Girls On Fire (formerly known as Rebel Rebel)

Chapter 6 - The Party

The girls said very little at school on Thursday, they were all so excited, in their own ways, about the party that night.  Nikita was walking around in such a daze that day that she didn’t even recognise her own father when she walked past him out in the corridor at lunch. 

“Right,” said Ruth out in the parking lot after school, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow.” Nikita nodded.  “Unless you need help with your essay?” she offered Megan.

“No, I’ll manage.  You just concentrate on your application forms.”

“I will.”

“Right.”

“Bye, then.” They said in unison, climbing into their own cars.

Luckily, for the girls, the West’s and Archer’s were all at work when they got home.  Ruth dug out the one dress that she owned and had hardly ever worn.  It was a deep chocolate brown, to match her hair, with a pleated skirt and sparkles here and there.  She picked out a pair of cute, kitten heeled shoes to match and a small brown purse.  Hidden, from her friends, within the folds of a cranberry coloured sweater she’d bought in their presence the day before, she pulled out her mask for the party.  It was quite a plain eye mask, painted brown but with brushings of a brass colour beneath and above the eyes.  Removing her eye patch, the swelling was finally down and the eye itself was its round normal self, but still shockingly blue to her once pale green eye.  Tying the mask neatly in place, she smiled smugly, as she surveyed her reflection in the full length mirror in her parents’ room.

Megan had opted for her favourite indigo halter neck dress for the party with some blood red accessories which, surprisingly, matched the dress quite well.  Her lips a violent shade of red and her eyes coloured also dramatically dark, she left a note for her parents to let her know that she was out and would probably be home late and not to worry because she was with ‘friends’ then pulled on a pair of knee high, killer heeled boots before leaving.  Last, but not least, out in the car she fixed on her mask, patterned with brightly coloured diamonds in blue, red and purple.

Nikita was also quite alone in Lori’s apartment.  She had already left a message with one of the bus boys at her restaurant to let her know she was going out and would be out a while.  Nikita had just pulled on a strapless, dark olive coloured, slim fitting dress.  She put on some cute, black pearl earrings and matching accessories and a pair of high heeled black pumps.  She tied her hair up in a neat bun with ringlets pouring from it like an ebony waterfall.  Her mask was simply black and shiny with a large black feather poking out from the corner of the left eye with a black ribbon to keep the mask in place.

Megan was in her car, getting quite close to Knoxville, when something in her engine gave out with a hiss and steam rolled out from beneath the hood.

“No, no, NO!” she moaned thumping the car wheel.

Slamming the door behind her, when she got out, she stormed to the front of the car, heels clicking loudly in her wake.  Lifting the hood more steam rolled out and Megan leapt back so as not to stain her dress.

“Crap!”

“Need a hand?” called a voice from a passing car.

It slowed to a stop just a few feet from her car.  Out came a boy clad in dirty jeans, a torn greasy shirt and heavy black boots.  He was only about a year older than Megan, she’d guessed, admiring his cute dimpled smile, crystal blue eyes and floppy blonde hair.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“I don’t know, it’s just an old car.”

“Let me take a look.”