The Tides That Bind Us [AfroFuturism]

Ash

"Come on..." Zaharah paced from the back of the bathroom to the front and pressed her head against the cool metal door. Dwight's avi pulsed on the screen, a tiny phone headset shaking over it. "Pick up." Dwight's voicemail picked up instead of him. "Damn it." She checked the messenger again, but he hadn't responded to or seen the three messages she'd sent. Even when the lab got busy, he still found time to respond to her; he must be up to his dreadlocks in chaos.

She paced back to the mirrors and winced at her reflection. Her eyes held the cold vacancy of death, no soul to light the black brown irises. She turned her attention back to her screen, where her harrowed face couldn't stare back at her.

By the time they left the rushout, it would be late and she would be too tired to ride to the lab and chores would take up most of the morning tomorrow, which meant she couldn't see Dwight until—

Noise from outside the bathroom cut into her thoughts.

"The fuck? It's locked." Someone banged on the door. "Hey! Other people out here have to piss."

Zaharah pocketed the pin and unlocked the door.

Beyond the threshold stood a guy wearing a scowl and the scent of white noise. And by judging his bloodshot eyes, he'd smoked that garbage recently. He shoulder checked Zaharah as he pushed his way into the bathroom.

She turned her attention to his two companions to stop herself from doing something stupid. The first, another guy who was not high as far as she could see. Both he and the mechpet cat on his head had eyes on his phone. The second, a woman sparkling like a neon disco ball in her glittery dress and striped tights. The very tights she wanted to sacrifice her first born to, and they looked even better up close.

Pharahdox looked better up close, too. Shorter than she'd appeared on stage, with a round face and pouty full lips. She toyed with a curl that had escaped her pink puff and frown at Zaharah. "Sorry, we didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's fine." Zaharah brushed by them and crossed the hall to the skybox.

No one paced the floor or wrung their hands, despite her being gone for longer than promised. Jade lounged in front of the windows, and Markus stood in a corner with Director Sanders. They hadn't noticed her yet, and if fate favoured her, she would remain invisible for the rest of the night. She needed to eat and having food in her mouth meant not having to talk to anyone.

The buffet beckoned to her with the scents of fresh seafood, none of which she could eat. She grabbed a plate and perused the vegan options, stuffed mushrooms, vegan wraps made with fake meat the health nuts in the lab swore by. The conch salad's citrus scent ran across her nose, and her stomach whined. Damn this stupid new diet.

"Hey." A hand landed on her shoulder and she startled, the plate nigh slipping from her grip.

"Can you all stop doing that please? I'm gonna have a heart attack."

"Sorry." Demarkus gazed down at her with a sheepish smile. "You good?"

"Yeah," she stacked her plate with some stuffed mushrooms and wraps. "It was just some school stuff, sorting out my digital portfolio."

"Well, if you ever need to talk about school stuff." He lowered his voice. "Or anything else. I'm here."

"Sure. Great. Thanks." She left him with the food and made a break for the bar. Only one thing could get her through the rest of tonight without having a mental breakdown in front of everyone. Maybe. She sat on a stool and waved the android barkeep over. "Pina colada daiquiri please, the biggest one you can make."

"Leaded or unleaded?" he asked.

"Leaded." She didn't drink much, but Cammi and Dwight were testing her limits and her patience. A little alcohol would take the edge off, maybe make her less suspicious and get Markus and Jade off her back too.