“Hey! I’m no sidekick!” Lucy protested. “I want us to be a power couple like Bill and Melinda. You know, that ‘us against the world’ mentality.”
Lucy and Freddy continued their back and forth exchange for the next few minutes as we looked on with a mixture of amusement and envy. When they got started like this, it was as though there was no one else in the world.
“Hey, it looks like someone’s coming over,” Candela said suddenly. We turned our heads in unison to see a light shining through the shrubbery. A few moments later, a figure appeared, holding a pizza bag in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
“It’s Duck,” I said, getting up and walking over to meet him. “Hey, I thought you had to work tonight.”
He grinned. “I managed to sneak away for a bit. Couldn’t miss seeing my girl on her special night.” He switched off his flashlight and latched it to his belt before taking my hand in his. We began strolling back to the group when he stopped abruptly. “Who’s that guy sitting near Lucy?”
“That’s Rad,” I said, biting down on my lip. This wasn’t going to go down well.
“Rad? What the fuck is he doing here?”
“I didn’t know he was going to be here,” I said truthfully. “Freddy brought him.”
He gave me a dubious look. “Well, it’s your party. You can invite anyone you want.”
“I didn’t invite him. He came with Freddy!”
“Sure, Audrey,” he said, looking unconvinced.
“Look, everyone’s staring at us, Duck. It’s my birthday—can’t we just drop it?”
“Fine,” he said, resignation in his voice.
Freddy stood up to greet Duck when we reached the group. They locked their palms together the way boys do, playfully combative.
Freddy asked, “Have you met my friend Rad?”
Rad stood up and stuck out his hand. “Hey, man,” he said.
“Hey,” said Duck, shaking Rad’s hand with reluctance.
“Did you bring pizza?” asked Lucy. “I’m starving!” She was perpetually hungry.
“It’s Audrey’s birthday cake, actually,” said Duck, smiling shyly. With a practiced motion, he withdrew the pizza box from the red bag and passed it to me. I opened it to find a pepperoni pizza crudely fashioned into the shape of a heart. “Extra cheese, just how you like it.”
“I love it!” I exclaimed.
“Aw, that’s cute,” said Lucy, peering over my shoulder.
Duck fished around in his pockets and came up with a handful of candles. I carefully laid the opened pizza box on the picnic rug as he stuck the candles arbitrarily into the fleshy dough.
“Anyone got a light?” asked Duck. Candela passed one to him, and he lit up my makeshift birthday cake.
“Happy birthday to you,” started Lucy, and everyone else chimed in, singing off-key with their own different renditions about monkeys and zoos.
“Hip, hip, hooray!” they chorused as I blew out the candles.
“Did you make a wish?” asked Lucy.
Without meaning to, my eyes shot involuntarily to Rad—it was like a knee-jerk reaction. I looked away quickly, hoping no one had noticed.
“Yeah,” I said to Lucy, “but the wish only comes true if you keep it a secret.”
“Okay, everyone, dig in!” said Duck.
We all took turns grabbing a slice of pizza.
“Mmmm,” Lucy moaned as she took her first bite. “You make the best pizzas, Duck.”
“Thanks, Lucy.”
We ate the rest largely in silence.
“I have an idea. Let’s play truth or dare,” said Candela.
“Yes!” said Lucy.
I groaned. “Really, Candela?”
Duck glanced at his watch. “Good thing I have to get back to work.”
“Already?” I said.
“Uh-huh. Everyone’s sick with the flu, so we’re really understaffed tonight.”
“Oh. I’ll walk you to the car.”
“No, you stay here. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“See you,” he said and gave a mock salute to the group as we all called out goodbyes. He picked up the red bag, tucked it under his arm, and strolled away into the night.
Candela turned to Freddy, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“Okay, run up to Duck and give him a goodbye kiss. Quick, before he disappears.”
We laughed as Freddy sprung to his feet.
“On the lips!” Lucy called out as Freddy raced over to Duck.
We watched as Freddy ambushed Duck in the distance and pounced on him.
“What the—” we heard Duck cry, as Freddy planted a firm kiss on his lips, while we fell over ourselves laughing. Duck turned and shook his head at us, as Freddy gave him another peck on the cheek before walking back looking victorious.
“Well done, babe!” said Lucy.
“He’s a great kisser, Audrey. You’re a lucky girl.”
I laughed. “Did you get any tongue action?”
“A little,” he joked.
Freddy sat back down crossed-legged on the rug and turned to face Candela. “Your turn, missy. Truth or dare?”
“Uh, truth.”
“Who was the first person you had sex with?”
“Novak Blackwood.”
“Seriously? I thought it was Drew,” I said.
“That didn’t count as sex.”
“Ah, what exactly constitutes sex for you, Candela?” asked Lucy.
She grinned. “You know, the definition they give you at the White House.”
“Okay, let’s rephrase that, then: who was the first person you fooled around with?” asked Freddy.
Candela thought for a few minutes. “Lisa Sadler.”
Freddy’s mouth fell open.
“Seriously?” asked Lucy.
Candela nodded. “Uh-huh. Fourteen, sleepover, found her dad’s stash of weed. I think we made it to third base.”
“Nice,” said Freddy with approval.
“It was a fun night,” said Candela with a shrug. She took a gulp of vodka and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Okay, Audrey, your turn. Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“What did you wish for earlier, when you were blowing out your birthday candles?”
“World peace,” I said, batting my eyelashes at her.
“That’s my girl,” said Lucy.
“She did not wish for world peace,” said Candela.
“Okay—Rad’s turn,” I said quickly, eager to move on from the subject. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“Who was your first celebrity crush?”
“Pamela Anderson,” he shrugged and grinned.
I rolled my eyes. “Typical.”
“I had a poster of her above my bed.”
“In her Baywatch gear?”
“No, it was a PETA ad, I think.”
Freddy cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. “Nerd!”
Rad turned to Lucy. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“Okay, you have to call the first person on your contact list and tell them you love them.”
“Sure, that’s easy enough,” she said, reaching into her purse for her phone.
“But,” continued Rad, “it can’t be a family member or friend.”
Lucy froze. “Oh shit. No. No way!”
“Yes way!” Candela said, her face lit up with glee.
“Yeah, Lucy, rules are rules,” I agreed.
She shook her head. “Nah-uh.”
Freddy began to make clucking noises at her, moving his elbows in and out in a flapping motion. She glared at him.