Chapter 106: Meeting Old Friends.
Oh, that’s right. I remember now. Guru once whispered that word like an expression, no, he repeated it on so many occasions. It was like a prayer or a secret he was keeping to himself.
Hija Dela Luna.
We were standing at the Bulldogs Club entrance, and my jaw nearly hit the pavement. To our surprise, there was a long queue snaking around the block. Lunny Club never had this much of a line. It was like the whole city had decided this was the only place to be tonight.
I stood beside Malo and Princess, who was trying her best to stay undercover. She wore this ridiculous hat to cover her face, which was honestly obvious.
Who the fuck wears a hat like that to a club? This is not a rodeo or a tap dance. It stood out more than her actual face would have. I told her it wasn’t vibing, but she just shrugged and said this was the only thing she could find to hide her features.
"Princess, I was only able to buy two tickets," Malo said, holding them up so we could see.
"Can you get a third one?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
"No, it’s all sold out," Malo replied, shaking his head.
Princess turned to me, her eyes apologetic.
"Can you wait in the car until we get the information we’re after?"
"No," I snapped. I hadn’t spent all that time getting ready just to sit in a parking lot.
"Come on, I need Malo to survey around. He would have been the one waiting in the car. Just stay there until I get back. There are snacks and soda, and if you need anything, you can place an order..."
The fuck, man. I did not just leave home to wait in the car like a forgotten bag of groceries. But there was nothing I could say or do. Malo couldn’t forfeit his ticket because he was the one doing the scouting, and Princess was the one leading the charge. I really wanted to be part of whatever they were up to, but I was stuck.
"Okay, I’ll wait in the car... and order chicken wings," I said. Before I walked away, I reached out and snatched that stupid hat right off Princess’s head.
"Hey!" she called out, reaching for it.
"You look beautiful without this fucking hat," I muttered. I didn’t look back as I left them in the line and headed for the car.
I sat in the passenger seat, feeling the silence of the vehicle settle around me. After using Princess’s card to order a massive spread of wings and pizza, I spent my time eating and scrolling through my phone. The grease and the carbs made me sleepy, and I think I actually dozed off after a while.
When I finally woke up, the windows were slightly fogged and I realized the long line outside had almost cleared. The street was quieter now, the bass from the club muffled by the car doors. I stepped out to get some fresh air and rested on the car bonnet, staring up at the dark sky. I spent a few minutes just thinking about my life, my brother calling me his problem, and my fucking future. It all felt so heavy and uncertain.
The sound of a roaring engine pulled me out of my thoughts. A motorcycle swerved into the lot and parked directly across from Princess’s car. I squinted at it, the familiar graffiti design on the tank and the specific growl of the engine making my heart jump.
I knew who it was.
Dave.
And there was someone sitting on the back, leaning against him. It was Katie, his girlfriend. I didn’t even hesitate; I crossed over to them before they could even take off their helmets.
"Yo, Dave, what’s up?" I said, a grin breaking across my face.
They both turned, pulling their helmets off to recognize me.
"Oh, yo, Faye, holy shit, is that you?" Dave said, his eyes going wide. He let out a loud laugh and hopped off the bike.
There is nothing like seeing a friend after months of silence. We hugged and did our old handshake, the familiar rhythm of it making me feel like I was back home for a split second. Katie hugged me too, but when she pulled away, she didn’t stop staring at me. She had that look in her eyes, the one where she’s analyzing every detail.
"Wow, Faye, you look different... did you put on some weight?" she asked, checking me out from head to toe.
"No, Katie, I’m the same from Redwood. You look good tonight..." I said, trying to deflect and get her mind off my body. I was thanking the stars I had worn my loose, oversized hoodie. No way I’m reuniting with my friends and announcing to the world that I got knocked up.
But Katie is the type of person who never lets things go. Once she has a thread, she’ll keep digging until the whole thing unravels.
Dave started giving me small, repeated punches on my shoulder. They were playful, but the guy doesn’t know his own strength and it actually hurt. That’s just what we’ve always done, though. It was his way of saying he missed me.
"I can’t believe you disappeared in one night. We planned to do the fucking shit the next day, and then you vanished... yo, not cool, man," he said, still landing those light punches.
I shifted a little to the side to avoid the nonstop hits.
"I had no idea I was moving that same night. Paye made the decision early in the morning, and I didn’t have time to inform anyone. sorry yo,..." I said, feeling that old guilt from the move bubble up again.
"You could have contacted us," Katie said, crossing her arms.
"My phone got cracked by some bitch, and I had no contacts. I reached out on Insta... you didn’t reply," I said, pointing an accusing finger at Dave.
"Who the fuck reads messages on Insta? That shit isn’t safe, just spam and nonsense..." he said with a wave of his hand.
"So what are you guys doing here in Oakland?" I asked, looking toward the club.
"Clubbing," Dave said with a vague gesture toward the entrance.
"Wow, this place has only been open for two weeks. How did you guys even hear about Bulldogs?"
"We heard it’s not about the club... it’s about the fucking race," Dave said, his eyes lighting up with that familiar competitive spark. Then he looked over at the entrance and saw the bouncers were about to close the doors for the night. "Do you want to come with us?"
"I don’t have a ticket," I said, looking back at the car where I was supposed to be waiting.
"I’ve got an extra. Stevie was supposed to tag along, but he bailed last minute," Dave said, already reaching into his pocket.
Well... looks like I’m going into the club after all. I couldn’t help but smirk. I can’t wait to see Princess’s face when she sees me inside after she told me to stay in the car.
The three of us walked toward the entrance, Dave and Katie leading the way.
"I’m serious... you look fat," Katie whispered as we got closer to the bouncer.
"I am not fat!!" I hissed back, pulling my hoodie even tighter.
