Bittersweet Sixteen by Carrie Karasyov

Author:Carrie Karasyov
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

As the limo pulled up to the Intrepid, we saw fireworks exploding overhead on the water. The Hudson River rippled with the cold wind, and the lights from a half-mill display of fireworks lit up the night sky and water below. On board, the name LILLY was spelled out in lightbulbs that flashed in concert with the DJ’s music on a turntable sound system that rivaled any major club’s. Waiters on Razor scooters came by with mini-hot-sauce-infused pizzas while jugglers, fire-eaters, dancers, performance artists, and caricaturists lined the decks.

We checked out the main deck and then decided to troll the scene first before choosing a place to plop.

“Oh my God,” said Sophie. “Our centerpieces are gonna kick Lilly’s centerpieces’ ass!”

“Totally,” said Whitney, scanning the room for Jake. “We’ve cruised all three decks; I mean, dónde está the guy?” Whitney pushed an errant hair back behind her ear. “These gusts are killing my ’do. Laura, can you go get the guys? Bring them back here, and we’ll get bevs.”

“Fine.” I sighed. I was not in the mood to be fetcher girl, but I was more than ready to get away from Whitney. Dispatched by her majesty to alert the boys of Whitney’s presence, i.e., sausage run, I took my time to ponder my situation. I don’t know why it bummed me out so much that Whitney planned on hooking up with Jake. I guess because I saw how quickly she caught and dropped boys. She’d wash her hands of him before next week’s manicure. Plus the discovery that she’d sold me out made me even less tolerant of her calculating ways.

“Hey, Finnegan.”

I turned around. Jolt to the aorta. Jake looked positively James Bondian. So dashing I thought I might fall overboard. “Hi—”

“Is that one of your designs?” he said, nodding at my outfit, a crimson organza strapless dress I had sketched while watching an Audrey Hepburn movie.

“Yeah.” I blushed, then remembered my critical mission. “So, um, we’re all hanging out on the other end of the boat, on, like, the stern. Or the bow? Down there,” I said, pointing with my whole arm, Vanna White style.

“Cool.”

“Do you guys want to come down there? Where’s your posse?”

“Probably in the bathroom doing shots out of Bobby’s flask. Josh is there with them.”

I was so annoyed Whit and Sophie had planted this dumb Josh seed—argh! “Oh, well, whatever. Why aren’t you with them?”

“Don’t tell anyone, but I am a little seasick.”

“I’m so sorry! Can I get you anything? Ginger ale?”

“No, no, it’s okay. I always feel like this on boats. Kind of lame when we’re not even cruising.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, feeling his pain. “I fully tossed my tacos the day after our little Tilt-a-Whirl odyssey.”

“No way!”

“Yeah, just a tad too much spinning and spaghetti.”

“There you are!” Whitney suddenly appeared and kissed Jake hello. Sophie followed closely behind. Ava and Kaitlin were nowhere in sight. “Laura, we thought you were man overboard.”

Just then the guys came back from the bathroom, minus Max.

“Dude, I am hammered,” said Bobby, leaning on Jake in an exaggerated drunken manner.

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