sing a new song, chiquitita
Lily ran.
She didn’t pay much attention to where her legs were taking her, just that she needed to find Mary and Marlene.
The tell-tale sting of tears welled in her eyes. She managed a half-formed question to one of her employees she ran into who pointed her in the right direction.
Stumbling, she ran down the stairs to the beach front on unsteady feet, eyes fixed on the two familiar heads of hair who were sitting at the shack-like beach bar.
“What’s up? Lily?” Mary asked, voice laced with concern.
Lily couldn’t respond.
Her throat was closing up, she couldn’t breathe. Words got trapped by her bottled emotions that were fighting for release, choking her.
“Hey, hey.” Marlene said, standing up and putting her hand on Lily’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
It was still all too much for Lily – she could feel everyone else’s eyes on her. Peter, the bartender, looked on with well-meaning concern, as well as the handful of other people (mostly guests who had arrived for the wedding) milled about, many casting glances at the red-haired woman.
“I– The–” Lily managed.
A gentle arm took her own, then one on the other side. Carefully, her friends led her to the public bathroom just across from the bar. They helped her hop up onto the counter and fussed over her accordingly. If only Lily was as lucky in love as she was in friendships.
“Will this help?” Mary asked, offering the tall and very full cocktail glass she was still holding.
Lily took it gratefully and gulped a generous amount down. It was fruity and slightly fizzy but most importantly, strong. Some spilled down onto the front of her dungarees but she disregarded it and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“It’s his dad.” Lily finally started.
“Who’s dad?” Mary questioned.
“Harry’s dad. You know, poshboy James Potter and his wonderful boat and dazzling smile?” She explained sarcastically. “But it’s not just that its Reg and– and that would be fine if it was just him but Pandora’s there too and–”
“Pandora’s here?” Marlene asked, her concern crystal-clear on her face. She had every right to be worried – the two of them had dealt with enough breakdowns similar to this in the wake of the great Pandora Rosier.
Lily nodded. “I don’t know how they really ended up here, and suddenly it's like they all know each other. All three of them are probably playing ‘who does Lily hate more’ right now in my old goat-house!”
“The old goat-house?” Mary and Marlene said in sync. Lily realised moments too late that that was the wrong thing to tell them when the two women ran off in search of the physical manifestations of Lily’s nightmare love life.
“No! No! Wait! Shit! Marlene! Mary!” Lily took off running as well, slowed down further when she had to swerve around a confused family that were in her path. “Wait a minute! Don’t let them hear you!”
Thanks to her late start and obstacles, she caught up as they reached the decrepit old goat-house.
Marlene was crouched under the very window that had started this whole debacle, and quickly popped up to get a glance inside, Mary laughing as she unbalanced in her haste and nearly fell over. “There’s no-one here!” She exclaimed.
“Are you sure?” Mary asked, puzzled.
Lily was unconvinced, and leant towards the window with her body hidden by the wall. “Of course I’m sure! You think I would manage to forget my exes? They were all here: James Potter, Pandora Rosier and Regulus Black.”
“Black? Like as in Andromeda Black?” Marlene asked.
“Fuck.” Lily cursed, mainly at her own stupidity with how long she took to put the pieces together. She had always excelled academically as a teenager, but clearly no amount of high grades could make her see what was right in front of her. “He literally said he was here for his cousin’s wedding – they look so fucking similar as well, and with their fancy star names. Argh, I’ll have to apologise to Andy for chasing him out with my pitchfork then.”
“The universe really has it out for you today, doesn’t it?” Mary joked lightly.
“Yeah.” Lily responded, exasperated. “He must have gone to James’s boat with the rest of them. What were they all doing here though? It’s just like you said Mary – some hideous trick of fate.”
With that flurry of excitement over and Lily still visible on-edge and upset by what she had seen, the trio made their way back to the villa. Lily collapsed into her bed the second she stepped through the door, face buried in the rose patterned duvet.
“Lily, they’ve gone, it’ll be fine.” Marlene comforted as she sat down next to Lily, the old mattress dipping deeply and creaking in discomfort of holding one more person than it was used to. Wow, even her furniture was now reminding her of how alone she’d been since her last failed love affair.
“I don’t know that. I don’t know where they are. I don’t know why they’re here.” Lily complained, rolling over and starfishing on her back, the back of her hand covering her face in shame. “And I’ve brought this all on myself because I was a stupid, reckless little slut!”
“Whoa! Don’t you sound like your sister?” Mary laughed.
“I do not!” Lily rebuked indignantly, sitting up.
“Yes, you do!” Marlene responded.
“You do, it’s Catholic guilt! You’ve been living like a nun.” Mary threw their earlier conversation right back in her face.
Ever the dynamic duo, Marlene was quick to join in. “Yeah, whatever happened to our Lily? Life and soul of the party, el rock chick supremo?” Her and Mary shimmied. Lily glared at them.
“I grew up.” Lily deadpanned.
“Well, then, grow back down again!” Mary said without missing a beat. “You know what I think we need? Some music!” She immediately started fiddling with Lily’s old CD player – it was practically vintage at this point – looking for something to put on.
As the intro of her meticulously selected song started, Mary began rummaging through Lily’s trunk of fancy dress, which had been left open earlier when the three were messing around, trying to find outfits for their hen party performance. Soon Marlene too was rooting around for an outfit change. By the time the lyrics started, Mary had a sparkly bralette over her white blouse and a hot pink tutu on. Marlene was already picking feathers out her mouth from the teal boa that was wrapped around her neck and had on a cowboy hat that Lily was not aware she even owned.
Lily, still unimpressed and unaffected as she could be when this song was playing, collapsed back down into the comfort of her bed, but this time on her side so she could still ‘supervise’ whatever damage her friends may cause.
Friday night and the lights are low,
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music, getting in the swing,
You come to look for a king
Mary sang into an unplugged, baby blue hairdryer, and Marlene had found Lily’s wooden hairbrush. They say unapologetically into their makeshift microphones, dancing in a way that brought Lily right back to their university days. Her foot started tapping against the bed – she couldn’t help herself, not with the nostalgia that washed over her when she heard this song. Marlene noticed her failure at suppressing her smiles and jumped onto the bed next to her, hairbrush disregarded on the floor. She grabbed the redhead's waist and tickled her, making Lily jump up from the bed in surprise, right into Mary’s waiting arms, who spun her around and almost into the chest of drawers.
You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen!
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine! Oh yeah!
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life!
See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen!
At some point during the song Lily was handed a moisturiser bottle for a microphone and a ridiculous triangular feathered hat, and she danced and danced, all her worries forgotten. She felt so young and carefree, and utterly untouchable.