Hunted Predators✔️

Chapter Twenty-four

"Well you're looking more depressing than usual!"

Katherine sits up, straining to see in the dark. Fallenchesca swings her leg through the window, trying to keep her balance with a fair share of giggles.

"Was your dress like that the whole night?" Katherine asks.

"What do you mean? Like what?"

Katherine blinks at Fallenchesca, who has her dress hiked up to her waist. "Never mind."

"So," Fallenchesca says in a sing-song voice, kicking off her heels and shimming out of her cocktail dress. "Whatcha doing?"

"Trying to sleep, but it's hard with the image of my cousin's hot pink thong burned into my retinas."

After throwing on a sweatshirt, Fallenchesca collapses on the inflatable mattress, nearly throwing Katherine off. "You know," Katherine groans, resettling herself. "You have a perfectly good bed over there."

"But you're not on it."

Katherine glances at the alarm clock. "No."

Fallenchesca laughs. "No?"

"I don't have to deal with this past three am." Katherine glares at the ceiling as Fallenchesca roles closer to her, stopping when her face is an inch away from Katherine's. Katherine turns away, her nose scrunching. "Aw, your breath reeks. What did you do, make out with an old shoe drenched in alcohol?"

Fallenchesca stares at Katherine, a solemn expression replacing her wide smile.

"What're you... ?" Katherine leans back as Fallenchesca reaches forward with her pointer finger. Katherine's eyes go cross eyed as she watches Fallenchesca taps the tip of her nose. "Boop," Fallenchesca says.

Katherine forces a smile.

"You're going to be executed, aren't you?"

"Yup. In two months-"

"I'll have the room all to myself again," Fallenchesca finishes with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Well, it's always good to find the upside."

"There is no downside."

"Oh, okay."

Fallenchesca props herself up on her elbow, facing Katherine with a smile. "Can I tell you something funny? I really hated you at first. Your fancy private school made my mom think I was a loser in comparison. Now I bet she's glad she had me."

Katherine stares at Fallenchesca a moment longer, then puts her palm on Fallenchesca's face and pushes her off the mattress.

The next day, Katherine finds herself back on the roof of a building. Putting her hand over her eyes to shield from the sun's glare, Katherine looks down at the cars and people down below, small as ants. She closes her eyes and walks away.
...

The sky is pitch black outside the apartment building. Katherine is lying in bed, sleeping, when a phone starts ringing. Rubbing her eyes, Katherine trudges across the room and digs through Fallenchesca's purse. She pulls out a phone then declines the call and trudges back to bed.

Katherine has barely closed her eyes when the phone rings again, from the same unknown caller. "What?" Katherine snaps.

"It's Fallenshemkah."

Katherine sighs, rubbing her temples. "You're slurring. Worse than usual."

"I'm at a party," Fallonchesca moans.

"No way."

"And there's a bunch of shady dudes here."

"And you think, gee, this is the perfect time to get totally shitfaced."