Balancer by Patrick Wong Page A

“What is with you tonight?”
    “Nothing. I’m just a little tired. It’s been a long week,” Nicole said.
    “Well, Drake and I are about to be headliners now, so you don’t have to worry about being the center of attention anymore. You should’ve seen the way those girls from P.E. class were staring at us earlier. This must be what it’s like being stalked by paparazzi!”
    Nicole laughed. This was another example of why she could never be cross with Amy for long.
    “Hey, look. There’s Dean. We should totally go over there and gloat,” Amy said. It was a peace offering, and Nicole took it wholeheartedly.
    The next couple of hours or so whizzed by. When Amy wandered off to talk with Drake some more about the “Saturdate” — surely now the most anticipated and organized date in history — Nicole found she didn’t mind at all.
    As night fell, a cooling breeze blew up, rustling the cedars and seeming to have a delightful chilling effect on everyone at the party. Toward eleven, Nicole found herself gathered in a circle with others on the deck, the music now playing low. A few candles were burning in storm lamps scattered around the last of the partygoers, who were draped in blankets and sipping hot drinks.
    The stars were bright that night, briefly reminding Nicole of the fateful evening of the wildfire. In fact, she was so busy craning up at the sky to locate Pleiades again that she lost track of the flow of conversation, and when she tried to rejoin it, she found she couldn’t catch on to the subject.
    She caught a yawn, realizing that she was actually really tired, and looked around to see whether she could spot Amy.
    Getting up, she offered Reilly her blanket and headed toward the house, with a pretty good idea of where she’d find her friend. Sure enough, the large, comfortable, terra-cotta-tiled kitchen yielded Amy. She was sitting on one of the counters, legs dangling, while Drake was busy fixing some pancakes.
    “Hey,” Nicole waved casually.
    Amy grinned at her, and Drake flipped the pancakes perfectly. “Nice swim earlier, Nix.”
    “Thanks, Drake.” She offered her best warm smile. “I see Amy’s got you in the kitchen already.” They both laughed. Amy pretended to kick Nicole, but was evidently basking in the attention.
    As Drake transferred the lacy, golden pancake to a warm plate and poured more batter in the pan, Nicole quickly got Amy’s attention and pointed at her watch. Her best friend silently gasped as though she had no idea of the time, even though there was a large vintage clock on the Wainwrights’ kitchen wall.
    “Guarantees a first date every time,” Drake said over his shoulder, twisting the pan to level the pancake mix, oblivious to the frantic sign language going on.
    Amy indicated down at Drake’s pancakes and shrugged. She flashed up ten fingers.
    Ten minutes? Nicole could probably wait that long. Though would it really be only ten minutes? Presumably there’d be some extended goodbyes involved. Deciding quickly, Nicole nodded and gave a thumbs-up, which seemed to please Amy.
    Drake flipped the pancake and turned back to the girls.
    “I can take Amy home if you have a curfew, Nix.”
    Busted ! Nicole and Amy grinned at one another.
    “That would be cool if it’s not out of your way,” Amy said, as casually as she could muster. “Do you mind, Nix?”
    “Nope. You guys go enjoy your pancakes.” She gave Amy a quick hug. Gave a little wave to Drake. And promised to text Amy when she got in.
    After thanking Reese and saying her goodbyes to her friends in the circle outside, Nicole headed out to the farthest gate, where she’d left her car.
    It had been a mixed kind of night, and it seemed like a long walk to her car. The growing noise of the cicadas’ last summer songs intermingled with the gentle rise and fall of chatter and laughter from the party, which tumbled on behind her.
    As she started her car and made her way along the Wainwrights’ long driveway,