Turned out I needn't have worried about being under-dressed. Charlie must have had more game than I realized; before I could even leave my seat after the game to congratulate his win, the guy was wrapped up in the arms of some freshman girl. I mean, whatever. It's not like he was ever really mine in the first place... Damn. Still hurt though.
Devin and I both stood flabbergasted at the sight of Charlie and- Lindy? Liza?- the girl whose throat he currently had his tongue stuck down. The jostling crowd snapped us back to reality, and we allowed ourselves to be swept towards the exit along with them. Devin tucked her arm though mine and patted my shoulder. I looked up at her, confused. She was glaring back at Charlie, who was still on the ice with his girl.
"I can put the hurt on her if you want." Her jaw was set and her eyes were narrow, but the excessive Boston accent made me giggle. She sounded like some B movie gangster.
"God, Devin. Two seconds ago you were gonna put the hurt on me for being into Charlie." I shoved her. Devin grinned.
"Yeah, well..."
We pushed through the crowd, laughing again. The sun was just setting as we got outside, and the last rays were a pretty color of hope and mischief. Or maybe I was just projecting...
"Hmmm..." I mused, jumping atop a cement stile to gaze out over the parking lot. Devin scoffed and tried to knock me down. "Quit it, you." I kicked out at her arm and she resigned herself to glaring at me impatiently as the crowd stepped around us. A group of underclassmen passed, looking us over with a mix of judgment and admiration. Those kind of looks fueled me as a general rule, but I breathed in their rueful veneration like it was oxygen right then. I needed it after losing Charlie. I smirked, feeling altogether impish.
"What's say we get into trouble tonight, Devin my dear?" I stroked my pretend goatee. Devin looked up at me, amused.
"I say what the fuck are we waiting for?"
/././././././././././././././././././././././././. /././././././././././././././././././././././././. /./././././
It didn't take long to convince the rest of the seniors; two weeks into school and we were all itching to let off a little steam. The eight of us were congregated in the locker room by 6:30. Meeting way down there provided less chance of being over heard as we schemed out illicit activities, plus way more room to primp and what not for those who desired. Possible outfits hung in our lockers while we gathered around a bench to pool our alcohol money.
"I've got... nine to spare."
"Just five from me."
"I got nothing tonight, sorry!"
"Fifteen, here."
"I have ten."
"Three."
"Nada. Oh wait, score! There's eight in my cleat!"
"Twenty-five ladies. You're welcome." We all gazed adoringly at Mary.
"Thanks Mar'!" We chorused. Devin sorted the pile of bills and counted up our total.
"That's $75 flat, guys. Hell yeah. Alright, what's on the menu? Any requests?" She asked. It would be Devin's boytoy Allen purchasing the alcohol, as per usual. He was a Junior at UMN and completely enamored with Devin. She'd met him the semester before while on a college visit to UMN.
After a few moments of deliberating, we decided on a handle of Smirnoff, a couple bottles of Bacardi, and a fifth of tequila. Any leftover cash went to gatorade or kool-aid to mix with.
"Allen's tonight? Or frat row?" Meredith asked as she headed to the showers.
"Frat houses. It's Saturday, they'll be hopping." Sadie voted and held up two outfits. I pointed to the hot pants in her left hand.
"Those. But if we go to Allen's there'll be athletes." I pointed out.
"Right on Amber!" Tracy agreed from the mirrors where she was busy crimping her hair. Emily and Shannon grinned and gave a 'fuck yeah' for good measure.
"It's settled. Allen's it is." I bumped hips with Devin as I passed her.
/././././././././././././././././././././././././. /././././././././././././././././././././././././. /./././././
I went into the night with the express goal of raising as much hell as possible, which in retrospect wasn't my finest moment. Especially considering I'd already done pretty near the worst before the night even started... But I mean, how is it our fault that so many of those freshman hockey players are so damn fine? And how it it our fault that said fine ass hockey players were lounging on the dorm quad when our caravan drove past on the way to Allen's? Exactly. Not our fucking fault. We couldn't help ourselves. Especially once that tall, dark, delicious Mendoza boy started cat calling at us. I rolled down my window and waved him over. I'd spoken to him once or twice, loving the chance to speak Spanish and know the other party could actually respond (which was a fucking event in Minnesota, let me tell you.)
"Oye, Mendoza! Cuantos anos tienes?" I asked when he and a few of his friends drew closer.
"Diezyseis." His slow smirk and espresso eyes made me heat up all over. Fuck.
"Todos?" I gestured to his two friends, Portman and Averman.
"Si. Where are you lovely ladies off to?" He came even closer, leaning against the open window and getting way into my personal space. Ahem, NOT complaining...
"Looking for a party, Mendoza?" I questioned, fingering a leather bracelet he wore on his wrist.
"Most definitely, belleza." His voice was molten sex. How is he only sixteen, I thought.
"Oh dear God..." Emily muttered in exasperation from the drivers seat.
"For fucks sake, just tell 'em to get in!" Meredith leaned over me from the center seat, ogling Portman hungrily. After a quick sidebar, Sadie dragged an overwhelmed looking Averman to Tracy's less crowded Corsica, while Portman and Mendoza settled into the backseat of Emily's Blazer with Meredith and I. Meredith ended up on Portman's lap (out of pure necessity for space, she'll argue till her dying day.)
And that is the story of my naughtiness before even beginning the night. And wouldn't you know it got even worse than corrupting three freshmen? As we pulled away, I saw Charlie on a bench not fifty feet away. His perfect blue eyes met mine and I swear the world stopped. I wanted more than anything to be sitting beside him, laughing and joking and not about to go party until I passed out. But we kept driving; I kept his gaze as long as I could, but right before he faded from view, Linda bounded up, catching him in a hug. I turned back to Mendoza and tried not to feel my heart breaking.