Sister Spelled

A Song at the Noir

Gin was made for summer. Tanning by the pool, sun warming her skin and hours full of nothing. Those were the thoughts that had carried her though the winter.

Wildwood, however, had other plans.

"This was not in the forecast." Liz had whined from beside her, lips already in a pout, "I had the whole day planned out."

"Tanning is hardly plans." Gin told the other girl, but she had to admit that she was disappointed. When Liz had arrived this morning the parted curtains in Gin's room had shown a gorgeous morning, sunlight spilling in. Gin's heart had sunk at the sight of clouds moving in. Their bruised coloring hinted at rain, and it hadn't been long after that the sky had let loose. 

Gin hated rain.

She was just thankful that they had thought to relocate to the Noir. Liz's family had turned the abandoned theatre into a restaurant/bar, the carved moldings and real wood leading to a luscious decor that Gin was colored green about. She loved the place, always had, even when it had been a half rotted out theatre. Now she brushed a hand against curtains as she leaned back, the thick burgundy velvet smooth against her fingertips. Liz's new step-mother had insisted on windows even though they were always covered, silly woman.

Normally Gin would be pushing the curtains back to allow herself one more foot of exposure, but today she left them. She didn't even want to see the rain today, driving away the sun she had so been looking forward to.

"Only you would wear white when it's raining." Liz laughed from beside her, "Everyone stared when we came in."

Gin had noticed. When they swept into the Noir all eyes had been on the girl with bobbed blond hair and a thin red coat pulled over her shoulders. Everyone always acted as if each time was new, like Ginniveive Santos didn't always make an entrance. She didn't want them to get used to it though, she wanted the eyes on her each time. Just the way she liked it.

Gin took a pull from her glass, orange juice with a nip of the vodka from Liz's flask, "Oh, please. There is no way I'm going to let a little weather keep me from looking this good. Besides, anyone who got to see this body in a see-through jumper would be luckier than a lottery winner."

Gin would be damned if she allowed anyone to dictate what she wore, especially when her mother wasn't in town, looming around each corner. Her new white jumpsuit was gorgeous, fit perfectly, and exposed her tan back. Liz, always the safer of the two, had worn a yellow and white striped linen sundress instead. Her bracelets winked in the low light as she pulled a notebook from her bag. The glittered gold cover was familiar to Gin, and everyone else in Wildwood. Party planning notebook. Anytime something needed to happen, parties, dances, events of any sort, Liz was the girl with the notebook. And she took her job very seriously.

"I still think you're crazy, but we have other things to worry about. Like your party. I'm still gushing over that theme. Gods and Monsters. It will look perfect in big black marque letters over the staircase, especially with how your staircase splits off on two sides. It can be put in the middle as a centerpiece. I'm thinking some serious Gatsby vibes."  She spread her hands in the air as she spoke, and at Gin's nod, she went on, scribbling notes, "Okay and the guest list."

"We need everyone to be there. Not like the past years. This year I want it to be big. The more people, the better."

Liz winced, before continuing in a hesitant tone, "But, don't you think it should be a bit more exclusive? The past years have been a success. And some of our peers, as we know, are like wild animals."

"Liz, I want this to be posi-tive-ly huge. I'll be eighteen, and what I need to commemorate my newfound adulthood is the largest party this sad little town has ever seen." Gin glanced away from her friend, a faraway look in her eye, "They'll need something to remember me by when I'm gone."