All About the Hype (28 page)

‘Really.’ He stares at me pointedly. He shakes his head and clasps my face, planting a kiss directly on my lips.

I smirk as he pulls away. I applied fresh lipstick in the bathroom.

‘Fuck,’ he mutters, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his denim shirt and grinning at me. My heart flips.

‘There you are!’ Sienna interrupts us suddenly, throwing her arms round our neck.

‘Hey,’ I say, looking for Dana. Yep, she’s here, alright.

‘You guys were great,’ Dana says, smiling at us as Jack pulls me close. ‘Are you hanging here for a bit?’

‘I think so.’ A DJ has started playing and people are already moving back onto the dance floor.

‘We’ve got a table in the VIP area. Come grab a drink if you like.’

I glance at Sienna to see her eyebrows raised hopefully.

What the hell, my feet are killing me
.

I don’t know where Gramps is. He was up at the bar the last time I looked, sinking shots with Billy Mitchell.

He’s such a badass.

Dana tells her friends to make room for us so we can sit down. Someone passes us champagne and we chink glasses. ‘To music,’ Dana says.

‘To music,’ we all agree.

I’m feeling pretty light-headed, but I’m so content. I turn to Jack. He still has a smudge of red at the corner of his lip. I brush it away, smiling.

‘Aw, you guys make such a cute couple,’ Dana says, nudging her sister. ‘Don’t they, Sie?’

Sienna nods as Dana sits back in her seat, eyeing us. She points at Jack. ‘You’re like a mini Johnny Jefferson. And you’re a mini Meg,’ she says to me with a smirk before
Jack can comment.

‘Meg?’ I ask with a frown.

‘All sweet and innocent,’ she states with a nonchalant shrug.

‘I’m not sweet and innocent.’

She looks entertained. ‘Sure you are.’

‘I’m not,’ I reply, bristling.

‘If you say so,’ she says genially. ‘Hey, let me introduce you to my friends.’

After a while, I turn to Jack. ‘I should probably go and check on Gramps.’

He nods. ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘Leaving so soon?’ Dana asks, as we get up, abruptly cutting off the conversation she was having.

‘I want to check on my granddad,’ I tell her.

She grins. ‘You are just as cute as pie.’

I grimace, but I don’t respond. A couple of her friends snigger.

‘What?’ she rounds on them. ‘She
is
cute! I’m not being a dick about it.’

I start to walk away.

‘Come back soon!’ she calls after us.

‘I don’t know what to make of that one,’ I say to Jack.

‘She’s a bit weird,’ he comments.

We find Gramps with Billy and Marlin’s co-owner, Ross, at the bar. A cheer goes up as about ten people sink a shot of God knows what.

‘Kiddo!’ Gramps shouts, spying me. ‘You want one?’

I glance at Jack. Gramps is such a far cry from my dad. Jack shrugs.

‘Sure, why not?’ I reply.

Ross pulls a face and pats me on the back. ‘Sorry, kids, but you can’t. You’re underage.’

But we were drinking in the green room! Hmm, out of sight of the other punters, I presume.

‘Oh, you’re no fun at all,’ Gramps complains. ‘Where else can we go?’ he asks buoyantly, looking around.

‘Back to mine?’ Billy suggests, swaying slightly.

‘House party! Hell, yeah!’ Gramps cries.

‘Christ,’ Jack mutters, regarding me with a mixture of alarm and amusement.

‘Come on, it’ll be fun,’ I urge.

‘I gotta pee. You OK here?’

I nod and turn back to Gramps, but, a moment later, a hand clamps round my wrist and pulls me backwards. I swing round and come face to face with Eve.

‘Oh,’ I say. ‘Hello.’

‘I just wanted to give you a warning,’ she says, her dark eyes flashing as she glares at me from a height, being several inches taller. ‘I see you looking at him with those
puppy-dog eyes and I feel sick.’

I can almost hear my heart thumping.

‘I feel sick for
you
,’ she clarifies bluntly. ‘
I
looked at him like that. I loved him. Yeah, I did,’ she says firmly when my mouth drops open.
‘He’s a bastard. A player. You should get away from him while you can.’

‘I feel sorry for you,’ I say, staring defiantly at her.

She snorts and shakes her head. ‘I am
telling
you…’ She points her finger right at my face, jabbing it at me. ‘You have got it coming.’

‘Back off, bitch.’ Dana appears from out of nowhere and gets right up in Eve’s face. Eve looks stunned as she takes a few steps backwards. ‘I said back off!’ Dana
keeps walking towards her. She’s tiny compared to Eve, but she’s clearly a force to be reckoned with.

Eve rolls her eyes and casts me one last look over her shoulder before stalking off. I realise I’m shaking.

‘You alright?’ Dana looks grim. ‘I could see her from across the bar.’

‘I’m fine. Thanks,’ I think to add.

‘What was her problem?’

‘She’s Jack’s ex.’

‘Aah,’ she says knowingly. Her face breaks out into a grin. ‘Jealousy makes us crazy. I should know.’ She laughs.

‘Who’s this, then?’ Gramps asks, stumbling over. I tense up.

‘Hey, I’m Dana,’ Dana says, offering her hand.

Gramps’s brow furrows as though he’s trying to recall a long-lost memory. He
must’ve
seen pictures of Dana, even if they never met. But his face shows no signs of
recognition and I relax slightly as he shakes her hand. ‘Brian. Are you coming?’

‘No, Gramps,’ I interject.

‘Where?’ Dana asks.

‘Back to Billy Mitchell’s house.’ Gramps roughly shakes Billy’s shoulder.

‘House party?’ Dana’s eyes light up. ‘Damn, yeah, I’m up for that. I’ll go get my friends.’

My heart sinks as I watch her departing back.

‘All set?’ Jack asks when he returns. I give him a black look. ‘What? What have I missed?’

I have no idea how late it is, but I am having the Best Time Of My Life! This party is so much fun.
Sooooo
much fun. I’m completely blathered and nobody gives a
shit. None of the adults bat an eyelid when I help myself to vodka. They’re all completely irresponsible and I love it! Gramps has fallen asleep on the sofa and some girl has kissed him all
over his face with bright pink lipstick. It is
so
funny. He’s going to crack up later. Jack is off somewhere with his dad, I think, and I’m here with Sienna and she’s
laughing at her sister and Dana is so much fun and I really like her and I have no idea what the big deal was about me meeting her. She’s really funny! And so cool and talented, and Johnny,
you’re such a lame-ass for getting so worked up about it. Yeah, I
do
want a drag of that guy’s cigarette! I haven’t smoked in ages. Wow, it goes straight to my head!
I’d forgotten this feeling.

‘Can I keep it?’ I ask him.

He shrugs and nods.

‘I got it wrong!’ Dana shouts at me over the music.

‘What did you get wrong?’ I shout back.

She gets up and climbs over the table, edging in between me and the guy sitting next to me. She flops back against the sofa.

‘You’re not sweet and innocent,’ she says in my ear.

‘I told you!’ I reply, giggling.

‘I expected you to be so boring, but you’re fun. You’re a good-time girl,’ she says teasingly. ‘A real little party animal.’

‘Yep. That’s me.’

‘Can I?’ she asks. I hand over the cigarette and she takes a long drag, blowing out several smoke rings.

‘That is so cool!’ I effuse. ‘Can you teach me how to do that?’

She shrugs. ‘Sure.’

I’m laughing my head off so much after a minute. I’ll never get it.

‘You’re hilarious,’ Dana pronounces.

I’m still laughing as she takes my cigarette and leans forward to stub it out in an ashtray.

‘Where’s Sienna?’ I ask.

‘She and Abe have gone somewhere.’

‘Who’s Abe?’ I ask.

‘My friend. He really likes her.’

‘Who? That singer-songwriter guy?’ I ask with confusion. Dana introduced me to him earlier.

‘That’s the one.’

‘Isn’t he a bit old?’

She shrugs. ‘Sie can handle herself.’

I have a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach, but it doesn’t sit well with the rest of the buzz I’m experiencing so I try to ignore it.

‘Where are you gonna get this tattoo of yours?’ Dana asks with a grin, turning to face me.

‘I don’t know,’ I say, lifting my arm up. It feels kind of floppy. ‘I was thinking here.’ I point to my bicep.

She wrinkles her nose.

‘Why? Where would you get it done?’ I ask her.

She scrutinises me for a moment and then drags one fingertip down the side of my body, skimming the skin south of my crop top. She does it so quickly I don’t have time to squeal about
being ticklish and then she’s prodding my hipbone. ‘I’d go here. You’re young, you don’t want anything too visible for your first.’

‘I can’t get a tattoo until I’m eighteen, anyway,’ I say.

She grins at me. ‘Is that what he told you?’

‘Who? My dad?’ I shake my head. ‘He doesn’t want me to get one at all.’

‘Bullshit,’ she says with a smirk, shaking her head. ‘Johnny loves ink. He’s just saying that because that’s what he thinks he
should
say. He’d
totally dig your noughts and crosses idea.’

‘You reckon?’ I ask her dubiously.

‘Definitely. He got two tats when we were together. Oh my God!’ She sits up suddenly. ‘Rick!
Rick!
’ she calls across the room, cupping her hands round her mouth.
‘RICK!’

A big, heavily tattooed rocker dude in a grey vest with long, stringy brown hair looks over. Dana beckons to him enthusiastically.

‘Rick did Johnny’s bird, the one on his left shoulder,’ she says in a hasty aside to me, grinning brightly as Rick joins us. ‘How was Jamaica, dude?’ she asks,
getting to her feet and throwing her arms round his neck.

‘Sick,’ he replies, smiling down at her.

‘When did you get back? Man, it’s been killing me that you’ve been gone so long!’

‘Last week.’

‘Please tell me you’ve got your kit here,’ she implores.

He nods. ‘Always.’

‘Can you do me those tiny butterflies that we talked about?’ she asks eagerly.

‘On your shoulder blade, right?’ He raises one eyebrow.

‘Exactly!’ she says.

He nods once and she beams at me. ‘You wanna come watch?’

I hesitate.
Where’s Jack? Where’s Sienna?
Gramps is right here, but he’s snoring. I purse my lips and shrug. ‘Sure. May as well see what I’m letting myself
in for.’

Dana bites her lip and stretches out her hand to help me up.

‘Who’s the kid?’ Rick asks Dana.

‘A friend. She’s twenty-one.’

‘You sure about that? She looks younger.’

‘I swear to you she’s legit.’

‘I have ID,’ I interrupt, looking around for my bag. ‘Oh. It’s on the sofa,’ I say.

‘Forget it, but, if anyone asks, you don’t know me.’ He looks at Dana as he says this.

‘I never reveal my sources,’ she replies with a charming smile. ‘You should know that from experience.’ They both look down at me.

‘Why noughts and crosses?’ Rick asks me.

‘My mum used to play it with me. She died a year ago.’

‘So it’s a tribute to her?’

‘Yes. I’ll have to draw it for you, though. There was a sequence she played so that I’d always win.’

‘You sound like you’ve given it some thought.’

‘I have. I’ve wanted a tattoo for ages.’

He shrugs. ‘OK. As long as you know what you’re doing.’

‘Totally.’

Dana’s eyes shine with excitement…

I jerk awake.
What the—? Oh my God, my head! Ow! Why is it so bright in here? Didn’t I put my bedroom blinds down?
I squint into the light as the
blurriness recedes. I’m not at home.

Where am I?

Through the fog in my head, pain starts to register elsewhere and I realise there’s a stinging, burning sensation coming from my right hipbone.

And then it all comes flooding back.

Holy, holy shit. Please tell me it was a dream! Did I get a tattoo last night?

I sit bolt upright and look down to see a white bandage attached with surgical tape to my skin. My jeans have been partly unbuttoned and are folded over at the top. My head pounds violently.
We’re still at Billy Mitchell’s and the place looks like a bombsite. Early-morning sunlight is streaming in through the windows. Gramps is still asleep on the sofa beside me, his face
plastered with lipstick kisses, and there are a few bodies scattered across the floor, all out cold and breathing heavily. I can hear voices coming from somewhere in the house and a loud thumping
noise accompanying them, but I don’t have it in me to go and investigate.

I’m desperate for water and thankfully I spy a half-empty glass on the table in front of me. I scramble forward and grab it, not caring about consuming someone else’s germs, and take
a large gulp. I spit it out, almost choking as it sears my throat. It’s neat vodka. That gets me up and out of my seat. I stumble across the room, growing closer to the voices and the
thumping sound. Where’s the kitchen? Where’s the bathroom? I come across two people and ask.

‘Bathroom’s right there. They’re trying to get it unlocked.’

Suddenly the door bangs open and two very beautiful, but very wasted-looking girls stumble out.

‘Hey!’ a guy calls, as I push past him, desperate to get to the sink. ‘Join the queue!’

‘Sorry,’ I mumble, turning on the tap and drinking straight from it.

‘Jessie?’

‘Jack?’ I straighten up, startled, and look down to see him sitting in the bathtub, his head in his hands. ‘What are you doing—?’

I remember the girls coming out and the blood drains from my face.

‘No.’ Jack shakes his head, getting up. ‘No,’ he repeats more vehemently, as I back away. ‘They locked me in here!’ he shouts after me.

I tear back down the corridor, but he’s right behind me. He grabs my arm and spins me round. ‘I did
not
cheat on you,’ he states angrily. ‘They tried to get me
to. Fuck knows, they tried,’ he adds sardonically. ‘I’ve been stuck in there with them for hours. Why didn’t you come find me?’