Fallout Dreams

ava 04

ava crossed her legs on her bed and glared at her sister slouching in the doorframe. "why are you so excited to get me laid?"

"it's part of our deal," mia replied. "it's the second weekend of college and we're going out."

"it's thursday."

"yeah, thirsty-thursday."

ava rolled her eyes. "sex wasn't part of the deal."

"fine. i won't TRY to get you laid. but if opportunity strikes, you're taking it."

ava cracked her knuckles. "nobody's been... down there... since—"

"they're men, ave. they'll be so focused on what's between your legs, they won't care what's above them."

"i'll have to explain it."

"tell 'em you sold your ovaries on the black market."

"great, we won't need condoms!"

"fine. you sold your bladder."

"that'll get 'em hot." she sighed. the only scars mia had to deal with were the oval burn marks on the back of her leg from leaning against the tailpipe of her first boyfriend's moped two years in a row. a growth spurt left a one-inch gap between the burns. after ava's accident, mia tried to bond by comparing scars.

"it's our first night to go out," mia prodded. "you need to meet our friends!"

"your friends," ava corrected. "did you even tell them about me?"

mia grinned. "i was hoping we could have fun with that."

"absolutely not."

"there's a tri-delt in my chem class named gari-jean. she's a sophomore, but she wants to hang tonight." mia sauntered through ava's bedroom and perched herself at the end of the bed. "she's HARD into track. seriously, it's all she talks about. i told her i don't really do sports... then said i was pretty sure i could beat her in a race."

"it's not happening."

"i already bet her twenty bucks."

"then you better run fast!"

"i'm meeting her at her house at eight-thirty. i'll show up in a dress 'cause it'll be funnier, then we're racing to the little piggy brewery on dickson."

ava shook her head. "i'm not dressing like you. i'm not using your fake ID. i'm not driving alone—"

"the streets are dry. i checked the forecast."

"mia—"

"you're going," she commanded, "or i'm telling mom you're not in school."

* * *

ava's crimson dress was a two instead of four, but it was the only dress she still owned with a duplicate in mia's closet. the last time she wore it was to her junior prom, though it was a bit shorter than a prom dress and not as froofy.

it was disheartening how easily ava blended in at the little piggy brewery as she waited for her sister's track-star BFF: burgundy walls, skinny twenty-somethings waiting for friends... the wooden tabletop was even defiled with a foot-long scorch mark.

a chorus line of liquor bottles stood side by side on the shelf behind the bar. lit from below with yellow lights, they awaited their turn to flip, twirl, and hurl booze into rows of tiny glasses.

a massive vat served as the centerpiece at the front of the bar. it reminded ava of the aluminum barrel outside the creepy shack, except this one was spotless and twenty times bigger.