the first one • j. hughes

9

Karaoke night. My first legal night out and it's a bar having karaoke night on a Wednesday night. Despite that, the place is pretty populated. Almost every little high table has at least someone standing around it. There's a guy drunkenly singing a Backstreet Boys song up on a small, wooden stage connected to the center of the wall opposite the bar.

I lean over to Ki as we follow our group to a table right near the stage. I have to shout ever so slightly with how close we are to the speakers. "Was this intentional?"

"Yeah," she says back.

"Great!"

Luke stands beside me, staring down at his marked hands. Haha, loser. He notices me staring and glares at me. He knows I want to make fun of him so badly. But I told him earlier I wouldn't.

Someone's hand is on my lower back and I panic for a second before realizing it's Jack. The next second his voice is in my ear, "What do you want to drink, Prez?"

"Surprise me," I say without meaning to. I turn around and face him in panic. "No beer. If you get me a beer so help me—"

"Wouldn't think of it," he laughs.

"Hughesy, c'mon." Trevor's already pulling him away before I can tell him to fuck off for a second.

"I'm thinking you, Ki, and I do a great trio number," Holly says. She's only on the opposite side of Ki but it feels like a million miles. This place is quite overwhelming.

I turn back to the table. Press my palms on top. Even though it's probably filthy. "Like what?"

"'Goodbye Earl'? 'Hell on Heels'?"

"I don't do country," Ki says.

"She knows the entirety of 'Before He Cheats'," I correct.

Holly lights up. "Oh, fuck yes. Ki, please."

"Let me get some drinks in and then maybe." She stands on her tippy toes to look over at the bar. "These dumbasses are taking too long. I'll be right back."

The guy singing Backstreet Boys does a dramatic bow before getting off the stage. I feel uneasy. It could be anticipation. I hope it's just anticipation. My intuition tends to be crazy accurate. I don't want this bad feeling to be accurate. I don't want anything to go wrong.

I try to tune out Holly trying to convince Brosie and Quinn to do a song together, leaning closer to Luke. One of my hands reaches down to his forearm. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, why?" Another song kicks on and he winces slightly. "I mean, it's a bit hectic right here!"

"Something feels off."

"Do you want to go outside?"

"Here we go!" Jack's taking Ki's spot, setting drinks down on the table. "First legal drink, Ken."

Fuck it. It's anticipation. It'll be fine. I'll drink it away if I have to.

* * * * *

Drink it away I have. I'm not sure exactly how many vodka crans I've had. Who cares though? Im having a blast. Which is what I'm supposed to be doing! Per my dead dad's request.

Having fun is why I'm up on the small wooden stage with Trevor and Jack. One of Z's arms is around my shoulder, Jack has one around my waist. Trevor's much more on my level. Jack's along for the ride. We're finishing up a terrible rendition of Rockstar by Nickelback. My singing isn't bad sober. It's definitely bad drunk.

The song ends and the three of us make a dramatic show of bowing before bumbling off the stage in a fit of giggles. I love being drunk. Not in the sense I want to do it every night or at any inconvenience. But every once in a while, with the right company, it's so much fun.

"Moosey, you have to sing something with me," I say. Maybe a little loud. "Please?"

Luke laughs and shakes his head. "Not everyone gets to be as drunk as you."

"Quinny should," Trevor suggests, pointing to Quinn on the other side of the small table. He shakes his head immediately, also laughing. Are we doing something funny?

"I miss when the Hughes boys did anything I asked," I joke because they've never done anything I've asked.

"I'd do anything you asked," Jack says.

Ki and Luke exchange a look. So do Holly and Quinn. What was that? Oh well.

"Wait!" I gasp. "Ki, me, Jack, Zegs, and Luke. We could do a One Direction song!"

Luke shakes his head again. "Definitely not."

"You love when I play One Direction!"

"I don't love singing it in front of an entire bar."

"No fun. We'll just have to do one off of Made In the AM."

"I'm not doing One Direction either," Ki says. "You barely have me on board doing Before He Cheats eventually."

I huff, wrapping my arms around the two boys still hanging off me's waists. "Both of my friends hate performing, how sucky for me."

"I have to piss," Trevor announces. Talk about TMI. He wiggles out of my new hold and makes sure to pat my shoulder a bit rougher than necessary as he walks away. Practically shoving me further into Jack.

Jack's arm goes from my waist to my shoulder in an instant. People probably think we're a couple. I don't hate the idea of that. But that's probably the Tito's talking. Not me.

"Brosie," I say, nodding to my future brother-in-law. "We should do a song."

He grimaces. "Maybe you should get some water, yeah?"

Now, here's where I can be difficult. I could argue. Something tells me I shouldn't though. So I don't. Instead, I squeeze Jack's side slightly. "C'mon, Rowdy, let's get me some water."

He nods and we walk over to the bar. Even though it isn't the greatest option, my head is on a swivel. Looking around almost wildly as we stand at the bar. Except, I guess, if I wasn't doing that I'd never see him. I would have happily been able to ignore his existence but no. My eyes spot him and I have never felt grosser in my life. To the point where my skin is crawling and my chest is tighter than Jack's hold.

Way tighter. Because the moment I go to chase after that son of a bitch, I slip free easily. He sees me. I know he sees me because he turns immediately and heads out the door behind him. I'm hot on his heels even with how sloshed I am. I know Jack's hot on my heels. That's the only reason I'm even following him outside. 'Cause Jack's behind me. One of my boys is enough for me to take on anyone through my absolute despise of conflict.