comes at her with a napkin asBuddy jumps around the room gleefully. “I’ll get some club soda.”
“It won’t work. I need to get this to a dry cleaner right away. There’s an all-night one near my place. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“All right.”
She hesitates before leaving. He’s not going to offer to pay?
She closes the door as Jason begins to play with his dog.
Tracey never goes back.
And Jason never calls.
“W OW , K AYLA .” Ryan’s eyes widen when he sees me in the subway station. “Somebody actually made an effort!”
“Yeah, so?”
“So I love it! You’re definitely picking up tonight.”
The truth? I hope he’s right. But I haven’t told him or any of the others about my crush on Jared. I just told them we should go to see this band and lots of people from school will be there. Hopefully, by the end of the night, they’ll see me getting cozy with the hot guitarist…
We meet up with Amy, Chad, Sharese, Viv and Max at the Astor Place station around nine-thirty. They all comment on how good I look, making me wonder how bad I look the rest of the time. But it’s true, I put a lot of effort in tonight, not the least of which is overcoming my fear of a red-hot flatiron in order to straighten my hair. I also put onmakeup, my cutest jeans and a silver top. I know the silver is a bit of a fashion risk, but I also know that it brings out the sparkle in my eyes. It’s all about confidence, anyway.
When we get to the Vox on Avenue B, there’s already a lineup. A bouncer is standing beside the door checking IDs.
“I thought you said they didn’t check here.” Sharese frowns. “They’re checking almost everyone.”
“New management, maybe.” But I’m not feeling good about this.
“Chad should go first,” Amy says. “He’s got his brother’s ID.”
I can tell Amy’s hyped to get in. I must have sold her on the event. That, or she saw a few seniors go in and she doesn’t want them to get ahead of her.
We’re out there about twenty minutes before Chad’s up to bat. The bouncer pauses for a second with his ID, then lets him in. My heart is pounding. I absolutely have to get in.
Amy’s turn. The bouncer hardly looks at her ID. She’s in.
I’m up next. I hand over my ID, trying to look casual. Meanwhile my head resounds with the thuds of my pulse. Bam. Bam.
The bouncer stares at me, squinting. I look up at him, trying not to be intimidated by his stare.
“I’m supposed to believe you’re twenty-one?” He looks me up and down. “Yeah, right. Show me some other ID to prove it.”
“Um…” I do some fumbling in my handbag. It’s toosmall to hold a wallet, so all my ID cards and money are loose. Then he reaches in and snatches my real student ID.
“Michaela Cruickshank, Midwood high school. Twenty-one and still in high school, huh?”
My face burns. A bunch of people are laughing and snickering, including some seniors from our school. I want to walk away, but the bouncer holds my eyes, his face contorting. “You’re a junior? I’d have pegged you for a freshman. I’m sick of you kiddies always trying to get in here. Why shouldn’t I call the police?”
I feel my lips tremble. Stay calm. Everyone is staring at you . If I weren’t so freaked out by a man twice my size shouting at me, I might mention that half of the people in line are underage. As it is, I’m trying not to cower under the menace in his eyes.
“Well? I asked you a question.”
“I’m sorry. I just thought…”
“You didn’t think, that was the problem. Don’t you know we could get fined and shut down if the cops find kiddies like you in there? You wanna run this place out of business?”
I shake my head.
“Then you and your little friends better take off.”
I nod. Ryan and Sharese grab my hands and we run up the block, Viv and Max right behind us.
Once the bar is out of sight, we stop running. “I can’t believe that guy!” Ryan gasps for breath. “What an
“It won’t work. I need to get this to a dry cleaner right away. There’s an all-night one near my place. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“All right.”
She hesitates before leaving. He’s not going to offer to pay?
She closes the door as Jason begins to play with his dog.
Tracey never goes back.
And Jason never calls.
“W OW , K AYLA .” Ryan’s eyes widen when he sees me in the subway station. “Somebody actually made an effort!”
“Yeah, so?”
“So I love it! You’re definitely picking up tonight.”
The truth? I hope he’s right. But I haven’t told him or any of the others about my crush on Jared. I just told them we should go to see this band and lots of people from school will be there. Hopefully, by the end of the night, they’ll see me getting cozy with the hot guitarist…
We meet up with Amy, Chad, Sharese, Viv and Max at the Astor Place station around nine-thirty. They all comment on how good I look, making me wonder how bad I look the rest of the time. But it’s true, I put a lot of effort in tonight, not the least of which is overcoming my fear of a red-hot flatiron in order to straighten my hair. I also put onmakeup, my cutest jeans and a silver top. I know the silver is a bit of a fashion risk, but I also know that it brings out the sparkle in my eyes. It’s all about confidence, anyway.
When we get to the Vox on Avenue B, there’s already a lineup. A bouncer is standing beside the door checking IDs.
“I thought you said they didn’t check here.” Sharese frowns. “They’re checking almost everyone.”
“New management, maybe.” But I’m not feeling good about this.
“Chad should go first,” Amy says. “He’s got his brother’s ID.”
I can tell Amy’s hyped to get in. I must have sold her on the event. That, or she saw a few seniors go in and she doesn’t want them to get ahead of her.
We’re out there about twenty minutes before Chad’s up to bat. The bouncer pauses for a second with his ID, then lets him in. My heart is pounding. I absolutely have to get in.
Amy’s turn. The bouncer hardly looks at her ID. She’s in.
I’m up next. I hand over my ID, trying to look casual. Meanwhile my head resounds with the thuds of my pulse. Bam. Bam.
The bouncer stares at me, squinting. I look up at him, trying not to be intimidated by his stare.
“I’m supposed to believe you’re twenty-one?” He looks me up and down. “Yeah, right. Show me some other ID to prove it.”
“Um…” I do some fumbling in my handbag. It’s toosmall to hold a wallet, so all my ID cards and money are loose. Then he reaches in and snatches my real student ID.
“Michaela Cruickshank, Midwood high school. Twenty-one and still in high school, huh?”
My face burns. A bunch of people are laughing and snickering, including some seniors from our school. I want to walk away, but the bouncer holds my eyes, his face contorting. “You’re a junior? I’d have pegged you for a freshman. I’m sick of you kiddies always trying to get in here. Why shouldn’t I call the police?”
I feel my lips tremble. Stay calm. Everyone is staring at you . If I weren’t so freaked out by a man twice my size shouting at me, I might mention that half of the people in line are underage. As it is, I’m trying not to cower under the menace in his eyes.
“Well? I asked you a question.”
“I’m sorry. I just thought…”
“You didn’t think, that was the problem. Don’t you know we could get fined and shut down if the cops find kiddies like you in there? You wanna run this place out of business?”
I shake my head.
“Then you and your little friends better take off.”
I nod. Ryan and Sharese grab my hands and we run up the block, Viv and Max right behind us.
Once the bar is out of sight, we stop running. “I can’t believe that guy!” Ryan gasps for breath. “What an
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