Straighter than Parallel Parking

≈ t h i r t y - f o u r ≈

"Are you talking about that beefy guy who told me he wants to be a sumo wrestler?" Janice narrows her eyes. "Kids have dreams, Kori."

"I have dreams! Man, I just want to get paid to sleep literally for my dreams," Kori says, exasperated. "Besides, I meant me. Hello, former bad kid?"

Janice clucked her tongue to hold in her laughter. "Kor, the worst thing you've done is probably made a kid cry. I once cut off someone's hair because I thought it was a loose thread."

Kori blinks. "Wow. I'm not a saint, but I think you've basically paved yourself a highway to hell."

"Probably why I haven't gotten a license yet," Janice sighs, offering the can to Kori. "Whatever happened to that little emo girl group you tagged around in."

"It was a gang."

"My apologies. Your gang... of wannabe badasses you tagged around with?"

Kori sticks out her tongue, but still answers the questions. "Funny you ask that. Because I asked Lexi to stop by." Nimbly removing the cap, Kori nods her head to the side where, sure enough, were Brielle and Renée, and right behind them a few paces is a rag tag troublemaker that, unlike the headache she'd witnessed before, is dressed rather well.

Throwing a bewildered look to the younger girl, Janice instead shouts as she sees her co-workers looking for her among the crowd of volunteers. "Bri!" Waving a pink painted hand around the air madly, she calls their names again. "Renée! And... the other one! Over here!"

Brielle is the first to rush up to the redhead, wrapping her arms around Janice without hesitation. "Janice! Working hard and out like this looks great on you!"

"Girl, especially with that sweat? I'm getting thirsty," Renée, having followed the energetic woman, adds. She winks, waiting for her own hug. "Is thirty seconds too long to have a hug for? Because if not, I'm pushing for forty."

"Lots of love for you, too," Janice laughs. Even though she didn't notice, she felt relief at seeing the familiar faces. "I'm so thankful you both could make it." She glanced over Brielle's shoulder at the quiet fourteen-year-old. "Her, well, we'll see."

"Worry less about Lexi here," Brielle dismisses, swinging an arm around Lexi's shoulders, the latter glaring at the taller brunette. "She's so... adorable! Look at her rundown leather jacket. Very chic."

"Cute?" Lexi splutters.

"Relax, honey." Brielle tightens her arm. "You're not all that. Just appreciate what you get."

"Bri," Renée says, warningly.

Brielle drops her arm with a pout. "Don't tell me you didn't want me to accidentally strangle the kid." Lexi scowls, crossing her arms roughly. Brielle whistles through her teeth. "If you don't cut the attitude, the first thing I'll spray paint is on your face."

"Still going to be better looking than yours," Lexi mutters.

Brielle narrows her eyes, her teeth slightly bared. The lioness inside Brielle seemed to be showing and Janice couldn't find it in herself to tame it. Lexi's heated stare is enough provocation. "Hand me the spray, Kori. Let's test it out."