#allegra von helmont

[v-engence]

speakeasy

Music poured out from the open windows and door, filling Ally's ears with a thrumming buzz of bass and running notes. She had no idea what the hell the song was, but it was something upbeat and catchy and had been playing nonstop on the radio and MTV for the past three weeks, so she figured it was party-appropriate. She didn't care. She had her rum and coke, her blunts and maybe Kennedy.

Hopefully. Maybe. Ally didn't know. Kennedy was a mystery to her. Sometimes she swore Kennedy liked her, and other times she was pretty sure Kennedy would rather stab herself with rusty needles than sit in the same room with her. It was a toss up and it made Ally mad.

Maybe she should take some psychology classes and learn how to read body language. She had always been crap at it. Her mother's cocked hip and clenching jaw escaped her until she blew up on Ally for missing an entire week of school.

She leaned against the railing, swirling her drink in its bright red solo cup, glancing over to the boys loitering around in the driveway. They were talking among themselves, the smell of pot curling up in the air. Ally knew a few of them from school, but two or three of them looked too old to have graduated any time soon, and she figured they'd been the ones to supply the booze and weed in the first place.

This wasn't Kennedy's scene. She probably wouldn't show up. Ally sighed, lip curling up and glancing down at her cup. What had she been thinking? Loud music and people didn't scream Kennedy. Why had she thought she would show up just because Ally had invited her? She probably wouldn't. Getting her hopes up once again, she thought, taking a sip of her drink and turning her head, looking back into the open door.

There was probably someone inside to hold her attention for a while. Or maybe she should wait for Kennedy a little longer. Just a few more minutes before she gave up and got drunk enough to dance on tables without shame, Ally decided.