Spring Break (ONC 2023)

2: Hat Tricks

"You're late!" Cece laughed as she dragged me through the door and out of the rain. "Everyone else is already here."

Typical, I thought. My mom used to joke that the only thing I'd been early for was being born.

"Come on—I can't wait for you to meet everyone!"

Cece started to drag me across the artfully paved flagstone floor of the foyer and I resisted instinctively. I needed a minute to adjust to a new place, much less a whole bunch of new people.

"Wait, right now? That was a long drive, C. I need to... you know."

I pointed downward and grimaced.

"Fine!" She huffed and rolled her eyes. "You can pee first. Bathroom's this way!"

She led me from the ostentatiously high-ceilinged entrance  into an even larger space. The ground level had an open floor-plan with exposed beams of dark wood, granite countertops, brushed steel appliances, a long dining table that seated twelve, lots of windows, and a sprawling lounge area. Muffled music thumped rhythmically from somewhere deeper within.

"Jesus," I whispered. "Who lives here?"

"Rich white people," Cece answered cheekily, grinning at me over her shoulder. "My parents' friends."

Both of Cece's parents were doctors, so I supposed that tracked.

"Wait... they know we're here, right?"

Cece laughed. "Of course they know we're here! This is, like, their 'getaway' home, or whatever. They rent it out most of the time, like an ultra-luxury Airbnb."

"Christ. Where do they usually live?"

"You'd be surprised. They threw all their money at this place, but they've made it back in rent. Lucky for me, they like me and gave me the week for free!"

I rolled my eyes. As unbelievable as that would be for anyone else, it was believable for Cece. She was the sort of person people just fell in love with. She had all the luck that way.

"This is it." She stopped in front of a wood-paneled door. "I'll wait out here."

"Cece..." I gave her a look.

"Ray-ray." She looked back at me with big, dark eyes. "I know you. And if you don't know I'm out here waiting for you, you'll be in there all night. Just like prom."

I scowled to hide whatever else my expression might betray. "Thanks for the reminder."

To my surprise, Cece's perpetually playful expression faltered and she grabbed my arm as I turned away.

"I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. It's just..." She huffed. "There's nothing wrong with you, Raven. I wish you'd see that. You're fine the way you are, and everyone will love you. I wouldn't have invited you otherwise."

I bit my lip. Cece rarely dropped the giggly girlfriend act, and I figured I wouldn't get another chance to ask the question that had been plaguing me since the moment she'd first proposed this hair-brained idea.

"Why did you invite me, C?"

She blinked. "Why wouldn't I? You're my best friend."

"You have tons of friends," I countered.

"Not single friends."

Oh. There it was.

"So, I'm filler, then." As I'd suspected.

Her dark eyes went wide. "What? No! Ray, you gave me this idea! This is for you."

"What?"

"All that stuff you told me about being asexual and aromantic. Everyone here is single for some reason, right? And we're always talking about how hard it is to meet and get to know people these days—how we're all, like, connected but disconnected at the same time. So I thought, what if we got everyone in one place, no distractions, pair off, play some dating games, and see what happens? It'll make great content!"