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Shou Yuing closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes.
“Do you want anything else?” called Pat across the bar, obviously seeing her state of disarray.
“I’ll take a vodka straight if I’m still here in five minutes,” she called across. “Or make that two.”
“Good grief. Well, if you need any help, don’t ask me.”
She smiled at that. She had done enough studying for now, she decided. She could do some more later. Of course, her parents’ was a bit of a nightmare to study in, but it was better than getting drunk here. God knew how they’d react to that, when she hadn’t even had supper.
“I’ll pack up, then,” she said, and started shoving her textbooks and various notes into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and making her way out. She found Ace leaning against her car outside.
“Hey, you,” she said, coming to stand next to her. She turned her head, and had to suppress a small flinch. Ace looked… well, terrible would be cruel, and it wasn’t quite… true. She looked perfectly fine, physically, but there was just something odd about how her features were composed against her face that made her look funny. Shou Yuing shook her head to dispel the thought. “What brings you here?”
“Do you want to go clubbing?” Her voice was a little hoarse.
“You mean now?”
“Yeah.”
She stared at her. “I’ve not even had dinner yet.”
“You’ve been studying for hours in there. Don’t you want to do something spontaneous? Crazy? We won’t have forever being young, you know.”
“I don’t have any proper makeup on. And I haven’t changed.”
Ace raised her brow, glancing at her clothes. “Those are chic. No one will know.” Then, slower, she looked up at her face. “And you’re already wearing some. You’ll look great.” She turned and strolled over to the driver’s side.
“What about ID?”
“I know people. I can get us in easy enough.” She folded her arms on the roof of Shou Yuing’s car and looked right at her. “So what is it, hotshot?”
Shou Yuing really, really should have denied. But this was what happened around Ace, wasn’t it? Her body - her mind - did stupid things.
“Alright,” she said, and tossed her the keys. “Go ahead.”
The drive took a while, but Shou Yuing was fine with that. Ace was, surprisingly, dead silent, so she turned on the radio. Ace fidgeted through the channels till she landed on some small channel Shou Yuing had never heard before.
“Do you think these guys even have a licence?”
“I’m just bored with all the other channels’ music. I feel like I’ve heard them all a million times.”
“If you say so.”
Shou Yuing parked and got out. The club wasn’t yet open - “and you don’t want to be the first one in,” said Ace - so they went for some chips first. This place was bigger than Carbury, but it felt to Shou Yuing as empty as the fields outside of the village for all she knew. She was glad to stand close to Ace as they ate, picking from the same paper wrapping.
They went in an hour after the club had opened. Ace said a word or two to the bouncer and he let them straight in.
“What did you have to do for that?” asked Shou Yuing, as the music hit them both.
“I called in a favour,” she replied, raising her voice. “One he won’t get me to repay.”
Shou Yuing raised her eyes, but the sway of bodies on the dance floor was calling to her, and the two of them joined it without a word more.
“Let’s get drinks,” said Ace.
“One of us has to drive, remember?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m paying.”
Shou Yuing downed a shot. She glanced across the bar, and noticed two boys there, both clearly eyeing them. She nudged Ace. “We’ve got spectators.”
“Huh,” said Ace. “Do you want to go and dance with them?”
“Not really.”
“Alright.”
Ace offered her another shot. She took it.
The club was filling with more and more people. Shou Yuing expected to lose herself, but she didn’t. Instead, as they all spasmed and thrummed and swayed to the techno beat coming out of the speakers, she felt more in her own body than she ever had. She locked eyes with Ace. Was she feeling the same way?
“Can I ask you something stupid?” shouted Ace over the music.
“Yeah?”
“What would you say if I told you I was stuck in a time loop?”
“What, are you serious?” Shou Yuing laughed. “That you were mad, probably.”
“Yeah,” Ace hollered. “You would.”
“Look at that,” said Ace, as Shou Yuing spun around on the spot. “There are more boys looking at you.”
Shou Yuing tried to slow, but the ground was moving under her. “Ace,” she mumbled, “how much did I drink, again?”
“Um,” said Ace, now a little nervous. “I’m not sure.”
“And spinning round… While drunk… Very drunk…”
“Oh, dear,” said Ace, and took her by the arm towards the bathroom.
“My parents,” said Shou Yuing, “are going to kill me.” She took in a shaky breath. “Not to mention the hangover.”
“The hangover doesn’t matter,” said Ace. “Have you ever lived, do you think?”
“Well, what do you think living is?”
“This!”
“What, on my knees in front of a toilet bowl while you hold my hair back?”
“Yes,” said Ace, adjusting her grip, and it was so unbelievably fond that Shou Yuing believed her.
“Hey,” said Ace, rubbing Shou Yuing’s back as they sat on the kerb together. “Do you want to see something pretty?”
Shou Yuing looked at her watch. “It’s almost midnight,” she said instead. “Oh, Christ… What cab will take us back at this time of night?”
“Hey.” Ace reached out and kept hold of her shoulders. “That doesn’t matter, okay? Tomorrow doesn’t matter. Just… enjoy this night. Today - this night - it’s all we have. Now, I want to show you somewhere.”
To Ace’s credit, she wasn’t lying when she said it was pretty. It did, of course, require sneaking around the back of the club and climbing up a ladder around the back to get onto the roof, but the view was worth it. Shou Yuing sat staring up at the sky. There were less stars than when you looked up in Carbury. She said so to Ace.
“Right.”
“Are you okay?” asked Shou Yuing. “You don’t seem… great.”
“What time is it?”
She checked again. “11:57.”
“Right,” said Ace. “Right.” She cleared her throat. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a very long time. For all of today.”
Shou Yuing looked over at her. “Okay.”
“Right,” repeated Ace. She nodded, once. “I love you.” Shou Yuing stared at her. “I love you, Shou Yuing. I’ve loved you for years.”
“We… We only met six months ago.”
“I know. Oh, to you, we did. You always think I’m mad when I tell you, but I…” She looked up, blinking away tears. “I love you. And I can’t… do anything. You never remember. Never. But maybe that’s a blessing. If you don’t remember…” She stepped towards Shou Yuing, settling on the ground next to her. “You won’t remember my confession.” Her fingers ghosted Shou Yuing’s face. “You won’t remember this.” She gazed into Shou Yuing’s eyes, then slowly leant forwards.
She could pull away. Ace would let her, she knew. She could pull away, and in the process put up a wall between them that apparently only Ace would remember.
She was starting to understand.
She didn’t pull away.
The kiss was hesitant, afraid. This must truly be Ace’s first time kissing her, then. Shou Yuing tilted her head, intending to kiss her back, but at that Ace pulled away sharply.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” she said. “I- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.” She got up and rushed away.
“Wait,” Shou Yuing almost said. It was just on her lips.
She looked down at her watch.
23:59 turned into 00:00.
And she was too late.