Chapter 2: Lucy
After being introduced to Lauren, Joey, Joes Moses and Walker, Brians Rosenthal and Holden, Britney, Tyler, the Lang brothers, Meredith, AJ, Devin, Julia, Jaime, Lily, Dylan, and Jim, we saw Mildred Pierce as one big group. It was a great movie, but even better that I was there with my inspiration.
“Hey, Lucy,” Darren said to me after the movie (in which he had sat next to me). “Everyone and I were wondering…Do you and Jess want to come hang out with us tonight? We’re going to that restaurant-slash-bar a few blocks away. Like, it’s not a big deal if you already had plans or didn’t want to come or whatever,” he added, slightly nervously, seeing what must have been a somewhat shocked look on my face.
“No,” I said, cutting him off. “No, we would love to come.”
“Really?” he asked. Darren smiled really wide. “Well then let’s go have some fun!”
As he turned, I saw Meredith Stepien and Brian Holden exchange a significant look.
The restaurant, Gilligan’s, was just one huge room, with a bar, a dance floor, and tables for anyone who wanted to sit and eat. The whole restaurant had a nautical theme to it, with a blue and white pinstriped accent wall and lighting fixtures that had looked like a ship’s wheel. There was only one thing wrong with the restaurant: my high-school enemy, Alyssa Summers, was sitting there with her fiancé. (After months of ignoring her Facebook friend requests, I had finally succumbed and accepted so Lilly and I could make fun at her lousy attempts at being a social butterfly with the entire world. We had found out she was engaged to Jonathan Smith, who refused to be called anything but Jonathan because he was “that important”.)
I could feel my cheeks going red as she saw us walk in. Her perfect red hair was straight and sleek down her back, her green eyes narrowing in displeasure at the sight of Lilly and me. She put down her glass of white wine and stood up, instantly putting on a fake front for the Starkids.
“Jess! Lucy!” She walked over to us in her four-inch stilettos and hugged us both, neither of us returning her insanely false smile. “So lovely to see you!” she gushed, her eyes flitting around at our company, all who were looking quizzically at Jess and me.
“You guys, this is Alyssa Summers,” Jess said through gritted teeth. “Our—friend—from high school.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alyssa said, beaming at them, even though the look in her eyes made it quite plain how little she thought of us. She stuck her hand out in front of Darren, who, with a quick glance at me and my positively fuming expression, shook it tentatively. She didn’t offer a greeting to anyone else
“Well, Jonathan and I have to get back home,” she said, making the huge ring on her finger quite plain for everyone to see. “I hope to see you soon!” Alyssa smiled widely, looking rather much like a wild cat looking at its next meal. With that, she flounced back to Jonathan, slapped some cash onto the table, and strutted out.
“What a bitch,” Lauren said, laughing beside her attempts not to.
“You said it,” I said. “She’s been a total bitch ever since our sophomore year of high school.”
“Well, who cares about her?” Joey said. “Let’s PARTY!”
I was so thankful there was no one else in the restaurant: we went nuts. After Brian Rosenthal bought everyone drinks, the Starkids, Jess and I hit the dance floor. I spent a large chunk of the night with Darren, dancing and talking and laughing about how ridiculous Joe Walker looked doing the robot. I barely saw Jess the whole night, as she spent most of the time dancing with Joey. They looked so cute together.
