MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

midsummers

"THIS IS DISGUSTING."

Kiara turned from the mirror to face her mother, a scowl sitting heavy on her painted lips. She wore a beautiful silky purple dress with her hair in a curly updo, a crown of flowers perched atop her head. "I think you look pretty," Karolina mumbled, from her lounging spot on Kie's bed.

"I know, its just horrible," muttered Kiara's mom, who was borrowing a pair of Kie's earrings, "I'm asking you to relax and go to a fun party."

Glaring, she fingered the necklace around her neck before letting her hands slap to her sides. "I look like a bourgeoisie pig." Karolina sent her a sorry smile, holding her freshly painted fingernails out in front of her. Bored while Kie complained about getting ready, Karolina had polished them to match the dress she was borrowing, a silky, deep golden dress with straps similar to Kiara's, and a long slit that stopped a few inches above her knee. 

"Will you please not worry about socioeconomic injustice for one night?" pleaded Mrs. C, poking an earring into her ear. Kie scoffed, looking to Karolina for support, before going in. "Mom, people not three miles from here have no power, no running water, and we're going to Midsummers," she exclaimed, shaking her head remorsefully, "That's so... tone-deaf."

She was right; Karolina lived on the slightly wealthier side of the Cut,  yet still, they had no power. Kiara's mom softened her gaze when focusing on her daughter. "Do you know how hard we had to work to get into the Island Club?" she asked, starting to walk away.

"Yeah, Mom, how could I forget? You had to grovel, for like, ten years-"

"Twelve," Mrs. C corrected, "And we also had to cough up a huge chunk of dough, and do you know why we did that?" Kiara sighed again.

"To keep up with the Joneses?"

"No, so you could have the experiences that I had as a child," she answered, leaning against the bed post. Karolina pursed her lips, feeling awkward amidst the daughter-mother argument. "Honey, do you know what the island club is?"

"A factory farm for debutantes," said Kie, matter-of-factly.

Kiara's mom sighed heavily, reaching up to cup her daughter's face. "It is a nice place, with nice people, where you can do fun stuff," she emphasized.

"With out-of-touch rich people while the island sinks slowly into the ocean."

Mrs. C was officially over it. She pointed a finger in her face and commanded, "I want you to put on your party face, Kie, if you wanna live. Karolina's excited, right Karolina?"

The blonde looked up suddenly, startled. "Uh, yes. Y-yes ma'am."

Kiara waited until she disappeared around the corner to sigh, sitting down next to Karolina on the bed. "You don't have to pretend," she told her, "You know this is gonna suck just as much as I know it."

Smiling softly, Karolina patted her hand. "Yeah, but at least you won't suffer alone."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★ ｡･:*:･ﾟ

The sun was close to setting when they arrived, but it was very much light enough to illuminate the ridiculous get-ups that Kooks wore around the courtyard area of the Island Club, which overlooked the beach.

Kiara and Karolina noticed the caterers table, where Pope and his dad were set up with a table of oysters. Kie grinned at Karolina before speaking in a horrible British accent, "Excuse me, sir. Do we have to shuck these ourselves?" Pope turned with an irritated expression that immediately lifted when he saw who spoke.