FicWad

"GENERATION MOD, CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?!" Will yelled from a mic on the stage, flocked by the uniformed dancers.

I stopped laughing at something Joe had remarked about Patrick's ass and took a sip of my Sprite. Tonight was going considerably better than the day had; it was ten but it felt like it was still seven. Time had flown, definitely. I felt like flying. Pete was being nice but not too nice (by William's standards), and I was just plain happy.

Or, so I thought. (Don't worry, you'll find out too.)

"GENERATION MOD...TONIGHT, THE NIGHT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR..."

I heard a few screams and catcalls about William being a terrible procrastinator and couldn't hold people in suspense. I wondered what he was talking about as William shushed the audience.

"Tonight, ladies and gentlemen," he said in a completely normal voice into the mic, so everyone would stop yelling at him and listen, "is Generation Mod's first annual GIVE ME A DOLLAR FOR EVERYTHING I RIP OFF NIGHT!"

The color went out of my face. I stared at the boys and looked worried (and filled with laughter) at their different expressions and/or actions.

Joe had sat up from his barstool and was digging through his wallet, digging out ones.

Patrick had started laughing histerically at Joe.

Andy bit his lip and tried not to laugh at Patrick, who was about to fall off his chair.

And, worst of all: Pete, who had started looking at me like he knew something I didn't, an expression I didn't really enjoy watching.

"But, ladies and gents," William continued in his normal voice as to shut up the morons who had started asking their buddies for ones, "here's the catch."

Boos.

"NOW BE QUIET WITH YOURSELVES," Will said. He started laughing at the blond who he'd been with the night before, who was starting to giggle with her friends, and then stopped himself. "Okay. Good.

"Here's the catch, as I was saying. The catch is that the only people who can get paid for doing this is the ladies in those wonderful uniforms."

I froze and felt eight eye balls on me: Pete, Patrick, Andy, and Joe's. And then William's, but then they moved away as he let the ladies up on stage flock around him, dancing various moves that I hadn't even seen, and I went to public school dances.

"Now...let the fun begin!"

I think there were more people at the bar than usual. Were there? Did you see any more than usual? I couldn't tell. And here's the thing: it was not pretty. Pete and Patrick hopped over the bar, but Joe had left (remind me to slap him) to go see one of the girls who had gone on the floor, and Andy had excused himself to the mens' room (can I slap him, too?).

And not only was the scene not pretty, the men weren't, either. I swear, besides Patrick and Pete, there were about four other guys with all their teeth, and about five who looked closer to my age. I was about to get out the hose for the beer to get them away, but William came running over and started pushing through them all.

"Out of the way...thanks...hey, buddy, don't make me get Mr. Bouncer over here..."

He slumped over the counter, which had somewhat cleared out; a few guys were hovering around, sadly, none of the ones I would even consider stripping for.

"I'm sorry," he said looking at me sympathetically.

I rolled my eyes. "Why are you telling me I can't be 'more than friends' with Pete, but you're letting me be a prime target for your stripper night? I thought this was a regular club, not a strip club. There's one down the street, bud."

William smacked himself between the eyes. "I know," he mumbled. "I didn't want to, but I kind of didn't have a choice."

I blinked at him. By now, Patrick and Pete had regained their vocal cords, and looked like they were about to go out and beat the lights out of Will.

"What do you mean, /you kind of didn't have a choice/?" Pete spat.

"Well..."