Page 28 of Fang Fiction

“But then why would she leave so quickly?!” Joni could hear her voice edge into whining, but she didn’t care. “Why reappear just to ditch me all over again?”

Nasser sighed. “You have to ask her.”

“I tried! I called, I texted, I DMed, I’d stand outside her apartment with a damn boom box if I knew her address, but nothing’s working.” Joni’s voice hitched in her throat. Damn it. Wasn’t it bad enough that she’d gotten too drunk at the party and ended up spending an hour in the bathroom, crying and puking and wishing Tess were there to laugh their way through it? Why couldn’t she brush this off, put it all behind her as easily as Tess could?

“Okay, first of all, Lloyd Dobler was a total stalker, and if you did the boom box thing you would be too.”

“Rude.” Joni nudged Nasser’s leg with her knee.

“I know Tess showing up totally spun you out, but then, I have to ask…why did you invite her?”

“I don’t know.” Joni sighed. “I guess I assumed she wouldn’t come.”

“And you could add that to your little list of grievances against her?”

“Ouch.” Joni leaned her head onto Nasser’s shoulder. “Not wrong, though.”

“I’m not saying you don’t have a right to be mad at her,” Nasser said gently. “But if you really do want to repair the friendship, you might need to try a different approach. Maybe see it from her side? She came all the way up here and left after twenty minutes. Something probably upset her.”

Joni frowned. “Like what?”

“I have no idea.” Nasser took another hit. “But she’s not in Siberia, she’s at a hotel in Brooklyn. Maybe get on the subway and ask her?”

“You think I should just like…show up at her job? How is that not a stalker move?”

“They have security, don’t they?” Nasser shrugged. “If she asks you to leave, you’ll just leave. But I bet it’ll mean something to her that you cared enough to go all the way down there.”

“Maybe…” Joni considered it. It certainly sounded better than sending angry texts and leaving desperate voicemails for the rest of time.

“You know my favorite thing about this plan?” Nasser asked.

“What?”

Nasser kissed Joni on the tip of her nose, then stood up and headed toward the door.

“Once you actually start talking with Tess, this won’t be my problem anymore.”

The Georgia lobby was mostly empty by the time Octavia got back from her shopping excursion; the lobby bar closed at midnight, and it was getting close to one a.m. Octavia really wanted a cocktail—it wasn’t too late to put on one of her lovely new dresses, head to a bar in the neighborhood, and find someone to feed on. Or sleep with. Or both! Octavia glanced at the front desk as she passed by, hoping Tess would be there with good news to report. But the desk worker was the same woman who’d been there the last two nights, with black hair in a bun, a disaffected air, and a name tag that read Mika. She was talking to a tall, bedraggled girl in a Columbia hoodie and frayed cutoffs who seemed agitated for some reason. Maybe she was on drugs? Hmm, maybe she had something fun to share with Octavia.

“Please,” the hoodie girl pleaded, “I know it sounds crazy, but we used to be best friends.”

“I’m sure you understand why we can’t give employees’ home addresses out to strangers.” Mika the desk worker spoke with the practiced patience of a person who handled unreasonable requests for a living.

“Yeah, I’m really sorry.” Hoodie girl looked close to tears. “I didn’t mean to put you in a bad position or anything. I just thought, if I could see Tess, you know? If I could just talk to her.”

Octavia froze at the mention of Tess’s name. Who was this girl? If she knew Tess, was there any way she could know about Octavia? No, there couldn’t be—Octavia had been with Tess the whole time between leaving the hotel and going to Bar Between. Even so, Octavia wondered if she should leave the lobby right away, or if that would just draw more attention. But before she could decide, the girl turned around and almost smacked dead into her.

“Oh shoot, sorry, I’m so sorry.” She shook her head.

“It’s just a bump, I’m sure we’ll both recover,” Octavia clipped. “If you’ll excuse me…”

But the girl was staring straight at her, transfixed with wonder.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. “Octavia?”

Damn.

“Sorry.” Octavia smiled calmly. “Must have me confused with someone else.”