AS WE GET TO THE dance floor, the beat changes and turns into something almost dangerous. If there are vampires here tonight, this is the song they’ll dance to, and since I’m a Mick St. John fan from way back, I consider this a good thing. I scan the crowd for men with pale faces as my body easily downshifts into the new rhythm. Teagan and I make our way to the center of the floor where we find a small pocket of space to get our groove on.Within seconds we’re approached by a couple of guys who dance in our personal space wearing jeans that show way too much testicle. I don’t even bother with the eyebrows. I turn sideways and ignore the one closest to me completely. A few seconds later he’s moved on to his next conquest. I say a prayer that the poor girl’s beer goggles aren’t on and totally fogged up.Teagan’s doing the same avoidance thing, but her wannabe date isn’t taking the hint so well. She sends up a silent SOS in the form of crossed eyes at me, so I put my arms over her should

TEAGAN’S CRYING SILENTLY AS SHE drives down the street like a bat out of hell.“Where are we going?” I ask, not wanting to push her but also not real crazy about the direction we’re going.“Away,” she says, her voice wavering as she works to hold in a sob. “Away tooooooo … crack-whores-ville?”“Yes.” She shifts to a higher gear and presses the accelerator harder. “Okaaaay.” I pause as I consider my next words. I’m not sure that this isthe best time to engage her in a conversation about what Olga said or did. “How about you pull into that Denny’s over there and we talk in the parking lot?”“I hate Denny’s. I’m not going there.”“You don’t have to eat. Just pull in.” I reach over and nudge the steering wheel.She huffs out an annoyed breath, but downshifts and swings the car into the lot. I have to brace myself against the door and dashboard to keep from being unseated.“Wow. Been practicing stunt driving long?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood.“Shut up,” she says, rolling towards a

THE PLACE IS A DISASTER. I stop in the entrance and take it all in. Dirty dishes cover the coffee table in front of the television. Clothing is draped over all the furniture, most of it way past the stage of needing a washing as far as I can tell. There are art canvasses of different sizes leaning in stacks against the walls and what I guess to be an easel in the corner of the room nearest the windows with a sheet draped over the painting that’s underneath. Paintbrushes are standing in old coffee cans on the windowsill and there are multi-colored paint spatters all over the tarp that’s on the ground and even the walls nearby. It smells like a paint store in here.I could have sworn Teagan told me that she’d been in here before, but she never mentioned any of this to me. I make a mental note to discuss this with her, because if her powers of observation somehow missed all of this, I’m going to recommend she get a brain scan of some sort.“You want something to drink?” he asks, moving o

MY MOM STICKS HER HEAD in the door to my room. I can see her through a crack in my covers. “Teagan’s here, sweetie. She brought you lunch.”I close the crack made by my bedspread so I can’t see her happy face anymore. “Tell her I have ebola virus and to stay away.”I hear some whispering that includes Teagan’s voice. The door to my bedroom shuts.“Get up, you skanky ho. I have Taco Bell,” she says.I peek out of my covers. I have always been unable to resist the siren song of The Bell, and she knows it. I’d pretty much dive into a pool full of oh-my- god-those-are-not-Baby-Ruths for home-delivered Taco Bell. Dammit. Teagan has brought out the big guns.The fact that she barely has any money to her name tells me how far she’s willing to go for me right now. I resign myself to the fact that I have to respect that kind of dedication and eat every crumb of whatever she’s brought me.That’s what friends do for friends. I will just have to sacrifice. “What kind of Taco Bell?” I say.“Do you

TEAGAN’S ON THE PHONE WITH Rebel and I’m driving Alissa’s Toyota. She’s asleep in the backseat. Apparently, being carjacked is exhausting work for a pregnant person. I keep checking her in the rearview mirror to be sure she’s still breathing. So far, so good.Teagan hangs up her phone and drops it into her purse.“What’d he say?” I ask, glancing at her before going back to looking out the windshield.“He says she can stay with us until we figure something out.”I grin. “Sweetness. Now we just need to figure out how I can wrangle a spot in the apartment for myself and we can live together as one big happy family.”Teagan is looking at me, but I just keep my eyes on the road. I don’t want her making me get all gooey.“You don’t mean that,” she says.“Nah.” I play it off. “I’m cool with the ‘rents. Who’s going to keep Jersey off the cat turds if I move out?”“He’d be fine without you,” Teagan says, censure in her voice. “He’s not your responsibility.”“Anyway, what is the plan for her?”