Smoke and Mirrors

Chapter Eight

  

She’d barely been able to talk to her about anything else all week. When Sienna’s birthday was on the horizon the world consisted on just that. Naturally Carmen threw a spanner in the wheels every now and then to exercise Sienna’s tolerance, which may have included inviting some of the annoying whorey little twelvies who sat at Starbucks after school.

So Sienna had overtly uninvited Carmen to the preparations because she was more trouble than help. Between anyone else it could’ve been rude, but Sienna and Carmen had their own conventions; they weren’t going to pretend that Sienna could grind up to the ushers or that Carmen could fold three hundred napkins.

So instead Trent and Carmen had wasted time together. Unfortunately the main thread of both their friends were helping with the preparations. Carmen had sat up on her bed in her two shades of blue school issue tennis outfit from her game that morning. Trent had used the time to do sit-ups whilst Carmen aimlessly chattered to him.

They were to arrive at 7:30 precisely, although Sienna had told them 6:45 because she knew how they worked, that left just half an hour before the doors would open to the bulk of the guests.

Carmen jabbed the button on the lift for the thousandth time but the elevator was in no rush to get to the bottom floor. It wasn’t very creative, but Sienna had just rented out the rooftop bar of the InterContinental. It kind of looked like an airport on the inside.

“I forgot to bring a jacket it’s cold.” Carmen rubbed her shoulders.

“I guess I’ll have to give you mine.” Trent followed her into the elevator unimpressed when the doors finally opened and a little bell rang.

“I guess you will.” Carmen agreed checking her appearance in the reflective metal panel with the buttons. She had pulled her hair up into a ponytail and wore a Versace short red chiffon dress with spaghetti straps, little black bike shorts and Prada black stilettos that were a little more worn than ideal. “I look like I’m going running.” Carmen wrinkled up her nose and swung against the bars.

“Well maybe if you’d worn a skirt long enough to cover your bike shorts…”

“Shut up.”

“What? You look nice.”

“Nice.” Carmen huffed strutting out the elevator without him. He was just so annoying sometimes. She just got sick of his presence. But also needy for it at the same time.

Trent trailed along behind her. Pretending that he wasn’t going to run and follow her because she was being unreasonable but ending up jogging to catch her up. What had he said wrong?

“Hi guys.” Trishna, Edgar and Taio stood around the double door entrance. Trent nodded to acknowledge them. Trishna was blatantly sticking around Edgar as usual. She was all dressed up in an orange Doshi Levien dress that puffed out in the skirt. Edgar leaned back on the door looking calm and manly in a grayish steel blue shirt and two tones darker skinny jeans. Taio also clustered around him in his pastel pink polo.

“Hi.” Carmen gave Trishna a hug and punched the others in the shoulders, even when Taio had tried to hug her. “Get me a drink man.” Carmen clicked her fingers.

“You actually look so hot.” Trishna squealed throwing up Carmen’s dress.

“I can vouch for that.” Edgar said coolly but at smile crept onto his face. Taio slowly nodded.

“Fuck off.” Trent narrowed his eyes at both of them.

The bar looked pretty good compared to the ugly cooperate lounge it had looked other times Carmen had been here. There were white-blue fairy lights strung all over the walls and ceiling and the armchairs were arranged in little social circles. Oscar and Anthony sat with a Mac laptop between them up at a table by the dance floor, probably still debating over the play list, Lennon loomed over them not really caring what they did.