Silent Wolf

Drinks on the Beach

I sat there in tears as I listened to my friend tell me that her mother is dying.

Joan Van Buren, a woman I had known since I was a kid, she was friendly and warm, always smiling and to hear she was sick broke my heart.

"I didn't want to come." Mariah admitted. "But I didn't exactly have a choice, I wanted to stay, my life's back home ya know...and then of course I had met Patrick and maybe it was that pull thingy but everything was screaming at me to stay in town, but not being eighteen yet, child services was threatening to put me in foster care if I didn't find a suitable place to go..."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"So I came to my brothers, he knew mom was sick but didn't know it was bad, he took me in." She said. "Of course he had to move because his old place was one bedroom so I took a job to help him out as much as I could...and I'm trying to get my high school diploma online too because I refuse to go to school out here, and as soon as I can I'm going home."

"You should have told us Ry...we would have been there for you."

"I didn't want to feel like a charity case." She whispered ashamed now.

"Hey fuck you, you're not a charity case...I love you and my parents love you and we would have been there for you emotionally too." I said feel hurt that she didn't tell me. "Have you talked to your mom?" I asked

"I call her every chance I get, of course she's usually exhausted from her treatments and different medicines so her nurse keeps me updated."

I nodded.

"Well the sun's fixing to set, how about we get into some swimsuits and head over to the beach?"

"I kinda wanted to see the beach during the day." I admitted.

"We have all week to do that, it's Friday and the sun is setting...the beach parties are fixing to start."

"Beach parties?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes, bar hopping and bonfires, everyone's invited."

"We aren't exactly 21." I pointed out.

"And some bars don't exactly care...if you know which ones to go to." She winked.

"Why do I get the feeling you've become more wild since moving out here."

She looked up at me and I could see a distinct sadness written on her face, "drinking helps me forget about the heartache."

I couldn't tell if she was referring to her mother or Patrick and I wouldn't dare ask her either. So I did as she suggested and put on one of the bikinis I brought with me and then put on a skirt and a loose top to cover it.

After we got ready to go out we got into her brothers car and drove to a strip of bars in another city.

We parked and she made a 'B' line to one bar in particular. "Hey Randy." She said cheerfully as she walked up to a bulky man standing outside of the door, "this is my friend Elise, Ellie this is my cousins boyfriend Randy."

"Pleasure to meet you." I said.

The man looked terrifying but he was actually really nice, after a brief conversation he let us in and Mariah went straight up to the bar, a pretty blonde was bartending, "Cadence!" Mariah shouted and the girl turned around she came over and smiled at us. Mariah filled me in that Cadence was her cousin (Randy the bouncer's girlfriend) on her father's side.

"Back again little cousin?" She asked, her smile didn't hide the small trace of worry in her voice.

"Just trying to show my friend how fun California can be." She lied.