Page 41 of When It Burns

Great. Can’t wait.

* * *

Hannah: Happy Margarita Monday ladies!

Margaret: Heck yes! I can’t wait!

Hannah: Me either. After today I need the whole damn pitcher.

Me: YES! A full flavor flight is calling my name.

Margaret: Everything okay at Springside High?

Hannah: GIRL It’s been a DAY!

Me: Two words: Animal Control

Margaret: ???? Drinks are on me tonight. See y’all in an hour.

By the timeI walk into Maracas, I feel like today should be Friday. I fall into our favorite corner booth and ask for the margarita flight and a large queso. The flight has smaller versions of their original, peach, raspberry, and blue margaritas in beautiful little colored miniature glasses that match the drinks.

While I am waiting on my drinks, Margaret arrives and makes her way over to me. “Hey, girl! Hannah just texted us. She parked her car at your apartment since she’s staying over and is walking this way now.”

“Sounds good! How was your day?!” I ask her.

“Good! I think it’s safe to say, much better than yours,” Margaret replies with a laugh.

“Girl, you have no idea!” I respond with a laugh.

The server walks over with my mini glasses on a wooden carved board and sits them down in front of me before taking Margaret’s order. By the time she walks off, I look over and see Hannah coming through the door. She collapses into the booth before taking a sip of my blue curaçao margarita and laying her head on my shoulder. I lean my head on top of hers and Margaret laughs from across the table.

“Y’all look pitiful. I gotta know, what the heck happened?” she asks, looking both concerned and entertained.

“Oh my God, girl, it was complete insanity,” Hannah exclaims loudly. A few of the other customers in the room look up at us, and I see one of the older ladies make her way towards us.

“Ladies! I heard y’all had quite a day, bless your hearts! After you called Gerald, he called Mrs. BettySue. Well, she called Mrs. Ruth Anne and since she and Sarah Beth are first cousins through her momma’s side they spent an hour piecing it all together. You two got a full two-page write-up on the STS. I swear I don't remember the last time Springside had this much entertainment from you young people,” Mrs. Dorthy says, looking at Hannah and me.

“Oh yes ma’am,” we say in unison, smiling back at the older lady. I swear the way news travels in this town never fails to blow my mind.

“Y’all take care now ladies! Don’t forget several of us are more than willing to give y’all some help on finding a man. Nice girls like y'all can’t wait around forever. BettySue has a grandson that is gonna make somebody a fine husband!” Mrs. Dorthy says before walking off.

I look over at Margaret’s eyes that look like they are about to pop out of her head. “Did she just basically call us old maids?”

Hannah and I roll our eyes before we both burst out laughing. “Yep,” we say in unison.

“I didn’t know if I was supposed to cry or say thank you,” Margaret says looking genuinely confused.

“Welcome to Springside,” I tell her with a laugh. “You’re officially a local now.”

“Great,” she responds. “Okay, whatever, enough of that. What happened today?”

Hannah and I take turns sharing the attempts to capture the baby raccoon, as Margaret looks equal parts horrified and amused.

“So, since the only person that could come was brand new to the Animal Control unit, they didn’t know what to do either. They finally found Mr. Hale almost twenty minutes after I’d called, and we had managed to slip the kids out. Our classes went to the gym and we tried to catch the darn thing,” I explain.

“Yeah, the little shit was pissed and terrified. He managed to latch onto the leg of Mr. Hale’s suit pants, and I thought he was about to strip right then. If it hadn’t been for the injured arm, I think that’s what it would have come to,” Hannah says, shaking her head.

“No freaking way. You’re making this up!” Margaret says as we all take big gulps of our drinks.

---