A Year Without Snow

-21-

Friday, 16th December 2016

Everything felt calm. Not happy, not alright, simply calm.

The waters had settled, I still felt unsettled, the emptiness was still there but for some reason, I felt rested, like I had wakened up from a long and unsettling dream. I still had a tingling sensation near my throat, that had persisted during the last months, but for some reason, it had softened.

The storehouse looked exactly like a club and it was pretty good. I still couldn't believe that we had managed to get everything done before Christmas break, let alone leave it looking acceptable. Of course, there was some arguing, especially where it concerned Scarlett, Carson, and Melanie.

But by the end of the day, we had everything in order for the grand opening night of Zeus'. We handed and spread out posters, that Grace designed, and it turned out she was very good at it. And finally, Dallas ordered the alcohol from his cousin, who was twenty-two and could buy them for us, that, of course, as if Dallas hadn't forgotten to ask the guy. So for that, we had to postpone it to next Friday, the 16th.

So now we were all seated in old armchairs and cheap new puffs that were spread around the place waiting for ten o'clock to arrive. Soft music that Carson had put on was playing in the background as Melanie checked if everything was in place. Grace was worriedly looking out of one of the tall windows in search of some cop, even after we had assured her that no cop in town would disturb us. Dallas, on the other hand, was contemplating the alcohol bottles, that he was so proud to have successfully obtained, even if only the second time around. Carson was lazily scrolling through the CDs that we had bought, changing music occasionally. Bryson was seated in an armchair by one of the tables, next to Scarlett, as they both looked absently at the ceiling. And me and Sophia were seated down on a big red puff.

"So, who's going to be the Dj, again?" Carson asked as he read the cover of a Cindy Lauper's CD while making a face of disgust.

"Again, Rafael?" Melanie asked in exasperation, "We've discussed the positions countless time. Me and Grace are going to charge for the entrance outside."

"That will be fun to watch," Sophia whispered to me, making me laugh.

"We'll give each person a ticket." She explained and picked up the box where the red tickets were kept, "Then you and Bryson, will be standing at the door making sure that everyone that comes in has brought their entrance.

"As for Sophia and Dallas, they will be the claimed DJs. And last but not least, of course." She said turning to me and to Scarlett.

"Of course." Scar copied in a mocking tone, receiving a warning glance from Bryson beside her.

"Daisy and Scarlett will be our barmaids." She finished, with a proud look expression.

I looked down at my watch, "It's half-past nine." I said.

"A half an hour to go." Sophia spoke, "Woah, who would've thought we could actually do it."

I walked to our homemade counter, which was made of three old dressers with a fancy tablecloth made of silk on top that Bryson's mother had given us. Behind it was two wardrobes where we were to put the alcohol, both the dressers and the wardrobes were brown and chipped off on the corners.

"Dallas, bring the bottles over here," I asked him and he and Carson brought the multiple bottles from the table where he had been admiring them.

"Daisy and Scarlett, do you know what you have to charge for each drink?" Melanie asked for the tenth time today.

"God damn it, yes, Melanie!" Scarlett exclaimed, from where she was seated.

Sophia walked over to help me to organize the bottles and as she was picking up two bottles of tequila she asked,

"Is it true that Melanie and Scarlett used to be best friends?"

"Yes." I said laughing, "In a long and distant past."

"It's hard to believe." She said handing me the last of the bottles.

"If I hadn't seen in it, I wouldn't have believed it either."

At a quarter to ten people started arriving. So Grace and Melanie left to the outside where they had a table that people had to pass over before they could walk in. Bryson and Carson stood outside of the door and the rest of us took our posts inside.

First came a couple, then a group, and ten minutes after ten the room was filled with people from our school and many that we didn't know.

Scarlett and I started serving and half an hour later there were so many people that we had to call Sophia to help.

"The place looks good." A guy that had just asked for a vodka said.

"Thank you," I screamed over the loud music

"I heard that the Barrinel is completely deserted tonight." He shouted back to me.

"Okay, fella, no cheap talk!" Scar said over the music, "We haven't got space for lazing around, pay and leave!"

"Okay, okay, I'm out!" The guy said before giving me the money and leaving.

"You can't encourage talk, Daisy. There's a fucking line."

"You're right, sorry!" I said back.

And so the night went on, the Zeus' was packed with teenagers and everyone seemed to be having a good time. We barely saw the others for most of the night because of how busy we were until Grace appeared by the counter with an expression of complete horror.

She moved closer to Scar and whispered something, I was serving shots so I couldn't move closer but I watched as Scar's face fell too.

"What happened?" Sophia asked from next to me as she too filled a plastic cup.

"I don't know!" I answered as the girls who had ordered the shots handed me the money.

I moved closer to Scar, but before I could ask she walked away while turning to me.

"You two can handle it for a while, can't you?" She shouted over some stupid pop song that was playing and walked away before either of us could answer.

Me and Sophia continued working too busy to wonder what had happened until Lucas turned in, and offered me a smile.

"Hey, Daisy!" He greeted loudly.

"Hello, sir, what can I get you?" I asked smiling as I place the money a girl had paid me on the cashier's box.

"Oh, ah... I'll have a gin tonic, please." He said over the music. "You have a lot of people here!"

"Yes, I know, it's been completely nuts, I haven't stopped for a minute." I commented as I prepared his drink, and looked over at my watch, "Fucking shit, it's past two!"

"Time flies when you're busy, I suppose." He said laughing as I handed him his cup, "What happened outside? They stopped letting people in."

"What?" I asked over the sound.

"Yeah, I passed Carson and Grace and they looked pretty worried." He said while handing me the dollars.

I put down the money with worry and curiosity winning over me, as I walked over from the counter, "Lucas, do you mind doing me a big favor and helping Sophia here, while I see what's going on?"

He looked taken aback for a while but quickly walked over to the other side of the counter, "Yeah, it's alright."

I made my way through the sea of people, still amazed that so many had come, and walked through the doors that had been closed. And I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what was waiting for me outside.