echoes of the magnolia

prologue

Brooklyn groans as I watch clothes hit the floor one by one in the mirror. She has always been dramatic, her flair for the theatrical making every little frustration seem like the end of the world. A quick, sharp gasp comes from the closet, "Brooklyn, you okay?"I ask, dropping my makeup brush and turning towards the closet.

"And you said you had nothing to wear. This is it!" She emerges from the closet with a body-fitting light pink dress and waves a floral pink dress around. The cream comforter lifts off the corner as Brooklyn falls onto my bed. "Finally!" She sighed, letting the dress slip out of her grip, and her legs dangled off the bed. I hum a chuckle as she brushes her loose, dark curls out of her face. I turn to the vanity to focus on my eyeliner while she heads to the bathroom to let go of the rollers.

Time passes with music in the background. We chime in here and there, avoiding notes we couldn't hit. "You ready?" I shout towards Brooklyn in the kitchen. I stare in the mirror again, lightly spraying myself with perfume.

"Yeah! The driver is outside!" she shouts back with the sound of a glass hitting the counter.

Our heels hit against the hardwood floor; I close everything behind us, leaving a small light on. I walk to a Nissan sports car, "The driver is Fin?" I squint, looking for his outline in the driver's seat. The red car door opens, answering my question: "Yes, it's me. Brooklyn asked me yesterday." Fin, ever the gentleman with his tousled blond hair and easygoing smile, opens the door for us first. Brooklyn kisses him before he pushes the seat back in place. I fiddle with my dress ruffles in the back while they talk amongst themselves in the front. Any sign of college life slowly fades as we head closer to the city.

The faint sounds of the club music get louder as Fin parks. "Emeri, we are here," he looks back at me, heading to open the door again for us. "Let's stay together, yeah?" He glares at Brooklyn in a loving, caring way.

She waves him off, handing me a bottle full of tequila, "Cmon!" I take a swig, flinching at the burning in the back of my throat; I hand it back to her before Fin takes it away from her. Feeling like the unwilling third wheel, I hold Brookyn's hand as we walk to the club, with Fin a step behind us, his hand pressed on Brooklyn's back.

"Tickets?" one of the club girls asks us; I tilt my head towards Brooklyn.

"Tickets?" I whisper.

"Here you go." Fin hands her his phone.

The club lights are harsh and bright as I slide my sunglasses on. Time seemed to pass by quickly and blur as the night went on. I watch bodies mold together on the dance floor, and hands roam to unknown places. "I am going to get a drink!" I shout to Brooklyn, giving her and Fin space to do whatever couples did in the club.

"Hey! Are you okay?" A man places his hand on my shoulder, leaning into my ear.

"Yes, just waiting for water." I smile at him, unable to see his face. "Are you here with anybody?" I shout.

"Friends, I think they are still here." He looks around before locking his eyes on me. "How about you?"

His warm cologne surrounds me, making everything fade away. "Friends that are a couple." I reach for the bottle of water. He says something. I furrow my brows, unable to hear him. "Huh?" I shout, playfully tapping his arm.

"That sucks!" He shouts back, his grin widening. I nod and shrug, feeling the intensity of his gaze. "Want to ditch them and have some real fun?" His lips brush against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

"I'm tempted," I say, lightly brushing his arm, "but I can't abandon my friends. Rain check?" I smile before walking back to Brooklyn.

"Rain check," he echoes, his eyes twinkling, "I'll hold you to that."

"Be cool," I mutter to myself as I walk away. I feel his eyes on me, and my heart races in time with the music.