Deja's POV

The sun was hot as hell today, the kind that glued your shirt to your back and made the sidewalk feel like it could burn through your sneakers. But we were still outside - walking like we were auditioning for a music video.

Me, Tara, and Serena.

From a distance, we probably looked like a trio of trouble. We always did. But anyone paying close attention knew the difference.

Tara was the wild one - bold lipstick, bold mouth, loud energy. Serena? Calm like water. Quiet, always thinking too much. But me?

I was... everything in between.

The one people stared at.

The one who looked like she had it all, but truthfully? I was the one who needed the most.

Tara turned her head toward me, her long box braids bouncing as she walked. "Damn, D, you really tryna break necks today, huh?"

I smirked. "They have eyes. I'm just giving them a reason to use them."

"Girl." She laughed. "You know if I had your body, I'd be charging men to look at me."

"You already do," Serena said dryly, not even glancing up from her phone.

Tara gasped playfully. "Rude! Why is the quiet one always the meanest?"

We all laughed. It felt good, that laughter - light, warm, like something I could hold onto for once.

But then Tara stopped walking, mid-step, and spun on her heel with a suspicious smile. "Wait... I forgot to tell y'all something."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "Don't start, Tara."

I tilted my head. "What now?"

Tara pulled out her phone like it was a diamond-encrusted invitation. "My cousin just texted. He's bartending at Infinity tonight."

I blinked. "Infinity? Like the celebrity club?"

"The one with the rooftop pool and gold doors?" Serena added, suddenly alert.

"Yup." Tara nodded. "And guess what? He's getting us in. VIP."

My jaw dropped. "You're joking."

Tara raised her brows. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Serena blinked slowly. "That's not funny, Tara. That place is... it's too much."

"That's the point!" I said, my heart already skipping.

"Exactly," Tara added. "We've been dying for a night out. This is the night."

Serena looked between us, clearly torn. "Yeah, but Deja... your mom. Doesn't she already think we're turning you into the next Instagram baddie?"

I sighed. "Please. She thinks you two are Satan's side chicks."

"Because you hang with us," Tara teased. "We're contagious."

Serena looked at me again. "So how are you gonna pull this off?"

I shrugged like it was simple. "I'll tell her I'm going to Kyle's house."

Both of them groaned at once.

"Oh my God," Serena said. "Not Kyle."

Tara burst into laughter. "The nerdy boy who tried to give our teacher a more accurate answer last week?"

I grinned. "Exactly. That boy is like a walking 'parent-safe zone.' My mom won't even question it."

"Smart," Serena admitted. "Still risky."

I flicked my hair. "Everything about my life is risky. But I'm not missing this."

⸻

Walking into my house was like stepping into a circus tent. The heat from the kitchen mixed with loud voices and the broken fan blowing air that felt more like noise than wind.

The TV was on full volume, Griffin - my 16-year-old brother - yelling at his game controller like the characters could hear him.

"SHOOT, YOU IDIOT! LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!"

I shook my head. "You're gonna burst a vein."

He didn't hear me. Or ignored me.

My sister was half-dressed, pacing in the hallway on a video call, probably with some guy she'd forget about next week. Mom's voice floated in from the kitchen, giving orders to no one in particular.

I rushed upstairs, tossed my bag on the bed, and dug into my closet like I was raiding treasure. It wasn't much - mostly affordable stuff I made look expensive with the right attitude.

I pulled out my black silk wrap top and a tight pair of jeans that hugged my hips just right. Then paused.

No.

If we were going to Infinity, I needed something more.

I grabbed a tiny overnight bag and started packing: heels, lashes, body shimmer, a short black dress, and my favorite lip gloss that smelled like vanilla sin. I was zipping it up when my door burst open.

"Mum said come downstairs for dinner," Griffin announced, already turning to leave.

I looked up slowly. "Do you ever knock?"

"Nope," he said proudly. "What you packin'? "

My heart skipped. "Shut up."

He grinned, the annoying little devil. "I didn't say anything."

⸻

Dinner was... exactly what I expected.

Uncomfortable silence.

My dad stared at his food like it had personally offended him. My mom kept looking at my older brother like she was waiting for him to mess up. Which he did.

"You smell like smoke," Dad said suddenly, voice low but sharp. "You think I don't know what you're doing out there?"

My brother muttered something under his breath. I didn't hear it, but Dad did.

He stood up so fast his chair scraped against the floor. "You wanna act like a man in my house? Then you better start living like one."

And just like that, he was gone - footsteps heavy as he left the table.

Mom closed her eyes for a moment, then sighed. "I don't know what I did to deserve this."

I cleared my throat. "Um... Mom?"

She looked at me, already suspicious.

"I'm going to Kyle's house tonight. We're finishing our science project."

There was a pause. Too long.

"That nerdy boy?" she asked slowly.

I nodded. "Yep."

Another pause.

"Be back before eight tomorrow. I don't want to hear any excuses."

I smiled sweetly. "Of course."

⸻

Later that night, I slipped Griffin a $5 bill while he lay on the couch.

"Wash the dishes for me. It's my turn and I'm running late."

He took the money without hesitation. "Make it ten next time."

"Don't push your luck."

As I tied my hair up, my sister appeared in the hallway.

"Where you headed all dolled up?"

"Kyle's."

She laughed out loud. "Girl, I don't know what Kyle you talkin' about, but that outfit says 'sin,' not science."

I rolled my eyes. "Just cover for me."

She gave me a little smirk. "Don't get pregnant."

I grabbed my bag and called over my shoulder. "Not tonight."

⸻

When I got to Tara's, I could already feel the energy buzzing from the house.

Her cousin's voice drifted from the kitchen as he talked on the phone, and Serena was sitting cross-legged in front of a mirror, brushing out her wig.

Tara tossed a silver, skin-tight dress at me. "Put this on. Now."

I stared at it. "You serious?"

"You wanna blend in at Infinity or shut it down?"

I slid it on, and when I stepped out, both girls paused.

"Girl..." Serena whispered. "You look dangerous."

Tara grinned and walked around me in a slow circle. "I swear, you don't even know what you're carrying back there."

She slapped my butt playfully, and I laughed.

Then her phone buzzed.

"Our ride's outside."

We looked at each other.

Heels clicked against the hardwood. Perfume trailed in the air behind us. And for a few perfect seconds, we weren't three broke girls with strict parents and messy homes.

We were stars.

And tonight, the city was our sky.