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I pulled back at his obnoxious remark, as he stuffed another large piece of waffle into his mouth.
“Kings don’t get syrup on their face, babies do.”
He rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrows, but almost nodded in approval while amongst the company of Dad.
I had only stuffed one bite of crepe in my mouth before the windows in the house began to shake. That was fast. Dad’s eyes looked startled, almost like the prey of an approaching dinosaur. The roaring and rattling of Eve’s car was already in the driveway, causing me to scream as I ran upstairs to throw on a shirt. The party was here.
To nobody’s surprise, Eve blasted Backstreet Boys from her speaker, yet her hollering woots were still more audible than the music. She was dancing in the car like a concert girl, swaying her hands in the air listening to “Quit Playing Games.” How fitting considering our phone conversation seemed a bit off. But the music was so loud I didn’t dare deflate one of our anthems as we shouted at the tops of our lungs to sing. I even went as far as using the car air freshener as my microphone, while Eve beat the steering wheel as her drum set.
Once we arrived downtown, we spent our time wandering the faux blocks and visiting boutiques for Eve’s shopping pleasure. Although, I felt like a prick with my nose up to these little no-name boutiques. Brands didn’t matter to me, but the window displays seemed less appealing than what I became accustomed to now. I was used to seeing Chanel, Louis Vuitton, even Dior waving me over with their stellar colorful displays. Ok, I’d admit it. I’d become a snob.
This was fine for now, seeing that it was relatively quiet and mostly empty. The only sound present was emitted from the shifting hangers from our sorting hands. Each quick shift sounded like a blade, cutting the tension that was only felt within my heart.
“Eve, I need to ask you something.”
“Anything…” she said, not glancing up at me as she tried on a pair of black stilettos in a nearby corner. I swore she had about fifty of those same ones lying around her messy bedroom.
“I need you to be completely honest with me.”
Now her ears perked up. She crossed her legs while locking her gaze on mine but also obsessing over her shoes.
“Aren’t these just absolutely gorgeous?” She stated.
“Yes, but…”
“But, nothing.” She waved at the cashier who happily skipped over. “I’ll buy these, dear. Please bring me any other curated item you think I’ll like. I’ll try them all on.”
“Absolutely.” She said happily. Honestly, Eve must have been the only customer she’s ever had in this desolate store, because her eyes popped like dollar signs as they conversed. I couldn’t believe Eve was shafting me like this.
“Eve, I’m serious.” I took the shoe box from her hand aggressively. “Can you for one second pay attention when I’m talking to you?” The annoyance in my voice was stinging enough to grab her attention. She nodded, which meant I could continue speaking.
“Why did Robbie grab your arm like that last night?”
“What did you hear?” She snipped back.
“What do you mean what did I hear? Was there something to hear, because I couldn’t hear anything, but I saw how angry you two were at one another? It didn’t seem normal…” I huffed my words out quickly, losing my breath. Eve was quiet, looking away, avoiding my confused gaze.
The cashier stopped by with a pile of shoe boxes for a gleeful Eve, who diverted her attention elsewhere. I was furious at her ignorance.
“Here you go, Miss Eve,” the attendant handed each pair out, slipping them on her feet. I snapped.
“Just stop.” I placed my hand up at the attendant. “I’m sorry. I just need a few minutes with my friend outside. Just keep the shoes at the register for her, trust me she won’t get into the damn car without them.” I pulled her elbow like a child because I was sick of her avoidance at this point.
“Fine, geez, grumpy lady. We’ll go outside.” She wobbled outside beside me.
It seemed like Eve had to literally drag her feet out the store, like a dog who refused to be bathed.
She took a deep breath before speaking. “There’s something I need to tell you about Robbie.”
“What would you have to tell me about Robbie?” My confused look was displaced in our day of fun.
“Julia, I’m only going to say this once, and we’ll need to move on. Promise?” She held her pinky out. That might have worked when we were children, but in this moment I wasn’t sure.
My eyes narrowed on her sad ones. Shit, something was going on, and I was not sure I liked where it was headed.
“Maybe.” I kept my arms crossed as I observed her every movement.
“You have to promise me right now.” She desperately pleaded.
