Lakewood - Megan Giddings Page 0,51

so much soul-growing left. I’m jealous.” Mariah showed Lena the long piece of cedar she was going to give Charlie as a birthday gift. A note taped to it had meditation and mindfulness instructions. A reminder that depending on what he wanted the coming year to focus on, he needed to choose between a full moon burning and a new moon burning.

“That’s a lovely piece of wood,” Lena said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. She owed Charlie $20 now; he had bet Mariah was going to give him something to burn: sage, or a piece of wood, or an unsettling doll. Lena had said it was going to be crystals or some sort of jewelry that incorporated power stones.

Ian and his boyfriend, Mark, looked like they regretted coming, or maybe like they were pretending not to be fighting. They were huddled in a corner, whispering to each other. Ian held a small plate of cornichons and cheese cubes. It seemed like he was refusing to share them. He kept shifting the plate between his hands whenever his boyfriend reached for one. Behind them was Pancake Butt, sipping a beer.

Lena put her drink down, deciding that if an observer was here, it was better to slow down. The cake was served; it was marble, chocolate and yellow. Charlie’s parents took photos of their son with his cake, then told them all to make smart choices tonight. When they were out the door, Charlie grabbed two glasses filled with the shots named after him and double-fisted them. “Now it’s my birthday.”

He beckoned Lena closer. A Chuck Berry song was playing, and two white kids started break-dancing to it. Their movements were so out of sync with the rhythm and mood of the song it made them seem more like they were on the verge of a medical crisis than people enjoying and responding to music.

“Lena, listen to me, your elder.” Charlie’s breath smelled like cheap liquor and fruit punch. “Dinosaur Lord is a defender of space and time. By day he’s a man. By night he’s a raptor who beats ass.”

“Are you high?”

“Lena, stop ruining my birthday.”

A hand touched Charlie’s shoulder and he turned around.

“Don’t look so nervous,” Dr. Lisa said to Lena.

Charlie laughed—he seemed genuinely happy to see the doctor there. Lena looked around the crowd, noticed it wasn’t just Pancake Butt. Einstein Eyebrows was handing Mariah a beer. Haircut was eating cheese and seemed to be flirting with the redheaded woman. Crooked Nose was texting someone. And the man from the woods, the man who had taken Bethany away, was sipping from a party cup and treating the dessert table with the utmost seriousness. Dr. Lisa was complimenting Charlie’s home, asking if these were the original wood floors, liked the wallpaper a lot in this room.

“Finally, someone I know,” Judy said. She talked at Lena about how she should dress her age. “You’re only young once.” Lena didn’t understand how a tank top and jeans weren’t age-appropriate. “Don’t make that face.” Judy pointed at Lena’s chest. “I’m just trying to make you live your life to the fullest. Soon you’ll look in the mirror.” Judy made a face that looked as if she had been electrocuted, put her hands on her throat as if she were being choked. “That’s how you’ll feel every time you see the sags and lines. Embrace your youth!”

Lena walked away and grabbed another beer, then went out to the backyard. The party was so loud she had to go farther down the sidewalk before calling her mom to do their nightly check-in. Deziree was excited because Miss Shaunté was dating a new man. He seemed nice enough, but Miss Shaunté was unsure of him because he did not open doors for her. Lena said the times were changing; some women thought it was creepy and patronizing when men did that. A new song came on in the party and someone yelled, “Oh, hell yeah.”

“People get mad about the dumbest shit now because they’re too lazy to engage with the stuff that matters,” Deziree said.

“I guess,” Lena said in her best I-don’t-feel-like-arguing tone.

“So, I’m going to go on a double date with Miss Shaunté and her new man.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“How do you feel?”

“Do you want me to talk to you like I’m your mom or your friend?”

Lena paused. If Deziree had dated anyone since Lena’s childhood, she hadn’t heard about it. “Whatever you need.”

“I’m scared shitless,” Deziree said. “But I’m also—I don’t