I grab mine and wait for the rest of the girls to get theirs.
“To us,” Cora toasts.
“To us,” the rest of us cheer over the noise of the booming bar.
I down the liquid without thinking twice. It’s smooth at first, but then warms its way down my chest. That was definitely tequila.
Cora motions to the newly freed-up pool table. “You any good?”
I shake my head. “Not really.”
She breaks out in a huge smile and grabs my arm, dragging me over to it. “Me either.”
It’s not long before we’re all laughing and cheering each other on at how badly we collectively suck. According to Cora, June is a pool-shark, but she’d rather spectate than join us. She definitely gives offlook at me wrong and I’ll stab youvibes, which is the polar opposite of Cora and Steff. I welcome each of their personalities all the same, even the roughness of June’s.
Forever comes and we still haven’t finished a single game, none of us able to pocket any of the balls between our natural lack of talent and the booze that courses through our veins.
June and Steff both buy a round of drinks, more doubles from the former and something called a Washington Apple from the latter.
My head swims with fuzz, and for once, I feel freaking great.
It’s my turn to buy next, but I urge the girls that we need to pace ourselves.
My phone goes off in my pocket and I pull it out, Griffin’s stupid face on the screen.
“Nooo, don’t answer it.” Cora tries to reach and stop me to no success.
I laugh and swat away her arm.
Liquid courage has me pushing the green button and connecting the call.
“Hello!” I shout through the receiver.
“Where are you?”
“Out,” I say, with a matter-of-fact tone.
“No shit, Claire. Are you at a fucking bar?” Griffin sounds pissed, but it doesn’t affect me the way it normally does.
Yay, booze!
“Yes, Griff, I am. Where are you?”
Steff cups her hands around her mouth and loud whispers, "Who's Griff?"
“Who the fuck is that?” Griffin’s tone shifts to further emphasize hownotokay he is with all of this.
"What do you want? I'm busy." My voice slurs no matter how much I try to make it normal.
“You’re fucking drunk? Are you there with a guy? You’re there a goddamn week and you’re already cheating on me? You’re nothing but a slut, Claire. A dirty, ungrateful little bitch. You’re lucky I—”
Rage builds inside of me and I snap. “Shut the fuck up, Griffin. I’m lucky—what? That you didn’t give me an STD from that girl you fucked at your work? What’s her name, Shelby? Where wereyoulast weekend? Huh?” I pause but go right back to it, not ready for him to take over the conversation the way he always does. “I’m done, Griffin. Fucking done. You and me, we’re over.”
I hang up the phone like he’s done to me so many times before.
All three of my new friends stand there wide-eyed, completely silent.
“Holy shit,” Cora finally mutters. “That was…” She looks around to the other two girls, “Badass.”