Roll the Dice (Jori)

5

TORI

One thing about Las Vegas was that it was hot. Hot enough to melt the soles of your shoes if you stood on the pavement a little too long.

Robbie, Cat, Jade, and I walked along the Strip since we woke up. We wanted to tour more spots while the others swam at the outdoor pool. Sikowitz instructed us to text him where we were every hour, so that he didn't lose track of us. Did it get annoying? Of course.

Along the laughter and chatter blending with the distant hum of traffic, Cat and Robbie couldn't keep their hands off eachother. They giggled and teased eachother the whole time, much to Jade's dismay.

The aroma of greasy street food vendors and the funky mix of music seeped from open doorways. The idea I had of Jade morphed as the trip went on. Were her and I...friends? Was she finally starting to like me? I didn't know what to think of it. I hoped. Being sort of friends with Jade? I didn't necessarily mind the idea.

"So, I told him he could cut the shit and date his dog if he wanted to," Jade said, laughing.

I took a big slurp of my red slushie, giggling as she explained her stupid story. "Wow. Beck of all people? Who would've known?"

She chuckled. "I had to."

Cat and Robbie let us catch up to them. Cat twirled around, wrapping her delicate arms around me to rope me in a tender hug. I smiled, sticking out my tongue to reveal the blue-stained flesh.

"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed, pointing. "That's so cool." She turned to Jade. "What color's yours?"

Jade stuck her tongue out, revealing the red-stained flesh. "It resembles the blood I suck from human corpses."

"Why don't you and Tori make out and give eachother purple tongues?" Rex joked. Cat giggled.

Jade rolled her eyes, socking Robbie in the groin. He strained, holding his area with both hands as he fell knees first to the ground.

"Let's go, Vega," she ordered.

"Uhhh, okay. Where?"

"Somewhere."

I hurried up to follow her. Of course she wouldn't tell me where we were going, just like when she tried to drop me off in the middle of the desert a year ago.

"Are you taking me to the middle of nowhere again?" I whined.

Jade flipped her hair and tossed her slushie in a trashcan. "My oh my, I wouldn't ever wanna venture off to any dangerous spots in this mighty old city! I sure do bruise like a peach!"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "I don't talk like that!"

"Whatever," she said, turning into a corner shop and immediately trying on a pair of sunglasses. "Try these on."

She handed me a red pair of heart sunglasses. I examined myself in the mirror. Much to my surprise, they didn't look too tacky.

"Man..." she muttered. "You look like an idiot."

I took them off my head. "I learned from the best."

Boppy pop music played over the speakers. Jade snaked through the aisles with a great amound of hues. Each garment begged for attention; perfect for girls like us. Vibrant scarves draped elegantly over mannequins to earrings being showcased by the glass in the sunlight streaming through the windows.

We bumped into quite a few shoppers, spitting "sorry's" each time. I told Jade to atleast buy something, but she shot me down and told me it was either shoplifting or going home with nothing. I wanted to object each time, but I didn't want to sell the bag and make myself look like a fool in front of her. After all, she was finally hanging out with me. How could I throw that away?