ii. in which quinn stevens makes a grave mistake

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"PAY UP, BOYS." I smirked, holding out my palms in both directions while cocking my head innocently to one side. The sound of grumbling was music to my ears as the two men beside me forked over their cash reluctantly, eyeing me warily.

"Damn, girl," The man to my left whistled, throwing down the rest of his cards onto the wooden table. He was a short man, with more facial hair than your average honey badger. His friend murmured agreement, rubbing at his bald head. I had no idea who they were, only knowing that I had bested them at their game and proved that I was superior at poker.

A vibration in my chest made me reach into my dress, pulling my cell phone out of my bra. I took that time to stash my winning sum inside the undergarment too, hoping it didn't look too weird. I was dressed in a little, black dress that hugged the few curves I had, ending at around mid-thigh: the epitome of simple and classy. I added my own touch by including a studded red belt around the waistline and I wore a pair of combat boots, refusing to wear the death traps known as heels.

Noting how the men had paused to gawk in my direction, I merely stood from my spot, took my sunglasses from the table and put them on, and gave them a wink before walking away and pressing the enter button on my phone.

"Yo," I greeted the caller without even checking who was on the other line.

"Don't 'yo' me, Quinn. I'm not in the mood." A low, obviously irritated voice hissed into my ear, making me grimace. "Finally decided to pick up?"

"Oh. Hey, Tanya."

"Why haven't you been answering your calls?" She ignored my greeting, demanding right away about my behavior. "The band and I have been trying to get through to you for the past two hours." Frowning, I pulled the receiver away in order to check the amount of missed calls and texts I had received.

Twenty-eight. Ah, shit.

Putting the phone back against my ear, I gave a nod to the guy at the front counter of the billiards hall, before pushing past the door and into the cold, Los Angeles night. I shivered slightly, rubbing my free hand against my arms.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were calling," I lied. Obviously I had felt the vibrations, but I was too engrossed in my gaming that I hadn't bothered to pick up. It took enough effort ditching the band to explore the vast city that I didn't want to be discovered and dragged back to the hotel, accomplishing nothing. After the tour stops in Chicago and Indianapolis, Los Angeles was the last destination before we got a short break from performing. Then, the real tour would begin. The last of our concerts in LA was yesterday, so I had to take advantage of every down time I got.

"You do know how late you are, right, Stevens?" Tanya spoke calmly, but I knew her better than that. I could tell she was on the edge. She even used the last name charade.

"Late?" I echoed, confused. I stopped in my tracks on the glistening, yellow pavement, leaning against a street lamp as I frowned in confusion.

"The party is tonight. Right now, actually," she deadpanned, making me close my eyes and curse profusely. Listening closely, I realized that there was the faint sound of music thumping in the background and I guessed Tanya was outside looking pretty pissed. It was easy to imagine her leaning against the side of the brick wall, her lips curled into a dainty scowl as she blew a breath into the air. I had almost forgotten about the party. I knew it was tonight, but I thought I would be back just in time. It started at seven after all. Wasn't it only just five?

Glancing at my phone once more, I let out another curse. The clock shined with the numbers nine thirty seven.

"Where are you?" Tanya demanded. "I'm getting Jensen to pick you up right now." With a sigh, I rattled off the nearest address of the apartment building I happened to be standing in front of before ending the call with my manager.

Just twenty minutes later, a sleek, black limousine approached my location, pulling up to the curb I was currently sitting on. I stood and wiped off my dress before opening the door and climbing in.

"Glad to see you're safe, Miss Stevens." Jensen smiled in the rear view mirror, tipping his chauffeur hat politely.

"Yeah, me too," I chuckled, reaching forward and patting him on the shoulder. He was a middle-aged man with graying black hair and the deepest shade of blue for eyes, always having a twinkle in their depths. Chuckling back merrily, the driver pulled off the curb, ready to head off back to the club.

Hearing a subtle cough from the other side of the limo, I grabbed at my chest in surprise as my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the vehicle, locating the source of noise.

"Ebony, I didn't see you there," I let out a sigh, shaking my head.

"Why weren't you picking up your phone? The guys and I were worried sick," she said instead, giving me a hard look. Eb always cut straight to the chase; I bit my lip. She was currently the exact opposite of myself; where it looked like I was attending a funeral, she looked like she was headed to a six year old's birthday party. She wore a light pink sundress, with waves of white around her chest area, and wore simple white flats. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, letting a few strands fall into her eyes to compliment her face.

"Look, you know how I am. I always come back in one piece," I scoffed, leaning back in the leather seats.

"But still - running off like that? In a city like LA? Come on, Quinn. You know that's stupid."

"So is sitting in a hotel room all day. Live a little, would you?"

She sighed but said nothing else, crossing her arms and staring out her window. I was dismissed, just like that. Rolling my eyes, I stared out my respective window too, watching as Jensen pulled up to the neon-lit building. I could already feel the booming bass rocking the vehicle slightly.

Climbing out of the limo, Ebony and I slammed our doors shut, regrouping at the driver's window. The glass rolled down and Jensen gave the two of us warm smiles. "You girls have fun now, you hear?"

"Oh, I will," Ebony assured, a hint of dark mischief in her expression. Before I could ask her what she meant by that, she grabbed my wrist and started tugging me in the direction of the building I was supposed to be in two hours ago.

The night was chilly, and I saw my breath frost in the air. Involuntarily shivering, I was thankful for the warmth as soon as we took a step into the club. Besides the temperature, I was instantly hit with the loud vibrations of music being blasted through the speakers surrounding the entire building. My heart quaked in my chest as the bass seemed to drop as low as it could get.

Ebony tried to say something to me, but her sentence was lost in the noise. I frowned at her, pointing to my ear.

"I said, Tanya and the guys are over there!" she yelled in order to be heard over the music. I nodded, and together the two of began to trek our way past the grinding, sweaty bodies on the dance floor, attempting to reach the other side of the crowd. When we finally made it through, I was instantly tackled with a hug, making me stagger backwards in surprise.

"Joel!" I sputtered, pushing him off me. Glaring at his lopsided grin, he swayed slightly and raised his arms in the air, letting out a loud whoop.

"What up, Q?" He laughed - a maniacal cackle that made me quirk an eyebrow in confusion.

"Are you already drunk?" Ebony asked in disbelief, gaping at our drummer.

"Maybe," Joel sang in an off-key tune, wagging his eyebrows at her mischievously. He was drenched in sweat, his light green polo sticking to his body as he bobbed his head along to the mainstream songs being played.

"He is," Evan's voice was louder than usual in order to be heard over the music. He approached us with a glass of water in his hand, giving his brother a disgusted look. Evan was dressed in a casual striped polo shirt, with a black tie and slacks. Unlike his twin, he was completely sober and sweat-free. "The first thing he did when we came in was attack the bar." He glanced at Ebony and I, lips twitching in the beginning of a smile. "Late as usual Quinn, but at least you look great."

"Thanks," I replied, proceeding to grab the glass out of his palm and down it in one, large gulp. As I placed it back in his hand, which was still in a fist as if the glass were still in there, I gave him an innocent smile as he gaped at me. "Sorry, I'm perched and underage."

"Doesn't mean you can't get your own glass of water," he muttered, shaking his head as he left to get a refill.

A flash of blonde hair out of the corner of my eyes caught my attention, making me turn around slowly. Almost instantly, I met Tanya's disapproving, irritated stare. I smirked and waved my fingers as a greeting, acting like I did nothing at all.

"Thank God you finally showed up," she hissed out, planting her hands on her hips sternly. "Stay here and don't leave while I tell the label exec board that all of Call Me Rebel is finally here."

Shrugging in reply, I replied back with minor sincerity, "No promises."

"What is with you?" Ebony snapped, once Tanya was out of earshot. She whirled around to face me, nearly avoiding Joel's random tackle hug in her direction. The drummer went flying onto the dance floor, making me smirk in amusement. Snapping her fingers to regain my attention, Ebony added, "Just because we're finally getting somewhere with our career doesn't mean you can start acting like some arrogant, narcissistic prick."

"Wasn't I always?" I questioned, dropping my sunglasses to the bridge of my nose so that I could see my friend better. I gave her a pointed look, raising a delicate eyebrow.

"No, you weren't," she said through gritted teeth, balling her hands into fists. "Look at you." Ebony gestured wildly in my direction. "You're, you're wearing sunglasses indoors! We used to make fun of douches who did that!"

"That was the past," I shooed my hand at her, placing the glasses back firmly in their previous position. I shrugged halfheartedly at the bassist.

"The past?" Eb snorted, rolling her eyes. "More like four months ago. You're acting like it's been years when it really hasn't. Get that through your thick skull, Quinn."

"Whatever," I dismissed her chastising, whirling over to her playfully and grabbing her hands. "Come on, let's dance. You've been way too strung up lately. What happened to the carefree, non-boring Ebony I know and love?"

Slapping my hands away, she made an irritated noise at the back of her throat. "Oh, trust me. Ebony's still here. The question you should really be asking is what happened to the genuine, shy little Elizabeth?"

Groaning, I crossed my arms defensively in front of my chest. "I told you to stop calling me that, damn it."

"It's your first name, isn't it?" Ebony retorted.

"Yeah, but you know I fucking hate it," I countered back with equal venom, cocking my head dangerously to one side.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and dancers slowed their movements to a stop, snapping out of their daze. A single spotlight hit the stage beside the DJ's booth, shining on a stout man wearing a casual polo and khakis. He held a card in his hand, while using the other to tap the microphone he was standing in front of. Feedback radiated through the room, momentarily deafening us with the static. "Attention, Wildcard Club guests. It is with great pleasure that I introduce Allen Bishop, executive CEO of Quantum Records."

There was a chorus of applause as Allen took center stage, giving everyone a friendly wave and smiling brightly. Allen Bishop: millionaire and head honcho of his father's company, Quantum Records. The very label that my band was signed onto. From what I've heard and seen from him, he was a genuinely kind man who took pride in the label, and especially to all the bands signed onto it. His messy, blonde hair was gelled and combed back, giving it a professional look and he was dressed in an expensive looking black suit and tie. Judging from the way he was constantly tugging at the collar, Allen was either nervous or really hot under the stage lights - more likely the latter.

"Thank you," he grinned to the crowd, clapping his hands together before raising them slightly in the air. "You all know what you're here for, and if you don't, I'm assuming you snuck into the club just to find out. I'm talking to all you shady people in the back with cameras."

There was a chorus of laughter before Allen cleared his throat and continued. "Today, we're celebrating a very momentous occasion in the lives of one of our own members here at Quantum Records. We're all a family here at Quantum, aren't we?" He paused to let the crowd cheer out their agreements. We were surrounded by other bands in the label, those who came to support us in our big success. Truly, we really were all one big, enormous family.

"And as family," he continued, his voice ringing clear and confident. "We're all gathered here today to celebrate the second album of Call Me Rebel, entitled Reckless Abandon, going platinum!"

Loud shouts boomed throughout the club area, making a satisfied grin explode onto my face. That award had come as a huge surprise, especially since our group was still fairly young, only a few years old. I remember when Tanya announced the big news to us, I couldn't stop grinning for days. To think that our music was spreading like a wildfire, touching people's hearts and ears - it was a miracle.

"Where's the successful quartet, by the way?" he asked.

The spotlight veered off Allen, scanning the crowd until it came to rest on Ebony and I. Joel had managed to scrape himself off the floor before staggering over to join us, grinning wildly. As I looked around, I spotted Evan with a new glass of water in his hands, walking towards us with a hint of a smile.

Allen's voice returned my attention to the stage, as a second spotlight began to spot him. "Everyone here today, and the entire staff at Quantum would just like to congratulate you on your marvelous feat, and we're all looking forward to more amazing music created by young individuals like yourselves. Now, how about a toast to the band?"

I frowned when I realized I had nothing to drink, since I wasn't of legal drinking age yet. I glanced towards Evan's direction, but he merely pulled his glass away, eyeing me warily. "Quinn, get your own drink," he chided, lifting the cup to my face as he mocked me.

"Here," Ebony's voice stopped me before I could tackle our guitarist, making me glance in her direction. She gave a small smile before shrugging. "I'm sorry for exploding on you earlier; I'll get us both water as an apology."

"Thanks, Eb." I half-smiled back, glad that we were back on the same page. She nodded before hurrying off to the bar, excusing herself as she accidentally bumped into others. Lately the two of us had been having many arguments, mostly about my attitude, or my position as lead vocalist. I really didn't want Ebony and I to drift apart over something as petty as my mild arrogance.

"Does everyone have a drink?" Allen asked as another member of the executive board lifted him a small glass of wine. I shook my head, though I knew the man was a distance away from seeing me.

"Here," Ebony's voice came from my side. She was a little flustered, and I took it that she was rushing to get our drinks before Allen continued with the toast. I took the second glass of clear liquid from her hands, murmuring my thanks.

The two of us lifted our water in the air as Allen concluded his speech. "To the continuous success of Call Me Rebel and that the only direction they can go from here is upwards!" As he took a sip of his wine, it was a signal to us all to down our own drinks. Ebony and I shared a toast before I lifted the glass to my lips.

If only I had realized that the glass held not only water, but a few shots of something else, I wouldn't have drank it. If I had smelled the odor of alcohol as the glass drew nearer to my face, I could've stopped the inevitable from happening. But as the liquid ran from the cup and down my esophagus, I finally felt the burning sensation in my throat. Sputtering, a few crystal drops spattered onto the floor as I wiped my mouth furiously.

"Ebony, what's in this?" I asked calmly, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, just water," she assured, winking deviously. "with something a little extra. Come on, Quinn," she laughed, "Live a little."

As she threw my words back in my direction, I found myself surprised when I felt a little angry - perhaps a little irritated. Just because I was underage didn't mean I didn't drink, and though she didn't know that minuscule detail, she had no right to sound so condescending just because she was barely legal when it came to alcoholic beverages while I was not. Though Ebony and I were close, she always had to have this air of superiority when it came to myself.

Without another word, I downed my drink without so much as a wince, feeling the cold alcohol slide down my system. I knew I would regret it later, but right now I was perfectly content. Ebony took a tiny sip from her own glass, watching from the corner of her eyes.

"Finished already?" she asked innocently.

I wiped the corner of my mouth with a small smirk, though it came out more like a grimace. "Oh, shut the fuck up and get me another."

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Please, please comment below. I love reading them; they make me smile like a fucking idiot. And click that little vote button at the top. How do you guys feel about the characters so far? Quinn, especially? Picture of Quinn Stevens on the side! Along with Quinn is the song Reptilia by The Strokes.

-Isa