Tortured - Jaele

|| Chapter One ||

• R I E L E •

"Okay bitches, I'm too broke for the Uber so who's it gonna be?"

Maeve slurred when she rummaged through the bottom of her Marc Jacob's tote for lipgloss.

"Not Miss. Corporate USA who only dates the richest most unattainable in New York."

Ella replied.

"Better the richest than the brokest bums and most homeless..."

Maeve shot back, accompanied by a sugary smile. As they went back and forth, I swiped through my phone, a tipsy edge to my scrolling. I passed missed called from Mama. A robotic birthday text from Reiya.

I shrugged the sadness inching up my spine away. I want to be happy for once. Just for a night. I don't want to think about them. I don't ever want to see Mama again. Or Reiya. Or Easton. Tonight was a celebration about me. It filled my body with the buzzing of honey bees having been genuinely impressed my friends party planning skills. This time I had been genuinely surprised.

"I don't have enough on my card for a Big Mac, so I'm definitely out."

Ella hiccuped, a Corona bottle was still in her grasp and a straw tucked between her lips. It was late, our pedicured toes were swollen and aching. Maeve was angry when drunk. The kind that made her trans morph into an asshole.

"Didn't expect you to put up anything anyways, El."

She snapped in a way that made me draw back from them.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I got money?"

"Where is it?"

"Don't worry your pretty little tits babe."

Ella winked, swaying in her feet.

"Aren't you tired of being broke?"

Maeve said as she crossed her arms over her chest and titled her head.

"Aren't you tired of being a bitch?"

"Hey, let's just calm down."

I stepped between them as they exchanged death glares, I saw the beginning of their claws come out towards each other.

"She's not worth another word of mine."

Ella cut her Tiffany-box blue eyes from us to a group of men lingering in front of the Liquor store across the street. Smoking cigarettes, staring over at us, pretending not to notice what just happened. Ella and Maeve's loud voices had echoed through the alleyways.

"Of course, I've got us. No worries worry it's only my birthday weekend."

I said, quickly ordering a rideshare. I tucked my phone under my arm afterwards and balanced a strawberry coconut flavored vape between my lips. 

"Oh, correction baby girl-"

Maeve snatched up my wrist and twisted it so the face of my new Applewatch, a gift from my ex, was facing upwards.

"Not your birthday anymore, it's 2 am. We paid for the section, that big ass cake, those fancy fuckin sparkling candles, and your bottomless drinks, which should have been free-"

Maeve's glare pointed into Ella's direction once more.

"Fuck, let it go bitch. I said I was sorry you had to pay for the drinks already whoopdeefucken-doo."

She shrugged. Ella's blonde mane was swept up into two little space buns with tendrils of hair dropping in curls around her double pierced ears. She had squeezed herself into a black sheer "SAVAGE" tanktop, plaid leather mini-skirt and juicy red GO-GO boots for the night which was on brand for her punky personality and biting wit.