“I’d like to remind you that you are underage darling,” Chasity quipped pushing the beers across the counter. “Might I also point out,” she said thrusting the bottle opener into the back pocket of her micro-mini jean skirt and leaning into one hip, “that three-fourths of the people in the room know that.”

Mary’s eyes bulged. “Oh my God, Chasity, I had no idea. I wouldn’t have served her if I’d known.”

Chasity rolled her eyes at the girl. “We don’t ID at the bar silly girl, just at the door.” Mary’s blush returned in full force. “Anyway, you should recognize Trina here as one of our All-American gymnasts.”

“Thanks for the introduction. Why not add a lemon drop to that order for yourself and little Mary too,” Trina said fishing out her credit card and passing it to Chasity who stuffed it into her red bra strap. Chasity added two more glasses to the counter and began filling them with clear liquid. Trina held a shot over her head beckoning the couple off the dance floor.

Lexi brushed her side-swept bangs off her glistening forehead as she made her way to Trina and the rest of the group. Trina smiled as she approached, a shot appearing in front of Lexi’s face. “For you, my dear,” she said passing her the drink.

Lexi reached forward to extract another shot from the bar and passed it to the guy standing behind her before diving back in and retrieving two sugar-coated lemon slices. The eight people in attendance smacked their glasses against one another and downed the contents feeling the familiar burn of vodka. Quickly inserting the lemon slice into her mouth, Lexi felt the dizzying effects of the alcohol, even stumbling a little. “Ugh,” she groaned leaning back against the guy’s shoulder, “I can’t feel my legs. Is that bad?”

He wrapped his arm around her tiny waist securing her in place. “Don’t worry. I gotcha.”

“I know you do,” she said nuzzling her nose into his neck affectionately.

He jumped upon contact. “Damn. Your nose is freezing. How are you that cold?” he asked breaking away from her. She shrugged leaning forward against Trina’s chair.

“Who’s the new girl?” Lexi asked nodding towards the red headed bartender.

“Mary,” Trina said cocking her head sideways as she studied the girl. “Chasity was just introducing her to me.”

Lexi’s head shot up at the name. Her head swiveled around the bar expecting to catch a glimpse of very familiar dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. No matter how many times she came to Chamber, she had the same reaction at the mention of Chasity. After all, Jack had been a regular of hers at one point in time.

“Hey, Lex,” Chasity said winking at her. Lexi’s heart skipped at the casual use of the nickname that she had never really allowed anyone else to call her after. “I was actually just chastising Trina for acting like a bitch to Mary here. You’re on the team, right? You should learn to keep her under control.” Chasity swirled her hips in time with the music looking all the more sensual for her adoring customers. She flipped a bottle of whiskey three or four times experimentally in her hands before tipping it upside down and emptying it into a glass brimming with cubed ice.

“Oh no, I’m not on the team,” Lexi corrected hastily. “I just practice with them.”

Last semester, Lexi had received an email from Krista, the captain of the gymnastics team, asking if she was available to attend a meeting with the coach. Lexi had thought it was a cruel joke. She had only told one person about her desire to be on the gymnastics team, and well, she hadn’t spoken with him since that fateful night in October. Her response had been dripping with sarcasm and questions in regards to the real sender. Krista had instantly responded that in no way was she joking about the offer, but that if she wasn’t interested then to forget it. As fast as she could get a reply out, Lexi apologized and agreed to the meeting.

Krista met her at the entrance to the athletic training facility. She was petite, even compared to Lexi, with stick straight brown hair to her shoulders covered in red and blonde highlights. A distinct hole in her eyebrow, nose, and lip showed where piercings were beginning to close up. An old, destroyed, university, warm up shirt hung loosely on her tiny frame sliding off one shoulder and allowing her bellybutton ring to peek out from underneath. The elastic of her grey sweatpants had been cut off so that they barely hung on her narrow hips. Lexi liked her already.

The meeting with the coach went surprisingly well considering the fact that the lady had been characterized as the epitome of bitchiness. Shortly afterwards, they had set up some time on the mat, and Lexi had wowed them into allowing her to practice with them. It had been like a dream come true. The only thing that could have made it better was if they allowed her to compete. She wasn’t going to hold her breath for that though.

Lexi had been fortunate enough to begin training out that same week. The first day at practice she met the guy standing behind her. Spencer was a student athletic trainer for the gymnastics team that season. He frequently attended practices to prepare him for meets.

After successfully completing her first practice, Lexi’s entire body felt physically assaulted. Seeing the amount of pain she was already in, Spencer had pulled her to the side and offered to do post-stretch work outs with her to soothe her aching muscles. At first, she had turned him down thinking she didn’t need it, but when she found she could hardly make it to the locker room, he had insisted. He nursed her over-used muscles making sure that she hadn’t done any serious damage.

Then after proclaiming her fit, he had nervously asked her out that same day. Agreeing to the offer was a no brainer, and they had been dating ever since. Seven months later their relationship was still going strong.

“No one can keep Trina under control especially if she is trying to make up for Krista’s absence,” Lexi said leaning back from the bar and glancing up into Spencer’s warm chocolate-colored orbs staring lovingly down upon her. His dark blonde hair was buzzed so short it was almost military official with just enough in the front to spike up. Cheek bones were prominent against his pale skin; a strong square-set jaw line fit perfectly with the rest of his features.

“And no one can make up for Krista,” Chasity said flipping the tops off several beer bottles.

“She’s probably glad to have graduated,” Trina commented. Lexi narrowed her eyes at her. Trina had been making similar comments since she had been named captain. “What?” she asked defensively. “I just mean that now she doesn’t have to take her piercings out every January.”

The group laughed along at Trina’s joke. Lexi found she could only produce a forced half-smile. She really did miss Krista, and her spontaneous vivacious personality that seemed to light up any room. As soon as she had graduated, Krista had hightailed it out of town. She had ended up in Las Vegas and was now performing nightly at some Cirque de Soleil show. The team wouldn’t be the same without her.

Lexi pulled her phone out of her tiny black purse to see if anyone else from the team had responded to her mass text. Sighing, she looked at the blank screen. “Guess everyone else is busy tonight,” she mumbled under her breath.

Then, her phone vibrated in her hand. Lexi perked up and wondered who else was coming out. She flipped her phone open and stared numbly at the name that flashed onto the screen: Jack Howard.

Lexi quickly glanced backwards at Spencer. He was occupied by Ashley, a blonde leggy gymnast in her third year. She had never mentioned anything about Jack to him before. Even if he had seen the name, it wouldn’t have meant anything to him. Despite that fact, she angled her body to block his view of the screen.

She was unsure whether or not she should click the little green button to view the message. He had contacted her several times shortly after he had confessed to having a girlfriend. However, he had ceased his attempts at contacting her when she didn’t answer a single one. It had been difficult, of course. She had wanted to reply. After all, she had fallen head over heels for the boy, but she couldn’t share him.