Firm Girls

Chapter 3

"Can't you ever follow the plan? You know, the one that you wrote?" Kyra snapped when I walked into the house.

I smiled blandly at her and headed straight for the pizza box on the kitchen counter.

"You'd think that, with five girls, at least one of us would be able to cook."

"We have better things to do," Jess said absentmindedly, her eyes trained on the laptop in front of her.

"Can you please explain yourself?" Kyra snarled at me.

There was only one slice left, and it had mushrooms. I hated mushrooms.

"Did you order mushroom because you were mad at me for hanging up on you?" I asked her.

She snorted. "Am I that petty?"

"Yes," Jess said absently. Kyra's face grew red. Not from embarrassment – I don't think she knew what that was – but from anger.

I sighed. This could turn into a much bigger fight. "I wanted to see if he would steal it."

"Why? Why does it matter? We have the tracker on the passkey!"

I began picking off the mushrooms one by one, stacking them in the box beside the slice. "I wanted to see who he was."

"And?" Kyra said.

"And he's the type who will take something just because he can. He's not afraid of risks and he's curious to a fault. He wants to know everything he can, whether or not he's supposed to."

Kyra hmphed. "Sounds like he just has sticky fingers."

"Actually, he sounds like Pen," Jess mused.

I smirked. "I almost stole his phone."

"You're an idiot," Kyra said, but her tone was more snarky than angry so I knew I was forgiven.

"But you didn't?" Jess confirmed.

I shook my head. "Kyra, did you get eyes on the guy who pushed me?"

"No face, he kept his down. Blonde hair, tall, a little scruffy. I didn't notice any contact between the two of them."

I took a bite of the pizza and tried not to gag. I could taste the lingering remnants of mushroom flavor. I put it back in the box. I think I would rather starve.

"Kyra hid the peppers and sausage under your bed," Jess said.

Kyra grumbled but didn't yell at her.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice until it stank up my room?" I asked curiously.

She shrugged, completely unashamed. "I hoped."

When I returned with the hidden box of pizza, both of them were huddled over the computer.

"Where are Brielle and Evie?"

"Shush!" Kyra waved her hand at me. "Get over here."

"You really got him, Pen," Jess giggled. Hers was the one I imitated when necessary. "He didn't even turn off the phone!"

"You're joking."

"Shut up!" Kyra said.

They parted so I could sit between them, a very confusing map of what I assumed to be New York on the screen. The sound of several people talking poured out of the speaker.

I waited a few seconds, but I couldn't even make out a single word. "Can you understand any of this?" I whispered to Jess.

"You would if you stayed quiet for even thirty seconds," Kyra whispered back.