The Quiet Ever After

Fourth String - 5

Nina was first to arrive at the coffee shop, even before Claire, to head up any questions or concerns any of the girls had about what she said. She finished wiping down the counters and making the first few drinks when Veronica walked in, holding her hand atop her stomach. Nina's heart lurched as they exchanged hellos, but that was all. Alright, nothing so far.

The rest of the morning staff poured in without making mention of what Nina had messaged them. Maybe the afternoon staff would be more interested? Nina was scheduled to be there the full day, as she was every Friday. She enjoyed it for getting to be around everything she already loved even longer.

The day kicked off and everybody became consumed by work and did not mention a thing. A thing. Not the game, not the curse. Nothing. They simply worked. They didn't really talk to one another. It was an ant farm: busily moving about to accomplish tasks with little connection outside of what was required.

Claire exchanged a curious glance with Nina while everyone else had their own furtive gazes thrown about the room, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

After about an hour of that, an hour of torture, Nina asked Claire to watch things. Given there was one customer in the room and few likely to come, Claire happily accepted.

"Everyone?" Nina called. "Follow me."

They were reluctant, at first, but when Veronica came to Nina's side the rest followed, swarming around her in the break area.

"What the hell is going on?" Nina asked.

"What do you mean?" Ciara asked. "You know what's going on."

"We're cursed. Everything with the shop, now the league?" Yaya shrugged. "I honestly considered not coming in today."

Nina felt her heart shatter. She had to bite down on her lip to keep herself from gasping. She nodded as Ciara pushed further,

"I thought all that was done. Now us. Us? Who the hell are we to be involved?"

Veronica's gaze shifted to Nina, though she made nothing of it. Well, Nina thought, that was definitely going to be a conversation for later.

"Unlucky," Raquel said. "That's what we are. Just flat unlucky. I always said that all the action going on in Florida was just bad luck. Attack after attack. I mean, eventually, it spread but it always seemed so focused."

"I guess I just have some anxiety that it's starting back up and we're the epicenter, we're the starting point," Yaya said. "First it's this little stuff, then it's going to be this whole world-ending thing!"

"If the league is cursed then I should shut it down," Veronica said. "That'll put an end to whatever is going on."

"Except whatever it is that cursed us knows where we live," Ciara said. "The fantasy football shit is just a way for it to get to us at once, right? I don't know how curses work, I'm just guessing."

"Bet you're right," Raquel said.

"I gotta get out of it, then," Yaya said. "I won't have my baby girl under a goddamn curse."

"Guys," Nina said, holding her hands out. "Listen. It's bad now. It is. But we're going to get through this."

"You have a way of breaking the curse?"

"No," Nina said, and it wasn't even a lie. "But think about it. This is petty stuff. Yes, it's bad and it's super inconvenient. But if the curse was bad, like real bad...we'd know. Yaya? Veronica? Your babies are safe. We need to count our wins, right now, and focus. Maybe cutting out the league is the way to go, but then we won't have any idea what's going on with the rest of us. We noticed that there was a curse because of the league. It gave us the clue. Whatever may happen next will come from that."