chapter 4

“I did it!” was the first thing our of Iris’ mouth when Zoya walked through the door of Êtes-Vous-Faim.

“She did it,” Danika celebrated from where she was cleaning the last of her tables. Iris was at the till counting the money they made that day.

Zoya stopped. “You did it? What did you do? Sex? Don’t tell me you lost your virginity! I saw you no less than 24 hours ago.”

“No.” Iris rolled her eyes with a smile. ” I did pull my big girl panties on though- ”

“- The red one with the black lace?”

“- I thought it was a black one with red lace?”

Iris just laughed. “I was speaking metaphorically. Get you head out the gutter, both of you! I swear you’re hornier than a twelve-year-old boy who just discovered Play Boy.”

“Didn’t we discover Play Boy when we were twelve?” Danika asked.

“Yes!” Zoya clicked her fingers towards Danika. “When little miss flower crown over here shoplifted it from Pedro’s on the corner.”

Iris sputtered, her cheeks reddening from the embarrassment. “That was a group effort and you know it! You even said that I would be the least likely one to get severely punished.”

Zoya shook her head with the sageness worthy of an old wizard. “No, you were alone, Flower. I had nothing to do with.”

“Didn’t she steal it because you heard about lesbians and wanted to see if you were one?” Danika asked Zoya, deciding to take pity on their blushing friend.

“Aha!”

“I neither confirm nor deny it.” Zoya crossed her arms over her chest, stubbornly.

“You don’t have to,” Iris couldn’t help but tease.

“We already know. But as fun as it is to reminisce about the everlasting dark hole that is Zoya’s closet -"

“- Is that jealously I’m sensing?”

“Absolutely. - of secrets. Can we get back to that thing I did?” Iris closed the till, jotted down the profit of the day, and lifted herself to sit on the counter, facing towards her best friends. Then she began to tell her tale.

“So, I was sitting in the cafeteria, minding my own business,” she began, hand flailing as told them about her encounter with Orion and his crew. Zoya and Dankia were, as expected, fantastic listeners as they interrupted her continuously.

“He said what?”

“He isn’t wrong though?”

“Was Marcas, the redhead, as cute as his picture?”

“I refuse to believe Carmilla would say something so cruel!”

“Why am I just imagining that speech scene from Braveheart?”

“Because of the red hair. By the way, did you perform a psyche analysis on them all?”

“I am not surprised at the number of parental issues going around in those circles. No excuse though! Some of my aunties arranged for my cousins to marry another cousin through their paternal line. You don’t see them bullying other people, do you?”

“Hold up! Which cousin and why weren’t we invited? Blasphemy!”

“Yeah! I agree with Zoya. I haven’t worn my only formal dress for a long time.”

The three girls laughed merrily as the teased each other.

Zoya was the first one to stop. “On a serious note, I’m glad you stood up to them. Not only does it twist the silken underwear of the rich but we all know it was the right thing to do.”

“Yeah,” Danika said. “Nobody deserves to be walked all over.”

Iris jumped from the counter and pulled both of them into a tight embrace. “You guys are the best friends a girl could have. I don’t think I tell you guys that I love you enough. So, I love you guys!”

They both pulled away. Zoya said, “We know.”

“It doesn’t hurt to hear it though,” Danika added.

“Enough about me,” Iris said. “What’s been going on with you guys? It’s times like these that I miss going to Westwood.”

“Well, we don’t miss you,” Danika snorted. “We don’t have the time to. Every teacher misses you and your ‘dedication to achieving academic greatness’ so much that they have to tell us about the loss of a great student. It’s like you died or something.”

“Yeah,” Zoya joined it. “I swear! They act like they lost their own child. Mrs. River called your name out of habit for you too, you know, answer the question and when she didn’t see you she in your seat she looked like she wanted to cry.”

Iris blushed. “That’s so sweet. I need to remember to get her something for her birthday.”

Zoya and Danika scrunched their noses in identical expressions of disgust. “Disgusting.”

“I can’t believe we’re friends with such a bootlicker.”

Iris rolled her eyes fondly. “Mrs River is nice and she always has great books to read. Besides, we’re not talking about my bootlicking skills - and don’t act so disgusted with it. You used it to your advantage quite a few times. Enough about my horrendous past of being nice to teachers. What’s going on with you guys? You have been smiling to yourself all day, Dani. And don’t think I didn’t see that skip in your step when you came in, Zoya.”

“Well,” Danika said. “You’re looking at the newest debate captain of Westwood high.”

Iris’s lips stretched into a confused smiled. “Congrats! But since when were you into debate? Last time I checked you hated any form of fighting.”

“It’s a new thing,” answered Zoya. “And it is terrifying. I never knew Dani over here could get so aggressive.”

“It was exhilarating” Dannika exclaimed. "They had auditions a week ago and the gave us the theme beforehand. Turns out, I have an excellent memory. Combine that with an energy drink before going on stage and I went from quiet Danika to violent Danika!"

Iris and Zoya giggled at their friend's excitement.

"I can just see it," Iris said. "Seriously, though, congratulations. I know you're going to give your opponents hell." She turned to Zoya. "And you? You were practically floating on air."

Zoya's cheeks darkened noticeably. She looked ready to squeal. “You know that art school I’ve wanted to attend since I was old enough to lift a crayon?”

Iris and Danika nodded. The University of The Academic Arts was a title they were both very familiar with. Zoya was a talented artist and has been dreaming of attending the university since she first heard about it. She even had news articles and photos of the university littering her walls.

“Well,” said Zoya, clutching at her fingers.

“They will be coming to Westwood in about a month to, you know, do that whole scholarship for poor kids thing.” Zoya took a deep breath.

“And I was personally chosen to compete.”

Silence.

...

“Zoya! That’s amazing!”

Identical squeals escaped from Iris and Danika, loud enough to deafen Zoya, as they grabbed their friend into a jumping, twirling hug.

Iris pulled away. “You know what this calls for?”

“Expensive celebration?” Danika asked.

“Expensive celebration!” Iris confirmed as Danika disappeared to get the pretty alcohol bottle dusting on the top rack at the back of the food storage.

“Are you guys stealing Old Lady’s alcohol?” Zoya asked, incredulously.

The redhead waves her hand carelessly as Danika returned and poured them all half a glass of amber alcohol. Old Lady was the woman who owned the little restaurant. “

"Please, Old Lady wouldn’t even know about it. It’s been collecting dust since we started working here.”

The three girls grabbed a glass and with a flourish, clinked them together.

“To new-found success!” they toasted and took a sip, coughing as it slid down there throat.

Heaven help them if their parents ever found out.