The Quest for Fireworks

Teenage Dream

    We make a pit stop at the parking garage to put our bags of new clothes in the trunk. We start making our way towards South Street when I suddenly get a nervous sensation that radiates from my stomach out through my fingertips.
    "I'm nervous," I say out loud because I tell Riley everything.
    "To see Dakota?"
    I get nervous around Dakota but it's never been this strong. "I don't think so," I say, as flashes of a cute, freckled, edgy looking boy appear in my thoughts. "I think to meet Jordan."
    Riley raises an eyebrow. "Really? You haven't been nervous around a boy in ten years."
    That isn't entirely true, I've been nervous around boys my entire life. Girls are just less intimidating to me, in a way. Though I'm just a nervous person in general, so everyone makes me anxious. But of course I'm still attracted to men, have you seen Harry Styles? Give me a Harry and I'll forget girls even exist.
    "Where are we going?" Riley asks, breaking me out of my Harry Styles thoughts.
    "She sent me her location so I'm just following it," I say, showing her the map on my phone. It says we'll arrive in three minutes.
    "At least If you go back to boys," Riley says, picking back up on the previous topic, "I won't have to worry about competing with you because our taste in men is so different."
    She's right. Riley likes them clean cut and muscular while I like them shaggy and scrawny. Thinking about just how different we are makes me chuckle. But we're also so alike in the most important ways.
    We're close enough now that I can tell where we're going. A restaurant and bar called Tattooed Mom which Dakota and I have been to before. We met here for drinks on a Friday and I left once a bunch of her friends started showing up. I realized that it was no coincidence, it wasn't a date, she had invited all of these people too.
    The door is steps away when I see them, Dakota and Jordan, standing on the left side of the entrance talking to each other. I feel my heartbeat increase as my eyes land on Jordan, taking him in in just one step.
    Skinny jeans, converse, short sleeved button up, black rimmed glasses over bright blue eyes and a black, worn out baseball cap. He looks like every boy I drooled over in high school who grew up, matured and became even more attractive.
    My eyes slide over to Dakota as I take another step and the light dims, metaphorically of course. I see her, skinny jeans, red Vans, plain black T-shirt, blonde, messy hair falling wildly to her shoulders, but it doesn't have the same effect on me that it used to.
    Something about getting as close to her as possible and having it still not be enough has dampened any feeling I've ever had toward her. I have a quick visual of that scene in Toy Story where Andy first gets Buzz and he just drops Woody on the ground because he doesn't want to play with him anymore.
    Time resumes its normal pace when Dakota's eyes meet mine and she waves. I wave back and close the small space between us.
    "Hey, you made it," she says, taking a step forward to wrap her arms around my shoulders.
    "Of course I did, I'm starving," I say, trying to sound like I'm teasing.
    She lets go of me to step to the side and greet Riley, which I'm sure they're both thrilled about. I can hear them being sarcastic with each other as they go in for a reluctant hug.
    I have manners so I force myself to make eye contact with Jordan. "Hey, I'm Avery, nice to meet you," I say, feeling my cheeks heat with every second his eyes are on mine.
    "Jordan," he says, moving his hand slightly as if to offer a handshake but taking it back.
    Riley and Dakota hugged so it seems only fair that he gets hugged too, right? "Let's hug," I say, out loud, like a total loser.
    He just chuckles but steps forward at the same time I step forward and I instantly feel his foot under mine. My weight is shifted awkwardly so I can't just pick that foot up without falling so I just try to balance on my heel as much as possible.
    "Nice to meet you," he says, his voice flowing directly into my ear and I know my face looks like a tomato at this point.
    Jordan steps back with no indication that he has any broken toes and I appreciate that he doesn't draw attention to my literal misstep. My embarrassment ebbs back down now that we're a few steps away from each other.
    "I guess we should hug too," Riley says to Jordan, her usual easy personality shining bright. They hug and mutter introductions before breaking away.
    "Well we should head in and feed the beast," Dakota says, turning toward the door and I realize I'm the beast she's talking about. I look at Riley as she rolls her eyes behind Dakota's back. We're off to a great start.
    Dakota leads us toward the back of the room where I assume she sees a table. We snag a table on the left side with four seats and I slide in next to Riley, across from Dakota.
    I pick up a menu and go directly to the drink section. I'm going to need something to calm me down at least a little bit. Between the attraction to Jordan and the animosity between Dakota and Riley it's going to be a long night.
    The waitress comes over and I order some specialty cocktail that's supposed to taste like cotton candy, and a basket of mozzarella sticks. Riley orders a glass of Prosecco which elicits an eyebrow raise from the waitress who is covered in tattoos and piercings, wearing black combat boots and fishnets. Dakota asks if they have Miller Lite on draft and it takes everything in me not to laugh at her. The waitress nods and Jordan says he'll have what she's having.
    "No one else wanted an appetizer?" I ask when the waitress walks away.
    "No ones as hungry as you, I guess," Dakota shoots across the table.
    "I didn't really look at the menu," Jordan says, his voice quiet and raspy but piercing, at least to me.
    I glance at him while he speaks but have to look away immediately after. Something in his eyes makes my whole body hot and uncomfortable in the best way.
    "What's up with you," Dakota asks, forcing me to look at her. She places her hand across the table, palm up and I realize she wants me to take it. We don't hold hands, that's not something we've ever done.
    Reluctantly, I place my hand flat on top of hers. "Nothing, why?" I ask.
    She curls her fingers around my hand but I keep my fingers stretched out. Her skin is cold despite the fact that it's the middle of summer. "You just seem weird today."
    Her tone is patronizing, as if she knows how I'm supposed to act at any given time. This is who she is though, she has to feel in control of every situation. I feel Riley tense up next to me and I know she's seconds away from bursting.
    I pull from my confidence reservoir and turn to face Jordan who is already looking at me. "So, where are you from?" I ask as casually as I can but I feel heat slide up from my neck immediately.
    "I grew up in Jersey, not far from you but I just got back from spending a year in Nevada," he says.
    "Ew, how do you know where she lives, creep," Dakota interjects, smacking Jordan playfully on the arm. I guess this is their normal banter.
    "We follow each other on Instagram," he explains, never taking his eyes off me though I've glanced away several times.
    "Right," Riley chimes in. "Ave was talking about how cute you were on the way over here."
    If I was a little more homicidal I'd pick up the butter knife in front of me and stab Riley in the throat. Lucky for her I'm wearing one of my favorite shirts.
    I cannot believe she said that. I try to keep the shock and embarrassment off my face and just shrug. "It's true," I squeak out.
    Jordan adjusts his hat and finally looks away, a hint of embarrassment flitting across his face too. "Thank you," he mumbles.
    "Well isn't that cute," Dakota says, pulling her hand out from under mine. I'd forgotten it was there. "Too bad Jordan and I are getting married." She puts her arm around his shoulders and leans into him.
    "If we're both still single by 30," Jordan clarifies, glancing at me shyly.
    "Which at this rate, we will be," Dakota says, kissing him on the cheek before letting him go.
    The waitress comes back with our drinks and my food at the perfect time. Seeing Dakota's lips touch his freckled skin right above where the stubble of his beard starts poking out ignites a fire in me that I don't expect. And I know that's it's because I'm jealous of her, not of him.
    I thank the waitress and take a long sip of my drink. Riley leans over and whispers, "you ok?" in my ear.
    I just nod and keep drinking. When the glass is half empty (yeah, I'm a pessimist), I decide to take a break from the other side of the table.
    "So, what is the plan tomorrow exactly?" I ask Riley.
    She runs down the timeline again though I've heard it at least twice. Dakota and Jordan start their own conversation too but as I look out the corner of my eye at him, I swear he's looking at me too.