Jessie & Elizabeth (abandoned)

18. And They Were Roommates [Part 2]

(Cause I just realized it's been a while since chapter 4, Aleema is Jessie's friend from when she was a dishwasher, the one who told Liz Jessie could start right away cause she's a shitty dishwasher)

Aleema brought her necklace to her lips, her deep laugh rumbling through the entrance hall. She was dazzling, in a long-sleeved dress of some heavy fabric, the top half embroidered with flashy glitter, the tips of her shockingly pink pumps just visible from under the hem, a scarf patterned with colorful birds loosely draped over her starling-black hair. A princess waiting for her suitors to fight each other to the death, entirely out of place basking in something as crude as the neon light of a beer ad.

I scratched my head. The sting of her response was fading already, and I knew she had a point. A woman like her had no business wasting her evening on me, the one who went to the party of the year dressed in jeans and a corny "I like chicks" T-shirt, when she could be on the dance floor entrancing everyone around her with her sparkly eyeshadow and sensual moves.

"Jessie," she said, sighing at me with her head tilted, clasping my hand in hers, "honey, you know I adore you as much as any of my alphabet gang pals. But hiding behind me isn't going to do you any good."

A deep sigh escaped me, one that had been building up since I climbed into the Uber and had wanted to throw myself out again immediately after the driver took off. The wriggling nerves settled down, and I offered her an apologetic smile for even suggesting to be her date tonight. "Sorry. I'm just..."

"Don't say any more," she said. "I totally get it. But you're a queen, and you can get through this, alright? You're already here, so it's only going to be easier from now on." I nodded, even though I felt less like a queen and more like a peasant trudging through pools of mud. "Hm? What you say? I need someone to escort me through the doors." She held out her arm, her head held high, and I took it without hesitation.

Aleema's long legs took sure strides, covering much more distance in one step than was possible for me, and I had to put all of my energy in not lagging behind like a dog lingering to sniff at an empty coke can. She dragged me into the bar, smiling as sweetly as the mixed drinks people were carrying around, and heads turned to ogle her ass in that magnificent dress, excited voices greeting her from all sides. She'd been the life of the party as long as I'd known her, the one everyone admired for her sheer happiness and kindness — well, except for that transphobic piece of shit we'd had to kick out a few years ago. Though the stares were directed at her, I focused on my shoes, my cheeks too hot for comfort. How anyone could stand being in the spotlight like this was beyond me.

Contrary to my expectations, Aleema didn't let me go, taking me around the whole bar area to yell hello's over the pulsing beat of the music. The place hadn't changed since the last time I'd been there, with the dancing platform in the center and rainbow streamers spanning the ceiling — even most of the people there were at least vaguely familiar, and I tensed, spotting a club of four at our usual spot in the corner, gathered around a table.

This was why I'd needed a date. Or at least, part of the reason. Alex in her leather jacket, whose house I'd left crying after she told me it was time to let go of Lennox. Selena, who didn't yet seem to have kicked the habit of patting the pack of cigarettes in her jacket pocket every few minutes. Orisa, today with pretty side-pinned coils, her hand possessively on Keysha's exposed waist. Orisa was the one who kept messaging from time to time, inviting me for movie nights, but I knew she only did that because she was a good person. They'd been Lennox's friends first, and I held no illusions my presence would be welcomed after that messy break-up. Seemed I still hadn't learned not to get attached to people who belonged to someone else.