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“Ew. Don’t remind me.” She mock gags. “The ’rents are not here, and the girls are having a drink before we head out.”
I force a smile. They’re drinking, which is another reason I tend to avoid them. With my parents’ issues with booze and pills, the last thing I want to do is follow in their footsteps.
“What can I get you? I have beer, wine, shots, Pepsi.” She grins, knowing my pick of poison far too well.
“Coke?”
“Obviously.” Her body shakes as she laughs. I appreciate the fact that Shannon never pushes me to partake. She knows my feelings on the subject and she’s never questioned it.
We walk through the arched doorway leading into the kitchen. My two other best friends, Jill and Andrea, dance around to old-school eighties’ music like they don’t have a care in the world.That used to be me.
When Maggie and I got out of our house and could just be kids, we enjoyed ourselves. Those days seem like an eternity ago.
“Woohoo, she’s here,” Andrea shouts over the music.
“I’m here,” I exclaim in the most contrived cheerleader voice I can muster, complete with spirit fingers.
“Rina!” Jill shouts, standing and walking my way. She pulls me into a delicate hug. It’s as if she’s afraid if she squeezes too tight, I’ll break right here in front of her. I have to force myself not to roll my eyes. She’s the mother hen of the group. Always has been.
“We’re heading straight to The Shack, so drink up.” She nods to the Coke in my hand, smiling. I purse my lips before tipping it back and drinking it like I’m chugging a beer.
“Attagirl. You get that caffeine,” Jill snickers, receiving a choice finger salute in return.
“The Shack? For real?”
Shannon raises a brow.
“Is there somewhere else that magically sprang up overnight?” she teases.
Liberty is a small town, population twelve hundred. There is exactly one bank, one library, one part-time café, two gas stations, and one pizza joint—The Shack. The next option is a ten-minute drive away. Shannon’s parents’ house is in town and a two-minute walk to The Shack, so it just makes sense. She’s home for fall break, making it a convenient meeting place for a night out.
I take another drink, hoping to get a spike of energy. If I’m going to do this, I might as well try to stay awake.
“Let’s go.” Shannon bounces on her toes.
I’ve never quite understood the excitement at going to the same place that we’ve been hundreds of times. In a town this small, you’re guaranteed to run into at least a dozen people you graduated with.
“Do you think Jason will be there?” Andrea asks the group, only proving my point.
Jason has been Andrea’s crush since high school. They were the perfect match—captain of the football team and head cheerleader—but they could never get their crap together. The awkward exchanges were painful to watch. He adored her just as much as she did him, and their fierce love made them both incapable of holding a conversation that wasn’t full of stuttering. They both went off to college, ending any chance of something actually happening between them.
“I heard he’s in town on break. He might be there,” Jill says reassuringly.
Andrea squeals and we all laugh at her giddiness.
It’s nice to just be normal for a night. No talk of absent parents and dead sisters. I’m in my happy place when something large and black swoops low over our heads. Shrill screeches sound as we all duck to avoid the massive creature.
“What the hell?” Shannon cries.
My eyes dart around wildly, trying to find the perpetrator of our near heart attacks. Perched upon a lamppost is a black crow, gawking keenly in our direction.
“It’s just a crow,” I say as my voice pitches slightly.
“Stupid freaking bird,” Andrea calls.
What the hell is it today with me and birds?I shake off the lingering chills and start off toward The Shack. When my hands reach the knob of the door, a harsh, guttural caw sounds behind us. I turn in time to see the large black bird fly off into the moonlit sky. A cold shiver runs down my back, but I stuff it down, eager to have a normal night.No monsters allowed.
Walking into The Shack, I am both saddened and overjoyed to see it’s exactly the same as the last time I was here. Nothing has changed within these four walls, yeteverythinghas changed. The simple pleasures that most people my age take for granted are lost on me, because I’m lost.Maggie should be here with us.
