Page 1 of Mad Max

Chapter 1 – Cheyanne

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o you think anyone would notice if I left? Does anyone even know I’m here? Would it be rude to ask for the taller people to stand by the walls and the shorter ones in the middle? Maybe I should just get a chair to stand on to find him.

I shake my head, clearing out my thoughts. I don’t know if I really want to leave, nor do I know if I want to stay. This isn’t what I was expecting when I said I would go out with Benny. Not that I’ve seen him much since he brought me to this party. At least that’s what I’m calling it. Haven’t really been to one before. I’ve seen them from the outside, but never actually went in.

“Cheyanne? Girl, I haven’t seen you in forever! What are you doing here?”

I turn at my name and do a double take. I didn’t expect to know someone here, and she’s the last person I thought would ever be here. But I bet she’s thinking the same thing about me. I’m not one for running with this crowd, whatever type it may be. Didn’t see a sign on the way in. But if “an abandoned house filled with bikers, rough people, and girls not covered at all” was a business name, this would be the place.

“Izzy?” I blink a few times, trying to find the words that are probably expected of me in this party atmosphere. “Oh wow, I didn’t think I would know anyone here. I love your jacket. Are you with the Hounds now?” I read off the name of the club I’ve seen around town on the patch on her left shoulder as I look around to see if I find any other people wearing the same jacket. The Hounds of the Reaper aren’t a group I spend time with, but I’m also not blind and notice them around. Kind of hard not to, even for a person like me that rarely notices things outside of my own interests.

Her blush makes me smile. Not sure why, but I enjoy it. From the books I’ve read about the hidden language of emotions, a person blushes for only a few reasons. She doesn’t seem embarrassed, so it must be one of the other common reasons.

“Yeah, I’m sort of seeing one of them.”

“Blushing could be a sign of emotional connection with another.” Ding, ding, ding! We got a winner.

I don’t know how many other people pat themselves on the back when they’re able to quote a line from a book they read to help them figure out a situation. But I sure do, and it looks like our Izzy girl is in love.

“Hey, Lady.”

My eyebrows rise as Izzy raises her hand and waves. “Lady?”

“Yeah….”

Before she can start trying to feel self-conscious, I jump in. No need for that blush to go the other way. I’ve felt that kind of blush before, the embarrassed kind. Didn’t even know what it was when I felt it, but I knew I didn’t like it, and there’s no reason to get someone else to feel it.

“I love it.” She visibly relaxes, so I chance my luck and continue talking, grabbing at things I’ve heard others say from movies and what just feels right. Might not be a party girl, but I can’t mess this up too much. At least I hope not. “And you look great. There’s this glow about you that I’ve never seen before. You’re rocking this. I need to meet the one who swept you off your feet and totally congratulate him on getting the best girl out there.”

Happiness floats inside my stomach when I see her tension ease even more at my words. Yesss! Twice that I’m right. I don’t always get these correct. Google says it has something to do with me growing up too fast and not learning social cues since my parents pushed me through school so quickly. I was doing calculus in the third grade and focusing on learning my seventh language, not how to tell when to keep things to myself if I see someone is sad or mad.

I’ve worked hard to figure out these cues that most people learn when they’re kids.

“Actually, my guy is over there. Let me introduce you, unless you’re waiting for someone.”

“Well… I came with Benny, but he went to get drinks. I, ah… I think that way?” I point in the direction I think he went, and Izzy looks behind her before turning back with a smile.

“New guy?”

I shrug. He’s just a date and gives me nothing like the glow that Izzy—I mean Lady is working with.

She gets it, her smile lessening a bit, and says nothing more on the matter.

I opt to change the subject, just to avoid the inevitable blush of embarrassment myself. “Sure, let’s meet your new boy toy.”

She laughs hard but turns, and I follow her. “Hardly,” she shouts back over her shoulder as we keep walking single file through the partygoers.

The group she leads me to should probably intimidate me. Guess it’s a good thing I never figured out social cues.

“Hey, guys, this is a colleague of mine, Cheyanne. Cheyanne, meet the Hounds. This is Law, Flint, Casper, Mad Max, and my guy, Bulldog.”

I wave to the group. “Hi, nice to meet you all.” Then I turn to the couple. “Bulldog and Lady? Sounds like a story to me. And I’ve just got to say, whatever voodoo you worked on my girl, keep doing it. It’s good to see her smiling.”

“I will,” he all but growls, then pulls her down on his lap and starts sucking on her neck. I’m completely ignored as she giggles and turns into him.

“Have a seat, sweetheart. Take a load off.”

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