god is a woman (arthur shelby.)

ten.

☾

Drunk Rowan and drunk Mariah has become the best of friends within a matter of minutes. It took all of thirty seconds before Rowan declared that she loved her, despite barely knowing her.

"You're so bloody gorgeous." Mariah slurred and twirled a part of Rowan's hair, which was now free from the restraints of the up-do and was flowing. "No wonder Arthur hangs around you like a bad smell."

The girls were sat on the back ledge of one of the caravans, watching out into the after party. John, Arthur, Tommy, Ada and Polly had all vanished. Ada's waters had burst at the worst and most inconvenient moment possible. Mariah had offered to join Polly in helping Ada give birth, but Polly politely let her down after seeing how drunk she was.

"Arthur's family hate me." Rowan admitted.

"They probably hate me too." Mariah shrugged and rested her head on Rowan's shoulder. "They don't like outsiders much, I'm surprised they allowed me in."

"It's more than that Riah, Polly thinks I'm someone that I'm not and I have no way of changing her mind." Rowan sighed before swigging from another bottle of whisky.

"Then I'll fucking change it for her!" A drunken Mariah defended her new best friend, snatching the liquor bottle from her hands and drinking some herself.

As Rowan swatted a bug off of the back of her hand, she finally noticed what was missing. Her mother's wedding ring. She'd given it to Rowan in her will, as a way to remember her forever. Rowan has that ring glued on usually, but the circumstances of her running away from her father meant she'd missed out one item.

"Fuck!" Rowan gasped as the penny dropped.

"What? What's wrong?" Mariah panicked.

"I've left my ring at my father's house." Rowan looked ready to cry as she traced her ring finger where the ring should be. "I, no Riah - I need that fucking ring."

"It's okay, just go and get it now! I won't mind." Riah shrugged and drank some more.

"Could you come with me?" Rowan sheepishly asked. "It's just, the last time I saw him he slapped me and I spat in his face. I'm not really looking for round two and I would take Arthur but I can't find him anywhere."

"Fuck it, let's roll." Mariah stumbled as she stood up and smoothed down her wedding dress before helping Rowan down.

The two girls locked hands and snuck away from the wedding party undetected. No one knew who Rowan was, but even Riah's family didn't see her sneak away in the darkness.

"The boys took the fucking car." Riah snapped.

"It's only a short walk from here, don't worry." Rowan pulled Riah in the right direction.

It only took them a few minutes to arrive at the correct place and they even managed to make it the whole way without being heckled or cat called.

"Do we go up through the window, or go through the front door and risk bumping into him?" Rowan whispered.

"You won't get me up that bloody window in this dress!" Riah protested.