"Hello?" I ask. "Yeah. Could you come pick me up?"
It was about twenty minutes after I ended my cell phone call, when a silver car pulled up and stopped in front of me. I stood on the sidewalk, just outside of the mouth of the alley. On the passengers' side of the car, the front window rolled down. Perfectly visible, were two young women. We all smiled at each other and I noticed that, for no apparent reason, they were all dressed up to the nines. I couldn't help but giggle.
"What on earth did I miss?" I asked myself quietly as I shook my head.
It turned out that my friend in the passenger seat heard me.
"If you would hurry up and get your ass in the car, then we might tell you." She said with a voice full of sass.
"Well, for your big, fat information, I am practically in the car already." I shot back, as I hopped into the back seat.
"Any music requests?" Amanda asked, as she flipped through radio stations from the drivers' seat.
"Nope." I answered, as I did up my seat belt. "I will leave the music selection in your capable hands."
As we pulled away from the curb, and started our journey, a radio station was decided on that was playing clubbing music.
Saoirse turned her head and looked over her shoulder at me from the passenger seat. "So, how did it go?" She asked me.
"Let's just say that it didn't go like I thought it would." I said quietly.
There is a pause in the car, while no one says anything.
"I guess I sort of blew it." I stated. "I didn't get a job there, and I never will be getting a job there."
"Man, that sucks, eh?" Amanda said, with much feeling in her voice.
"What the hell happened, that would make you think you will never get a job there?" Saoirse demanded to know. "Tell us everything from the beginning! Don't leave out any details."
"I will tell you both tomorrow." I promised. "It's a long story and I am actually pretty tired. Plus, my brain is in 'worry mode'."
I could feel Saoirse's eyes on me. I looked up at her and met her eyes. Then, I broke her gaze and looked into Amanda's eyes. But it was only for half a second, before she quickly placed her focus on the road again. I know they both care about me very much. I love them too. We are a tribe, we are best friends, soul sisters, roommates, family. I smile.
"They are the most supportive people I have in my life." I thought to myself.
"Can you tell us what has put you in 'worry mode' so badly?" Saoirse asked. Her question broke me out of my reflections.
"Yeah." I answer. "I bumped into Luna."
"Luna?" Amanda asked. "As in Luna the something- or- other cat?"
I laughed like a maniac, while Saoirse sighed and rolled her eyes.
"It's 'Cheshire cat'" Saoirse corrected her. "You mean Luna the 'Cheshire cat'".
Before this could go anywhere else, I said "I mean, I bumped into the Cheshire cat, Luna: The Moonlight Slaughterer. I know that my brother sent her to find me, check on me and report back to him. But the fact that he did so, makes me worried. He sent her to find me once already this year. He's never sent her to me more than once a year before. But now, he's sent her twice in four months. Also, I didn't ask her if he was ok." I sigh. "I just kind of have a bad feeling in my gut".
We all pondered this in silence for the last ten minutes of the drive.
When the car was parked in the driveway, we all started getting out and walking towards the front door. Amanda broke the silence.
"I am sure everything is going to be alright." She said.
"I am sure it will be too." Saoirse agreed. "And, if for any reason it isn't, then we will be here for you. We have your back. We are your sisters more than any biological sister could ever be. No matter what happens, we have each other and will always be here to help and support one another. That is what strong women, friends and sisters do for each other."
I smiled as we walked through the front door.
"I love both of you." I told them. "You are two of the most amazing women I know."
As I looked from one face to the other, it was almost as if we read each other's minds. We spent a minute in a group hug, before letting go. I kicked off my shoes and put them in the closet.
"Are you going to come sit with us at the bonfire for a bit?" Amanda asked me.
"No." I answered. "I honestly am tired and am going to go get ready for bed. I will join you both for the next bonfire we have. But," I continued, "I will follow you to the backyard and do the concealment spell for you."
As the three of us walked through the main floor towards the sliding glass back door, I thought about how lucky we had been to get this living space in the first place. We were very lucky in the price we paid for rent for all of this. On the main floor was the foyer, a front hall closet, the hall itself, which had a small downstairs bathroom and a dining room/ living room, a kitchen and a set of stairs off of it.
Once we reached the back door, my friends continued through the doorway, across the deck, down the stairs and to the lawn. I also exited the house, but I stayed on the deck. As they collected wood and piled it in the fire pit, I collected energy. Watching as Amanda got two lawn chairs out of the small grey shed, I used the energy I collected to do a concealment spell. Then, as I heard a triumphant "ha" from Saoirse, I started work on a small containment spell. A moment later, the spell was complete, and at the exact same moment, Saoirse appeared, emerging from the small grey shed. She held out two metal and wood dual prong marshmallow sticks, brandishing them out in front of her like they were some kind of legendary weapons of war. I smiled from ear to ear.