The Eldest Marked

12. untitled

Tabitha helped Winona off of Cinder just around the back of her apartment building, behind the corral for the shared dumpster. She rubbed Cinder's snout before whispering him back into the crystals.

"I need to get my mail," Tabitha said, ushering her past the elevator and to a row of metal slots in the wall.

There was another woman there, looking through her mail. She was slim, short, with ruddy skin and braided blond hair. Her jeans were cuffed above her chunky black boots, and a garrish geometric sweater.

Tabitha blushed when she noticed her, ducking behind a rather large faux palm tree with cigarette butts crushed into the base.

"Gina!" Winona blurted out.

Gina looked up, and startled by the sudden noise, dropped her mail all along the ground. Winona reached down to help her pick up the mail, which did indeed go to a 'Gina'.

"Do I know you?" she asked, her voice equal parts amused and confused.

"No, sorry. I'm Tabitha's sister," she said.

Seemingly snapped out of it by the sound of her name, Tabitha stepped out from behind the palm. "Hey," she said.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Gina teased, looking her up and down.

"She's my foster sister. We aren't technically related," Tabitha said.

"Oh, right. You did mention that. It's nice to meet you," Gina said.

"I just got into town, and I don't know a lot of people here yet," Winona said. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Winona received a sharp elbow to the back in response.

Gina smiled, eyeing Tabitha over Winona's head. "I didn't know you could cook?"

"I can't," Tabitha said.

Gina laughed. "Sounds like fun," she said.

"You could invite your boyfriend. Or your girlfriend. If you have one," Winona added. "The more the merrier."

"I don't have a girlfriend, no," Gina said. "So it'll just be me."

"Cool," Tabitha managed to squeak.

"Great," Winona clapped her hands together. "See you then."

"See me when?" Gina said with a laugh.

"Oh, uh. Seven," Tabitha said.

"Great. I'll bring some wine," Gina said. "If you are above the drinking age."

"What's a drinking age?" Winona asked.

Gina grinned. "Hell yeah. Wine it is."

"Let's go Win," Tabitha said as she grabbed her elbow and led her to the elevator. "Bye, Gina."

"What about the mail?" Winona asked as she was led past a bemused Gina.

"Forget the mail," Tabitha whispered.

The elevator closed.

"Why did you do that?" Tabitha shouted, covering her blushing cheeks with her shaky hands.

"Because you like her and I thought it would be fun," Winona said. "Besides, I do need friends here. It wasn't a total set up."

"This is crazy, Win."

"At least now you know she likes women," Winona offered.

"We don't know that," Tabitha mumbled.

"I asked if she could bring her boyfriend or girlfriend. And she said she didn't have a girlfriend. Why deny that if it wasn't a possibility?"

"Really?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I think that's what that meant," she said.

"So there is a chance," Tabitha said quietly.