winds of change ~ wolverine

seventeen

A scream greeted us outside the club. I tensed, searching for the source with my claws ready to pop when a moment later, Andy burst from the crowd running straight for Bailey with the crazed smile of a woman who'd generously pregamed. "Lee! You look like a goddess!"

She engulfed the smaller woman in a hug and Bailey laughed, hugging her back with equal vigor. "Bitch, have you even bothered looking in the mirror tonight?" She replied animatedly. 

Andy stepped back and regarded her best friend with no small amount of appreciation. "You are so lucky I'm not gay or you wouldn't be getting a moment's rest tonight." Andy chirped, taking Bailey's hand and raising it over her head to twirl her in a slow circle. She whistled at the view and I started doubting her 'not gay' statement a little.

Bailey giggled, hugging Andy again when she'd completed her mandatory twirl. "Ugh! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, I've missed you!" She pulled away and took my arm, bringing me into the fray excitedly. "And look who I brought!" I couldn't put away the smile at both of their enthusiasm, letting myself be dragged forward.

"Andy." I greeted with a friendly nod.

Andy put her hands up in mock surrender. "Woah, there Logan! leave some ladies for the rest of us, will you?" She turned to Bailey. "Could he possibly be any taller?" She looked between us, her cheeks flushed from the drinks. "Seriously man, you've got muscles I didn't even know existed in the human body-"

"Alright, Andy, don't blow your load this early we've still got a whole night ahead of us." Bailey laughed, looping an arm in Andy's and dragging her back to the group she'd emerged from in the quickly moving line. She put a soft hand on my shoulder and led me with them, smiling reassuringly and taking my hand in hers when we hit the crowd so we wouldn't get separated.

The two women, although much smaller in stature, were certified experts at weaving through the crowd. Andy pushed through and Bailey apologized after her with a sweet smile that worked every time without fail. They were an effective duo, I had to admit, and it was thoroughly entertaining watching them work.

Reaching the group, Bailey was almost immediately bombarded with hugs. When the amorous welcome was over, she quickly introduced everyone with her hand on my arm, not that I was complaining at all. "Everyone, this is Logan. Logan that's Jen," She pointed to a slim woman with two spiky blond space buns who looked younger than the rest. "Craig," He took a confident step forward and shook my hand with a grip that was definitely tighter than necessary. I smiled with amusement but didn't comment on it. "and Laura." Bailey said her name with an almost unnoticeably less enthusiastic tone, her arm dropping and her touch along with it. 

Laura smiled at me widely, not very subtly looking me up and down. I nodded to them all and saw Andy looking meaningfully at Bailey with a hand on her shoulder. She turned her face to quietly speak to her and my keen ears caught the words. "Sorry babe, I didn't know she was going to be here. Craig told me she was busy."

Bailey shook her head quickly. "No it's fine, really. Don't worry about me, Andy, just focus on having fun." She lightly pinched Andy's cheek and reassuringly nodded as we reached the front of the line, paying her entrance and holding her hand out to get stamped. As soon as it was, she disappeared into the dark club where the loud music quickly drowned out the beat of her unsound heart.

I followed in a minute later and put my head on a swivel until I finally spotted her at the bar. When I reached her, the bartender was putting a shot down in front of her. She thanked him with a smile. The lights in the room made her teeth shine with a captivating glow. 

"What was that back there?" I eventually broached. 

She opened her mouth to reply, then thought better of it and threw back the shot first, wearing a grimace as the taste burned her tongue. "Oh Laura?" She began, shaking out her head to get through the disgusting tequila. Her long curls settled around her face. "Who knew you were such a gossip, huh?"