Rugby! she called over her shoulder. Bullfighting.
All men, said Nicky. And animal abusers.
NASCAR, said Bonnie.
Racists and rednecks, said Nicky.
That’s not fair. Bonnie lifted her leg and tossed one tangerine underneath it without breaking the cycle. Fine. Cheerleading.
You cannot seriously tell me that cheerleading is more dangerous than boxing, said Nicky.
Ever seen a basket throw? Those girls go flying.
Nicky crouched like a cat, then sprang forward and plucked a tangerine from the air in front of Bonnie. The rest came toppling down. She set about peeling her catch.
If you die, I will kill you, said Nicky. That is all I’m saying.
She offered half of the tangerine to Bonnie, who took it.
Same goes for you.
Nicky laughed.
Me? I’m getting a cushy desk job and living until I’m one hundred and five. She popped a segment of fruit in her mouth. You don’t need to worry about me.
Bonnie packed away her sister’s makeup and looked herself over in the mirror again. What was she thinking? She couldn’t go to a party. Pavel had replaced her, her sisters weren’t speaking to her, and she looked like a clown in all this makeup. She was rummaging in Nicky’s pile looking for some makeup remover to undo the last half hour’s work when she heard a bang at the door.
“Bonnie! Bonnie Blue!” called a gruff man’s voice. “Open up! It’s the police.”
Bonnie felt everything inside her seize. The man at the bar with the girlfriend who looked like Nicky. He’d pressed charges and they’d found her. Of course, because she was at her parents’ place, the first address they’d check. A wave of terror washed over her, followed by a riptide of sadness. She hadn’t yet had the chance to make up with Avery and Lucky.
Another bang on the door. Bonnie remained frozen. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, then something else on the other side of the door. It sounded like…muffled laughter? She crept toward the peephole and peered through. There, giggling into his hands, was Peachy.
“You motherfucker!”
She threw the door open as he exploded into hoots of delight.
“Seriously, Peachy, you scared the shit out of me.”
Peachy grabbed her hands in his and tried his best to stop cracking up.
“Look, look, look, I’m sorry, I am.” He wiped his eyes, then started laughing again. “But your face, babe!” He slapped his palms together. “Classic bants. Classic bants.”
Bonnie tried to look mad, but the relief was like inhaling helium. Soon, she was laughing too.
“What are you doing here?” she asked once they had both gotten ahold of themselves.
“I’m in town looking for a new space. East Coast Peachy’s! I had your address, so I thought I’d pop ’round.”
Bonnie raised an eyebrow.
“How come you didn’t call?”
Peachy rubbed his hands together, shaking his head.
“No can do, mate. See, my phone got smashed, but it’s all good. Got a replacement coming pronto.”
Bonnie gave him a knowing look.
“What happened to your phone, Peachy?”
He leaned in conspiratorially.
“Remember that bird I told you about? The one who wanted to track my phone? Well, she followed me! Found me in a situation that was a little…hot, shall we say. So I thought I’d come here and let the sitch cool down for a minute, you feel me?”
Bonnie shook her head.
“You didn’t.”
Peachy looked at her seriously.
“Oh, hun, I did.” His face was alive with mischief. “No regrets, though! No regrets.”
Bonnie leaned against the doorframe and smiled.
“It’s good to see you, Peach.”
Peachy grinned back.
