I may have just set myself on a path to let those I love handle their own stuff, but there are some things that no one should have to handle alone, like their boyfriend’s bliss-and-wine-drunk parents.
We didn’t make it to the bar. My sister and her boyfriend, Spencer, headed us off at the jump.
“Hey,” she said, a pre-pout already on her face.
“Hey.”
“You found him,” she said to Finn.
“I did.”
Lena looked up at me. “I’m really sorry. Not just for running my mouth, but also for being nasty about it. Forgive me?”
“Still pissed, but we’re getting there.” I smiled and rolled my eyes. “You know what? If you didn’t spill the beans, Finn and I might not be here right now.”
“Great! Because I’ve had so much to tell you and no Ryder to tell for like two days!”
“Can I at least order a drink first?”
“I thought you were joking?” Finn asked. “There’s no way I could drink again if I were as hungover as you.”
“I was going to get a Sprite.”
“Oh. Then, by all means.”
“Wait wait wait, watch this first.Trustme, you’ll wanna see it.”
Spencer said, “Yeah, man. You don’t wanna miss this.”
“Both Lena and Spence’s seal of approval? The soda can wait.” I chuckled.
Lena handed me her phone, already playing a video. It looked like some kind of shitty auditorium, but with women in light pink walking around as if it were a funeral. Then I heard, “Where’s Bell? WHERE THE FUCK IS BELL!? I need to PEE!” In a shrill so unnerving it would haunt my nightmares.
I watched the whole thing. It was only a few minutes, but it took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. Seeing her behave that way was not at all surprising. None of it was. Not to me, at least.
“Better than it could’ve gone. No one was bleeding.” I handed her phone back. “You should tag my friend, Rickie. She knows all about Bree and would love to see that.”
“Who’s Rickie?” Lena asked. “And what’s her handle?”
“I think she tagged me in a bunch of stuff from last night.”
Lena hit me. “Last night,like you weren’t a missing person?”
“I wasn’t missing. I was with her in New York. She actually helped me a lot.”
Finn laughed. “Along with a drag queen named Caressa Mae.”
“Okay,what? Who? How?” Lena laughed so hard she coughed.
“It’s a long story.” Finn laughed. “But better told with a drink. I’ll get you a Sprite, babe. Be right back.”
Lena’s face burned as her smile grew too big for her face. She had opened her mouth to say something when our brother got on the mic. “Excuse me, everybody, can I have your attention for a second?” Miles said.
He was buzzed already. I couldn’t blame him. I’d be fucking shitfaced at my zombie wedding.
When the ballroom quieted down, Miles continued. “I just wanted to say thank you all for being here. This isn’t theway I had envisioned this day, or this speech going,” the crowd laughed, “but this is much, much better. I’m sorry for the confusion and whatever drama you all might have had to hear or been party to. Just know that I chose myself, my family, and my future today. A real future. So, uh… thanks for being here.”
Miles had many redeeming qualities, but Toastmaster was not one of them.
