Snowed In

Day Four

"It's like we're back in the Middle Ages. I had to trade that kid a bag of Doritos and a Twinkie for these," Lauren explained, slapping down the stack of playing cards on the lounge table. Outside, the snow was slowing down tremendously, a welcome sight for those trapped inside the hotel.

"Playing cards?" Ally asked, scooting closer to Dinah in the booth for warmth. "What are we gonna do with those?"

"Play, duh," the green eyed girl responded.

"Play what?" Dinah inquired

Lauren shrugged. "Go Fish, Solitaire, Bullshit, I don't know."

"Bullshit sounds fun," Normani said dryly, obviously bored out of her mind. "How do you play?"

Lauren explained the game, and the group played for a while until they realized Ally never lied and Dinah lied every turn. The two blondes shared a cup of coffee due to a dwindling coffee bean supply, and Normani grinned to herself when she noticed Ally was clad in Dinah's Raiders hoodie.

"Guys, I think you're gonna love me,"
Lauren suddenly said, eyes glued on something.

Ally sat up. "Lauren, I don't like that look in your eye..."

"Two words: Luggage. Cart. Race."

Dinah counted the words on her fingers. "That's three."

"Whatever! It's brilliant, right?"

Normani was on board immediately, rushing to grab herself a cart from the lobby entrance. "Meet you guys upstairs!" She yelled, and Lauren hopped on the cart as the darker girl pushed.

"Guess we have no choice," Dinah solemnly stated, standing and offering a hand to the shorter girl. "Come on, Als, we got a race to win."

Ally reluctantly obliged, and soon the two teams were ready to race.

"First team to the other end of the hallway wins!" Exclaimed Lauren. "Ready, set, go! Push, Mani, push!"

Normani and Dinah pushed their counterparts toward the finish line, or the finish wall. Laurmani was ahead by a good five feet at first, but Dinah's long legs pushed Dinally ahead midway through the race. A wobbly wheel on Laurmani's cart caused the vehicle cut in front of Dinally's unintentionally, but the latter team didn't see it as accidental.

"Oh, you wanna play dirty? We can play dirty," Dinah sneered, knocking her cart into the other as she ran. She rammed the cart once, twice, and on the third she cut too far in front. Laurmani's cart spiraled into the opposite wall with a loud crash causing  Dinah to trip over Lauren and fall, bringing her cart down with her.

Ally groaned and picked her head up. "Is anyone hurt?"

Normani coughed from under Lauren. "I'm good," she strained.

"I got a nasty bruise on my knee, but I'm fine," Lauren coughed.

Dinah was laid out under her cart. "I'm okay. Guess that's why you don't play dirty."

The foursome broke out into laughter over the spill, and returned the carts after they recovered. After, they retired to their room to debate over what they should order for dinner.

Normani toiled over the menu. "Are we thinking pizza again? Or should we get the chicken nuggets with mac and cheese?"

"Nuggets! Nuggets!" Chanted Dinah from the bathroom.

Lauren agreed. "Go with the nuggets."

Dinah got into the shower as Normani ordered said nuggets. Ally and Lauren settled into their bed as the latter turned on the news to see the latest weather report.

"We're setting December records out here folks. The low tonight will be a bone chilling one degree. Better bundle up and drink some hot chocolate!" The woman exclaimed.

"One degree?! If we don't starve in this damn hotel, we'll freeze!" Lauren almost shouted.

"We have a working heating system, coats, and blankets," Normani rationalized. "We'll be fine, Lauren."

"Yeah," Ally agreed, trying to calm her best friend's nerves. "I know you're getting antsy, all cooped up in here. But it's only until the snow plows can clear the roads. Then we'll be on our way."

"On our way, yeah," the Latina repeated quietly. "Things will be just fine."

As Lauren finished her sentence, the lights shut off. The television cut off sharply, the heater stopping humming, and Dinah let out an ear piercing scream from the shower.

"Well, shit," Normani mumbled. "You think the nuggets are still coming?"