“I’m sure you do.” I braced my arms against the Fiat’s dashboard. She did a one-eighty and squeezed her tiny car into a tiny spot.
“That was quick.” As soon as she shifted the car into park, I hopped out. Brooke and Julia jumped out just as fast.
“That’s what happens when you don’t take the janky subway.” She smoothed down her gold pleated skirt and led us around the corner.
Arabica undulated with life as people crammed into the tiny shop. Girls with pink and blue hair, guys with mohawks, tattoos, and tons of studded accessories. The girls and I stuck out like the most obvious Where’s Waldo ever. Okay kids, find the freaks who don’t fit in.
I fluffed up my long locks and shoved all my bracelets onto one arm, but it didn’t help. Still the sixteen-year-old in the little black dress.
Brooke and Julia huddled around me at the back of the line as Shanda roamed the tiny space, chatting up anyone who would give her the time of day. At the front, something caught my eye. The barista’s knuckles were inked with OZZY.
“Look, he’s an Ozzy fan.” I whispered to the girls. Suddenly, his scruffy face stared back at me. I opened my mouth and said the first thing that popped out.
“What can I get you?” He attempted a smiled, but his untrimmed goatee turned his teeth into fangs.
“I’ll take the Mint Mocha Frappe.” I slid a five-dollar bill across the countertop to his unmarked hand. “No Ozzy on this hand?”
“Pinky here ran out of time, then we got slammed.” A barista with bright pink hair waved as Ozzy picked up a black sharpie, twirling it between his fingers. “Why don’t you write on this one? You know you want to.”
I bit my lip, but he just stared at me, pen poised in the air. “Fine, you really don’t look right without it.” I stenciled Ozzy on his four knuckles, an exclamation point on his thumb.
“Nice.” He examined his hand, grabbing mine before I could pull away. “Your turn.”
In ten seconds he’d inked Ozzy! on both my hands. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
Then he flashed the other baristas a thumbs-up to show off his exclamation mark. They all cracked up like it was the funniest thing in the world. Far from it. Humiliating, actually.
“I can’t believe you let a stranger mark up your hands.” Shanda cackled behind me, probably lurking there the whole time. Brooke and Julia just giggled like backup singers.
An odd feeling curled up in my belly, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I shrugged off their laughter, tipping the marker to Shanda. “Why don’t you do the last exclamation point? His thumb feels left out.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She snorted at the sharpie right as the steam wand screamed out a cloud of mist.
“Go ahead, I dare you to.” Ozzy wiggled his hand at her.
“Time for a taste of your own medicine.” I curled my lips at Shanda and tapped my nails on the counter at his thumb.
This would be interesting. No way could she back down from a challenge. Would she start now? Click, click, click went my index finger, counting down to her decision.
She snatched the marker from my fingers, scribbling the symbol as fast as she could.
She shot me the stink eye and turned to Ozzy. “Any good bands playing tonight?”
“Heard there’s a pretty good show at Riot.” Ozzy flashed us both hands, fangs barred under that scraggly fuzz. “You girls should check it out. I might stop in when I’m done here, around midnight. Maybe I’ll see you there.” His eyes hovered on me.
“Maybe you will.” Shanda winked at me. Great, I’d never hear the end of this.
Bits of breathy laughter puffed behind me, probably Brooke or Julia, or both. I straightened my shoulders, winding my way to the end of the bar to wait for my drink.
“What was that?” Shanda hissed at me. “I can’t believe you let him write Ozzy on your knuckles, like he was branding you. If Bryan were here, he’d be so jealous. Right, Brooke?”
“Ouch.” Her words seared into me as I rubbed the scar on my wrist. I wouldn’t let that horrible church fire could get me down tonight.
“We weren’t going to worry about him, right?” Brooke’s eyes lit into me, then her shoulders slumped. “But yeah, probably.”
Shanda gave me a satisfied smirk, hands on her hips. “See what I mean, you were totally flirting with that guy.”
“Gross, no I wasn’t. Maybe he was flirting with me, but I wasn’t flirting with him.” I grabbed my mint frappe and poked the straw in my mouth, sucking down the icy goodness until I got a brain freeze. The cold squelched out all the heat from my cheeks. “No way could that be construed as flirting. Friendliness doesn’t equal flirting, right?”
All three of them busted out laughing, and I had my answer. “But he’s not even cute. Such a nerd with that horrible chin puke and giant glasses. This is terrible.” My stomach rumbled if it knew more than I did.
“So much for girl’s night.” Julia flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes, which sent Brooke into another fit of hysteria.
“Whatever.” I flashed my evil glare at her.
“She’s right.” Shanda grabbed two drinks from the bar. “Now he’s going to stalk us at the club.”
“We’ll just have to leave before midnight.” I slurped up the minty-chocolate concoction.
“What are you Cinderella now? I’m sure we’ll think of something.” Shanda’s face twisted into her scheming look. “Let’s head over now, it’s too crowded in here, anyway. We’ll take the back door, so we don’t tempt Lucy to flirt with Ozzy over there anymore.”
The girls giggled as
