Page 25 of I Survived and will rise again

As if the universe has a sense of humor, one of Anuel AA's hit songs suddenly starts playing, Lupe's eyes widening in disbelief.

"Where's Tiny?" Telle asks, glancing around the club. "No idea. She told us that she would be back in a bit when we got here," I reply.

"I'm going to text her." Telle takes out her phone and taps on it.

While we wait for our drinks, I look at the dance floor.

“How pissed off do you think the guys are going to be when they find out we’re not really having a sleepover?” Lupe asks, turning my attention back to the group.

Telle rolls her eyes. "Oh, come on. It’s not like you’re doing anything wrong. If he has a problem with that, tell him to stick it up his ass.”

After Jo returned and the chaos subsided, the girls and I decided to spend some time together and try to get back to normal. It felt good to forget about the drama that threatened to drown us for so long.

After a short while, the bartender returns and places our drinks and chips in front of us. Just then, Tiny emerges from the crowd.

"Where the hell have you been?" Telle asks Tiny.

Ignoring Telle, Tiny catches the bartender's attention just before he steps away. "Rum and Coke for me,” Tiny says, her voice as sweet as her drink of choice. Tiny stands out in hernavy, crisscross cut-out, lantern sleeve, ruched bodycon dress, and silver heels. Her light curls cascade over her shoulders.

“I was in the bathroom. The line was so fucking long, I almost had to go outside to take a piss,” Tiny says as she slides into the booth next to me.

Tiny reaches inside her handbag and pulls out a bottle of perfume. She removes the cap and sprays herself several times. The strong scent fills the air, making me cough and wave my hand in front of my face to clear it.

“Whoa, Tiny! What the hell?” I exclaim, struggling to breathe.

“Sorry,” Tiny replies, “but some girl’s ass exploded. God, it was so nasty. I mean, seriously, use the poop spray to mask that shit.” She sniffs her clothes. “I think I smell like shit. Reina, smell me. Do I smell like shit?” she asks, turning to me and trying to get me to smell her.

Telle spits out her drink and bursts into laughter.

“Ugh, go away!” I say, laughing and trying to move closer to Lupe.

“That’s so fucking nasty,” Tia says, shuddering.

“Seriously, I’m about to go home and change out of my clothes.” She leans over the table and glances at Lupe. “Hey Lupe, give me your car keys.”

“Hell no. I just paid twenty dollars for parking. I ain’t forking up another twenty.” “I’ll pay for it.Please?” Tiny begs.

“Tiny, you don’t smell like shit,” I say with a chuckle as I try to reassure her.

Telle, who seems to be getting frustrated with our conversation, says, “For fuck's sake. Can we please stop talking about shit? Talking aboutshitis not exactly my idea of a conversation." She pops a chip in her mouth and takes a sip of her drink.

As soon as the song switches to "El Cepillo" by Fulanito, Tiny, Tia, and Telle let out simultaneous screeches, forcing me to cover my ears. "This is our jam, girl!"

Lupe slinks out of the booth and reaches for my hands. "Vamos." She takes my hands and pulls me toward the dance floor. I can feel the energy in the air. The music is loud, and the bass thunders through the speakers. Lupe's walking backward, her hips swaying with every step, and I can't help but follow her lead. We make our way to the center of the dance floor, where my girls are already moving their hips and legs in a circle to the beat.

The beat is freaky fast, but it doesn't stop us. We feed off each other's energy, the music propelling us forward. Together, we move, our bodies swaying and twisting. We become like a force of nature, impervious to anything that might try to break us apart. Even as the beat picks up its pace, we don't falter, moving faster and with more intensity.

When the song ends, "Me Miras Y Te Miro" by Grupo Mania starts playing. Tia takes my hands and shifts her foot from side to side, her hips swaying gracefully, and I follow her every move. Salsa dancing is one of my favorite dance styles.

As we hit the middle of the chorus, Lupe nudges me, causing me to lose my rhythm for a moment.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Lupe shouts with a grin, gesturing toward the second floor.

Curious, we follow her gaze, and my heart beats faster as we notice Seb, Gio, Max, Ash, and Donnie on the second floor, resting their arms on the railing, watching us with stupid ass grins on their faces.

Donnie looks sexy as hell in his fitted dark-charcoal polo shirt and tan slacks, hair perfectly combed, and neatly trimmed facial hair. Ash, too, looks sharp in his black quarter-zip polo and dark jeans. The rest of the guys are dressed to impress, withshort-sleeve dress shirts, dark slacks, and tattoos proudly on display.

“How the hell did they know we'd be here?" Telle asks.

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