The Sound of Summer

5. Who's Ready To Get Wasted?

"Okay, everybody very important day ahead of us and it has to go absolutely perfectly understood?" Claire shouts to us from on top of my kitchen counter. Her mom apologizes to mine about her behavior, but my mom just laughs it off. It's lovely to them together again. Claire's mom, Fleur, and mine were pregnant with us at the same time, she's like a second mom to me. It seems fitting that we're all together to celebrate such a huge day.

"Give us the run down, captain," Sifiso says in his shitty french accent. Claire bends down to grab a grape and tosses it at him.

"We have approximately two hours to get ready for graduation because somebody took forever getting ready this morning," she unsubtly winks at her mother, "We leave for graduation at 11:00 for an 11:25 arrival. The ceremony begins at 11:45 and ends at 1:00 pm, which gives us just about 6 hours to prepare for the Blame Society gig at 8 pm. We leave here at 7pm which means we'll get to Baby's All Right with 25 minutes for soundcheck. They'll be done performing at around 9:15 pm, which gives us enough time to come back here, drop equipment off, and still make it to AJ's party by 10:30 pm. Everybody follow?" I don't know why she bothers to ask as if she didn't print out several copies of her agenda for the day and hand them out to us. God bless her. She hops down from the table and hands us each a separate piece of paper which looks like it has personalized schedules on it. I look down at my own and can't help but laugh at how well my best friend knows me. She slotted me in for 35 minutes exactly in the shower because she knows I take forever in the there, especially when it's hair washing day. Claire finishes her speech by telling us all we have no time to waste and should get started on our schedules.

"Lungi. Sifiso, come here quickly my child," Ma calls us aside as Claire and her mom chat away about something. I suddenly get nervous about what she has to say.

"I'm so sorry my children, your dad got caught up with work and won't be able to make it today," my heart drops like a stone. I don't know really what I was expecting it's not like he's been very present in other parts of my life. Still, I would think he'd rearrange his schedule to at least see his daughter graduate.

"Dad choosing work over his family. What's knew," Sifiso says before turning his back to us and walking away. I turn to my mom, unsure of what to say to her. She offers me a sympathetic smile.

"He didn't have the decency to call us?" I say softly, trying not to bring out too many emotions.
"I'm sorry, my child," it's all she can offer me. I give her a quick hug and then head back to Claire.

It's not like it's the first time he's disappointed me like this, but it still hurts a lot. I try to tell myself to focus on the good things like being around most of the people I love most. If he couldn't spare a few hours out of his day to support his kids, then he sure as hell doesn't deserve any of my mental space.

We walk to my room together, and without another word, Claire rushes into my bathroom to grab all of my makeup supplies.

"I don't know why you're just standing there watching me as if we have all the time in the world," she says as she preps my desk table to become a makeshift makeup station. If only she knew the sort of sinful things that happened on that table, on that chair she's about to sit on. I laugh to myself and decide it's a tiny victory I'll keep to myself.

"I like to make you suffer, Claire Bear. It helps clear my pores." She throws a pillow at me, but I slam my bathroom door fast enough that the pillow narrowly misses me.

My shower is faster than Claire planned out for, which makes her way too happy. When I leave the bathroom, I see Claire has picked out an outfit for me, a dusty pink pantsuit she must have taken from my mom's room. I get dressed in a hurry because Claire bugs me to start working on my makeup. She's very careful with the way her hands move, and her skills are undeniable. She knows I don't like makeup much, so she goes for a more natural make up look.