Tully’s eyes fall to the ground. “I don’t know,” she says. “You should have told me.”
“How could I when I knew you’d end up looking at me like this?”
“I really want to hate you.”
A cocky grin spreads across his face as he reaches out and drags his sister into his arms. “But you can’t.”
I can practically hear her roll her eyes. “Get off me, you big turd,” she tells him, pressing against his chest and fighting for her freedom. He finally gives in and allows her a little space before she looks over his arms. “Did you really get a new tattoo?”
“Wasn’t me who got a tattoo.”
Tully’s mouth drops open before she turns and gapes at me. “You got a tattoo without telling me?”
I start pulling out my phone to find the picture I’d taken of it at the parlor because right now it’s all bandaged up. “Well, it was kind of spontaneous,” I explain, turning my phone around to show her the pic. “I didn’t plan for it.”
“Shit, this is nice.” She takes my phone from my hand and zooms in on the picture. “I’m so jealous. This design is awesome. Did Tiny do it?”
“Uh-huh. She’s great, isn’t she?”
“Sure is. I’ve been working up the nerve to get my own but every time I get close, I chicken out like a little pussy,” she laughs, looking back at the picture and admiring it a little more. “I can’t wait until it heals and I can see it properly.”
I scoff. “I can’t wait until summer and dad realizes what I did.”
Tully shakes her head before studying me closely. “You lost a bet, didn’t you?”
“Actually, no. He did.”
“Huh?” she grunts, looking up from my phone with a blank expression. “That makes no sense. If he lost, then shouldn’t he have gotten one, not you?”
I grin widely. “He did get something done.”
“Ok…and this is where we finish this conversation,” Noah cuts in, clearly not ready to tell his sister exactly what it is he did today.
Tully’s eyes flick between me and Noah a few times before realization begins to dawn. Her mouth drops open and she gapes at him. “You didn’t?”
“Believe me,” he mutters. “I fucking wish I didn’t.”
Tully howls with laughter to the point that tears start spilling out of her eyes. Aiden comes up behind her and loops his arm over her shoulder before giving me a questioning look. “What the fuck is so funny?”
“Nothing,” Noah grunts.
Tully turns into Aiden and grabs a fistful of his shirt before wiping her eyes on it. “Noah got,” laugh. “He got…” Tully doubles over, unable to control herself. “Shit, I can’t even,” she tells him, needing to wipe her eyes once again.
“Fuck me,” Noah grumbles under his breath. “You’re going to tell everyone, aren’t you?”
“You better fucking believe it,” she laughs again before looking back at Aiden. “Noahsaurus got his dick pierced.”
Aiden gapes for a moment before turning to me. “Fuck, yeah,” he howls before holding his hand up proudly for me to high five. “Get it, girl.”
Noah shakes his head, probably out of embarrassment before slinking away. “I need a fucking drink.” He disappears into the crowd, leaving me to party the night away with Tully and Aiden.
Spencer shows up at some point and I eventually find Kaylah who ditches her Broken Hill friends to party with us. Jesse crowd surfs, Tyson throws up in the lake, and Aiden dirty dances with some guy from Broken Hill who I’m pretty sure is straight.
Before I know it, it’s two in the morning and the small night I assumed I was going to have is long gone. I can sleep when I’m dead.
People slowly begin disappearing, leaving only the people with stamina behind which is when I drop down into Noah’s lap, loving the feel of his hand as it circles my waist. “Here, drink this,” he tells me, holding up a water bottle.
I roll my eyes and take it from him anyway. I haven’t drunk too much tonight, so I’ll be fine tomorrow, but he can’t help the need to look after me. I take a drink and as I screw the lid back on the bottle, I feel a heavy gaze sinking into us.
I glance around. It’s pretty dark but the fairy lights hanging above us are doing an alright job. I scan the bodies and then finally I spot the culprit. Over by the DJ booth is a girl I’ve never seen before blatantly staring at us. She must be from Broken Hill High. I’d know if I’d seen her before; she’s hot. Long brunette hair, curves to kill for, and startling blue eyes that I can see from over here. She has that whole innocent look about her with a baby face that I have no doubt all the guys at her school would fawn over. She’s instantly a threat.