Leaving All I've Ever Known (Camren)

12. 'Crying' In The Club

"Mila, I love you!" Ally proclaims as I notice her not so subtly balance on me with her free hand. "And I love you all, I miss you guys."

For what must be the 1000th time tonight, Ally clicks our individual drinks together, sloppily managing to reach the other girls sitting on the opposite side of our private booth. Though if I sound annoyed, I don't mean to. And I can tell that neither are the 2 girls in front of me, who hold shit-eating grins.

The deep and steady hum from the speakers keeps us well awake until the early hours of the morning. I'm not sure what drinks Normani's habitually handing me over every half hour, but they're keeping me warm and buzzed.

We had spent the first half of the night dancing, I even manage to teach Dinah a couple moves or so - the perks of having a choreographer! Then we bump into some industry people, who all seem to be just as excited as everyone else to see us together. If they have any questions for us, they don't ask. I guess, respecting the nature of the environment. L.A. Lounge is notoriously known for its motto, 'Whatever happens in L.A. stays in L.A.'

"You guys having fun? Anyone need a top-up?" This time, Dinah asks.

"I'm having the BEST time!" I exclaim, standing up. "This rounds on me."

"I can get them to come over?"

"No, it's a surprise!"

And with that, I gracefully make my way to the bar, still, quite uncharacteristically of me when I've had this much to drink already, feeling in control of my body.

The clubs pretty busy tonight, considering the blizzard. My eyes scan the few faces I manage to find between the dancing bodies. I'm mostly enjoying the people watching, but another teeny-tiny part of me hopes to find a more familiar face.

Lauren has been a no show. I thought that whatever she's doing might have been done by now, so she could at least enjoy some of tonight with us. We're all having such a good time.

"Hi."

I whip my head back around to the bar area to place my order, but notice I'm not being spoken to a bar man at all. Or bar woman, in this case.

A pretty brunette girl with pin straight hair and green eyes, who I'd guess to be around the same age as me, gives me a warm smile and a hand to shake. She could be Megan's body double, I think if I was any drunker I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I take her hand, giving it a brief shake.

"Don't you just hate it when people try to use pickup lines on you?"

"Ohh my God, you have no Idea." I roll my eyes and chuckle. "Some Canadian guy, who I could have sworn was gay, tried a horrible line on me whilst I was dancing earlier on. And then this English guy does the same thing before security kick him out for sneaking into mine and my friend private booth."

She smiles, adding. "That kinda sounds like the start of a 'three guys walk into a bar' joke'."

"It totally does!" I laugh this time. "I wonder who'll be the next guy."

I scan the room, not really looking for anyone's face in particular.

"Well, I'm hoping that the guy could be a girl. And that the girl could be me."