Mom's New Boyfriend...Can He Be Mine Too?

Chapter Two: Vegas, Baby!

Daniella dragged me into the car. "Hold on, Dani. I need to call my mom first." I flipped open my phone and dialed Mom's number. "Hey Mom, I'm going to go to the graduation party with Daniella and the others. I might be home pretty late so don't lock the door, okay?" Before I heard Mom's response, I hung up on her. I was pretty sure she'd let me go anyways.

As soon as I hung up, everyone on the limo started to burst out laughing, a loud, hollow cackle that echoed throughout the long vehicle.

"What's so funny?" I asked with my eyebrows srunched.

"You have no idea," Daniella replied, still laughing.

Daniella's you-wouldn't-get-it tone was starting to get on my nerves. Without a warning, I blew up with anger.

"What? You guys think it's funny that I still call my Mom? Go to hell."

I'd had enough. Gritting my teeth, I scooted over the the edge of the seat and closed my eyes. 

"You're misunderstanding, Rox." Daniella said drawing her face closer.

"Go away." I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Once I woke up, we were already there. I slipped my right foot into my stiletto heels, not recalling when I took them off.The thin black straps went across my ankles, the silver buckles tightened with a pinch.I dabbed a final drop of perfume into the crease where my shiny wavy hair skimmed my neck. And then, before snapping my bag close, I checked myself in the rearview mirror.

Now I was ready.

From a distance, I could already hear the music blasting at full volume. The red and green lights going on and off. Tonight we're going hard hard ha-ha-ha-hard. Just like the world is ours ours ou-ou-ou-ours. We are all who we are. A song by Ke$ha was playing, one that I didin't recognize. Sweat began to bead on my upper lip. I could almost feel it cracking the surface of my applied makeup and powder.

I pounded on the door. The slit opened up a crack. As soon as the door opened, a dark eye blinked at me.  The eye's slit closed and the door opened. "Welcome to the Bethanos."

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It was as if I had walked right into the rebel side of heaven. I'd never felt so out of place before. A dense cloud of smoke hung near the ceiling. I turned my head from left to right. There were couples after couples locking their mouth with each other. People fully drunk and some half sober. "What kind of a place is this?" I muttered. Then I remembered why a spot like the Bethanos existed, it's so that people could drink. Illegally. I tried to locate Daniella, but she was probably busy flirting with the boys.

A male waiter in a tuxedo passed by me, holding a tray of mismatched cups. As I caught the cups of clear liquid, I noticed I was getting thirsty. "Do you happen to have lemonade or some non-alchol drink, by any chance?" I shouted over the loud music.

He handed me a cup, no bigger than my thumb. "Is this water?" I shouted again, staring down at the liquid. All he did was smile back at me. "I guess it's water then." I grumbled. I drank down the clear liquid in a single gulp. It wasn't until after I swallowed it, that a sharp and burning sensation flooded my throat. I winced as tears started to leak from my eyes. Now that I'd had my first drink, it tasted like a bottle of nail polish remover. I couldn't understand why people enjoy this drink.

Until after 3 minutes later, when it hit me. Hard.

Everything began to spin, faster and faster. I stood paralyzed at the edge of the dance floor, not knowing quite what to do with myself. I swayed to the music, trying to go with the flow. "Woo! Let's get this party started!" I yelled.

"You spilled my drink!" one girl shrieked, holding her cup out to prove it. I widended my eyes and tried to apologize. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean -" Just as I cut myself off, I spotted Dani, showing off her moves on the dance floor and flirting, all pouty lips and cocktails. I wasn't in for flirting today, so I quickly moved over to the bar and sat down on a stool, trying to escape the girl. "What would you like?" A voice startled me. "Um, a Martini?" Martini? I wasn't even sure if that was an actual drink. "One Martini coming right up." I let out a sigh of relief. It is an actual drink. The bartender slid the cup to me. I took a huge gulp of my martini, wincing as the strong and salty liquid slithered down my throat, burning it. As I picked up my drink for the second time, I caught a man from beside me staring. "Want a sip?" I offered. "Nope, no thanks." He was a cute brunette, holding a cup of drink in his hands himself.

"First time here?" He interrogated.

Dang it. "Does it show?" I smiled shyly back at him.

"Ehh...just a bit." He took a sip of his drink and so did I. My throat burned and I started to cough uncontrollably.

"Woah, easy does it there." he said, gently patting my back.

I smiled back weakly. "I'm going to go get some fresh air." I stood up slowly. "Wanna join me?"

"Why not?" he replied dropping his drink on the table with the 3 dollar tip for the bartender. I was actually starting to enjoy this, so why stop now? Although I was starting to enjoy it, I was also starting to get afraid. I wish I could find Tony and he could cradle me in his arms.

Wait. What was wrong with me? This should be one of the best nights of her life. So why waste it?

"You think I'm a good girl?" I asked him, fearless.

"You seem like one." He said stuffing his hands in his pocket.

The road laid in front of us, was illuminated by the street lamps, neatly lined up in 2 rows.

"What if." I paused and looked at him from the corner of my eyes. "What if I'm not such a...nice girl." I said emphasizing the nice.

He laughed. "Don't try to fool me."

My head started to spin, and it hurt. "I'm ready to go home." I muttered, pulling the blond in the direction where the limo was parked. "Take me home, Tone." I said while leaning in towards the stranger for a hug.

Daniella was coming in my direction. "Rox, where the heck have you been? I've been searching all over for you!"

"Daniella?" I tried to open my eyes but everything was in a blur.

"What happened to you?" she asked. "You seem...drunk." She sniffed me. "Ack. I smell a Martini over there."

I giggled. "I think I am. Just a little teeny bit." Tightening my grip around his waist, I just really wanted Tony to take me home. "Tone, take me home. Please." I begged. Daniella couldn't bare to watch for another second. "You!" she said, pointing at the blond. "Take her to the car. We're going back home." She grunted. "Roxanne Marigold Pennington, wait till you're Mom see's how wasted you are."

He scooped me up in his arms. I could tell that something had begun to shift inside me, something unstoppable. Right there in the middle of the streets, I kissed him. I kissed a stranger.