Vitality (Vitality Series #1)

Chapter 3 Lithium pt.2

After the last class, Ava stopped at her locker to pick up her things, feeling almost satisfied that she'd made it through the day. On the inside of the locker door, she hung up a paper she had scribbled on during her philosophy class that said — fuck yeah. Then she shut the door and headed for the exit.

Her satisfaction faded quickly as she reached the outside steps. In the car bend, just in front of the college, Dahlila was waiting in her convertible, Lady Gaga blasting from the speakers.

"Hey! Want a ride?" she hollered over at Ava the second she saw her, eyes and hair shining softly in the sun.

Ava contemplated it, while having to admire Dahlila's determination. Her persistence was actually a bittersweet reminder of her old friend, Keya, in which a special friendship had bloomed from once.

"You getting in or what?" Dahlila signaled to the other seat with a hopeful grin.

"What the hell, why not?" She thudded down the stairs, threw her things in the back seat, and jumped in.

Dahlila's grin turned into a blinding smile. "Alright! We're going for a ride! Then we have to stop home and get ready for tonight."

Ava arched a brow. "What's tonight?"

"You'll see." She giggled loudly and skidded off with Ava trying not to glare at her.

***

Ava sat on a bench down at the Brewer Subway Station with Dahlila, Shane, and Danny — waiting.

What they were waiting for, she didn't know. Obviously, she'd assumed they were there to get on the subway train, but there they sat there quiet, jittery, and not budging from their secrecy, while each train had gone by. They stood up, looking around conspicuously, and she followed suit, then they would sit down again. Repeatedly. It was getting bizarre, and her mind was playing in unwelcome spaces.

"All right. That's it." Ava stood. "I don't like not fucking knowing what I'm getting into. What are we doing here? Picking up drugs? Just tell me."

Danny appeared offended. "Why, you itching for a hit?"

"Are you?" Ava felt a slight tremor in her hand, and it was for a hit all right, but not for drugs.

The two of them had been catching on each other's steel hooks. Dahlila's eyes were scrunched up in fake amusement, trying to keep tension lifted.

"Hea. Hea. No," Shane clarified finally. "We have to wait until the entire platform is cleared of any witnesses. When it's clear, we're going down on the train tracks."

Of all the places she'd explored before, she'd never gone into the tunnels, and she'd done a lot of daring things in her life — insanely reckless even. She replied simply, "Okay."

Shane shrugged his shoulders. "Okay." His lips stretched from ear to ear, turning to Danny. "Ha. Hea." His eye twitched. It wasn't clear whether he was excited or masking fear.

Finally, they looked up, saw the platform was clear of any people, and jumped up. Ava followed suit accordingly, like someone watching a person's dance steps for the first time.

"Okay. Let's go!" Danny hollered under his breath, ordering everyone to follow.

They hustled in tandem up a narrow pathway for the workers. There was a ladder at the end to climb down onto the tracks. She had been hoping they were going to just jump in. Danny stopped and turned to Ava in a serious tone — "Watch my steps. Don't step on the third rail; it's live. And don't put your foot between rails; they switch. Just follow my path until I tell you you're good, and you'll be fine. Alright?"