so far . . .

Noah laughed along, “I guess it’s a good think to know you don’t go breaking into other people’s houses.” He let out a breath, still smiling. “But it’s slightly concerning that you’ve learned how to use a butter knife to open a door by breaking into your own home.” He quirked a brow. “How often do you lock yourself out?”

“I might’ve been a little forgetful with my house keys in my younger years.” Nora continued to smile, giving a sloppy shrug as if happened to everyone. “I was a latchkey kid, y’know? Everyone at work still when I’d just gotten out of school, so I figured out inventive ways to get inside so I wouldn’t be stuck in the porch. -- And I really do promise that I’m not a secret cat burglar. I’d hope a robber would know how to use an actual lockpick set.”

“I’m not so sure. I haven’t explored Boston. I just moved in two months ago, and in that time, I found that the bus was the easiest way to get to where I work,” said Adaline as she addressed the woman next to her. She was getting antsy when she noticed the sun was disappearing from the horizon, rushing to welcome the right, which agitated her even more. The woman beside her was right – dark alleys aren’t really that appealing and she wanted to avoid them as much as she could. She turned to her and said, “Between you and me, I don’t really feel like walking this late at night. Do you wanna share a cab?”

Nora nodded in reply, understanding what she meant about the bus system being the fastest route for her. She’d lived in Boston long enough to understand the struggle of public transport -- sometimes you were stuck hopping from bus to subway over and over or there’d be stretches of blocks you couldn’t avoid walking, just trying to make it to your next connections. Getting around the city really relied on perfect timing and planning. “Oh -- where you going?” She asked after the blonde’s offer. Nora checked the time on her phone, debating her plans for the rest of the evening. “I live near Allston, so as long as you don’t need to go in the complete opposite direction, that sounds like a great idea.”

Noah shook his head, “I have heard of people being able to open doors with a credit card though. I just never thought that actually worked.” He hummed as he thought about it and wondered why he and his friends never tried to get a door open with a credit card. They didn’t do a lot of breaking and entering, but the trick could have come in handy on a couple of occasions. “So you have to rely on people not locking the deadbolt then. That kind of sucks.”

“The butter knife trick is much easier, but they both work,” she confirmed with a nod. “It just takes a lot of patience and wiggling.” Breaking into her own home while growing up had been a lifesaver on many occasions when no one to pay the emergency cost of a locksmith coming out past midnight. “Oh, well --” Nora started and then laughed. She shook her head, smile growing. “I’m not breaking into other people’s places. Just my own and I usually only flip the bottom lock before I head out. Not the safest bet, but it’s quicker.”

It was 6 in the evening, and Adaline was rushing to the catch the last bus back to Allston. She had an emergency meeting with the college dean and had to discuss the disciplinary case of a student selling unauthorized textbooks from the library online. Adaline had to stay late to make an inventory of the books that hadn’t been returned in the past few months while checking what was being sold online.  She ran all the way to the bus stop only to realize the last one had already left. She threw her bag onto a bench in frustration while thinking how she was going to get home. She sighed and said to the person beside her, “Do you think it’s humanely possible for me to walk 25 blocks without dying on the way?”

“Umm, I think that would really depend on how much you’re willing to sweat.” Nora looked up from her phone, glancing to the stranger as she tossed down her bag. “Missed your bus?” She asked, having a lot of experience in that department herself. “If it’s a straight shot, 25 blocks won’t be the death of you. It might take away an hour from your evening, but...” Trailing off, she shrugged. Nora had always been more partial to walking around the city than springing for a taxi or Uber. After a second of thought she suggested, “Is there a line that stops by where you’re going? Taking the subway at night kinda sucks, but it’s better than going past dark alleys.”

“All the more reason for us to go ice skating,” Ryan nodded his head, masterfully blocking another one of Nora’s attempts to score. “I could teach you,” he offered, “help you live up to your namesake.” Though he wasn’t an expert on the ice, by any means, he could manage to stay upright and do laps around a rink. “And I promise I’ll do my best to keep you from falling.” But there were no guarantees, not if gravity chose to work against them. The puck managed to slip past Nora’s defenses once again, Ryan reaching the penultimate sixth point. As much as he enjoyed winning, he wouldn’t torture her with another round of air hockey. They’d have to try their luck at some other game. “Yeah, born and raised in South Boston,” he answered. “Did undergrad and med school here too.” He listened intently to Nora describe what it was like to grow up in Lynn. He’d never actually been to the town; he’d only passed through it on his way to other destinations. “I’m a sucker for beachside towns. Must’ve been nice growing up right by the water. I’m assuming you can swim then?” He raised a hand defensively, as if to indicate that no foul play had taken place. “I’ve been to Salem once for an eighth grade field trip,” he recalled. “Some kids get to go to DC in eighth grade, but us Bay Staters get taken to Salem to learn all about ‘witches’ and hanging. Good times.” He chuckled softly. “Holy crap, I forgot all about that movie. Big, right? Man, that thing was creepy.” Ryan struck the puck a final time, right into Nora’s goal, mercifully ending the onslaught. “Victory,” he grinned. “That’s 1-0 to RAD.” Certain she wanted no part of the air hockey machine any longer, he suggested, “How about we try our hand at something else? Skee ball maybe?”

“If it all leads up to me bashing in someone else’s kneecap, then I’m in.” She flashed a grin, her gaze dropping back to the air hockey table as they continued to play. It was definitely clear that she wouldn’t be making any kind of miraculous comeback in this game, but Nora was satisfied having scored just a few points. “Med school?” She echoed with another glance of surprise. “Are you a doctor?” Not that doctors couldn’t go to karaoke bars or enjoy an arcade, but Nora definitely hadn’t expected to hear that Ryan had gone to med school. But, then again, she hadn’t put much thought into what he did for work at all. Her own ‘job title’ wasn’t impressive to most, so it was an easy subject to ignore. “Oh, yeah, I’m good at swimming. The beach was only a couple blocks away from our house, which was good to cure boredom but absolutely awful mid-July, because the seaweed starts to wash up and everything just smells like... rotten eggs.” Nora’s nose scrunched, huffing half a chuckle as she shook her head. “No way -- only once? Salem is so fun, though! If you go in the summer, it’s the perfect time to laugh at all the tourists walking around in witch hats.” Nora managed to make one last successful block, but Ryan’s next hit was just too quick for her to catch. The puck slid into the goal with easy grace, ticking up his score and shutting down the machine with one last whir of air. She scoffed, making an attempt at rolling her eyes, but she simply found herself mirroring Ryan’s grin. “Alright, alright. You won this time, RAD. Skee ball sounds great and I will kick your ass at this one, okay? I’m totally serious now. My game face is on.” Her eyes widened, as if trying to intimidate the competition. She turned, heading in the direction of the skee ball machines. “This one is all about technique -- forget those quick reflexes of yours.”

“Seriously, there is almost no food you can put in front of me that I won’t eat. You know, I’ve actually never had deep dish pizza so I can’t speak on it. I like the thiner ones the most. If I’m going to eat thicker ones then they have to be from Domino’s with like garlic on them. They make the best ones“

“Deep dish is just...” Nora trailed off, at a loss as to how to describe how much she disliked that particular type of pizza. “The worst.” With that anticlimactic end, she laughed and shook her head. “I’m way more into thin crust. I like it when the dough is just slightly flakey, you know? Gives it that crunch. But Domino’s does have good garlic crust. I also wouldn’t say no to their cheese filled options. Maybe I’m just always starving.”

“I like all food,“ Amara laughed. “Cheap food is definitely my favourite. I love diner food, we don’t have a lot of that back home. I love how greasy it is. I also love pizza. Actually it depends on what crust it is.“

“‘I like all food’ is the most freeing sentence I’ve ever heard.” She grinned, laughing right along with the other. “Okay, but what type of crust is your favorite? If you even start to say the thick crust on deep dish pizza, I’m going to just have to walk away right now.”

“Sounds like we need to visit the ice skating rink next time,” Ryan grinned. “Not that I’m assuming there’s going to be a next time,” he quickly blurted out. He didn’t usually get flustered so easily, but he didn’t want to seem too forward. “I’m just enjoying myself with you,” he admitted, looking across the table and smiling at Nora. Momentarily distracted, he let his guard down, the puck sliding past his reach and into his goal. “Fuck,” the rare profanity slipped from his lips. “That’s not going to happen again.” With Nora finally on the board, Ryan redoubled his efforts, hitting the puck hard in an attempt to score another point. “Who’s to say I wasn’t trying to show you up at karaoke?” he teased, knowing full well that he invited her onstage so he wouldn’t be alone. Looking back on that decision now, he was glad he did. “When I wasn’t doing schoolwork and working, I was here. I was a pretty sickly kid, so I couldn’t really get into sports. I spent a lot of time indoors,” he explained. “The arcade was the one place I didn’t feel so sickly. In here, I could do anything.” With one more forceful strike, the puck found its way into her goal once again. “In here, I was ‘rad.’” Eager to know more about her, he asked, “What were you like growing up?”

Nora was surprised by Ryan’s quick clarification, but even so, she still managed a sly hit that slid the puck home for her. She grinned to herself, letting out a bit of a laugh when he cursed. “My one lucky score of the whole game, I know. -- But ice skating could be fun,” she finally answered, just barely blocking Ryan’s next hit. “I’m good at roller skating, but the few times I’ve tried anything on the ice, I’ve fallen right on my ass.” Truthfully, she didn’t see any reason to not go out with Ryan again. After surviving karaoke together and finding that he had excellent taste in arcades, it seemed like a stretch to wind up clashing. Nora nodded as they bounced the puck back and forth, just to show that she was still listening. She was tempted to ask when the word ‘sickly’ came into play, but if there was one thing that she knew how to do, it was not pry. “Tch,” she clucked her tongue, snagging the puck to toss it back on the table. “You were always in Boston, right?” She asked, glancing across to Ryan. “I grew up a little further north, in Lynn. We lived like, right on the beach, so I was outside a lot. I collected hermit crabs from the tidepools.” It was a random, useless fact from her childhood, but it was just one of those vivid memories that always stuck around. Sweeping her hand back, Nora accidently scooped the puck back into her own goal, the score ticking up again in Ryan’s favor. “Okay, now I know you rigged this machine,” she teased, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. “I went to Salem a lot, too, and they have a cool little arcade, but no air hockey. A lot of older games like skee ball and that fortune teller thing. Like from the Tom Hanks movie, you know?”

“It was!” She admitted with a chuckle, even the thought of living in LA was enough to make January smile again. “Are you serious? You are missing out – there’s a reason why people call it Best Coast.” She pointed out, shaking her head as the other woman spoke. “Yeah it was a local thing – it was based in California, so it totally makes sense that you haven’t seen me on TV.” January couldn’t believe for once she was happy about the fact someone didn’t recognize, usually it would upset her but lately she was grateful about it.

Nora smiled wider, shrugging. “I did live in Seattle for a while. That’s where I went to college, actually, so I got a small taste of the Best Coast.” It was her turn to chuckle as she shook her head, already knowing that the vibes between California and Washington were light years apart. She thought for a moment, head starting to tilt. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who’s been on TV. Was it stressful? -- It wasn’t live, was it?” Nora asked, feeling the sudden dread of stage fright at the idea of doing a live broadcast for anything.

“Oh, stop. The place is a mess because I’m a slob who’s barely unpacked and just shoved boxes out of the way so people could come over tonight,” Issa replied, her grin easy-going as she swung open the door and motioned for Nora to come all the way in. “Flowers aren’t my thing - I always manage to kill them in like, point-two seconds. But still, thanks. They’ll make the kitchen more festive, for sure.” She took them, laughing as they stepped into the kitchen and she grabbed a glass to put the flowers in. “I have mini bottles of sparkling pink wine. Does that count?” 

Nora chuckled, still glancing around Issa’s apartment as she followed her deeper inside to the kitchen. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t buy you a potted plant, then.” She looked back to the brunette, flashing her a grin. “At least cut flowers are meant to die at some point, right? They won’t be your responsibility forever.” Nora started to unwrap the bouquet from their decorative paper as Issa found a glass big enough for them. She passed over the flowers, brightening at the mention of sparkling wine. “That is way better. And mini bottles? Where did you find mini sized wine?”

Noah laughed lightly just picturing her fighting a coat rack. Alcohol could make people do the strangest things. His eyes widened a bit when she mentioned being about to use a butter knife to get a door open. “Now that I have to see. I know you can use a butter knife to help pick the lock but what do you do? Just slide it between the door and the door frame?”

“Have you never heard of that?” She asked, her head cocking to the side, confused by his sudden surprise. Still, Nora hummed and nodded, confirming his suspicions. “Pretty much exactly. It doesn’t work if the deadbolt is in place, but you can jimmy open the lower lock on the door handle with a little persistence. It’s really the same as the credit card trick, but this way you don’t ruin your card by scraping off the magnetic strip.”

“My most and least favourite thing about moving to a new place is finding all the good restaurant. The best ones usually can’t be found on google which makes it difficult. It is pretty exciting though. Do you have any recommendations?“

“What kind of food do you like?” Nora asked as a precursor, letting her head tip to the side. “Because I know it’s not everyone’s favorite, but I’ve got a thing for cheap diner food. -- There’s a lot of good Italian places around, too, if pizza is more your thing.” For Nora, greasy spoon dishes were always a comfort, but some people could be a little more adventurous.

“Who comes to a party and doesn’t get drunk these days?” He raised a brow. “You’re not even going to get a little bit tipsy?” He asked, not trying to pry into a complete strangers drinking habits although that’s what it seemed like. “Well yeah, losing your apartment keys is a different story. But that’s why you hide a spare…somewhere. Or learn how to master picking a lock so you can do that even if you’re drunk.”

“Mmm, maybe just a little tipsy,” Nora answered, lifting her free hand to pinch her thumb and index together. She shrugged and joked, “I’m liable to try and fight with a coat rack if I have a few too many.” Nora’s smile flickered back into place, widening a touch while listening to the other. “Lock-picking while drunk... That sounds like an America’s Got Talent winner if I’ve ever heard one. I can do that trick where you jimmy a door open with a butter knife, but I don’t really carry silverware around with me.”

“Nora Tonya Platt?” he repeated, a hint of disbelief detectable in his voice. “It’s not every day you meet someone named Tonya. Were your parents huge figure skating fans?” he inquired. Nora looked to be in her mid-to-late 20s, which, if Ryan’s calculations were correct, would put her birth date in the early 90′s, right around the time of the infamous Tonya Harding’s heyday. “Kudos to them for getting creative and not going with something super common like… Ann or Marie.” But even his new acquaintance’s unique name couldn’t distract Ryan from the task at hand: defeating Nora at air hockey, her own chosen game. It didn’t take long for her trash talk to dissipate, one quick strike from him going a long way toward silencing her taunting. “Well, that didn’t take long. You’re already begging for mercy?” He let out an amused laugh, shaking his head slowly to indicate he wouldn’t let her off the hook so easily. “Aww, come on. You’re tougher than that, Tonya.” He hit the puck deliberately toward the sides, hard and fast. He knew he would have a better chance of scoring from a carom as opposed to a direct shot on goal. “You survived karaoke. Pretty sure you can make it through one game of air hockey.”

“Intensely.” Nora had never really understood her mother’s interest in figure skating, especially since as far as she knew, her mom had never stepped onto the ice once in her life. She shook her head. “And, get this, I never even learned how to ice skate. Hypocritical, right? -- I just feel blessed to not be a Patricia.” Her smile widened and despite already starting to catch on that Ryan had much more air hockey practice than herself, Nora found herself laughing right long with him. “Tough? Yes. Do I have quick enough reflexes? Definitely not.” Her gaze stayed focused solely on the table, nudging the puck back and listening it to ping against the side walls. There was a noticeably harder clack whenever Ryan struck it back and before long, the thin puck was knocking into the wall and then sliding directly into her goal. “Oh my god,” Nora groaned, giving a dramatic roll of her eyes while stooping to fish out the puck. “In my defense, we weren’t competing against each other at karaoke.” Her eyebrows raised when she looked across at Ryan. “Just how much time to you spend at the arcade as a kid?” She asked, tossing down the puck and giving it a hard hit back.

“Well I know the host and I’m sure she would rather have you crash on the couch than drive home drunk. And if she doesn’t, I can convince her otherwise.” Noah chuckled. “But if you really didn’t want to stay and you were too drunk or lost your keys, there is Uber, Lyft, and regular taxis.” 

“Hopefully I don’t get drunk tonight,” she said with a shrug. "Oh, no --” Nora started again, shaking her head before correcting, “I was talking more about losing the key to my apartment. I don’t think I’d want to wander home at 2 AM and then wake up my neighbor for the spare. Otherwise, Uber is always at the top of my list.”

Caslon had wandered around the entire apartment countless times throughout the day. He had moved on from beer to liquor ages ago and had stopped drinking about an hour ago. He could feel his eyes starting to get heavy and wondered if he should leave with his casserole dish or leave the leftover bean dip with Issa. He figured he should go find the hostess before making any decision to leave and what would be going with him. Caslon made his way to the kitchen, passing half empty cups and plates covered in crumbs. He reached out to grab one of the abandoned cups and bring it with him to the kitchen when his hand brushed against someone else’s. He drew back quickly. “I’m sorry. Just tryna clean up as I go,” Cas said.

"Sorry,” Nora started to apologize in the same breath that she bumped knuckles with the stranger. She’d been reaching for her own half-full cup that was sitting on the cluttered sideboard, not wanting it to get lost in the shuffle of party-goers and snacks. A smile quirked at her lips, looking a little disbelieving when the other followed up his apology with an explanation. “Cleaning up?” She asked, lifting her cup. “Are you... Do you live with Issa?” Nora had only met the hostess and current birthday girl tonight, when she’d first been welcomed into the apartment, so she wasn’t sure if she had roommates or not. “Or are you just like, the best party guest ever?” Nora joked lightly, sipping her mixed drink.