I miss them.

Swiping my finger across another photo of Mateo, Isabela and I on National Family Pajama Day. My heart feels like it is pulling down to my feet.

In this photo Mateo is not wearing the assigned pajamas for our family photo with his banana footsie pajamas while the rest of us have pineapple assorted pajamas, I got from Etsy.

Little brothers.

Siblings can be annoying but you usually love them anyway. After all, they share half of our DNA.

Apparently, my college biology book says that younger siblings tend to be a lot funnier and live longer.

I beg to differ.

My lips twitch as I scroll through the old pictures of our weekend escapades, I can't help but pause at the one where Mateo is making a silly face by crossing his eyes and stretching his mouth wide open, while Isabela and I are hugging each other tightly, completely soaked under the cascading waters of Salto del Agua.

It was much needed that day.

I miss them.

I miss the mischief.

I would plot and they would execute

I miss the two versus one fights.

But the one won every time with two double head locks.

I miss their presence... the laughs, the smiles, and easygoing existence to just do life together.

Today is just one of those Fridays that nothing seems to work.

I toss my phone onto the side of my cozy comforter and let out a gentle sigh, my eyes fixated on the ensemble I've chosen for tonight. A strong desire engulfs me, urging me to simply grab my shirt and panties and dive into bed with Conor. As if mirroring my sentiments, he sits beside my neatly arranged attire, slightly askew and crumpled, conveying a shared longing.

Just look at him, waiting.

I frown, turning away from his gazing button eyes.

Stop it, Conor.

"Lizzie, here's... Oh my gosh, why are you still in your towel?" Lexi scolds, lasers her eyes at my orange towel, seriously it's an orange towel there is oranges slices everywhere on here.

All thanks to Etsy.

The corner of my bed dips where Lexi sits down, waiting for me.

"Sorry just still processing I'm going out." I furrow my brows and turn but I know I can't back out on my word. 

Lexi's gaze carefully examines my face, recognizing that there is more to my delay than mere procrastination. The events of the day have left me devoid of motivation of what is suppose to be an exciting night.

"Lizzie chop chop" as Lexi pats my conga drum.

Puffing the air, strands of my hair fly in my face "Ahorita" I grumble.

"Trust me dancing a bad day way is just what you need." Lexi assures as she smacks my conga drum once more.

I didn't get the hospital job.

I really need the money.

And it sucks.

So here's to making minimum wage at Cinco de Mayo. The hiring nursing manager advised me that I would be better suited working in the Med Surg Unit because it is an excellent spot for all new nursing students to start.

Yeah no thanks, I'd rather eat a Mexican ghost pepper.

Carly interviewed shortly after me, so I texted her best of luck. I also told her what happened confidentially, warning her about the nursing manager, but didn't expect her to tell me she's sorry I can't work with her because she got hired on the spot.

I'm not judging Carly, but she's clearly not prepared to be a nurse since she gets stage fright when she has to shower a patient during morning clinicals. Consequently, I don't think she'll last long in an emergency. Her fight or flight response is imbalanced.

As my mind is bombarded with thoughts, I can't help but roll my lower lip inward and bite down to keep them at bay.

Am I jealous?

Do I have a right to be jealous?

Am I not worthy enough of working in the emergency department, where Latino Americans feel the most vulnerable?

I should have paid more attention on our tour, when I saw no one representing me, except the environmental crew.

While the nurse manager extolled the virtues of working in the ER, I couldn't help but notice the nursing staff's impatience with a Latino man struggling to communicate that his wife needed treatment. They would have recognized that his wife was having abdominal pain and was three months pregnant if the nurse knew Spanish.

If the interpreter hadn't arrived in time, I might have seen a code blue in action, but that's optimistic thinking. All I could do was stand and watch helplessly, which hurt almost as much as not getting the job.

I wanted to help, be brave then.

I wanted to speak out and use my gift of being bilingual.

I wanted them to see how strong I was and passionate I am about saving lives.

Yet instead, I remain muted, losing a chance that will haunt me forever.

When she picked me up afterwards, Lexi said they were being racist towards me, that they only want white people as the face of the emergency room to look like heroes instead of people of color.

But why? Why can't we be heroes too? I am a hero.

I let out a soft sigh, slipping on this contraption of a top. Lexi snickers, crossing her legs in my black leather pants. I gasp when I catch sight of my reflection, at how my mangos are on full display in this new, white lace bodysuit.

If they get bigger in this thing then they're falling out.

"Is this.. too much?" I turn to the side observing my side of my mango.

I have to cut back on the candy. It just goes right here or my conga drum.

"Nope, just per-"

Max bursts through my bedroom door, balancing Jose Cuervo Gold and three little red plastic cups with ease, "Ugh, why is your body so perfect?"

"Max!" I grunt at this invasion of privacy, jumping into my light washed, high-waisted jeans. Like always, they cup right around the conga drum.

Fastening my last button "Can't you knock?"

"I've seen it all before." Max presses her lips at me as she pops open the tequila lid.

"Tequila shots? What's the occasion?" Lexi snickers, adjusts her legs.

The last time we had tequila shots Max announced she was taking us to Boston and it wasn't a good occasion because she had to go home and didn't want to be alone to face Chris.

"Lizzie's first night." Max turns up her nose with a shrugged shoulder.

Lexi snickers, "Are you stressed about that?"

Max snaps her head back quickly "No" she says defensively.

Lexi and I both giggle as she turns around and slumps her shoulders.

"Oh I forgot." Max places her makeshift bar on the dresser I just cleaned melted brownie off then rushes out my room.

I had it since National Brownie Day and completely forgot I tucked it in a corner to save because it was so good from the cafeteria.

Whoops

Walking over and I sit at my vanity, gazing through the mirror and observing Lexi painfully eager to pounce on me. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, wanting to take over as I brush my wet hair, place my favorite gold crucifix necklace around my neck, and turn on my curling iron. Lexi hops off my bed before I have to think about burning myself again.

It's nice not having to be the big sister for once.

"Lizzie, you're lucky I have two of these belts." Maxine comes sashaying in.

Two big sisters.

Being pampered is a nice role switch for a while. Max dangles the black belt in my face, making me a little nervous how she's swinging it back and forth.

"Gracias." I close my fingers around it.

"De Nada," her poor accent slaughters the word.

"Na-da," I correct her.

She rolls her eyes and shamelessly hops on my dresser, shaking my mirror.  She holds up her phone, taking several selfies and holding up her red shot cup pouting her lips.

"Ugh! They won. Great, now we have to beat Tiny Dick's rebound ratings," she grumbles, snapping another photo.

Lexi snickers, taking a piece of my hair and begins to curl it. "You know Marcus is-"

Maxine's entire face morphs from a light smile to irritated disgust. "We are not speaking of that demon, in this household. I already saged the place."

"Aww, he said he likes you Max, and the flowers," I gush, only for Lexi to nudge me with her thigh in my back. I furrow my eyebrows and she mouths, 'she's going to kill you.'

"Lizzie, oh sweet Lizzie," Max coos sarcastically.

"I don't see the harm in that" I furrow my eyebrows and she mimics back at me but I'm not convinced. She isn't fooling anyone! She is a hopeless romantic sap wanting a Flynn Rider in her life.

Lexi slips out a giggle. "Remember she doesn't do relationships."

"I told you I wanted the flowers, you didn't have to toss them over the balcony" I huff.

I thought it was so sweet Marcus got her flowers this morning just because she is beautiful but Max didn't like that at all for some reason.. she doesn't like getting to close when it comes to guys.

"Don't you know anything about soul ties?" Max dramatically whines.

I chew my cheek, restraining myself before I get locked away in a convent like Maria from the Sound of Music.

Lexi and I watched that musical again this afternoon, which was great. She says it gets her in the mood.

I really don't know what mood that is.

"Just don't even try." Lexi shakes her head, curling my hair with a finger.

Max persists in complaining and lets out exasperated sighs, dramatically raising her hands in frustration before storming out of the room.

"She fighting it." Lexi rolls her eyes and shakes her head at Max exasperated drama queen scenes.

I give a silent nod as Lexi and I share a smile in the mirror, but hers quickly disappears. "Lizzie, things will get better. You are the most selfless woman I know. You are smart, charming, beautiful, and a kickass nurse already. You look after Max while she is emotionally inebriated out of her mind. You take the time to change her jammies and clean up Marcus's offspring on her body since she's a filthy skank. That says a lot." Lexi snickers wrapping up her arms around my neck.

"SHUT OH-UP!" Max yells her strong Boston accent. Her expensive, thigh-high boots click their way back down to my room.

I faintly smile, admiring in the mirror at how long my hair has gotten. Lexi walks over to my dresser and grabs Mamà's butterfly hair claw.

I mouth 'Thank you,' trying to hold back my overwhelming tears as she clips my hair half-up, half-down.

I glance over to see Max rolling eucalyptus on her wrist. Her gold bracelets cling as she lifts it up to smell and relax her Marcus-inspired rage.

"Much better" Max sighs in liberation.

"Okay, Lizzie ideas for makeup, natural, glam, classy. Max slutty," Lexi teases.

"Hate all you want." Max flips her middle finger up to Lexi.

"MAXINE!" I furrow my brows.

Lexi catches it and holds her heart, opening my hardly used Naked Pallet. Lexi pats my head with it, making me crease my forehead.

"¡Ay!" I grimace as the pressure spreads throughout my head.

"I told you to use this for work." She picks up my facial moisturizer. 

Max snorts, elegantly pouring herself another shot glass. Her opulent, jet-black fur cover-up sways, reminiscent of the iconic Cruella de Vil.

"Hello?" Lexi waves her hand.

"Sorry I forgot" I squeak.

"Not sure who you are trying to fool."Lexi presses her lips at me causing me to shrink my seat. 

Maxine rolls her eyes and pours us each a cup. "Lizzie, since this your first time, you stay at the bar with Lexi and I,"

Lexi tutted, "Uhh, girl, I'm going to mingle. I'm not working." Lexi rubs my face with moisturizer.

"Plus we are dancing." I giggle as Lexi gives an extra rub on my cheeks because she loves how squishy they are.

"Only with Me and Lexi," Maxine corrects, folding her arms.

My lips curl up fully, "What if a cute boy-"

"There are no cute boys at Terrapins Turf let alone in College Park," Max preaches.

Lexi mouths, 'Yes, they are,' and my shoulders bounce. I'm actually content after my fair share of the cute guys at work last night at work.

"Come on, don't you want to see Lizzie throw it back?" Lexi wiggles her eyebrows as she fans my face.

"Only on me." Max pouts like a bratty child.

"Max you have to share" I giggle, watching Lexi figure out what she wants to do with my eyes as if it's surgery. She knows I don't like wearing a lot of makeup but I trust her judgment.

"But what if it was one of the guys I saw last night at work?" I squeak out.

Both girls stop their movements, gape at me, and ask forcibly, "Who!?"

Warmth fills my cheeks. "The guys I told you las-"

"You mean to tell me Marcus was at your job last night!" Max blows up like a volcano.

I drop my eyes and quietly admit, "It was his friend's birthday,"

"Oh God," Max moans and clamps her hands over her face. "I gotta find a better hiding place now,"

My eyes stretch wide directly at Lexi, who palms her forehead.

"I will not let you get pregnant or have HIV, I just won't!" Maxine furiously walks out the room. Lexi shakes her head and sighs deeply. "Drama queen."

I nod and bounce my shoulders.

"So... was the guys you talk to last night? Did any of them talk to you?" Lexi dots my upper eyelids with shadow.

I smile thinking about the only polite one out of the group. "Rashad." I chew my lower lip.

Her dabbing motions stop. "Brooks?"

"I don't know." I open my eyes and catch a serious look on her face. "He got caught off by Marcus,"

"Why?"

I shrug and she presses her lips battling if she wants to tell me something.

"Not him," She shakes her head, collecting some gold glitter on her wrist and daps in the corner of my eye.

"How come?" I nibble on my lip.

"He is predictable,"

Predictable? He was the most polite one at the table.

"Marcus, cock blocked you," Lexi smugly says and I furrow my eye brows.

"He was protecting Max from a cardiac event." I sink my teeth in my lip, trying not to snicker when Max huffs back into the room.

"Didn't stop him this morning, lean forward a bit babe," Lexi twirls the eye brush in the primer.

"But... there was this one guy." I sink my teeth in my lip as I remember Syrup Eyes, who I practically swooned about this morning.

Both my roommates were less than impressed with my description of how overly generous he was dropping me a hundred-dollar tip.

Lexi purses her lips while painting my eye with liner. "I told you, right?"

"Wait." I reach up and grab her wrist. "That was Jaylan?"

After a string of curse words, Max rolls her eyes. "Do not speak of his name, he is the devil!"

Lexi shakes her head, getting back to my eyes. Max continues preaching her long sermon about Jaylan's sexual history.

Lexi can't help but giggle at Maxine's over top hate for the male basketball team and how they all think with their tiny penis. Lexi keeps mocking her, making me giggle as Max preaches how soccer guys know their anatomy better than my textbooks. Still, my heart thumps a little harder at their conga drums in those Adidas shorts.

Oh, Maxine.

"Look up." Lexi acts like she's performing surgery to my lashes with the mascara wand.

"Ugh," Max groans from where she sits on my bed.

My phone begins to ring. Seeing my incriminating photo of Isabela with wild hair waking up in the morning spreads a smile across my face mirroring our blessed dimples we got from Papà.

"Que Ondaaaaa," her cheery voice echoes through my room.

"Holaaaa." I faintly smile, observing what is behind her big head.

She is in our room.

The light blue walls still remain, adorned with an abundance of hand-painted Moss-rose purslane by Papà, and my collection of street market trinkets gifted by the vendors, all unchanged.

Anddd oh my gosh, Bonnie!

Isabela holds up my goldendoodle Bonnie, who's licking the air.

"Bonnie," I whimper.

"Tan sexy, a donde vas? (So sexy, where are you going?)" Isabela wiggles her eyebrows.

I giggle and look at Lexi, who's finishing up my lipstick or lip mac or whatever she calls it. My lips are coated but soft pink, shiny, and full.

"We are going to the bar." Lexi shoots her a wink

"A bar?" Isabela playfully gasps but interest clearly sparkles in her eyes.

I giggle and Lexi moves away from me. She plucks Max in the arm as a hint. I giggle again, get up from my vanity, and hop on my bed. Once the door shuts closed, I grab Connor.

"Te extraño (I miss you)," I whisper, holding Conor tightly.

"Yo también te extraño (I miss you too)." She flickers her light honey brown eyes to me. Tears well up in her eyes, building up mine.

The time between us never gets old. Four years, seventeen hours and thirty seconds feels like forever since I've seen here from the airport.

━━━━━━━✿━━━━━━

Isabela has a boyfriend. My seventeen-year-old little sister has a boyfriend! Not surprising that it's Sebastian from down the street.

I feel like the twenty minutes we spoke weren't long before our connection dropped. It was even worse when I tried to call back and I couldn't get through. I messed up all my makeup but thankfully Lexi was so kind to touch it up. They even told me I could stay home but I couldn't do that to them.

I have to accept new experiences little by little and cherish the memories I do have, no matter how hard it is being 1,908.2 miles away.

My chest expands and contracts with a loud sigh as the bass of Terrapins Turf rattles Max's jeep as she rushes to a parking spot near the front entrance.

"Uhh, what's going on here tonight?" Lexi reapplies her lip gloss to her lips in the vizor mirror.

"Who knows, maybe the basketball squad is here," Max grumbles.

We slant our eyes at her while Max rubs her lips together to smear her own lip gloss.

"Don't tell me you're planning to spy after what YOU said this morning," Lexi grumbles.

"It's most likely just rookie association to get them fucked, so be careful Lexi," Max dismisses with a grin, shifting the gear into park.

Lexi purses her lips and looks back at me, mockingly, prompting me to giggle. The playful moment causes the awful homesickness to subside slightly.

"Think about what you want bitch!" Max mocks, flicking her eyes up and down at her.

Lexi and I laugh at her, and she smacks her lips then she gets out of the jeep.

The drop in temperature from Max's warm jeep to the brisk cold winter hits my chilly tummy. I shut Lexi's leather jacket in defense of the bitter cold invasion.

"¡Ay!," I whine, crossing my arms and warming myself.

Lexi and Max giggle as they join our arms as security guards. As they sandwich me, I snicker at how little I am compared to them. My head basically comes to Max's shoulder height and I could bury my face in Lexi's mangoes.

When a familiar song serenades my ears, the emotion from the car dissipates. At least for now

"S'up Alexis" a deep masculine voice says in the line.

Alexis glances over her shoulder "Oh hey Dustin." she purrs out.

"Damn who is that" another deep voice said from afar.

"Hey, Max!" A sultry welcome from a boy with blonde hair attempts to spark her interest.

Max rolls her eyes as we gracefully navigate through the bustling crowd, making our way towards the grand entrance doors.

Chatter continues to erupt almost like we are like celebrities but I realize. "Wait a minute, why are we skipping the line?" I fret, shifting my eyes to the huge line of people, and their faces scowling at us.

she exclaims, her voice dripping with confidence. As the esteemed captain of the women's basketball team, she exudes an aura of authority and determination. With a flick of her hand, she nonchalantly tosses her lustrous hair to the side of her right shoulder, a subtle display of her sassy demeanor. Maxine Jordan is not one to wait for anyone or anything; she is a force to be reckoned with.

"I can't stand your ass Max!" Lexi throws her head back and cackles.  "You know good and well it's because I work here bitch." Lexi playfully flips her hair over her shoulder, imitating Max.

I can't help but giggle at their banter, while the people in line give them jealous glances, their faces scrunched up in annoyance.

"I heard that. Hey, Jaquan,'' Maxine flirtatiously puts her hand on the shoulder of a milk chocolate, stocky man blocking the door.

His arm muscles look bigger than my thighs but he returns the flirtatious smile then looks at Lexi and I. "What's up Max...Alexis, not working tonight?" He intently looks at Lexi, who rolls her eyes at this Jaquan guy.

"Jaquan, let us in," Lexi snaps rudely and I timidly look at her to use her manners.

"Who is your friend?" He observes me with the same look he gave Lexi.

My cheeks begin to heat up when he stares at me with his hooded, rich toffee eyes that refuse to leave my face, like he's studying every feature of me.

"Jaquan, this is Elizabeth, my best friend. Lizzie, this is Jaquan, the bouncer, who will be allowing us in now if he wants a chance with Lexi," Max jokes while her eyes scan above his broad shoulders and scope out the crowd within the bar.

"Shut up." Lexi scoffs when Jaquan licks his lips at her and then at me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lizzie." He offers me a contagious smile while shaking his head at Lexi's overprotective posture. "Enjoy," he cheers while he concentrates on me rather than on them.

"Gracias." I wink, showing my politeness in contrast to my impolite best friends, whom I always advise about manners.

Lexi and Max both glare at me with arched brows, unsure how to react to my flirtatious gesture towards Jaquan.

"Who are you and what did you do with Lizzie." Lexi wraps her arm around me while Max rolls her eyes at me with a smile clasping onto my hand.

"I'm not a fan of this unusual behavior, Elizabeth," she muses, flicking her eyes up and down.

She's such an overprotective mom.

"I love it, let's go!" Lexi wiggles her eyebrows and tickles my sides, making me laugh even more.

Terrapin's Turf is alive tonight.

My eyes couldn't find anything to rest on since a lot is going on in here. The lively chatter of college students is drowned out by loudspeakers booming Feel This Moment. As we make our way to the bar, neon lights dance about the bar, reflecting on my face.

This place is nuts.

The crowd joins Christina Aguilera in singing the chorus drunkenly and gleefully. I chew my lower lip between my smiles, anticipating this new experience with my best friends.

"Hey, can we get some shots!" Max yells to the busty, brunette bartender who is pouring a bottle of Smirnoff.

"Hey Candy," Lexi chimes, and the brunette waves at her, then looks over to Max, smiles at her, and shoots her a wink.

"How is tonight going? Hey, can you make that a Malibu shot?" Lexi adds and shows her ID.

Candy nods while sending Max another smirk. Maxine twirls her hair in finger, eyeing her every move. "How is tonight without me" Lexi boast, placing her electric blue clutch bag on the bar.

"A nightmare," Candy points her eyes to some guys at a corner.

"Jesus, I can help," Lexi offers with a sly smile.

Candy rolls her eyes and brings back her attention to Max.  "Goodbye Alexis" she sarcastically says with an eye roll.

Lexi always working so for her to have a day off it's rare.

"You want one Lizzie?" Lexi asks, arching her brow.

"I'll take one." I smile and look at the crowd.

"Just one." Max draws her eyebrows together.

"Would you quit." Lexi huffs.

I let out a playful giggle and sneak a quick peek at a pair of guys beaming at us. A blush creeps up my cheeks, and I swiftly divert my attention back to my friends.

Wow, is this what I have been missing all this time? Being one nursing school truly makes you live in a rabbit hole.

"We're dancing after this shot, girl!" Lexi beams, bobbing her head to the instrumental to Rihanna.

I laugh while Lexi mouths along with Rihanna while we wait for our drinks. I know my friends are ecstatic about the chance to just hang out tonight. I'm sure they miss having me around to spend precious moments like this.

"Here." Max smiles, handing us our shot glasses.

"Do you have an ID?" Candy slants her eyes at me through her large-framed, clear glasses.

I reach into my black leather clutch purse for my ID and hand it to her.
She glances down and up at me with equal intensity. Finally, she gives me a wink and a smile. "You look like you're sixteen!"

Candy laughs and Max does too, only for Lexi to grumble, 'give me a break.'

I giggle, brushing my hair to the side and marvel at how Maxine can work anyone's heart. "She gets tha-"

"What's up, beautiful ladies?" A seductive, rich, one-of-a-kind accent utters quite close above my ear.

Our attention diverts from the bar to the right, where we discover a familiar, very tall, olive-skinned guy with adorable, unkempt curly hair.

He licks his bottom lip at all of us, his eyes scanning with sinful desire. He looks familiar to one of the rowdy ones from last night at work.

"I like what I see" He confidently combs the messy curls back.

"Do you?" Lexi challenges as her eyes sparkle with interest but keeps her lips press at him.

"I do." He licks his lips.

"Beat it, Rookie!" Max growls at the guy before returning her attention to Candy with a flirtatious smile.

"Easy Max, I just wanted to say hello to your beautiful friends here." He smiles while his sea-green eyes travel up and down Lexi long enough.

"Easy there white boy." Lexi breaths a chuckle and turns away as if he wasn't there.

"Beat it, baby penis," Max insults, causing him to laugh and place his palm over his heart.

"Ouch Max, you didn't say that yesterday during workouts this morning," he claps back with an arrogant grin, drawing Lexi attention back to him.

They lock gazes and I wonder if Lexi  have butterflies in her tummy I do because his gaze is blazing hot.

"Beat it, you dirty New Yorker!" Max sneers, gritting her teeth. She points her sharp black coffin nail at him to get him to back off.

He better back off before I have to assess him with a puncture wound.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Hollis smiles at Lexi, who appears to be unimpressed with his game but couldn't hide her smile.

She is totally crushing.

"It's Alexis and I don't date athletes, especially rookies." Lexi matter o facts with her eyes surveying him.

He softly touches her hand and places it on his heart.  "Ouch babe."

"Isn't that what you are though?" Lexi smirks, moving her hand.

"Rookies do good things" He winks.

Lexi rolls her eyes but smiles at his impressive banter. "Right."

I giggle and he looks at me with a sly grin. "And your name, gorgeous?"

"It's Lizzie," I offer with a small smile.

His eyes study me for a moment, then light up. "Wait, you are my beautiful waitress from-"

"It's Elizabeth! Now beat it with your hand tonight, rookie!" Max voice booms through the air, pointing to the crowd and a few guys laugh at her scold.

"Might wanna listen." Lexi sips her drink with a smirk.

"You're messin up my game MJ." He teases.

Max eyes slant so tightly she could literally break them. Her nostrils flare almost like smoke coming out at them. No one calls her MJ except Marcus.

"You might want to wave your white flag now, Rookie." Lexi teases.

"Alright alright." He throws his hands up in surrender while he signals lifting his hand at Candy for a drink with a sly grin.  Candy rolls her eyes and turns her back.

"So is your name Rookie, Hollis what is it?" Alexis chuckles still surveying him and between the two my tummy gets butterflies for them.

"It's whatever you want baby girl." He greets Lexi a smoldering grin. "But it's Stephen." He combs his messy hair.

"Hope we can get a dance in tonight." Stephen arches his brow at Lexi as he rakes his eyes all over her body.

"It's nice to meet you, Alexis and Elizabeth, again," he teases.

I giggle at him and tuck a piece a hair behind my ear. "Nice to meet you too." I smile and look at Lexi, who's taking in this guy Hollis' persona with a curious eye.

Hollis flashes his pearly whites, sipping on his drink and looking over his glass at Lexi. She adjusts herself to flaunt her conga drum in my leather pants.

Oh, they would be so cute together. 

Maxine rudely shoves him out the way, holding up her shot glass.

"Maxine!" I shake my head at how she can be a rotten egg sometimes.

"Salud!," I beam.

"Salud!" Lexi hoots.

"Salud," Max drags in happiness.

We clink our shot glasses and gulp the rich, smooth Malibu down our throats. Max hops on the bar stool, engaging in a conversation with Candy swoon over Max words while Lexi and Hollis spark up a conversation about tonight's basketball game and their love for sushi.

My eyes prowl the dance floor, which is becoming increasingly crowded with bodies piled on top of bodies. Girls dance seductively on guys with veiled eyes, writhing and moving to the music like serpents.

My attention is immediately drawn to Marcus' tall frame, who is having a private lap dance from a girl with long, elegant braids similar to Lexi's during the summer. She grinds her hips into his while smiling seductively up at him. He moves in to kiss her full, thick lips as he easily wraps his hands around her waist.

Uh oh.

I look back, pretending not to see, and return my interest to the Hollis guy flirting with Lexi at the bar. She rolls her eyes playfully at him as he takes a sip of his drink from his plastic cup. He pulls out his phone, sliding it to her. Lexi presses her lips as if she's playing too hard to get but I know from the way her eyes sparkle that she is planning their wedding as we speak.  She takes it, smiling away as she types.  He shoots her one last wink as she plops his phone back into his hand.

"Come on Lizzie." Lexi clasps my hand and casts one more glimpse at this Hollis guy's cheeky grin.

Before I could even say goodbye to Stephen, I'm dragged on to the dance floor with Lexi and Max.

I playfully shake my conga drum against Lexi, who squeals. My body embraces the song, swaying to the beat and melting away any apprehension in me.

Oh, how I miss dancing.

Lexi can only laugh as I emerge from within my usual shell on the dance floor. The music throbs in my ears but I close my eyes and relax in the moment with my girls.

From song to song, I feel like Max, Lexi, and I are the only ones out here for hours. It's as if we're dancing in the living room with Just Dance on the Wii. For these moments, I feel light and free. It's amazing.

When Lexi twirls me around, making me laugh, I get a glimpse of Mr. Syrup Eyes.

Jaylan.

I glance back, stealing a quick look while swaying my hips to the rhythm with Lexi and Max. Even from afar, I can't help but admire how the sultry, azure glow in the lounge enhances his rich, brow skin. His gaze follows my every move, igniting a fiery curiosity that sends goosebumps on my forearms.

My eyes lock with his as I dance with Lexi to the next song, but time stands still. I comb my fingers through my hair, without taking my gaze away from him, and he licks his full lips. The heat from his gaze on me causes a gentle caress sensation in my body, like we are communicating while surveying each other with our eyes.

He looks way more Hot than he did last night, with a black V-Neck shirt that clings to his muscular frame. I get a better glimpse at more of his tattoos, which cover both arms, as he lifts his cup up to his lips. With a flash, his expensive gold watch glistens in the light.  His jeans accent his toned legs well and his beard is so well-kept that I'm sure it would feel amazing against m-

Wait a minute.

I watch as he takes another sip from his clear plastic cup filled with a dark liquor, fixing his stare intently on me. I fixate with curiosity, twirling my hips as Lexi twerks on me.

Wilmer Vanderrama you have some competition.

I see him beginning to back away from a blonde girl who is eagerly attempting to capture his interest with how her hands are petting all over him.

My stomach starts to twist as he moves away from her and gets closer to me.  I bite my lower lip as he proceeds carefully through the crowd, his gaze on me with each step. My heart thumps louder, and faster when the details of his handsome face approach.

Out of nowhere, Max emerges in front of me, infuriated and aggressively clutching the collar of a tall, fair-skinned man's shirt.

"Uh oh." Lexi chuckles, while we are still dancing.

We laugh and shake our heads as Max's eyes fire laser beams towards Marcus, who smirks and takes a swig of his drink while his own dancing partner grinds up on him.

"Two can play this game," Max huffs under her breath.

My attention wanders slightly to the left, as I watch Jaylan approaching. Under the heat of his gaze, which is flipping new sensations in my stomach, my eyes drop and I turn away. He's closer now, I can feel it, but Max steps in front of me. She curls her coffin manicure finger at her dancing partner in a 'come here' motion. Her dancing partner smirks and goes forward, but Max extends her hand to stop him, turns her body seductively around, and grinds on him but looks Marcus directly in his eyes.

"She is so dramatic" Lexi shouts over the music.

The guy's hand rests on her back as she leans down, causing some of the guys to catcall her nearby. She slowly comes up and begins sexually dancing on the guy while gluing her eyes on Marcus.

I couldn't stop giggling at their obviously envious glances at each other while dancing with their partners. I resume my attention to Lexi, who is singing openly to Usher in her own universe.

I continued to dance with her until a strong, large, athletic hand grazes my waist, fingers brushing over my bare skin. The soft but firm contact leads me to spin around but whoever touched me is nowhere to be seen. Instead, I witness Marcus shoving Max's dance partner away, resulting in a for-sure volcanic explosion from her.

This is going to end badly.

Edited by: still_just_me