ELENORA

"Clara!" I gasp, trying to hide the present within the tissue of the small gift box. I held them up briefly before I realized what they were. I glance around the restaurant, hoping the people closest to us didn't see anything.

"What?" She smirks.

"Why did you get me these?" I whisper, trying to put the lid back on the box.

She laughs and tries to grab the box from me but I hold on to it like my life depends on it, but Luna snatches it out of my hands from my other side.

"Luna, don't!"

"What's the big deal, Nora?" She asks and then she and Jackie open the lid and start rummaging through the tissue. Luna lifts the panties up.

"They're just underwear, geez," Jackie states as she takes a sip of her mojito.

"No, dummy, these are vibrating panties. See, look. You put this inside this little pocket and then it should come with a remote. Ah, here it is. Look." Luna clicks the button and we hear the quiet electronic buzzing sound.

"Yeah, but do they work, work?" Jackie grabs them out of Luna's hands and gasps. "Oh, I want to try them."

"Get your own, these are for Nora," Clara scolds them.

"You guys, put them away, people are starting to look." My face is burning as other patrons are watching us.

"Who cares?" Luna responds. "If anything, it gives them reassurance we wear underwear; nowadays, you never know."

"Knowing our luck, someone's taking pictures and they'll get back to Pop." I slurp my Tom Collins. "And that will give Nonno the reason he's been waiting for to actually murder me." Three drinks in and I'm starting to feel it.

"So, are you really going to marry Federico Barone?" Clara asks me.

"No, we're only 'dating'. Pop thinks the family who is threatening us will back off with how prominent the Barone family is. They are constantly in the news about something or other with all their charity and fundraising events and of course the hotel chains they have. And the family who's after dad won't want that attention focused on them. I mean, the mafia doesn't exist, right?"

"But the Barone's have always been known to have connections to the mafia, too," Luna states, sipping her Cosmo.

"They have the money to cover it up."

Jackie's phone chimes. "It's dad."

I laugh. "See, someone sent him a picture of me holding the panties!"

"No, he's asking what club we're going to," Jackie tells us and begins texting, but Clara puts a hand over hers to stop her.

"You are not seriously going to tell him where we are going?"

"Why not?"

"Why does he need to know? Carlo is with us and that other dude I can't remember his name," Clara raises her eyebrows at Jackie, as if to say, there's no need. "Plus, we're going to do a club crawl, it won't be just one place."

"I'll just tell him about the first place then so I won't feel too guilty about not telling the whole truth." Jackie texts our father while Luna rolls her eyes.

"Well, let's get going, but first, you're putting these on, missy!" Clara grabs my hand and then the gift box, pulling me through the restaurant.

"What? No way!"

"Why not? It's your birthday, and you deserve to have a little fun, and excitement, Nora. And the best part is you don't need a man to make you feel good. Besides, no one's gonna know."

I stare at the panties in my hands as I contemplate my life in the bathroom stall.

My life is a complete mess and I'm worrying about vibrating underwear. Clara's right, I'm allowed to have fun. I deserve it.

"Okay, I'm all set." I step out of the stall but she narrows her eyes, and presses the button on the tiny remote.

The sudden shock in between my legs makes me jolt and I gasp.

Clara grins. "Just making sure."

"I'll take that." I pull the remote out of her hands as we head back out to the car.

________________

The first club we went to was a good warm up. We had some shots, danced a ton and then moved on to the second club.

The second club was really fun, it had a mechanical bull and I won for staying on the longest. We've met several nice people at each club, all wanting to be a part of my birthday celebration and some even came along with us to the third and now the fourth club, called Third Rail.

I'm having so much fun dancing. I don't remember the name of the guy I'm dancing with, but he can't remember my name either and we think it's hilarious.

The song we are dancing to is upbeat and all the jumping and bouncing around is making me need to go to the bathroom.

I pull his shoulders down, shouting over the music. "I gotsta pee!"

"What?"

"Pee! I'm going to pee my pants!"

He tips his head back as he laughs. "You're not wearing any pants!"

I look down and see I'm in a dress, and burst out laughing. "Where'd they go?"

He shrugs back at me and I stumble off to the bathroom.

"Ahhhhh! That's the good stuff," I sigh as I empty my bladder. I pull my phone out and close one eye to be able to see more clearly; everything is out of focus.

I scroll through my contacts and see a name that I don't recognize. I squint wondering if I'm seeing things. I'm sure I don't know anyone named lickalotofpus. My phone vibrates in my hand when a text message comes from the same contact.

L: Where the hell are you?

Me: Who dis?

L: Stop fucking around, you know it's me.

Me: Don't know any me's

L: It's Rico.

Me: Tico tako ya ya ya

L: I see you've made good on getting shitfaced.

Me: Yup, lost my pants somewhere.

L: You mean panties. Classy.

Me: Nope! Still have those, just down by my feet.

L: WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?

Me: Commmmeeee fffiiiiinnnddd mmmeeee

I include a bunch of detective emojis.

I jump, startled when my phone rings, dropping it on the floor. I pick it up and set it on the toilet paper dispenser as I clean up then head to the sink and wash my hands.

My phone keeps ringing incessantly. "Alright, I said I'm coming. Hang on!" I shout at it.

"Heeellllllooooo?"

"Tell me where the fuck you are, right now, Elenora!"

"It's my birthday, stop yelling! And I'm in a hallway," I inform him when I walk out of the bathroom.

There's a lot of cursing then some yelling. "Track her now!"

"He's a runner, he's a track star. He gon' run away when it gets hard. You see what I did there? Yep, I used to sing it a lot after Leo left, but I'm not sad anymore. Nope, today my new song is I really don't care. Do you know that one?"

"I've already tried asking her where she is, she's fucking wasted—talking fucking nonsense!"

I shake my head. "No, no, no, that's not how it goes. Listen, But even if the stars and moon collide I never want you back into my life. You can take your words and all your lies Oh, oh, oh, I really don't care."

"Dayuumm, I sound good, don't I?" I need to drink more often, my voice sounds incredible.

"Elenora, listen, tell me what the name of the club you are at is."

"Hang on, it's too dark in here, I can't hear you well, let me go outside."

"No, no, don't leave. I need you to stay inside. Where are your sisters?"

I look around. "Luna is kissing Mcgorgeous, Jackie is sleeping in a booth, and Clara is sitting on Mcrebound."

"Goddammit! Just tell me where you are," Rico shouts in my ear.

"I did. I'm sorry you're not a very good listener and I'm sorry I'm sexually attracted to you."

"As much as I would like to use that against you, I know you have no fucking clue what you're saying right now," He tells me, annoyed.

"Hey, there you are beautiful. I thought you got lost in there." A guy who looks familiar approaches me then I remember him.

"Yo, I know you!" I announce. "I totally know this dude." I tell my phone.

"Who is that, Elenora?" Rico growls in my ear.

"Here, I got you another drink, bottoms up."

"Don't drink anything, Elenora!" The voice in my ear screams.

I gulp it down. "Too late!" I giggle. "Thanks, I was thirsty!"

"Fucking find her now or I'm going to put a fucking bullet in your head!" Rico shouts in my ear.

The nice guy holds my face. "Hey, your sister isn't feeling so well, how about we take you guys somewhere quiet? She needs to rest."

"Oh, that's so nice of you. I just gotta talk to—whoa, the floor is moving!"

"Got it! She's at Third Rail, we're a block away." Another voice in my ear says.

"Elenora, don't go anywhere. I'm coming. Do you hear me? Don't you fucking leave!" The angry voice yells at me.

"Who are you talking to?" The nice guy asks me.

"Huh? Oh, it's just uh...Nemo, no, Ego, wait, Mico!" I barely manage to snap my fingers. "Yep, that's it, definitely Repo!"

"Here give me your phone. I'll take care of it for you." The nice guy says as his hand comes over mine.

"Motherfu—" The voice in my ear cuts out.

My head is starting to feel funny, and my vision is narrowing at the edges even though I'm opening my eyes wide to see better.

"She's going fast. Go grab the other one, before the others notice."

"The big guy is making another round to check on them," Says another voice.

"So take care of him."

"Wait," I mumble and try to move but my feet are glued to the floor. I struggle to lift one foot over the other and almost fall down, but strong hands hold me tight and up against the wall.

"Shh, you're okay. You and me, we're going to have fun. You're going to ride me like you did that mechanical bull tonight, sweetheart."

I want to push his head away from my face but I can't lift my hands up. Why can't I move?

"Hey, Nora. There you are. You okay, girl? Why does she look like that?" Clara's voice gives me some comfort, but I'm still panicking.

"She's had a little too much to drink. Don't worry, I've got her."

"Here, let me take her." I vaguely feel Clara grabbing my arms, but my skin is going numb.

"I told you I've got her."

"Get your fucking hands off of her now!" Clara shouts. More yelling follows and there's some pushing and tugging before she slumps to the floor next to me.

"I took care of the big guy, by the time he comes to we'll be long gone. Whoa, what happened here?"

"Text Bryce, tell him to meet us out back. I had to knock this one out, too." The guy holding me informs his friend.

"Came for one, leave with three. One for each of us, it's going to be a great night."

"Stop." My voice is weak. I'm lifted over someone's shoulder and then the cool night air hits my bare legs when we go outside.

I'm jostled as I hang upside as he runs down the alleyway behind the club. I move my head to the side and make out Clara, she has something red dripping down her face.

"Clara," I whisper even though I'm trying to shout. "Clara."

The running stops and a car door opens. My head hits the floor of a van hard when I'm thrown in, then comes Clara and Jackie beside me.

"Wait, where's Bryce? He's not at the front of the van, look," One of the men says panting, trying to catch his breath.

"What do you mean?" The other man questions, breathing heavily, too.

"Bryce won't be coming." A cold familiar voice seeps through the foggy haze.

***

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