The beat pumped through Martha's limbs. She felt paradoxically balletic and off kilter as if expertly dancing on roller skates. She opened her eyes and James' teeth popped white as he danced with her under the blacklights. He shouted something she couldn't hear.
"What?!" she shouted back.
He shouted again to the same effect.
"Hell if I know!" she answered dismissively.
He took her hand and spun her gently then led her, to the beat, away from the speakers. "I said how are you feeling?"
She continued to dance. "Grrrreat! Ooh, do you have any Frosted Flakes at your place?"
"I might," he said. "Would you like to go see?"
"No, no... No, no, no, no," she sang with a melody that didn't quite fit with the song the DJ was playing.
"Okay, well just let me know if-"
Martha saw Julia enter the dancehall and brushed past James. "Heeyyyy!"
"Whattup, hooker?!" Julia said.
"Nuttin, slut!" Martha replied.
The two girls began dancing together. Julia scrunched up her face and Martha laughed. Then Julia noticed James, his liquid animatronics on full display. "Oh snap! Your boy can move!"
"Oh yeah. He's pretty good. But he's hadda lotta practice so issnot that actually impressive." She called out to James, "Come on, monkey! Dance! Dance for your peanuts! Wait... Monkeys don't eat peanuts! Elephants eat peanuts. But elephants don't dance! The hell am I saying?!"
Julia started laughing hysterically and Martha joined her.
James stopped dancing and leaned in to the girls. "Hey, how about we get some air?"
"Yeah," Julia said. "I could go for a smoke."
"Yeah, let's do that!" Martha said and followed Julia out of the dance hall with James trailing behind.
They passed through the foosball room, then out a side door and onto an open air porch overlooking an overstuffed parking area one story below. Julia pulled out a pair of ultralights for Martha and herself. Martha had shared a cigarette with Camisha twice during their senior year. Each attempt brought a coughing fit followed by a brief, pleasant dizziness and then nausea. Presently, Julia lit her own before extending the lighter to Martha. She puffed once then inhaled. Something was different. The alcohol already present in her bloodstream embraced the nicotine as if its lover. It still tasted like the bottom of an ashtray... but this ashtray is delicious!
"Need one?" Julia asked James.
"Nah, I'm good."
"Yeah, he's good," Martha said, leaning heavily on the porch's railing. "Not even drunk. Look at him. Not even drunk, is he?"
James smiled. "No one looks drunk standing next to you, sweetie."
"Snap!" Julia said with a laugh.
"There you are!" Brandon said, appearing suddenly with a beer in each hand. He gave one to Julia.
"Sweetie?" Martha said, ignoring Brandon. She turned to Julia. "You know... You know, he won't have sex with me."
"Martha," James said.
She took a quick drag from her cigarette then asked Julia, "You a virgin?"
"Ha!" Brandon laughed.
"Hey!" Julia said with a punch to his shoulder. Then to Martha, "No, are you?"
YOU ARE READING
For Those Who Don't Believe in Love Songs
General FictionGROUNDHOG DAY mixed with SIXTEEN CANDLES and a splash of DOCTOR WHO. A boy forever reincarnated as himself meets his soulmate for the 200th time, but can she solve the puzzle and break the curse to make herself his last? ***** Martha Beckett's life...
