‘ ˢᴵᵍⁿ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗᴵᵐᵉˢ ,

“ You’re such a BUZZKILL, Kev. Candy before dinner is a hallmark of young adulthood. ” Phone had been dug out of her pocket before Kevin finished the sentence, and she’s waggling it in the air as she speaks. Number is dialed, and screen pressed to her ear — one, two, three, welcome to Vito’s New York Slices. They’re in the middle of fucking Arizona. Sausage and mushroom, her favorite, and barbeque chicken, Kevin’s. An order of garlic knots, and mozzerella sticks, with extra marinara sauce. It’s an order that’s been practiced so many times, if one particular pimply-faced teen answered the phone, she could just tell him it was the regular. A couple of ‘uh huhs’ and it’s set down on the counter, where she looks at the other expectantly. “ Carmel corn or regular popcorn? OOH — both? ”

“ 13 Going on 30, ” She repeats, nodding sagely. “ And Mean Girls, and Legally Blonde, and Clueless. It’s chick flicks only tonight. ” Hands slide from pinkies to hold Kevin’s hand once again, and to repeat the motion of dragging her through the house. “ Order pizza, then ice cream and popcorn? Or ice cream and popcorn, and then order pizza? OR, order pizza and eat popcorn while we wait, and have ice cream for dessert? ” Hand is dropped to swing open the fridge, a double doored monstrosity ( both girls could probably fit in one half of it ) that very rarely had anything in it that wasn’t half-eaten takeout leftovers or corked up bottles of wine with just enough left in them to top off a glass. It’s slammed shut with dissatisfaction, and the small girl props herself up on the counter with a smooth jump from hardwood to granite, awaiting a response from Kevin. 

“ – with caitlyn jenner and bobby moynihan quitting celebrity big brother with less than two weeks until the premier, do you think they’ll give me a ringy-ding?  i AM a big deal, you know?”  one would think she was JOKING, nobody could be so self-centered, right? nope. she was totally serious. hell, the blonde probably thought she was a KARDASHIAN or JENNER herself at this point. “i mean, i managed to fight MEAN in six inch louboutins. you know, on the bachelor? i made the tabloids. e! news had my name in their mouths. when would your fav ever?” she mused, flipping through her phone. “whaddya think?”

Pippa relaxes almost instantly at the refusal of her request, and the she smiles broadly. “ Good. That bitch would run and not even warn us if there was smoke coming out of the microwave, let alone a crazy axe murderer. ” PAUSE. “ And there won’t either, by the way. This is a fun, relaxing, girl’s night in. I have facemasks, and could make it JUST like the white girls in movies about middle school. Painting nails and prank calls. ” A pinkie is sent out to offer the younger to hook hers on to it in a symbol of her promise. She’s still wary though — that’s why she wants Kevin’s hands out and in hers and not hidden under shirtsleeves, where they could be shaking, hidden from watchful eyes of a concerned best friend.  

She notices immediately the nervous tick of Kevin’s appearing, sleeves slipping past wrists and halfway to her palms. Frown creates lines in tanned foreheads and she’s hit with a pang of inadequacy — sometimes, things SUCK so much that not even the best of friends can save them. And so, she says, against her best judgement: “ I can call my mo- Maria and see if she wants to come home early. ” Her mother went to book club meetings each Wednesday night, one of many things added to her schedule that kept her and Pippa from seeing one another. The club was an excuse to drink and gossip so much she could barely stumble home, and the matriarch of the house usually shot her daughter a typo filled text with an excuse of her absence. “ Or, uh, you know… ” Pippa’s father, though now legally Kevin’s as well, was a sore subject — and tonight, as always, was working late. The older couldn’t deny how amazing it was for them to so wholeheartedly accept Kevin into the family, and part of her felt guilty with every cruel word she spoke of them. But with everything else, the years BEFORE Kev, and still now — it was enough to add to confusion to gratitude. “ And we can make the popcorn with whatever you want. ”

Grant was holed up in his office, thumbing through paperwork that he had compiled on the John Keller case. Out of morbid curiosity, it was something he had chosen to take on in his free time; not realizing what a pain it would be. Tension was slowly starting to build in his head, the words on the papers becoming blurry and running together. So far, he only had a few leads but they were seeming to go nowhere. “Shit,” he muttered aloud, slamming the folder shut and tossing it to the side. His fingertips rubbed at either of his temples, eyes closed tight. The bell on the front door jingled, followed by a woman’s voice. In an instant he was pulled back to reality. “I’m here, one second,” he called out as he stood up from his desk and headed towards the front of the building. When he made it, he offered the woman a friendly smile, extending his hand out to her. “I’m Grant, what can I help ya with?”

Hands are clasped together tightly as Pippa leads — or really, drags, at the speed she wants to get this over with — Kevin along with her down the stairs. Even if the door hadn’t been locked, Pippa hardly would have checked on her own time. As far as she could tell, Ariella was a one time thing. A FLUKE. Murdered halfway across the country, wherever she ended up, and whatever asshole locked her in his basement decided to play a prank on the hometown depicted on her driver’s license. But for Kevin — she’d do it. “ You know, by the way, ” They reach the front door, and spare hand reaches out to wiggle the doorknob, which doesn’t budge. “ I would totally protect you in the event of a break-in. Kick that creep’s ass. ” It’s an empty promise. The brunette is barely over five feet, and even in spite of her wiriness, has no fighting training whatsoever, despite two karate classes from the third grade she’d promptly quit after. They make their way to the sliding glass doors leading out to the patio, none of them opening, and then curtains are drawn across them. Finally, the back door ( same response as the FRONT ) and Kevin’s hand is finally released. “ Better now? ” She doesn’t wait for a response. “ Wanna make popcorn? ”