Night-Owl Trucking

Wednesday, 5:50am PT / 7:50am CT

Two young women walked through the revolving doors of the Blight Industries International tower, their soft-soled workout shoes squeaking across the freshly polished floor. The taller, muscular girl with pink hair pulled back in a ponytail grumbled as she shook the raindrops from her head, shifting all the bags she carried to one hand, the better to swipe away the water dripping from her hairline. The shorter, dark-skinned girl dancing along beside her hummed aloud with the music playing in one earbud, her long silver braids pulled back in a messy bun, exposing her closely-cropped black undercut at the nape of her neck. Small silver charms had been worked into her braids, and they jingled tiny musical notes as she danced. She slipped into a smooth moonwalk for several of her companion's strides before she twisted back around with a wink, the taller girl walking with slow, measured footsteps and a tired groan.

They made their way to the main elevator bank and the taller girl slapped the call button. She glanced around and over her shoulders, watching for signs of light or movement from any of the six doors facing them or the six at their backs. The shorter girl was lost in the music, arms swinging as she jumped a quarter-turn in a reggaeton, her eyes closed as she followed the beat, her small backpack bouncing along with her motions, her hands raised to point skyward as she bobbed her head, her sideways heel-to-toe slide turning to a shuffle with a hint of neo-swing. A ding came from over the taller girl's shoulder, and she put a wide palm on the shorter girl's head and gave it a turn, the gray-eyed girl grinning and twisting around in a full spin on one toe before dancing after her to the open elevator car.

The silver-haired girl finally stilled when the doors slid closed. She kicked a foot back, grabbing her toes with both hands behind her back as she pulled to get that Damn Good Stretch™ in her quads. She glanced up at her companion with a wide smile, "Today is gonna be a great day— I can feel it."

The taller girl thumbed the button for the tenth floor. It looked shiny and new compared to the smudged and well-used buttons for every other floor of the building. The pink-haired girl glanced down at her and shrugged, one hand in her jacket pocket, the other slung over her shoulder to carry three duffel bags. "We'll see," she growled, her voice rough-edged from disuse. Soft musical chimes counted the floors as they rode higher and higher.

The shorter girl switched legs, giving her left an equal time to stretch, then she twisted at the hips with a faint jingle as she replied, brightly, "She's been doing better—"

"Not really," came the gravelly interruption.

"—for her," the shorter girl finished with a raised eyebrow. She frowned when the taller girl gave a mocking laugh.

"pfff, Yeah, ok~ay," the pink-haired girl said with a sneer before the elevator doors hissed open. She took two long strides out of the car before the shorter girl slipped in front of her, one hand on her hip, the other pointing up at her face.

"Look me in the eye," she challenged, "and tell me she's as closed-off as she was in high school."

They locked eyes for a long pair of heartbeats before the taller girl shrugged and rolled her eyes with a sigh, "Fine. She's better."

The shorter girl smiled so wide and chirped, "I knew you thought so, too," and skipped aside to allow the pink-haired girl to walk up to the large steel door in the far wall.

"But only 'cuz she's living at work instead of with her mom," the taller girl snarked over her shoulder as she pulled a badge from an inner jacket pocket.

"Still coooouuuunnts," the shorter girl sang as she slowly spun in a pirouette, one foot raised high in the air.

The muscular girl swiped her badge with a bleep-bleep-bleep, and put her hand on the handle, looking over her shoulder to add, "My mom's a fuckin' saint compared to—" She took a step forward as she pushed, and thumped against the cold steel door. "Ow," she hissed, taking a step back, "the fuck?" She swiped her badge again and watched the little screen flash a red lettered SECURITY ENABLED, PASSCODE REQUIRED. She rubbed her forehead as she turned to the other girl, "You have that stupid code, right?"