Page 32 of Bitter Prince

“We have another few days of school and then it’s summer break,” Raven said, signing at the same time. All of us were piled on the floor of our Paris apartment’s tiny living room, legs crisscrossed and books everywhere. Some opened, others closed. “We’ve worked hard. We deserve a night out!”

I shut my music history book. I’d welcome any distraction. I was doing a double major for my sister’s benefit, but I didn’t enjoy music as much as she did. I preferred fashion and could spend hours, days, weeks lost in creating my designs. When it came to music, I found it to be draining.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Isla agreed, probably just as eager to get out of the apartment. She hated to study, preferring just to play music.

“Do we have to go clubbing?” I murmured.

I always worried about going to a club. It was hit-or-miss with me, but I always liked the idea of going out for a night of dancing. At least the clubs in France were for ages eighteen and over, and I was so darn close to being eighteen.

Phoenix shook her head, a scolding expression marring her face. “We have exams tomorrow.”

Isla shrugged. “I’m game if we’re all going.” Then she zeroed her green eyes on every one of the girls, ending with Phoenix. “All. Of. Us.”

“We should stay in and finish our studies.” Phoenix was always the reasonable one, the cautious one. “We can go out plenty this summer.”

It was a reasonable suggestion, but judging by the girls’ faces, it was an unpopular one.

“Summer is practically here,” Raven whined. “We deserve a night out.”

“You think we deserve a night out every night,” Athena proclaimed. “I’ve never met anyone who can party as hard as you, Raven.”

The latter started singing “Somethin’ Bad,” a duet by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, shaking her booty like a stripper.

“Something bad is sure to happen when she’s in this mood,” Isla muttered, and we all burst into fits of giggles. Well, all but Phoenix. Her face crumbled and I closed the distance between us, cupping her cheeks. I pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose, then said, slowly and clearly so she could read my lips.

“We’ll go, we’ll dance, and then we’ll be back by midnight,” I reasoned.

“Like Cinderella,” she mouthed, her voice nonexistent. It had been such a long time since I heard her voice. I was four, but I still remembered it. Soft and melodious. But then she got sick, and everything changed.

“Let’s go pole dancing,” Raven exclaimed, signing at the same time. Contrary to her carefree personality and sex-crazed attitude, she was quite reserved. It was all thanks to the man who had broken her heart before.

“Really?” Athena scolded her. “We’re not strippers.”

“I have a stripper dance on my bucket list,” Raven said, drawing all our eyes to her. “Well, more of a lap dance.”

“That’s an odd thing to have on your bucket list,” I remarked.

“Do you want to give or receive a lap dance?” Isla asked curiously.

Raven tilted her head, those dark ebony strands falling to her shoulders. She couldn’t have a more fitting name if she’d chosen it herself, her hair color resembling that of a raven’s feathers.

“I’m going to have to think about it,” she answered, crossing her arms and tapping a finger on her cheek. “I guess I never considered getting a lap dance, but now I can see that I was perhaps too narrow-minded.”

“God help us,” Athena mumbled. “If she expands her views, what else will make it onto her list?”

“Don’t judge.” We all rolled our eyes, smirking. This was a no-judgment zone, but once in a while, we managed to shock each other.

“But lap dance?” I questioned. “Shouldn’t you put something else—something more worthy—on your bucket list?”

“Well, what’s on yours?” I stared at her, realizing I’d never really made a bucket list.

“What? You don’t have your own bucket list?” Raven said defensively.

I looked at my sister who just shrugged. “I never thought of making one,” she signed.

“Same, but I’ll be sure to remedy that as soon as possible.”

“Ditto that,” Isla chimed in teasingly, then glanced at Athena. “I think we all have to make one.”