ARIZONA DRIFTERS (sssniperwolf + digitalnex)

Chapter 8- LIQUOR, CLUBS, HEARTACHES

Lia giggled, her face color returning to normal. The car swerved as they made their way up the Paradise Valley mountains; the same route Chris and Lia went earlier that day. The night sky was a beautiful deep-blue shade. The open window blew in summer night air that moistened Lia's eyes. She rested them, swallowing satisfaction in her throat.

"This isn't about Chris, is it?" Ranya suddenly asked. Lia froze, but didn't want to open her eyes. She thought the conversation was over.

"What's about Chris?"

"The reason you've been acting weird all evening."

Lia knew it was coming. She opened her eyes, shifting in her seat. The blue lights glistened in Ranya's inquiring eyes. What could she say?

"What does Chris have to do anything?"

Ranya sneered, gripping the steering wheel firmly. Lia noticed a small grin creep along her face--even in the shadows. She appeared a little culpable.

"The way I kept teasing about you and him," she croaked, biting her lip.

Once again, Lia winced at the thought. It did bug Lia a little bit, considering the fact both her and Chris were already in a relationship. Besides, they didn't feel that way about one another. They were best friends. Nothing more.

"That wasn't what necessarily bothered me," she told Ranya, picking at her fingernail. "It was more of how Mariah reacted--you know, like it was true or something."

"How did Mariah react?" Ranya questioned. "Didn't she just laugh?"

Lia squinted, waving her hand in a "somewhat" way. It was more of just a laugh.

"No. It was the look on her face that got to me. She seemed a tad bit convinced at your little jokes," she explained, her expression blank.

Ranya laughed heartily, shaking her head. Lia didn't understand what was so funny. She stared at her sister, waiting for her to stop giggling.

"Prima Donna," Ranya mumbled, her laugh dying down. "You really think Mariah believed that shit? Nobody did. God, she even told me to knock it off in the theater. She was flapping her jaws about how it wasn't true--bullshit like that."

Lia was slightly relieved. She thought Mariah thought of her as a horrible friend, despite the fact that it was a joke and she would never actually consider liking Chris. It was all in her head. The only one that seemed to not be getting the hint was Ranya.

"Bullshit like that?" Lia annunciated, narrowing her eyes at Ranya. Her sister turned to look at her. Both of their eyes glistened from the lights.

"Uh-huh. What's the deal?" Ranya asked.

"I don't know. It just seems like you don't think she's right."

"Who's right?"

"Mariah!"

Ranya blew rasberries as the car swerved up a road. The area was vacant; not a car was in sight except Chris's and Mariah's. The sky grew darker as they drove up the desolate mountains.

"I never said that I didn't think she was right," Ranya proclaimed, her tone flinty. "I just said she was bullshiting about how you and Chris didn't think of eachother like that."

Lia began to feel confused about the conversation the two were having, however she knew something was off. She bit the inside of her cheek in agitation.

"Because we don't."

Ranya rolled her eyes, waving her hands around like a head case. Lia grabbed the steering wheel in fear while her sister teased her.