Page 112 of Road Queens
“Hey! It wasn’t stupid.”
“I’m gonna do this, the starfish plan, because saving one or two or five is better than saving none.”
Amanda’s eyes widened. She was usually quicker on the uptake; must have been the stress of seeing Cass’s mangled face. “Because your mom got left on the beach.”
“I’m gonna do it so some poor lady doesn’t spend sixteen years soaking up rage, only to drown her husband during a family fishing trip and then take her copiously bleeding daughter to Dairy Queen for Peanut Buster Parfaits.”
“Oh, fuck,” Sidney exclaimed, sounding amazed and repelled. “That’s what she did?”
“She wasverydetermined to buy me ice cream.”
Amanda clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes going wide as she tried to stifle all sound.
“I won’t get mad if you laugh.”
“Well, I will,” Sidney snapped. “Handle your shit, Amanda.”
And that got Cass started, which got Sidney going. The tears stung, and giggling hurt her throat, still sore from all the screaming, but it was fine. Well. Not fine. But ... a little better?
When they’d calmed down and Sidney had found a box of Kleenex and was handing out tissues, Cass elaborated on the plan that had begun to form when the lidocaine kicked in and the doc started stitching.
“It’s not gonna be a full-time job or anything,” Cass cautioned.
“Good, because we’ve also got to make a living.”
We?
Yeah. We.
“Anyway, I’m doing it. Even if it’s just part time. Because, again, part is better than none. I’m gonna make a plan and then implement a plan.”
“No, I’m gonna make a plan,” Amanda retorted. “Long term isn’t your strong suit.”
The relief was like a wave. Not that Cassandra would admit it out loud and give Amanda an opening to comment on clichés. She hadn’t doubted her friends, but she also knew this was asking a lot. “So ... are you guys in?”
“Of course,” Sidney said. “Like you needed to ask, you bandaged bimbo? Ow!”
“Too soon,” Amanda said, and kicked her again.
“Fuck! I get it, jeez.”
“It’ll be like Meals on Wheels, helping the communi—no! It’ll be better than MoW, because it’ll be our thing. The three of us.” Amanda had gone from tentative to tearful to glowing in a shockingly short time. “Not something we do with our parents, or that we have to do for school. It’ll beours.”
“That sounds good. I’d love the chance to lecture an abusive husband with a two-by-four to the forehead. And, y’know, rescue their battered partners.”
“You don’t fool me,” Cass said, smiling a little.
“Me either,” Amanda said at once. “Um, in what way is Sidney not fooling us?”
“You like to mix it up,” Cass continued. “You like to get in there and get a little bloody or muddy. So do I. But as much as you like a fight, you like preventing one even more.”
“That sounds like something you made up on the spot,” Sidney replied.
“I note you aren’t actually refuting Cassandra’s point,” Amanda teased.
“Did you also notice Cass can barely keep her eyes open? We should prob’ly go.”
Cass stifled another yawn. “It’s been a long damn day. But yeah, you guys should head out. It’s nice your folks are here, but I’m hoping the hospital keeps me overnight. I need to think. I’ve gotta figure out the starfish plan. I’ve got two years until graduation to work it all out.”
