Page 77 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
“Or something.” Bri took a seat in front of them. She blew out a breath. “Another inmate has a problem with me. Now that I’m on the short rows. Sometimes folks around here get jealous and start picking fights.” Bri gestured at her face.
“Oh, no. I’d hoped people would be happy for you,” Liz said.
“Most are.” Bri shrugged. “Anyway, I’m just hoping this doesn’t push my release date back.”
“What? Are you serious?” Melody’s voice rose a notch. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t start the fight.”
“No, but it’s my word against hers. I’m lucky I even got to visit with you two today.”
“That’s not fair,” Liz said.
This made Bri smile. “In case you haven’t learned that lesson yet, life isn’t always fair.”
Liz lowered her gaze and looked at her bracelet. “Well, I’m confident you’re still getting out when you’re supposed to. Our luck is turning up.” She looked at Bri. “In fact, I just drove here, and I didn’t stop to vomit or breathe into a paper bag a single time.”
Bri’s lips parted. “Are you messing with me?”
“Nope. She’s telling the truth,” Melody said. “And . . .”
“There’s more?” Bri looked between them. “What else?”
Liz rolled her lips together. “And I’m chaperoning the prom with Melody, Christopher, and Matt.”
Bri pulled her head back, her eyes subtly rounding. “You’re going to prom? And you have a date with Matt?”
Liz shook her head. “No. We’re just going as friends. It’s not like that.” Even though some part of Liz wanted it to be—a small, suppressed part.
Bri had a huge smile on her face. “Same as Melody and Christopher. Well, this is great news. I wish I was going to be out in time to see that.”
“Me too.” Liz reached across the picnic table and squeezed Bri’s hand. “Next year.”
“You’re already planning to go again next year? This is a pretty big deal.” Bri looked around the prison courtyard and withdrew her hand. Liz knew it was because physical contact was discouraged. So many things had been stripped away from Bri. It wasn’t fair. Maybe Bri was right that life wasn’t always fair, but sometimes it was. It could be. That was a lesson that they all needed a refresher course in.
When it was time to leave, Liz stood up. “Less than a month. Hang in there.”
Bri nodded. “I can get a lot of black eyes in a month’s time. No backing out, okay?”
Liz knew she was talking about prom. “Okay.”
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t,” Melody said.
Bri gave Melody a long look. “Thanks.”
Liz and Melody were quiet as they left the prison. Melody took the driver’s seat this time.
“It’s hard to leave her here,” Melody said, her shoulders rounding toward the steering wheel.
“It always is.” Liz watched Melody start the car and reverse out of the parking lot. Then they drove home.
“So,” Melody said after several non-starter conversations, “you’re wearing the bracelet. What are you doing that scares you and makes you feel alive?”
“Driving to the prison today doesn’t count?” Liz asked. “Because that was pretty terrifying.”
“Only in your head,” Melody said. “You actually didn’t seem all that scared. You were calm. You were ready.”
Liz turned to watch the world buzz by through her passenger side window. Melody was right. Facing her fears was scary, but worth it. Her fingers felt along the bracelet as she considered Mel’s question. Finally, she looked back at Melody. “I’m driving. I’m going to prom. I’m planning to tell my mom I don’t want to work indefinitely at The Bitery. I’m going to pursue my own photography business. Everything is changing. Can I just earn my next charm by living?”
Melody glanced over. “That is the point of the charm bracelet. To prove we’re alive. Not just zombies.”
