Continuum

I.

"Hey, Sabby. Wake up, we're here." My eyes snap open and I chomp down hard on my tongue to prevent the wail in my dream from entering my reality. The metallic taste of blood makes me murmur a soft "ow." I peer up at my best friend, Aspen, who's sitting in the passenger seat staring back at me. "Everything alright?" she asks me, her pink lips pressed together as if she's trying her best not to laugh at my likely disheveled appearance.

I'm a wild sleeper, and I was exhausted after a five-hour work shift. They insisted on going out tonight though, so I made them pick me up from work. I slept sprawled across the lap of my other best friend, Kalila, for the duration of the hour and change ride.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply, the gentleness of my voice completely betraying how cynical I really wanted to sound. I shoot a disparaging look at Aspen as I run my fingers through my curls in search of tangles. "I'm just tired. What's with the urgency to go out anyway?" Fatigue still has a hold on my voice, so I decide to stop talking after Aspen answers this one question. I sit up to stretch my aching back. Sleeping sideways clearly took a toll on my spine.

"Nolan copped some Space Candy and Aspen couldn't wait to try it out. She took advantage of the first opportunity that arose. You've got to love our baby pothead, though," Kalila explains, opening her car door and stretching out her legs. I lurch forward and promptly slap Aspen at the back of her head, causing her to yelp sharply.

"What the hell, Sabina!" She snaps her head back to shoot daggers at me with her eyes, and I beam a wide, innocent grin.

In the sweetest voice ever, I say through my smile, "That's what you get for dragging me all the way out here just so you can smoke some new weed." Aspen rolls her eyes aggressively and moves to get out of the car while Kalila continues to regain feeling in her legs. I notice the driver's seat is empty, so I slide out to ask where Nolan has run off to.

Kalila pulls her hood up over her straightened, black hair, and leans back against the battered remains of what once was the brick exterior of a house, toying with her lighter. The flame illuminates her brown face in quick intervals, revealing the dark makeup she's wearing today. Aspen on the other hand is busy tiptoeing through the uncut grass in the light spewing from the black car's headlights; an attempt to protect her stark white Coach boots while getting closer to Kalila.

A gentle breeze blows against me as I straighten out my clothes. The cold air feels sharp as it licks at my exposed skin. I'm forced to zip up my sweater and tuck my hands in my pockets, cursing myself silently for not bringing a jacket or a scarf of some sort.

"Ashy, where'd your boyfriend disappear off to?" I ask as I approach the two of them. Since Aspen doesn't answer me right away, I almost start to think that she didn't even hear my question. My voice wasn't all that strong, and the wind might've carried it away, but she casts away my doubt with eye contact.

"He went ahead to take a leak and check if the House is empty." Kalila beats Aspen to the punch with an answer, annoying her just a little by robbing her of a chance to talk about her man. She looks up from her post on the brick wall, the flame from the lighter illuminating her now mischievous smile. I shake my head, already hearing the fit Aspen is sure to have. She despises when people steal her spotlight in any situation.

"I don't think she asked you, Kali. Also, Ashy is a horrible nickname, so please never use it again. You make it seem as if I don't know what lotion is by calling me that," she snaps, just as I predicted. I snicker at her annoyance. Kalila doesn't take long with the clap-back since I'm never the one who entertains Aspen's fits.

"I agree. Ashy is one thing you never are, because you're so pale that one would assume you and the sun are mortal enemies. Sabina and I can't relate."  Aspen's cheeks and nose burn bright red, standing out against her pastel skin in proof of what Kalila just said. I chuckle and nod in agreement.