Ticktock Love

[23] Drive-In Crazy

The Canary was livelier than usual when the four of us walked through the door, the familiar bells welcoming us with a vigorous, jingly ring. Julia immediately headed for the backroom to change, and Ms. Baggs served the rest of us lukewarm lemonade, grimacing when we asked for something colder.

"So spoiled," she muttered under her breath as she dumped several inches of ice cubes into our glasses, causing the precious liquid to spill a little. Her scarlet hair almost sparkled under the artificial lighting, the fairy string lights in their full glow despite it being three o'clock in the afternoon. She didn't seem to have much regard for her electricity bill, but then again, we had gotten used to her quirks and seemingly bottomless bank account by now.

"Bad day, Ms. Baggs?" Julia asked her as she returned to our table in her uniform, and the middle-aged lady immediately scoffed.

"Bad indeed. His uncle," she pointed at a dark-haired, scrawny boy in the corner who was quietly sipping on a chocolate milkshake and reading a comic book, "is late again, and I have a pedicure appointment in half an hour. If I don't leave now, I'll get stuck in a rush hour traffic jam. If I get stuck in a traffic jam, I'll be bereft of beautiful nails."

"We can keep an eye on him," Grace offered, and Ms. Baggs paused for a second.

"Well, if you insist."

A mere minute later, she was gone.

"Poor boy," Grace sighed, her fingers clasped around the bottom of her glass. "I didn't know Ms. Baggs was such a bad mother."

"I didn't know she was one at all," Amber frowned. "Who gave that woman a kid? And where is her money coming from? Because I sure as hell ain't paying for this."

She sipped on her lemonade, winced, then reached for sugar packets. Before she could pick one, though, Julia slapped her on the wrist.

"Hey! What was that for?" Silently, Julia produced one of those small sugar jars with a metal lid and a straw hole on the top, and Amber's face instantly brightened. "That's amazing. Thank you."

As she loaded her drink with little white crystals, both Grace and Julia got up from the table, prompting Amber and me to furrow our brows.

"We need to check the backroom—"

"—watch the kid," Julia said at the same time, then quickly corrected herself. "Take the kid to the backroom."

"Why?" I blinked.

"I have some comics for him. Cooler ones."

They both turned around and headed straight for the boy, luring him in with who knows what, but he obediently got up and trotted after them.

We were alone now. Amber stirred her newest concoction as I twiddled my thumbs.

"So," I cleared my throat.

"So."

"I missed you."

Relief crossed her face, softening her features. "I missed you more. Lizzie, you have no idea."

"I am so mad at myself," I shook my head. "I was so dumb, and selfish, and—"

"No, it was me," she quickly put an end to my list of bad qualities. "It was all me. I started this. I pulled you into this mess. And then I just, I don't know, walked away. I am such a coward."

"You're not a coward," I reached for her hand, steadying it on the top of her glass. "I messed up. I didn't stop when you warned me this was going to come back to bite me in the ass. And guess what? You were one hundred percent right."