Page 34 of Alice & Meg, Girls Trip

“Guys, you didn’t have to come over,” Lennox said, her voice shaky.

Raven, Cyn, Reva, Greta, and Paige filed in behind us.

“Is this the meeting to figure out whose ass we’re beating?” Greta asked.

“I call dibs on the first kick!” Raven called out, already throwing a mock kick into the air as if she were landing it right on our invisible enemy. She balanced on one leg, her foot snapping out in a swift motion. Her face was a mix of playful fury and fierce loyalty, and it was clear she’d be the first to defend any one of us. She grinned, her eyes flashing with mischief as she settled back down, crossing her arms as if daring anyone to challenge her claim.

Meg sat down next to Lennox, wrapping her arm around her shoulders, drawing her in close. “Feel better after talking to Jonas?” she asked gently.

Lennox nodded, her eyes still red from crying, and wiped her cheeks. “Yeah. I just... I was really embarrassed. I was just trying to be nice to that little girl because she started talking to me, and then her mom... she made me feel like I was doing something wrong.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Lennox,” I said softly, trying to reassure her. “You were just being yourself. It’s not your fault that little girl’s mom is a raging bitch.”

Lennox sniffled, her expression torn between lingering hurt and frustration. “I know. It’s crazy that her daughter was so sweet and nice while her mom was mean.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, her voice trembling slightly. “She was just... rotten.”

“Probably jealous of you,” Raven mumbled from her spot, still simmering with righteous anger.

Lennox looked down at herself, doubt clouding her features. “I think you’re wrong about that. She seemed to hate every inch of me.”

“Because she probably hates herself,” Greta whispered, her voice gentle but firm. It was the kind of insight that cut through the noise and settled deep, making you think.

“What did Jonas have to say?” Meg asked, her arm still wrapped protectively around Lennox.

“The same thing King said to you,” Lennox sighed, the corners of her mouth twitching up in a small smile. “Fuck her.”

We all burst out laughing, the tension in the room breaking as we shared in the moment of defiance. It was like a collective exhale, pushing away the bitterness that had been trying to creep in.

“They’re right,” I said, the laughter dying down but the warmth lingering. “We can’t let her ruin the rest of our trip.”

“Yeah,” Meg agreed, her voice full of determination. “We’ve got two more nights here, and we are not letting that woman ruin them.”

“I say we have dinner, break out the drinks, and eat s’mores until we’re ready to puke,” Greta suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She turned to Lennox with a playful grin. “Well, you can have all the Shirley Temples you want.”

Lennox sighed, but there was a small smile on her face now. “Okay. That sounds good to me.”

Meg squeezed Lennox tighter, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Love you, hun.”

Lennox leaned into the hug, her shoulders finally starting to relax as she found comfort in the circle of her friends.

“Meg, get the food going; Raven and I will get the drinks flowing, and the rest of you can just work on cheering up Lennox,” Greta ordered with a nod, slipping into her role as the ringleader.

As we all moved to our tasks, there was a renewed sense of purpose in the air. We weren’t going to let some narrow-minded woman ruin our time together.

Raven shot me a wink as she grabbed a couple of bottles from the cooler, shaking her hips to an imaginary beat as she lined up the drinks. “This is going to be the best damn night of the whole trip,” she promised.

Let’s freakin’ hope so.

Chapter Ten

What in the hot hell?

Meg

The RV was spinning.

Well, at least for me, it was.

I rolled over on my side, trying to quell the rolling in my stomach, but it wasn’t helping much. I groaned and closed my eyes, hoping the world would stop tilting long enough for me to drift off to sleep.

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