BANGERZ 2: WORST BEHAVIOR (2015)

34. Trust Issues

"You might want to take those off," Nina says as soon as I get in the car.

I look at her sideways. "Really? No 'congratulations' or 'How was your first time at Disneyland?'"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But it's just like the hickeys. Sean might not take you seriously with your pageant sashes and Minnie Mouse ears."

She's being honest for my sake, but it seems brash right now. I try not to be unappreciative. "I will," I tell her tiredly, leaning my head back against the seat. "I will when we get there."

She pauses before speaking again. "Did you have a good time? Congrats on being prom queen."

"Thanks. And yeah, I did."

"Then why do you look so sad?"

I look out the window miserably. "I'm just... upset that I had to leave. I was getting ready to watch the fireworks with Jason. I could tell he was disappointed - we were having a good time and it was gonna be the perfect ending. It sucks that I had to lie to him."

"Oh." She switches hands on the steering wheel. "What did you tell him, anyway?"

"That Anna was in the hospital and you were trying to get in touch with me."

"Yikes," she mutters.

I lean forward and prop my elbows on my knees, massaging my temples and trying to keep my composure. "Yeah. You see how bad this is? I wouldn't feel as bad if I left afterward. Or at least a little while after they started, or something." I blow out a breath. "You couldn't have given me some extra time? It's gonna take us a minute to get there anyway, and the drugs aren't going anywhere."

Nina takes so long to respond that I sit up and look at her. Her expression is ambivalent.

"Yeah, see, here's the thing," she says carefully. "We already moved the drugs out of the warehouse. Sean divvied them all up - you already know we're in charge of the dope and Adderall. It's all in my backseat."

"What?" I hiss.

"I was trying to let you enjoy your night," she explains, keeping her eyes on the road. "When Sean first gave the sign, I went to the warehouse and helped them get the drugs out. We weren't finished, though. He had more orders. I was gonna just do what he asked myself, since you and I were working together anyway, but he thought I was stalling. He wants both of us there or the deal's off. And he wouldn't tell me what he needed us to do without you there. I had to come and get you."

"So where are we going now?"

"Back to the warehouse. He's waiting for us there."

I bring my knees to my chest and curl up into the smallest ball possible. "This is bad. This is so, so, so bad. Jason's gonna hate me."

"Tessa," Nina says haltingly. "Jason's not gonna hate you. He'll forgive you."

"I hope so."

We don't say anything else until we get there. The landscape hasn't changed - a silent, empty road, lined with dim skeletal street lamps and dark, dilapidated buildings, with a maze-like network of streets in the distance - but why would it? I force back the terrifying flashbacks of my kidnapping as we head around to the west side, where Sean is posted up at the same door Johnny and Quavo dragged me through.

"Hello, ladies," he greets us smugly, not really looking at Nina as he says it. "Nice to see you, shawty."

"I guess so," I reply. "I heard the heist went well."

"I guess so," he counters. "We got all the drugs out without any trouble. Everything I expected to be here was here - every ounce. Now my team is taking care of the next order of business."