Nine
The Kids Aren't Alright

June had mostly been a blur. It didn't take long to learn the ropes. Bartending was like second nature, and the other side of things she tried not to think about it too much. Not that it was hard to do. Every minute of every day seemed to be accounted for between both jobs, taking on Hazel more since it was summer, fielding Nate who frequently stopped in at Los Pollos during her lunch breaks, and still managing to see her friends. There was Nacho, but she had to deal with him only once a week at most.

Still, Eloisa thought as the house lights dimmed and Jenna took the stage, it wasn't all terrible. "Sex and Candy" played on the speakers much to the delight of everyone watching the stage. She hummed along as she finished the drink she was making and slid it to the other side of the counter. The guy practically threw the cash at her before beelining to the tables near the front. She didn't blame him. All the dancers were magnetic, each with their own set of routines and personalities when they were on the floor. They reminded her of Starr, with all that confidence and charm.

It pained her to admit that as much as she missed her old gig, she was slowly coming to like The Altar. Her mom would have a heart attack if she even stepped so much as a toe in the parking lot, but the club wasn't bad. Matty was loose with the rules, but no one was ever so fucked up that they couldn't work. Women had been kicked off the floor before, though she hadn't seen it herself. Listening in on gossip sessions was paying off. Quinn, however, was not a replacement for Ben; they only spoke when he needed to know how to make a drink. It was fine by Eloisa – at least she could go in the back room when she needed a break. Quinn was stuck hanging out in Matty's office.

A group cut in front of the bar, drawing her attention. She watched the five of them settle into the booth closest to the stage, which had been sectioned off and never occupied since she'd started working there. At the farthest end was Nacho. He glanced at the bar, and she immediately deflected her eyes, focusing on the person who'd come up to the counter instead.

Quinn darted off for a smoke break leaving her to fend for herself as Jenna's set ended. She was lost in the hustle until Sage appeared at her side, the iridescent silver top and miniskirt she was wearing made her seem even more fae-like. She grinned.

"Where'd Quinn go?"

"Break."

"Oh, good, I was hoping it would be you."

Eloisa sighed, knowing whatever came out of Sage's mouth next was not going to be fun. "What's up?"

"VIP table needs drinks. A Holy Water, three Millers, and a Jack and Coke."

Eloisa peeked over at the table again. Had Nacho ordered that on purpose? She watched Amber slide into the seat next to him. No, that was stupid. She was reading too much into it. He probably ordered it all the time. She bit back a sigh and got to work. She hated the club's signature drinks, but especially this one which was just a fancily renamed Adios Motherfucker. She'd made them all the time at Anodyne; trashcan punch mostly ordered by freshly 21-year-olds. Not one of the men at the table looked under 25.

"What's the deal?"

Sage followed her gaze.

"Oh, yeah, they haven't been in for a while so I guess you wouldn't know. The one in the middle? Intense? Kinda scary looking?"

Matty had joined them now. He was trying to talk to the man in the middle, who seemed uninterested in what he was saying and too distracted by the views. Sage had described him correctly. Even when he smiled, there was a tension to it that made her uncomfortable.

"Damn, don't stare!"

Eloisa jumped, beer from the tap running over her hand. She glared at Sage who smothered a laugh.

"That's Tuco. He owns the place."

"Hmm," Eloisa hummed, vaguely recalling Nacho mentioning the name.

When she finished loading the tray, Sage scooped it up.

"Then can you grab a top-shelf bottle of tequila and, like… nine shot glasses, bring them over? Thanks, babe, you're the best."

"Sage."

"Oh, and," Sage reached down and discreetly plucked two baggies out of Eloisa's apron before quickly tucking them into her bra with a wink. "Party favors."

Eloisa gestured at the growing crowd at the counter. "Are you serious right now?"

"You're a doll, Lou!" she called over her shoulder.

"I'll be right back," Eloisa mumbled to the person at the counter as she gathered the necessary items.

If this Tuco guy owned the place she hoped he fucking tipped well.

Pressing her lips together to keep her composure, she walked the second tray to the booth and set it down on the table.

"Thanks, Lou," Sage said, grinning between Tuco and Jenna. Eloisa managed to smile back.

"Yeah, thanks, Lou," Amber echoed, eagerly leaning forward from her perch on Nacho's lap to pour the liquid into the glasses.

"Sure, you're welcome."

"Do a shot with us!" Jenna exclaimed, holding out a glass.

"I'm working, Jen."

"You never drink with us." Jenna's pout was hard to take seriously when she was hanging all over Matty.

Tuco leaned over and smacked Jenna's thigh, making her yelp and then giggle. "A ella no le pagan por beber."

Titters rose from the others, including Matty who Eloisa knew for a fact didn't speak a lick of Spanish. Watching him try to fit in with this crowd was painful.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked loud enough to be heard over the music. Easier to pretend she didn't understand.

Tuco waved a hand dismissively at her. "Nacho, tú le das el dinero."

Still pretending she didn't understand, she turned, ready to head back when Nacho reached up to press some money into her palm. Face burning, she snatched her hand back, tucked the wad into her pocket, and wordlessly stalked back toward the safety of the bar. As she went, she squared her shoulders back. The hand he'd touched she balled into a fist.

Quinn was back, the scent of nicotine hanging around him like a very tempting cloud. His low whistle let her know he'd seen the exchange.

"How much did they tip?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of figures sneaking toward the private rooms. Eloisa pulled the money out of her pocket, counted out what was owed for the drinks and the packets, then shoved the rest in the tip bucket before answering, "See for yourself."

Leaving Quinn to take the back half of the shift had never felt so good. Except for the occasional car passing by, it was quiet outside. This was her favorite time of night, a quiet, liminal space between early and late that felt like it was just for her. Staying close to the lamp light, she lit a cigarette and leaned against her car door.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at the number. Daniel. She took a drag and flipped it open. "What?"

"Can you pick me up?"

Even with the crappy connection, Eloisa could hear the slur in his voice and the bass thumping in the background.

"Are you serious right now?"

"Come on," he pleaded. "I don't want to be at this shitty party anymore. Just come get me so I can crash on your couch."

"Where are you?"

"At a party."

"Oh my god, no shit. Where, Daniel?"

"Off of Eubank… kind of by Tanoan?"

She looked at her phone and made a quick estimate. "Give me like thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes?" Daniel squawked. "That's forever!"

"Fine. Call Ang then. Or Mom."

He mumbled several swear words that she couldn't make out except for "fuck no".

"Hm. I thought so. Text me the address."

She didn't bother waiting for an answer before hanging up. With an annoyed huff, she put out the cigarette and lobbed the butt in the trash by the door. She got in her car, put the key in the ignition, and nothing. Not so much as a sputter. Frustrated, she took a deep breath and tried again. Nothing. It wasn't a total surprise; it had been having trouble starting lately.

Her phone vibrated with a text from Daniel with the address.

"Fuck!" she shouted, slamming her palms against the steering wheel. Why couldn't something, just one thing, go right for once?

Maybe it was the battery. She got out and popped open the hood. The stupid thing still looked new. Besides, a dead battery didn't explain the growling noise she had been ignoring all week. She had to go back in. Someone would help jump her car. At the very least, she could make it to her mom's house where finding the problem could wait until tomorrow.

Gathering what little dignity she felt she had left, she forced herself back inside.

"Yo, I thought you were leaving," Angel called from his perch by the door. "Everything okay?"

"Apparently not," she sighed. "My car won't start."

"Respectfully, Lou, that's because your ride is a piece of shit."

"Wow, Angel," she said, lacing her voice with sarcasm. "That's so helpful. Thank you."

He hopped off the stool. "Lucky for you, I know cars. Let's go look, huh?"

While he inspected under the hood, using the flashlight from his phone, Eloisa watched him work. Angel was easily the friendliest person in the club and the biggest flirt, but he was built like a linebacker, making him a good bouncer. She also knew that Gia had a huge crush on him even if he was oblivious to it.

"Has it been giving you a lot of trouble?" he asked, looking up at her with an expression she couldn't quite read.

She held up two fingers, close together. "A little?"

"A little like how?"

She bit her lip, wondering how much she could share without making herself look like a complete idiot.

"God, you're going to give me so much shit," she mumbled. "It's been making this sound for a couple of days. Like…" she trailed off and imitated the noise. His grimace told her that this was not great news. "And it's been having trouble starting even though I changed the battery a month ago."

Muttering something she couldn't hear he ducked back under the hood. Her phone vibrated again in her pocket. She slid it halfway out and, without glancing at the caller ID, sent it to voicemail.

"Has the radio been weird? Lights bright? Stalled out?" he called.

"Yes, no, and like twice maybe?"

With a disgusted grunt, he stood up straight and closed the hood. "You need a new alternator."

Eloisa sighed and looked up at the light above, blinking back tears. "Okay. How much is that gonna set me back?"

Sensing that she was about to cry, Angel placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, it's all good. Really. It shouldn't be too bad," he said cheerfully. "I can try to fix it tomorrow if you want, but if it doesn't work, it'll set you back- I don't know. Two hundred maybe?"

"Okay," she sniffed. "You're right. That's not bad. How much do I owe you- if you can fix it?"

"Ah, don't worry about that right now. Let's go in. I'll see if someone can cover so I can give you a ride. Just listen for the door, yeah?"

"Thanks."

Defeated, Eloisa sat on the stool. She pulled her phone out of her pocket.

To Daniel: Car broke down, b there when I can

Almost as soon as she hit send, the phone began buzzing angrily. She shoved it in her bag and rested her head against the wall. A few minutes later, Angel jogged back over to her with Nacho in tow. Eloisa bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her face calm.

"Hey, so Nacho said he'll take you. Is that cool?"

No, it was not. Judging by the look on Nacho's face he wasn't thrilled about it either. But Angel looked so pleased with himself for finding a solution that she didn't have the heart to be mean about it. More than anything, she wanted this night to be over.

"Yeah," she said, forcing a smile. "Totally."

"Thanks again, man," Angel said to Nacho. "Matty was being a fucking dick."

"No problem," he replied.

"Lou, meet me tomorrow around noon and I'll see if I can't get that piece of-" he paused, noting her raised eyebrow. "Your car running."

"Thanks, Angel."

After a round of goodbyes, Nacho and Eloisa silently walked out the back door and around to the front of the club where Nacho's van was parked. As she climbed inside, her phone buzzed again. She dug it out of her bag and hit decline.

"You didn't have to do this," she said once he was inside.

"It's fine."

"Really? Because you seem bothered about it." Ignoring the fact that he seemed annoyed by everything, she continued, "I could have called a cab or something."

"Or something," he snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Nothing."

But she wasn't about to let it go. "Do you ever get tired of being so fucking mysterious all the time?" she snapped. "You think I'm annoying. You're annoying."

He turned to her with a raised eyebrow as if to ask if she were done. There was plenty more she could say, but she was already in the stupid van and still needed to pick up Daniel, so she sat back. "Just take me to my mom's, please."

They had just left the parking lot when her phone rang again. She glanced at the screen. Daniel. Again.

She let it ring once more before flipping it open. "I'm on my way, but I have to go to Mom's first and pick up a car."

"That's gonna take forever, Lou, pick me up now."

"How would you like me to do that? My. Car. Broke. Down."

Nacho briefly looked away from the road to check on her.

The less he knew, the less he was involved, the better. "It's fine. It's my brother."

"Are you with someone?" Daniel demanded. "Why can't they pick me up?"

"Shut up and go back inside."

"Where is he?" Nacho asked.

She covered the mouthpiece again. "Don't worry about it. He's in the Heights. He can wait."

He suddenly made a U-turn without using his blinker, causing a car behind them to honk. "I already turned around."

"Twenty minutes, Daniel." She pressed end before he could say anything else. "Thank you," she said quietly.

No response. Eloisa sighed.

"Look, they don't know anything about what I'm doing, not even working at the club, so…"

"You really think I'm gonna blow your little cover and risk exposing the whole operation to a drunk kid?"

Not wanting to argue, she gave him the address and stared out the window.

When they got to the house, the first thing she noticed was a line of cars all down the block. If they were trying to hide that there was a party, they were doing a terrible job. Daniel was sitting out front on a wrought-iron bench with a girl who looked about his age. Her long blonde hair covered her face, but Eloisa could see she was rubbing his back.

Eloisa rolled down the window. "Get in."

Daniel slammed the door shut when he was inside and flopped across the backseat. "Cool van, dude."

"Don't be a dick," she warned while giving Nacho an apologetic look. He shrugged. He had probably seen a lot worse than a drunk 18-year-old. "And put on your seatbelt."

"Why?" A metallic click told her that he had complied with her request. "Is this your boyfriend or something?"

If he hadn't been drunk, Eloisa would have reached back and punched him.

"What if I am?" Nacho asked, a curious expression on his face as he glanced in the rearview mirror. She pressed her thumb and forefinger against her closed eyes and took another deep breath.

Daniel ignored him. "Seriously, Lou, what are you doing with a guy that owns a creeper van?"

"Daniel, stop being an asshole—" she turned around in the seat— "or we'll drop you off at Mom's."

He glared at her, and she glared back until he looked away.

"Sorry, man."

A tense silence fell over the van. Nacho turned up the radio, and they were treated to almost a full minute of Jennifer Lopez before Daniel popped in between the two of them and pressed the seek button.

"That song fucking sucks." Once he found the alternative station, he settled back, closing his eyes and groaning.

"If you're gonna puke, roll down the window," Nacho advised.

"Sure thing. Wouldn't want to mess up your fancy whip."

"So, what's the deal?" Eloisa asked before he could make another stupid comment. "Why didn't you want to stay at the party?"

Daniel groaned again. "Come on. Not the inquisition."

"You called me, fool."

"It was getting fucking stupid. Someone brought Molly and when I said I didn't want to do it, this punk ass dude – Corey – called me a pussy when like-" he stopped and swallowed hard. "Whatever. We almost got into a fight, but he was so fucked up he just like fell over, and then I went outside and threw up and then I tried to call Nate and-"

Eloisa's head whipped around so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. "You. What?"

"Fuck," he said under his breath, closing his eyes. "I knew you were gonna get all weird. I just wanted him to drop me off at your house 'cause you were at work."

"Okay, so why didn't you call Ang?" Or literally anyone else, she wanted to yell. Her voice was rising; she could hear it. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to calm herself down.

"Ang would have made me call you anyway. Besides, just because you broke up with Nate doesn't mean the rest of us did."

Bypassing the crypticness of his statement and everything it implied, she launched into another line of questioning. "Do you call him a lot?"

"See? This is why I didn't wanna tell you!" Daniel shouted. "No, but we still play basketball on Wednesdays. Are we done or you wanna go full Jack Bauer on me in front of your new boyfriend? Jesus."

Eloisa bit back several scathing comments she could have easily thrown at him, opting for a "we'll talk about this later," which reminded her too much of her mother. He was drunk, she reminded herself, and being a stupid teenager. Besides, he was right. She did not want to have this conversation in front of Nacho, whom she had almost forgotten about in her anger.

"Who was the girl?" Nacho asked. Eloisa threw him a grateful look, glad for the topic change.

There was a long beat of silence before Daniel answered, almost shyly, "Jade."

"Ooh," Eloisa teased, shifting back into big sister mode. "How come I've never heard of her?"

"She's Jesse's friend. I just met her tonight. Besides, she's going out with that doofus, Corey."

"And she was comforting you?" Nacho raised an eyebrow at the rearview.

"Yeah," Daniel sighed, a goofy smile on his face.

Daniel was fast asleep by the time they got to Eloisa's house.

"He's going to be so hungover tomorrow. Cabroncete," she said affectionately, turning around in the seat to look at him before glancing at Nacho. "Bet you're glad you're an only child."

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"You have only child energy."

He didn't respond, just rolled his eyes at her smug grin.

"Thanks for picking him up."

"Sure. You need help getting him inside?"

She shook her head and then sighed before getting out and going around to the back. With a little bit of shaking, she managed to wake him enough to get him out of the van and up the steps to one of the chairs on the porch so she could unlock the door. When she turned around to wave at Nacho, the van was already gone.