Page 77 of Road Queens
“Also, we don’t actually—ow!—know what we’re doing.”
“We’re lucky he didn’t mistake us for the homecoming dance committee.”
“We’ll age, I promise,” Cassandra said. “In fact, I guarantee it.”
“And I can’t believe we let Bobby talk us out of calling the cops,” Amanda fretted. “We witnessed an assault! And one of us was the assaultee. Most of the time with DV, the only witnesses are the hitter and the hittee. But there were witnesses this time! Two of whom have impeccable reputations!”
“But we did promise,” Sidney replied. “And we’ve gotta be as good as our word. If we say we’re coming, we are. If we promise not to file a police report, we have to hold to that. Otherwise, nobody will trust us. And how doesthathelp?”
“Now we know why she preemptively asked us not to call the cops. Shades of my mother,” Cassandra mumbled.
Sidney shrugged. “So we’ll figure out our stance on stuff like that. Y’know, like a contract. We come get the survivor in question, help him or her leave, help him or her pack and move, even, but if your scumbag spouse assaults any of us, we’re legally allowed to jump on his face until he barfs up his brain.”
“Jesus, Sidney.” Cassandra was trying for shocked, probably, but couldn’t hide the smirk.
“But pretty it up with legal jargon,” Sidney added.
“Not better. Not really.”
“Is this how you pictured it when you first hatched this plan, Cass?” Amanda asked. “All the way back when you were—what? Seven? Ten?”
“Nine.” Cass stopped smiling and leaned forward. She moved so quickly that Sidney dabbed air for a second. “And no, it’s not. I pictured me doing it by myself. Every time. And taking my lumps and getting right back in it. So this is way better than my fantasy ever could’ve been.”
“Awwww.”
“I’m serious, Sidney.”
“I am too. I think it’s great that we improved on the obsessive fantasy you’ve been nursing for the better part of a decade. Now sit the hell still or I’ll make you eat your lunch before your dessert.”
Cowed, Cassandra obeyed. “But that brings up another problem. And it’s not that I don’t love you guys, I don’t want to seem ungrateful ...”
Oh, boy. Hit me.
“But why are you in this with me?”
“This?” Amanda asked sharply. “Again?”
“It’s just ...” Cassandra spread her hands and shrugged. “I don’t get it.”
“Yes, you’ve made that clear. Why do I need a motive?”
Cassandra blinked. “Everyone does. For everything.”
“Ohhhhh boy. Okay, one thing at a time. You know I’m an Air Force brat, right?”
“Are you really? Because you’ve never mentioned it. Oh, wait, you have. Twenty or fifty or ninety times.”
“Not in a bragging way,” Cassandra hurriedly put in. “More like in a complaining way. Or to highlight comparisons. Y’know, because you’ve seen so much of the country.”
“Or to one-up us. ‘God, the grocery store here sucks—you should see the stores in Minot!’ ‘Why don’t we have more than one bank in this town?’ ‘There aren’tanybanks in ...’ I forget what you said.”
“In Duncan, Arizona. No banks. Anywhere! Which is crazy to think about, right? Imagine having to drive forty miles to an ATM. Imagine—we’re getting off track. My point was, we have to give back.”
“Do we, though?” Sidney asked.
“Shush, you. Cassandra, why do you think my dad joined in the first place?”
“Free college?”
