AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m not sure I’m even talking about the dance anymore.
“Let’s play a game,” I say to Alice and Asher.
“Go on,” Alice insists, leaning forward.
“Yeah, what she said.” Asher also gives me her full attention.
“Let’s avoid the boys, all day.”
“Ooookay, and why would we do that?” Alice asks.
“Because they’re pissing me off so I’m skipping dance.”
“You think so highly of yourself; do you really think they’ll come looking for you?” Asher asks, raising her brow.
Alice grins. “You shitting me, Ashlyn?”
“It’s Asher and you know it, you massive baggy vag slut whore.”
“Just because you want your fingers in me.”
“Okay.” I wave a hand between them. “Save the flirting for later. Now are you skipping and coming to the mall with me or what? I have a hundred dollars burning a hole in my pocket for a dress for the Christmas dance next month.” I’m lying, the money are wages, I just want the girls to come with. I don’t care about dress shopping.
“Fuck yeah!” Asher cries, doing her best impression of Alice. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“You were too busy trying to jam your fingers up her cunt.”
“Told you so,” Alice taunts, then sticks her tongue out at our mutual friend.
“Let’s go, then.”
They both stand from the wall and we head on our merry way.
“Fuck it,” I say, pointing at a bus. “Let’s go to New Orleans instead.”
“You serious?” Alice squeaks, looking thrilled with the idea.
“I’ve never been.”
“Then, let’s go,” Asher agrees and pulls out her phone. “Bus times are in ten minutes, then an hour and forty.”
Alice grabs our hands, her eyes wide. “Fuck. Let’s run.”
And run we do, all the way to the bus station where we wait a few minutes and clamber into a funky-smelling coach.
“You know, if we’d told the boys, Carter probably would have given us a ride,” Asher points out unnecessarily as I watch an old guy pick wax out of his ear.
“Gonna puke,” I mumble and hug Alice’s arm. “So gross.”
She pats me on the head. “Welcome to public transport.”
“Oh man, he’s really going for it.” Asher gags and gives me an incredulous look. “You owe me for this.”
When we finally arrive in the incredible city, my phone starts to ring. So do the girls’. The problem with skipping these days is that technology is so modernized, our guardians get an automated message sent to them asking why we haven’t attended.
The girls reply to their parents’ panicked questions.
I look at Lane’s and roll my eyes.
Lane: If you haven’t been kidnapped, you better hope you are before you get home tonight.
Scandal: Chill your heat, Lane. I’m perfectly safe, getting an education outside of school today. Not a big deal.
Stanley: We will decide what’s a big deal and what isn’t! Where are you?
Scandal: New Orleans. I’ll be home before school ends.
I switch off my phone and we three link arms. “They’ll get over it.”
“Mom asked me to pick her up this weird-ass facial ointment she gets from a voodoo shop nearby.” Alice’s family are so laid-back and forgiving.
“My mom said I’m grounded for a month but she’ll forget by tonight.”
“I turned my phone off,” I add with a shrug and they laugh.
I’m probably in a lot of trouble but it’s nice being in trouble for an actual reason, knowing when I get home it’s to people who care enough to ground me, and not a flying fist or nothing but four walls for entertainment.
We head dress shopping first before anything else and explore for an hour after trying on way too many. I have to admit it was quite fun with them and I’m excited to attend my first dance.
When we get to the store Alice’s mom mentioned, a place called Hex Authentic, I’m skeptical. It’s not that I don’t believe in gris-gris, it’s just that there are a lot of frauds out there and no proof.
When I was little, I met with a woman who called herself an oracle and told me that I had the power to forgive. I didn’t know what the fuck that meant. I was nine and really angry at the world. Still am I guess.
“This place is creepy AF,” Asher whispers in my ear, clinging to my arm as we step inside.
“Mistress Molly?” Alice whispers as the overwhelming scent of aniseed and other ingredients tickles my nose. This place is so dark. There are small, black glass bottles lining the walls, each with a label on them. “My mom sent me for some more of that youth oil stuff you sell.”
The woman behind the desk looks up and smiles. She’s so much younger than I anticipated. She can only be a few years older than me. “Come here, Alice, let me look at you, it’s been a while.”
The woman moves around the counter, bangles jingling on her wrists, hair tied back with chopsticks. She has similar piercings to my own. Sparkling green crystals against her sable skin.
