Tashell and Sasha were prepared to head home. They were exhausted. All they wanted to do was go home and get lost in their beds.
"Why am I so unlucky in love?" Sasha grunted as she slammed her locker door with a dramatic clang that echoed down the hallway.
"Just forget about Fletcher. He's a no-good asshole," Tashell reassured her, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "I already texted Carla and Ruby. I smell a girl's night tonight. Pizza, wine, and whatever trashy movie Ruby insists we watch again."
"Great — but please, can we just stay in tonight? I just wanna get drunk with my three favorite girls," Sasha pouted, rubbing her temples.
"Sure. Sweatpants, wine, and bad decisions it is."
Meanwhile back at their multi-million dollar apartment, courtesy of Tashell's inheritance, Ruby was trying to find a way to break up with her girlfriend Ryan.
"Listen, Ryan, I can't see you tonight. I have some important stuff to take care of," Ruby spoke over the phone while pacing the hallway, her eyes flicking toward the kitchen. She peeked into the living room to make sure Carla was still in her bedroom.
"We've been dating for three months, Ruby. When can I meet your friends?" Ryan complained, her voice just shy of whiny.
Ugh. Ruby didn't do clingy. Clingy women gave her hives. It was officially time to ghost Ryan.
"Rya — can — you hear me? I can't — hear —" she stammered, her voice breaking up like a bad connection on purpose. That was the last thing Ryan heard before she pressed the red button and shut her phone off entirely.
No regrets.
Ruby Redgrave was always a bit of a rebel. As a kid, she was a lone wolf, an only child with a wild heart. While the other girls played with dolls and wore sparkly dresses, she was outside flipping over rocks to find worms and building Lego spaceships.
At fourteen, she came out to her parents. She told them, with a shaky voice but determined eyes, that she was a lesbian. They responded with horror and prayers, and within the month, she was shipped off to a Catholic boarding school in Vermont. A place where sins were scrubbed with scripture and shame. It nearly broke her until Carla Wong came into her life like a breath of oxygen.
At sixteen, they met under the most unlikely of circumstances. Detention. Carla was caught sneaking out, and Ruby for hacking into the school's attendance system. Their friendship was instant and electric. Ten years later, they were inseparable.
"Carla?" Ruby hollered. "What's for dinner?" She banged on Carla's bedroom door with the force of someone summoning the dead.
"Jesus, I pray for that girl," Adrian groaned, jolting from his sleep.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Carla kissed her husband's forehead. "Go back to sleep. I'll handle it."
"Carla! I said I need food!" Ruby banged again.
"Shh!" Carla hissed as she slipped into the hallway, shutting the bedroom door gently. "Adrian is trying to sleep."
"So?" Ruby blinked. "I'm hungry."
"So what's that got to do with me?" Carla crossed her arms like a fed-up mom.
"You know if you don't feed me I'll starve," Ruby said, dramatically pulling Carla toward the kitchen. "Here's the kitchen. Now do your thing, domestic goddess."
Carla rolled her eyes. She loved Ruby like a sister, but damn, the woman had a mouth on her. Sure, she was a wildlife expert, survivalist, and hacker extraordinaire, but the girl couldn't boil an egg without setting off the fire alarm.
"How about a chicken-tossed salad?" Carla offered, opening the fridge.
"Yes, chef. You'll cook shit and it would taste like fried chicken," Ruby grinned.
"When are Sasha and Tashell getting here?" Carla asked as she turned on the television.
"They should be here soon."
The news was reporting about a plane crash. "That's awful." Carla shook her head.
"I know." Ruby reached for her backpack and pulled out a pre-rolled blunt. She lit it and inhaled with a deep sigh, like a woman soaking in a hot tub.
"What the hell, Ruby? Seriously?" Carla sighed as she saw the smoke.
"Oh, sorry, you're right. Where's my manners." Ruby passed the blunt to Carla. "Here, have a draw."
"I am the sheriff, Ruby. You can't just spark up ganja in front of me."
"Easy, Sheriff. It's prescribed." Ruby dug into her backpack and produced a crumpled prescription slip like it was a golden ticket. "See? No need to bust out the handcuffs...unless you want to."
"Fine." Carla snatched the blunt. "But if I get caught with this, I'm blaming you."
"No problem. Shower time in an all-women penitentiary would be like heaven to me."
Carla took a deep puff. "Damn. This is good shit." She coughed hard, eyes watering.
The two women cackled like teenagers until the news report caught their attention again.
"Two men were out hunting near Alpine Woods when they claimed to have been attacked by a man suffering from what appeared to be fourth-degree burns," the reporter said. "Let's hear from Mr. Maurice Davis, one of the victims."
"Turn it up," Ruby said, sitting forward. "Isn't that close to the crash site?"
"Yeah, about thirty minutes on foot," Carla confirmed as she turned up the volume.
"My buddy and I were out hunting in Alpine Woods like we do every weekend. We came upon this guy. He was burned real bad. Looked like a crispy marshmallow, no offense," Maurice said on screen, looking pale. "We thought he might be a crash survivor. When we tried to help, he lunged at me. Scratched my face and neck up pretty badly," he gulped. "Then he bit Timmy in the neck like he was trying to eat him!"
The camera zoomed in on Maurice's bandaged face.
"I used a piece of log and smacked him off Timmy and then we ran like hell to the truck. I called for help. Help came and took Timmy to Beaumont Hospital. I hope he's okay," Maurice added, his voice trembling.
"Well," the reporter continued, "search and rescue are still looking for the attacker. No sign of him yet."
"That's... fucking creepy," Ruby muttered.
"Yeah. I was notified earlier, but Deputy Rodgers said he could handle it," Carla replied.
"Handle what?" Sasha asked as she strolled into the kitchen, sniffing the air. "What's up, girls? Mmm, something smells good."
"Carla's making chicken salad," Ruby answered, taking another hit.
"Forget the salad. I want some of that." Sasha grabbed the blunt from Ruby. "Just what the doctor ordered," she wheezed, eyes watering.
"It's medicinal," Ruby said proudly.
"Seriously?" Carla raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, please. Like you didn't have some," Sasha said, grinning. "I can see it in your eyes. They're all squinty and hooded."
"Fuck you, Sasha. You know Carla's Chinese," Tashell entered, shaking her head and laughing as she grabbed a bottle of water.
Carla burst out laughing, followed by the others.
"Come on, Virgin Girl," Ruby teased. "Try it."
"Nope. I like my brain cells functional, thanks," Tashell replied, taking a sip.
Just then, the news anchor broke in with another update.
"This just in: Timmy Brookes has succumbed to his injuries. He passed away during treatment at Beaumont Hospital."
The laughter died instantly. The girls sobered up as the room grew quiet.
"Dr. Smith is going to have his hands full," Tashell said softly.
"Yeah. I think I should check in and see if he's okay," Sasha said, getting up and walking out with her phone in hand.