and the idea doesn’t strike her as all that safe. She doesn’t know exactly how drunk Sean is. Could be a little, but if not… Better safe than sorry. “I already ate,” Kate lies. “But you can get something from the fridge if you’re hungry.”

  “Naw, I’m good. So, Netflix?”

  “Sure.” Kate sits on the couch next to Sean. They pick a dull romantic comedy, and ten minutes in Sean seems to decide he’s more interested in kissing Kate. He climbs on top of her and plants one bourbon-flavored kiss after another on her neck, leading up to her face.

  “Mmm, you taste so good,” he whispers.

  “Yeah, uh, I bought this new perfume. From Bath and Body Works.” Kate frowns. Sean isn’t usually the type to notice things like that.

  “Oh, wow, that’s great! You just smell so—and you feel so—“ Sean works a sweaty hand under her shirt.

  Kate pushes away. “What’s up with you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re acting so—weird. You haven’t asked me about my day, or my friends, or anything. What’s going on?”