Hush Little Hurricane

Chapter 2: Darkness [Part 2]

Matt just shook his head and mimicked an explosion around it with his hands. "Phew... Glad that's over."

"Yeah." Josh agreed as he once again set about the hearth.

"So Josh... Uh, should we get this fire going?"

Just then, Emily's shrill voice came from where Matt had set all her bags my one of the squared pillars in the room. "Where's my bag?" She asked accusingly.

"Huh?

"My bag! The little bag with the pink pattern. The one I got on Rodeo." She said, as if that explained the situation. Clearly he poor jock didn't memorize every one of his sickeningly rich girlfriend's plethora of purchases. "Matt. Are you listening? Oh my god, don't you remember? Next to the Italian shoe place where I got those stilettos and you knocked over the rack while you were drooling all over that girl at the counter?"

"Ho, jeez," Tess breathed quietly, earning a snigger from Sam, Chris and Ashley beside her.

"Well, I mean, she was asking about my letter jacket-" But Emily cut him off.

"Right. Because she gave a shit about your 'designer' letter jacket."

"Why do you hate my jacket?"

"Matt I need my bag!"

"Oh my god Em, maybe you just forgot it-" And again he was unable to finish.

"Do you seriously think I'd forget my bag?"

"Well, I-"

"Do you?"

"Guess not."

"You must have left it down by the cable car station."

"Or maybe it was you," Tess decided to but in just for the fun of it. Getting Emily and or Jessica riled up was something she had always gotten a kick out of. That was one thing that hadn't changed.

"Excuse me, Miss Moody-Loner. What did you just say?"

"Maybe you should carry your own luggage, then you'd be able to carry it all by your fragile little self. Better yet, don't pack as much. You have three bags to yourself and we are here for a weekend! Jesus, most of us have one backpack."

"Tch, ya, maybe that's why none of you know how to get a guy's attention. Maybe take a look and fix yourself a bit sometimes, Virgin Mary."

"If you say so." Honor roll my ass, Tess thought. That comeback was poor, even by her standards.

"Ugh! Guys, stop. And Emily, do we rally have to?"

"C'mon hon'. We'll be back soon."

"And then we can get warm?"

"We can get very warm."

"Okay, okay. Let's go."

As soon as the couple had left, Sam stood up from her seat on the central wooden staircase. 

"Well, as much as I love watching you work, Tess, that is enough drama for me for one night. I'm gonna go take a bath."

"Damn you, Sam, there was a squirrel in the line of fire and you know it!"

"A-a-ah," the winner of the bet scolded. "You didn't make all three shots, regardless of extenuating circumstance. Ergo, my bath."

Finally, Tess conceded her defeat to her best friend. "Very well, the bath tub is yours. Have fun laying there, thinking of me, cold and dirty and wishing only to be-"

"Alright, alright. I promise I'll be out in a couple of hours so there is still time for you to have your own soak."

"Yay!"