The endless expanse of the thick, ink-black darkness of night had completely stripped away the telltale signs of privilege. Alcohol, dark, and privacy had turned their once-civilized gathering into a scene of sprawling inhibitions. Carrie's backyard had transformed into a full-blown rager. The bass from the loudspeaker vibrated right through the grass, and the initially polite elegance of the evening had dissolved into beautiful, high-society chaos.
Over by the patio edge, the sharp, artificial glare of a portable selfie light illuminated the dark. Darla was holding her phone high, an infectious grin plastered across her face as she snapped a rapid succession of photos with Nala. The artificial click-click-click of Darla's phone cut through the pulsing beat of the music.
"Boring, boring," Darla whined, lowering her phone with a theatrical sigh. "Oh my God, Nala, are you taking photos for work?"
Without waiting for an answer, Darla set her phone up on a tracking pole that automatically followed their movements. She stepped back over to Nala, her traditional pearl-embedded tiara catching the light against her bikini, and aggressively adjusted Nala's posture. She reached out, playfully pulling down the neckline of Nala's shirt just a fraction to show a bit more skin.
"There. Much better," Darla grinned, stepping into the frame beside her.
Nala laughed, her coily black hair falling around her face like its own majestic crown, topped by a large princess tiara glittering with black diamonds. The tracking camera adjusted. As the countdown timer blinked, Nala arched her back completely, showing off her round bum while Darla raised a hand, pretending to slap it right as the camera was about to flash.
Towards the back of the yard, Jiho stood holding his cup. He was nowhere near drunk enough for the wild party that was happening around him; unlike the rest of them, he was accustomed to a much wilder life on a regular basis. He usually hung out with this crowd for the calm, for the innocent fun they liked to get up to. But tonight was different.
As his gaze drifted across the lawn, his eyes landed squarely on Nala. His throat bobbed, his vision zeroing in on her ass that seemed to jiggle with the slightest of movements. For a long, heavy second, he just stared, until sense finally caught up with him. A flash of pure fury kindled in his eyes—a sudden, sharp anger without a proper place to go in the middle of a backyard rager.
That was when his eyes met Nala's. His head shook ever so slightly—a silent, heavy warning that meant stop.
Nala caught the look for a fleeting second. The haze of alcohol drained from her eyes, leaving her deflated. She deliberately looked away, ignoring Jiho's gaze, but as she turned back to the tracking lens, her next poses were notably tamer, the provocative edge quietly filed down as she forced herself to smile pleasantly.
Darla immediately noticed the sudden shift back to "work photos." Shifting her gaze across the lawn, she spotted Jiho and instantly figured it out, knowing all about the massive crush Nala had on him.
"Go fucking play! We are!" Darla yelled across the yard at Jiho. Her voice was high-pitched and soft, though her words carried a harder press to them.
Nala's eyes went wide. She immediately slapped her hand over Darla's mouth, her lips curving into a panicked but amused smile as she began dragging a laughing Darla away toward the patio couches.
Meanwhile, the pool area had devolved into an absolute spectator sport. In the center of the deep end, Koda was miraculously balancing on a massive inflatable pool floatie shaped like a crown jewel. His formal wear was drenched and clinging to him, but nestled securely into his hair was a small tiara with pink diamonds, the forks keeping it firmly in place. Around his neck, a large, glittering teardrop necklace—obviously belonging to a woman—caught the light.
"I am a king!" Koda roared to the heavens.
He tilted his head back, completely chugging a beer with one hand while holding a backup beer in his other hand. The surrounding guys were roaring with laughter. With a heavy thwack, Koda pounded his chest in absolute victory, aggressively flexing his muscles while still balancing on the vinyl.
"You're drunk, and you're going to fall!" Fuhad yelled back, aggressively splashing a massive wall of water at his brother's legs to throw him off balance, while the others chuckled, cheering and banging their fists against the pool deck, waiting for the inevitable splash.
Nala and Darla flopped heavily into the plush patio couches, whispering lowly and talking rapidly to each other as they recovered from the selfie-light drama. A few paces ahead of them, Carrie, Mimi, and Gigi stood in a loose circle, ignoring the yapping girls behind them as they raised their glasses to clink them together.
"Cheers!"
The impact was a little too enthusiastic. Carrie's body stumbled slightly, a generous splash of her lime-and-mint mojito sloshing right over the rim of her tall glass and onto the stone tile. Mimi instantly moved in, grabbing her arm to help steady her on her feet. Mimi tried not to laugh at her; as promised, Carrie had cried earlier in the night, leaving dark trails of black mascara running down her cheeks.
Mimi stared down at the spilled drink, then looked up at her friend. "Last one," she said firmly.
Carrie rolled her eyes, completely dismissing the warning, feeling as if she could still down far more drinks before the night was over. But as she leaned into Mimi's shoulder to recalibrate, her nose wrinkled. She caught the unmistakable, crisp aroma coming from Gigi's hand. It wasn't rum, vodka, or champagne. It was pure apple juice.
Carrie frowned, looking down into Gigi's glass and then up at her face. "Is that apple juice?"
Gigi didn't blink. She gave her glass a sophisticated little swirl. "I'm on a cleanse."
"You suggested having a rager," Carrie countered, her tone a perfect mix of disbelief and mockery. "We are raging." Her hand pointed erratically around the circle of girls and out toward the crowded backyard, her balance wavering with each gesture. "Apple juice. Apple juice. So freaking weird."
Gigi scoffed, lifting her chin with an immense amount of attitude as she adjusted the heavy crown resting upon her brow, the shimmering pink and clear diamonds casting an ethereal glow over her hair. "Good skin doesn't just happen. The antioxidants in the apple juice is why my skin is so great. Don't be a hater."
Mimi shared a knowing look with her sister, her eyes darting quickly between Gigi and Carrie. Under the cover of the music, Mimi quietly pulled her own glass away from Carrie's nose, hoping her friend wouldn't notice she'd been nursing the exact same gin and soda from the very beginning of the night.
Just behind the group of girls, the karaoke machine was working overtime. Natalia, stunning in a massive blue ball gown, had the microphone gripped tightly in her hand, singing along to Grease: "Summer days drifting away, to ah, oh, those summer nights!"
As she threw her head back to hold the note, the heavy tiara perched on her head began to dangerously slip backwards. Harrison—who was dressed like Prince Charming but wearing a tiara clearly meant for a child and a tie completely made out of diamonds—was standing beside her with his own microphone waiting for his lyrics to appear. Seeing the impending royal disaster, he quickly moved behind his wife, steadying the tiara, but tossing his own microphone to the grass in the process.
Just as Natalia finished her last lyric, her microphone instantly found his lips, pressing against his skin as he chuckled. The deep sound echoed around the yard. He pulled his lips back slightly and sang Danny's lines completely out of tune: "Well-a, well-a, well-a, huh! Tell me more, tell me more!"
Over by the beer pong table, Ming and Gunner suddenly belted out, "Tell me more, tell me more!" at the exact same time. Natalia smiled brightly and pointed her free hand right at them, continuing to direct her performance in their direction. Ming and Gunner shared a quick look and burst out laughing, realizing they had both randomly started singing along to the backing track.
As Harrison expertly navigated—or rather, poorly navigated—the rest of Danny's part, he still managed to throw in some dramatic dance moves, taking Natalia's head along with him as the two of them dominated the karaoke area. When the fast-paced *"Tell me more, tell me more"* chorus hit again, Natalia kept mischievously switching the mic from her left shoulder to her right shoulder, forcing Harrison to bob his head back and forth to keep up. His face was entirely flush, and his lungs were burning with the sheer exertion of singing so loudly while actively trying to hold his wife's tiara in place.
Watching from the table, Gunner—completely shirtless, his impressive abs on full display—lined up his shot. The only sign that Gunner had respected the party's royal theme was a pair of white, elbow-length gloves. He had scrunched them all the way down to his wrists, and the finger holes of the netting had been completely ripped where his thicker fingers had been forced through the material.
With a flick of his gloved hand, Gunner threw the ping pong ball, watching it arc perfectly through the air before sinking directly into one of Ming's red Solo cups.
Ming groaned in disappointment, the damp material of his shirt sticking to his skin as he cursed lowly under his breath. The pair of large, heavy earrings that perfectly matched the teardrop necklace Koda was wearing in the pool slapped against his neck—a stark reminder that he had stolen them from Koda earlier in the night, knowing damn well he would never be able to successfully steal any of his own sister's tiaras, even if she wasn't home. Defeated, Ming picked up the cup, chugged the beer down, and set the empty plastic to the side, ready to continue their match.
Both of them still found themselves getting distracted every so often by the sheer comedy of Harrison trying to play a royal hairdresser while singing a duet, his head bobbing back and forth like a cartoon. But as they reset, Ming noticed Gunner's eyes weren't always drifting towards Harrison and Natalia—his gaze kept floating to something just past them. Looking over his own shoulder to follow his friend's line of sight, Ming saw Vivian.
Nala and Darla flopped heavily into the plush patio couches, whispering lowly and talking rapidly to each other as they recovered from the selfie-light drama. A few paces ahead of them, Carrie, Mimi, and Gigi stood in a loose circle, ignoring the yapping girls behind them as they raised their glasses to clink them together.
"Cheers!"
The impact was a little too enthusiastic. Carrie's body stumbled slightly, a generous splash of her lime-and-mint mojito sloshing right over the rim of her tall glass and onto the stone tile. Mimi instantly moved in, grabbing her arm to help steady her on her feet. Mimi tried not to laugh at her; as promised, Carrie had cried earlier in the night, leaving dark trails of black mascara running down her cheeks.
Mimi stared down at the spilled drink, then looked up at her friend. "Last one," she said firmly.
Carrie rolled her eyes, completely dismissing the warning, feeling as if she could still down far more drinks before the night was over. But as she leaned into Mimi's shoulder to recalibrate, her nose wrinkled. She caught the unmistakable, crisp aroma coming from Gigi's hand. It wasn't rum, vodka, or champagne. It was pure apple juice.
Carrie frowned, looking down into Gigi's glass and then up at her face. "Is that apple juice?"
Gigi didn't blink. She gave her glass a sophisticated little swirl. "I'm on a cleanse."
"You suggested having a rager," Carrie countered, her tone a perfect mix of disbelief and mockery. "We are raging." Her hand pointed erratically around the circle of girls and out toward the crowded backyard, her balance wavering with each gesture. "Apple juice. Apple juice. So freaking weird."
Gigi scoffed, lifting her chin with an immense amount of attitude as she adjusted the heavy crown resting upon her brow, the shimmering pink and clear diamonds casting an ethereal glow over her hair. "Good skin doesn't just happen. The antioxidants in the apple juice is why my skin is so great. Don't be a hater."
Mimi shared a knowing look with her sister, her eyes darting quickly between Gigi and Carrie. Under the cover of the music, Mimi quietly pulled her own glass away from Carrie's nose, hoping her friend wouldn't notice she'd been nursing the exact same gin and soda from the very beginning of the night.
Just behind the group of girls, the karaoke machine was working overtime. Natalia, stunning in a massive blue ball gown, had the microphone gripped tightly in her hand, singing along to Grease: "Summer days drifting away, to ah, oh, those summer nights!"
As she threw her head back to hold the note, the heavy tiara perched on her head began to dangerously slip backwards. Harrison—who was dressed like Prince Charming but wearing a tiara clearly meant for a child and a tie completely made out of diamonds—was standing beside her with his own microphone waiting for his lyrics to appear. Seeing the impending royal disaster, he quickly moved behind his wife, steadying the tiara, but tossing his own microphone to the grass in the process.
Just as Natalia finished her last lyric, her microphone instantly found his lips, pressing against his skin as he chuckled. The deep sound echoed around the yard. He pulled his lips back slightly and sang Danny's lines completely out of tune: "Well-a, well-a, well-a, huh! Tell me more, tell me more!"
Over by the beer pong table, Ming and Gunner suddenly belted out, *"Tell me more, tell me more!"* at the exact same time. Natalia smiled brightly and pointed her free hand right at them, continuing to direct her performance in their direction. Ming and Gunner shared a quick look and burst out laughing, realizing they had both randomly started singing along to the backing track.
As Harrison expertly navigated—or rather, poorly navigated—the rest of Danny's part, he still managed to throw in some dramatic dance moves, taking Natalia's head along with him as the two of them dominated the karaoke area. When the fast-paced "Tell me more, tell me more"* chorus hit again, Natalia kept mischievously switching the mic from her left shoulder to her right shoulder, forcing Harrison to bob his head back and forth to keep up. His face was entirely flush, and his lungs were burning with the sheer exertion of singing so loudly while actively trying to hold his wife's tiara in place.
Watching from the table, Gunner—completely shirtless, his impressive abs on full display—lined up his shot. The only sign that Gunner had respected the party's royal theme was a pair of white, elbow-length gloves. He had scrunched them all the way down to his wrists, and the finger holes of the netting had been completely ripped where his thicker fingers had been forced through the material.
With a flick of his gloved hand, Gunner threw the ping pong ball, watching it arc perfectly through the air before sinking directly into one of Ming's red Solo cups.
Ming groaned in disappointment, the damp material of his shirt sticking to his skin as he cursed lowly under his breath. The pair of large, heavy earrings that perfectly matched the teardrop necklace Koda was wearing in the pool slapped against his neck—a stark reminder that he had stolen them from Koda earlier in the night, knowing damn well he would never be able to successfully steal any of his own sister's tiaras, even if she wasn't home. Defeated, Ming picked up the cup, chugged the beer down, and set the empty plastic to the side, ready to continue their match.
Both of them still found themselves getting distracted every so often by the sheer comedy of Harrison trying to play a royal hairdresser while singing a duet, his head bobbing back and forth like a cartoon. But as they reset, Ming noticed Gunner's eyes weren't always drifting towards Harrison and Natalia—his gaze kept floating to something just past them. Looking over his own shoulder to follow his friend's line of sight, Ming saw Vivian.
Vivian was sitting at the edge of the pool, completely detached from the chaos on the patio. She was still wearing her elegant emerald green dress from the polo match, the fabric pulled up high on her thighs as her legs dangled over the ledge and into the cool, illuminated water. Leaning back on her hands, she watched Koda and Fuhad out in the pool. Both brothers were balancing on one leg atop their own individual floaties, actively trying to maintain their balance in a high-stakes elimination match.
Vivian kicked her legs, weakly splashing a bit of water toward Fuhad to throw him off, before taking a slow sip of her drink. A small smirk played on her lips as she cheered Koda on. "Come on, Koda! I believe in you! I've got fifty bucks on you!"
Fuhad immediately looked over at her with a mock hurt expression. "What about me?"
Vivian looked between the two guys, her smirk widening. "I mean, I hope you come in second, of course. I want you top five."
Fuhad laughed, the sudden movement making his stance incredibly precarious as his body shook while he desperately tried to regain his balance. But the distraction was fatal for his brother. Koda, unable to maintain his stance, slipped right off of his vinyl floatie and crashed heavily into the water, sending a massive spray of pool water flying in all directions.
The loud splash drew the attention of Gunner, the beer pong game completely forgotten again for the moment as he stared across the lawn at Vivian's easy smile. He hadn't managed to speak to her at all during the evening. His growing nervousness about the following day had driven him to drink far more than he normally would, leading to a thoroughly clouded mind.
Ming caught the ping pong ball mid-air right out of the cup before it could settle. Tossing the ball casually from his left hand to his right, his stolen teardrop earrings catching the patio light, he looked between Gunner and the pool's edge.
"Why are you acting like you can't just go over there?" Ming asked, nodding his head towards the deep end as he began to walk away from their game, heading toward the singing couple. "Go. Be with your girl. Get some head." He laughed.
Gunner didn't answer right away. Before Ming could get too far, Gunner called after him, "Hey!"
Leaning his heavy frame against the edge of the table they had been playing at, Gunner pointed at Ming accusingly. "Don't think I didn't notice you cheated and stopped the game because you're about to lose." His words came out far more slurred than he noticed.
Ming simply smirked, giving Gunner a knowing beat before casually tossing the ping pong ball directly at him. Gunner didn't even bother to lift a hand—he just let the ball sail right past him, watching it disappear into the dark grass before he turned to head in the exact direction he had wanted to go most of the evening.
Gunner strolled over to the pool edge where Vivian was sitting and haphazardly dropped his massive weight right next to her on the concrete. His large, shirtless shoulder knocked heavily into hers. The sudden impact sent him completely off balance. For a split second, he nearly tumbled headfirst into the pool, his fingers frantically clawing at the nearby grass to keep him from falling face-first into the water.
Once he finally righted himself, his legs dangled in the pool right beside Vivian's, their thighs brushing ever so often with the movement of the water. Actively pretending like nothing had just happened, Gunner turned his head and flashed her a wide, disarming smile.
Author's note:
Next chapter will come maybe within the next couple of hours. I am doing my hair. Then I will work on the next batch of three. Either today or tomorrow. Might be out on Monday.