𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 • Randall Floyd

Chapter 5

THE expanse of greenery around the moon tower was covered inch to inch in cars and high schoolers. Although Willa was buried a little farther back from where kids were drinking from keg taps and hooking up, she could see enough.

Just across from her was a kid with ginger curls spewing up his guts into a bush. It was a sorry sight that was around long enough for her to sketch it down to a blank page in her sketchbook which only wound up being an embellishment of her memory. Eventually she stopped directly looking for reference all together and even missed when the kid left because she was so focused on her own drawing.

But when she finally did look up, Jodi crossed her line of sight with a cup in her hand and Sabrina at her side.

Willa flashed her headlights to grab Jodi's attention, and it wasn't until the third flicker that Jodi paid it any mind.

Jodi said something to Sabrina then ambled over to Willa's car. Willa wind down her window, allowing Jodi to lean her elbows on the edge of it.

"I got you some beer," Jodi said and held out the cup.

"No you didn't," Willa droned.

"You're right, it was mine, but I can just get another."

"You're good." Willa pinched the steering wheel. "Designated driver."

"So are half the people here."

"Great. When half the people here get a DUI I hope you enjoy visiting them in juvie."

Jodi rolled her eyes. "How long have you been here?"

Willa began to flick through the pages of her sketchbook. "Long enough to draw Stanley and Simmons; some dudes climbing the tower; and some kid puking in a bush over there."

Jodi shook her head. "Hauser is such a moron," she said. Then she let out a stifled groan that barely escaped, "Ugh! Join the party. Come on, do it for me—and don't say you'll think about it."

"I was actually going to say no," Willa pouted.

"Randall was asking about you earlier," Jodi brought up as if the newfound information would somehow miraculously change Willa's mind.

"Who?" was all she said.

"The guy from the Emporium."

"There were a lot of those back there, we could be here all day."

"Dark hair, purple shirt," Jodi pressed on.

"Oh, him," Willa realised and scrunched up her nose. "His pervy older friend's a total creep."

"Wooderson, yeah," Jodi chuckled. "He's definitely going to wind up in jail someday. But he is sort of gorgeous don't you think?"

"And there the day Columbus was born," Willa joked, making Jodi laugh.

"He only graduated like..." the longer Jodi dwelled on it, the sooner she grit her teeth. "Okay, yeah he is old, but you know who isn't and digs you?"

"Really?" Willa asked sceptically.

"Yeah, it's sort of annoying," Jodi straightened up, pulling her weight off the car.

"Does he dig people often?"

"Not enough to ask about them. Are you going to do anything about it?"

"Probably not, no."

"I would. But proceed with caution," Jodi warned and began to take steps back. "He's got a girlfriend."

Willa almost laughed. "That sounds like a pretty valid reason to stay out of it."

"He's not married!"