Dead Ringer *Watty 2016*

Sleepover

Larkin awoke to the musical chimes of the doorbell. At first she was startled but then she took a deep breath, straightened out her hair and clothes, and walked confidently to the front door. "Do not slouch," she reminded herself, palms sweating profusely. She opened the front door.

"Cora!" the girl she knew to be Harlow squealed before flinging her arms around Larkin.

"Harlow," Larkin said trying to match the other girl's cheer but suddenly aware of every flaw in her own voice and aware in all the gaps of her knowledge about Coraleigh. She knew she loved strawberry ice cream but she couldn't remember what her voice sounded like and didn't know how she would respond to her friends surprise hug.

"We missed you so much," Harlow continued showing no signs of letting go.

"I know Harlow I missed you too," Larkin laughed trying to force a familiar tone into her voice then she pulled away from the hug gently.

The three of them stepped inside. Harlow and Oakley both made themselves comfortable on Coraleigh's couch. Larkin took a place obviously left open for her between them. "So are you going to tell us about the sustainment?" Oakley asked.

"Don't make her talk about it!" Harlow squealed again and Larkin was beginning to see that she did a lot of squealing.

"Shh," Oakley said and Larkin was glad since she had been afraid to stop the squealing, not wanting to break character.

"Sorry," Harlow said giggling then both girls looked at Larkin, allowing her to be the deciding vote as to whether she told her story.

"It was really boring honestly," Larkin said trying to sound disappointed, "Why don't you tell me what happened around here instead?"

"Soooo much!" Harlow said making a conscious effort to be a little less squealy this time.

"Parties, she made out with boys, I drank and was dreadfully bored without you," Oakley said waving Harlow away, "the usual."

Larkin laughed in earnest this time and Oakley continued on, "We were going to take you out tonight before... Arch told us you needed one more night to rest." She looked uncomfortable saying Archer's name.

Larkin silently thanked him for the extra night to prepare herself before she had to attend Cian parties and an extra night to understand Coraleigh's strange duo of friends. "So we brought movies" Harlow shrieked returning to her usual excited octave.

Larkin had been taught about movies on the daily life portion of last week and the actors in them on the pop culture day so she was able to pretend to be properly excited despite never having seen a film. They put a movie about some action her hero trying to save some girl on. Larkin wasn't too enthralled by the plot but she enjoyed watching Oakley explain how each explosion happened. Watching Harlow druel over the men in the movie was much harder since every time she looked at Harlow all she could think about was Briar and the other friends she had left behind. Finally the screen went black and the credits began to roll. "I give it an six," Oakley said, "horrible plot decent special effects." She then looked at the other two waiting for them to rate it as well.

"A six sounds good," Larkin said hoping that Coraleigh would have done the same.

Oakley rolled her eyes in a way that felt like they had fallen into a pattern so Larkin felt confident that her answer fit. "What about you?" Oakley said gesturing to Harlow.

"On a scale of hotness I give him a 10," Harlow answered happily.

"You give everyone a 10," Oakley said pretending to be annoyed but neither girl bought it.

"I don't watch movies where the men aren't tens," Harlow said giggling again and Larkin was reminded of the day in the tunnels when Briar complained about her Cian's incessant giggling. Oakley tried to throw a pillow at Harlow but it missed and hit Larkin, without thinking Larkin shoved Oakley off the couch, the same way she would have pushed Briar. Oakley reached for Larkin's hand to help her back up but as soon as Larkin grabbed it Oakley pulled her onto the ground. Then Harlow jumped onto the top of them in a fit of giggles, "group hug." She yelled.

All three of them were laughing and struggling with one another to climb to their feet before falling back down holding their side in laughter.

After watching two more movies they were all in pink fuzzy blankets on the couch, Harlow was snoring lightly, while Oakley and Larkin were near sleep. "Cora you awake?" Oakley said.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Larkin propped herself up and thought about all the late night conversations she had had with Briar that started the same way. "Barely."

"What was your pleb like?" Oakley said, "Did you feel bad about taking her organs?"

"No she was a lot like me I guess," Larkin said wondering if it was really true, "the preparement was what she had been waiting for... she seemed kind of glad." Larkin was just reiterating the way she felt about preparement a few days ago.

"That's how they forced them to feel Cora," Oakley said confused, "they didn't know any better, I just wish we had figured it all out in time."

Larkin wasn't sure what Oakley was talking about and wanted to ask but she was sure that Cora would understand so she didn't dare. "Do you ever wish that we hadn't given up?" Oakley asked obviously not noticing the silence from Larkin.

"I don't know," Larkin answered truthfully since she didn't know what they had given up on.

"I mean I know it was dangerous." Oakley said, "I just don't see why we didn't risk it if it was just you and I... If she didn't know, I don't see how they could blame Harlow."

Larkin looked at the sleeping girl at the other end of the couch and for once she felt like she understood Cora even though she had no clue what they had been planning. "Do you really want to risk it?" Larkin asked.

"I guess not," Oakley yawned "but they probably don't want to give up their friends either."

Tears stung Larkin's eyes but she pretended to be asleep instead of letting Oakley see.