Page 77 of Magic or Madness

“Bambiis themotherfuckingqueen, all hail!” She shouts, and I feel my cheeks blush, like her words are dancing through my belly, igniting tiny butterflies.

I shake it off as adrenaline from the fight, mixed with drinks swirling through my body.

“I’m not the Queen. I just want everyone to come home whole,” I counter, but Cami’s personality completely overtakes the night, and I’m the hero in her eyes.

Ozzy wraps his arm around my shoulder, keeping his promise to hold me close all night.

I catch a glimpse of Pepper, who has tears streaming down her face, and I feel terrible for her, it can’t be easy getting tossed into the middle of your boyfriend’s life when you’re clueless as to how brutal it can be.

Pepper is such a sweet girl that this lifestyle may not be for her.

Cami and Oliver lead the way to a bar around the corner, walking hand in hand down the street like they’re on a runway.

Max has blood coming from his nose, and Journey suggests that it’s broken. His lady ran the second shit popped off, and I relish in that bittersweet fact, knowing he’ll be sleeping alone.

The rival crew follows us, and it makes me uneasy knowing we’ll be occupying a bar with them. Not because of the guns, or the fight, but because of their complete disrespect toward me, Pepper, and Cami.

Men like them disgust me, and I won’t be greeting them with any pleasantries. My smart mouth may very well get us all in trouble if they even look at me in a way I find offensive.

The bar Cami chose is nearly empty, and we crowd inside, filling the bar top and tables instantly.

Ozzy takes the liberty of ordering my drink, which is being paid for by one of the guys from the other crew.

“Pepper, are you doing okay?” I ask as she slides into the booth next to me.

“That was so scary, Fal. I thought they were going to shoot us,” she whispers, a slight tremble in her voice.

“We made it, we’re okay.” I gently rub her shoulder, and she nods, but her smile doesn’t meet her eyes.

I decide not to press her anymore and hope she can move forward at least for the rest of this weekend. Unfortunately, being with one of these guys requires a bit of tough skin, and I’m worried that Pepper’s fragility may come crashing down on all of us.

We watch as the guys mingle, everyone laughing and high-fiving as if there weren’t guns drawn and fists flying less than thirty minutes ago.

“A perfectly made Long Island iced tea.” Ozzy delivers my drink with care, and I watch as he returns to the group at the bar.

He’s not too far, keeping a watchful eye on us from across the room, and if any one of these guys takes a step in my direction, I know he’d be beside me in a second.

“Where’s Cami?” I ask, but Pepper shakes her head and shrugs, sipping on her pink drink.

“I’m going to find her, make sure she’s okay.” I nod my head toward the bathroom, ensuring Ozzy knows where I am, and he gives me a quick thumbs up.

The jukebox is playing, something I didn’t realize from across the room, and it looks like something from an old movie. You actually have to flip through the tracks to pick a song, and they’re all from the early eighties. I brush my finger along the brightly colored machine, admiring how well taken care of it looks, and making a mental note to play a few songs later.

I follow the signs leading to the restroom and lightly tap on the door before entering.

“Cami, are you in here?”

There’s no answer, so I slowly push the door and stop dead in my tracks when I see her bent over the sink. She’s holding a rolled-up dollar bill to her nose, sniffing thin white lines off the screen of her phone.

She tips her head back, pinching the bridge of her nose and wiping small tears from under her eyes. She nearly jumps whenshe realizes I’ve been watching, and she swipes her dark hair over her shoulder.

“Shit, Fallon. You scared me. Want some?” She giggles, holding out the makeshift straw to me.

“What is it?”

“Cocaine, silly. Ya know, nose candy?” I stare in awe as she uses a credit card to push the powder into another line.

“Uh, I’ve never done that before. Any drugs for that matter,” I say nervously, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

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