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Friday couldn't have arrived any slower. The week ended up blurring in to one big burden of greeting new people and insisting I wasn't Canadian. Carmen was so kind enough to go around and tell people I was Hunter and Maven's Canadian Step-Sister, and soon enough, it stuck. By Thursday, most of the school population referred to me as Canada--including a few staff members. I'd been called some very harsh things in the past, and this was the only one that wasn't offensive, so I knew I'd eventually stop correcting people.

It didn't take long for me to realize that the town was divided into two. The teens who came from a more privilege neighborhood--like Bethany's and mine--followed their parents off to the country club up in Winchester Hills. The other group went to the center of town, roaming around the open plaza. But one thing was common about the two groups of teens: they all went to the Smell. It was an all ages club that had indie bands preform and served vegan food options. It was built closer toward Boulder Valley so the terrain was dry, flat land and more barren than what you'd typically see in Crescent Heights.

"That sounds disgusting," was what I first said when I heard of the all ages club. "Who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea to call it the Smell?"

"It's a cool name," Bethany assured me.

"No. The Bronze is a cool club name." I said.

She sighed. "The fact that you hate the name is more of a reason why you should come with us this Saturday."

"I'm with Silvia on this one," Xander chirped. "I don't like going there. And going there after the first week is surely going to tarnish my social life."

"You have a social life? Since when?" Beth inquired comically.

"Yeah, and where did you get this so-called social life of yours?" I played along. "Can I buy one online?"

He laughed dryly. "Ha-fucking-ha. You two aren't cute."

...

Inevitably, I came along with them to the Smell. It didn't take much convincing to get Evelyn and my dad to let me go out. Apparently Hunter was going already with his girlfriend. From what Evelyn said, it was their "usual hang out spot." A good majority of me was praying that it wasn't Maven's usual hang out spot, too. I'd managed to stay away from him for the most part. Anytime we bumped into each other at home or made eye contact at school, he'd only mutter a few words and glare. Despite our lack of communications and his attempt to not speak to me, I still didn't want any more situations where I was in the same building as him. We lived together and went to school together. I needed a break from the guy and I was sure he thought the same about me.

While getting ready, I grabbed by "safety purse" that I typically lugged around at outings in Maine. I hadn't brought it me when I went to the Giller's party because I didn't think I'd need it. Just in case someone like Franklin or Franklin himself tried to pull the same issue that happened at the party, I knew I'd be prepared.

Around eight, Beth's car pulled into my drive way. A guy with short red hair was seated in the back. He gave me a short wave and told me his name was Doug. I vaguely recalled him from being in one of my classes but I wasn't sure which one.

"Hey," Xander said from the passenger seat. "Did you bring enough drug money for tonight?"

I tensed up in my seat. "Wait. What? Why? Was I supposed to?"

"Chill," Doug chuckled. "He wasn't serious. This guy's gets dizzy after taking Nyquil or Advil. There's no way he'd ever take anything stronger than that."

I exhaled and eased back in my seat. "Oh. I, uh knew that."

"Doug, do you have any new cheesy pick-up lines?" Beth chimed. I glanced up and she gave me a quick smile. With that one look, I could tell she was going to divert the topic away from me and my uneasiness. "I have a few new ones of my own."

"Oh, really? Try me," Doug puffed. "Mine are most likely better than yours."

"You've a thing for trying out pick-up lines on girls?" I asked, raising my brow. "You know that shit rarely works right?"

"It's less about me trying to pull a girl and more in me finding something ridiculously funny to make the girl laugh. Look." He cleared his throat and shifted his body closer to mine, sticking his hand out. I took it gingerly. "Hi. I'm Doug. Its God spelled backwards with a little you in." He finished the joke with a wink, which only made me laugh even harder. It wasn't the joke itself, but the way he said it. "That was a cornier one. But the dirty ones are funny too, but could easily blow up in your face."

"Try one out." I said.

He flashed a smile. "Babe, I'm like a firefighter. I find them hot and leave them wet."

"That's the best you got. I've got a better one," Xander challenged. "Babe, I'm like a rubik's cube. The more you play with me, the harder I get."

"Ew, I'm driving. Stop that. I don't like this anymore," Bethany groaned. "Shut up before I ram this car into a pole. I can actually taste my dinner in my mouth."

He playfully punched her arm. "Oh, shut it. It was funny."

"Yeah, I'm sure it would be funny in an alternate universe where you're not Xander."

We pulled into the large parking lot in front of the Smell. From outside, I could see that the place was swarmed with people, explaining why the lot was hard to maneuver through. Once we were inside, Xander and Doug quickly rushed to find us tables while Beth ran over to some of her friends, greeting them as if she hadn't just seen them a few hours ago at school. One of the girls she'd talked to shortly with followed us to the table Doug found for us. We all sat around a round table with tall black stools. I quickly learned that the girls name was Cece and that she was in a grade younger than us.

I gave the room a look over and was displeased to find Maven, just like I'd feared, sitting near the back of the club, chatting up some girl with long blonde hair. She was laughing so hard like he'd said the funniest joke in the entire world. And he was eating it up. I was pretty sure he was aware that he was an awful person, I mean people like that just know it. I'm sure of it.

"I'm assuming that's Maven's girlfriend," I commented, slightly nudging Beth to get her attention.

She looked over to where I was looking at. "No, that's not his girlfriend. He's dating Faye Daniels."

"Wait." I grabbed on to the crook of her arm and stared back at her, hard. "Are you sure? Cause the only Faye I know hates Carmen and doesn't..."

"Seem to be in the same social status as him? Yeah, I know," she finished for me. "They started dating in the summer."

"I hear he started dating her as a joke," Cece informed. "And honestly I believe it. I mean, c'mon. Why else would he go for a girl like her?"

I farrowed my brows. "And what's that supposed to mean? A 'girl like that'?" I echoed, using her words. I was hoping she wasn't going to say what I thought she was going to say.

"Well you know." She lowered her eyes on me, giving a disgusted face. "She's always around other guys. I doubt she's ever had a stable boyfriend."

"Get to your point." I huffed, snapping my fingers. "What's wrong with that? She's probably only seventeen like me. Having a stable boyfriend is easier said than done. Do you have a stable boyfriend?"

"No, but that's not what I was hinting to. She sleeps around." Cece spat out. "Like a lot. I'm sure she's been with half the football team or something." She turned to Beth, giggling, but Beth wasn't amused with her joke.

"I don't get the problem here," I scowled. "Are you her doctor? No? Then you shouldn't care about if she's sexually active or not. It's her damn body. Not yours. So that means you shouldn't be judging her for doing whatever she pleases with it." I leaned in a little closer. "How often does Maven sleep around? More? Less?"

"I don't know." She inched away from me.

"Then why do you make it socially acceptable to tease her for sleeping around but not even acknowledge how much a guy does?"

"I think it would be best if you sat somewhere else, Cece." Beth announced. "I don't like the energy you're giving this group. Negativity like that isn't good for the soul."

"Fine," she grumbled, snatching up her purse. "I was going to leave anyway."

Xander grabbed my hand. I resisted from smacking it away. "What you just did took guts. I don't know if I told you this before, but I really like you, Silvia."

"I don't know if I told you this before, but I really don't like you, Xander." I beamed and he laughed.

Aw. He thinks I'm joking. How cute.

If my night couldn't get any worse, I watched the front door open and found the star of my nightmares and the cause of most of my headaches walk right in. The one and the only: Dakota freaking Ridgewood. He had on something similar to what he had at school today. Only difference was that he'd taken off his trademark black jean jacket and replaced it with a leather one instead, covering up most of his tattoos. It pained me to admit it, but I was sure he looked great in just about anything. And most likely better in nothing at all.

________

Song: Lousy Reputation by We Are Scientist.

PSA; Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a popular teen drama in the 90s. The bronze was the club in the show ... highly recommend the show.

Lyrics:

❝The qualities you openly have advertised

A bigger man might not feel quite so compromised

But I've never been that sane and I won't start tonight

It's burning me up, I've heard it enough

I won't let your lousy reputation throw me off.❞

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