Things End, Deal With It

two

Saturday

"Marisol!" I run from the door of the mall to my best friend when I see her sitting on a bench. I wrap my arms around her and squeeze as hard as I can.

"Cheyenne, you're killing me," she says, out of breath. I let go of her and smile sheepishly as she smooths out her dark red hair.

"Hey! Your hair's red now!"

"Yeah, you know it gets that way in the summer." She rolls her eyes at my excitement.

"I know I just love it so much." I scoot away from her a bit because I'm practically sitting on her lap. "So, is it just you and me or are the other girls coming?" I ask, hoping for the first.

"The rest of the girls should be coming," she replies, leaning forward to look at the door. "They should be here." She glances at her phone as it lights up and vibrates. I sneak a peek at it to see it's a message from Taylor. I roll my eyes. They can't stay away from each other for long periods of time as I've come to realize. While she texts him, I take the time to turn off my phone and stick it in Marisol's small clutch.

"Are you sure you want Azarely to come?" Marisol gives me this look that I've seen too often. It's her 'what the fuck' look, or as I like to call it, her 'are you fucking serious, Cheyenne? You stupid idiot.' look. I was honestly joking with her about Azarely because I know they don't really get along too well. I hear heels clicking against the white polished floors and look up. Krysta and Kiara are giggling while looking at Kiara's phone as they walk towards us. Marisol and I stand up and hug them when they finally stop click-clacking in front of us. "You know we'll be walking around the mall for hours. Why would you wear that?" I laugh a bit as I look over what the two girls are wearing. They look like they're dressed for a party.

"It was Kiara's idea to dress up, not mine," Krysta argues. The twins glare at each other, and Marisol and I both laugh again.

"Let's just go get some food and wait for everyone else."

*

When we finally leave the mall, it's eight o'clock, and I know I need to get home.

"I need a ride home," I say to no one imparticular.

"Who dropped you off?" Elizabeth asks.

"My momma, but she's at work now."

"As always," Chloe says. "Where does she work again?"

"That 24/7 children and elder abuse hotline. So, basically she answers phone calls for a living." I shrug. I see a silver Camry pull up and immediately recognize it as Christina's mom.

"That's my ride. You want me to take you home, babe?" Christina asks me, and I nod. I say goodbye/goodnight to everyone and get in the backseat while Christina gets in the front. I greet her mother, and she drives me home.

"I'll text you in a bit. Bye," I drawl out the goodbye and wave to them as they drive away then make my way inside. I lock the door behind me and go to my bedroom. I strip off my clothes and pile them on the floor. I walk down the hall to the bathroom and turn on the hot and cold water. I plug in my iHome and put my phone on Pandora. I take two towels and a rag from the cabinet and check the water. It's at a good temperature so I put the two towels on the toilet seat and hop in the shower. I shave my legs then wash my hair and body. I stay in until the water turns ice cold. I get out and wrap my body and hair in a towel. I take my phone off the iHome and head to my bedroom. I dry off and put on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I brush my hair, tie it into a ponytail, then twist it into a bun. I literally throw myself onto my bed and begin to text Christina. (Christina in bold, Cheyenne in italics.)