“CRAP!” Rachel yelled.
“What’s wrong?” Kelly asked.
Rachel didn’t respond, and grabbed her other bag and started searching its pockets, too. She couldn’t believe it. The only thing she really needed to bring with her and she didn’t have it. Then, she remembered putting it into her jacket pocket and pulled her crumpled jacket out of her duffle bag. She reached into the breast pocket, and there it was, just as she had left it.
“THANK GOD!” Rachel said, letting out a huge sigh of relief.
“What happened Rach?” Kelly asked.
“Oh, nothing! I thought I forgot something at home, but I have it.”
“What is it?” Kelly asked. “That piece of paper?” Kelly reached out to grab it from Rachel to see what it said, but Rachel quickly snatched it back, hiding it under her arms.
“What?” Kelly asked. “Why can’t I see it?”
“It’s nothing really. Just a note for my grandmother,” Rachel said, trying to cover up her weirdness.
“Oh?” Kelly said.
“Yeah, from my mom. She couldn’t come down with me this time, but wanted to give her a letter so I said I’d bring it down for her. I just don’t want to lose it, that’s all,” Rachel said, trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing.
“Yeah, def. I understand,” Kelly said, forgetting all about it.
“So, what brings you down here anyway?” Kelly asked.
Rachel knew she was only asking innocent questions, but she didn’t know how to answer them. She was kind of down here on a secret mission, but she couldn’t tell that to her friend. She knew Kelly wouldn’t understand. She especially wouldn’t understand her vampire tendencies. She knew she had to be vague and non-descript if she wanted Kelly to drop the topic.
“Oh, just here to see grandma. Haven’t seen her in years and finally have some free time. So, my parents figured I should come spend some time with her. She isn’t getting any younger if you know what I mean!” Rachel said.
“Totally,” Kelly said, nodding her head. “Does she live in that house?” Kelly asked.
“Um, yeah!” Rachel said, turning around to look at the big white elephant standing ominously on the plantation.
“Yikes!” Kelly said. “That’s a big old house!”
“Sure is!” Rachel said.
“What’s it like inside?” Kelly asked. “I pass by this way all the time on my way to work, and always wonder about it. I’ve never seen anyone around here, so I figured it was abandoned, but apparently not!”
“Oh really? That’s so funny you say that!” Rachel answered. She didn’t quite know how to answer her question, but knew she had to make something up. She couldn’t tell her what had really happened.
“Oh, yeah, it’s nice. Looks much different on the outside than on the inside,” Rachel said, making it up.
“Gosh, I’d hope so. It looks like a haunted house on the outside. And that graveyard is just creepy!” Kelly said.
“Totally is!” Rachel agreed.
“Well, that’s good at least. Maybe I can come over one day and see it and say hi to your grandmother?” Kelly asked.
“Sure! One day!” Rachel said.
Rachel hadn’t seen Kelly in a long time and she was a bit surprised at how forward Kelly was with all her interrogating questions and inviting herself over to her grandmother’s house. Either way, she figured she’d let it go, after all, she was glad to see her, even if she was taken aback by her personality.
“So where are we going?” Rachel asked, changing the subject.
“We’re going to Infinity Club. It’s the big club in town. I think you’ll like it!” Kelly said.
“They just let you in?” Rachel asked, nervous about the situation.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I know one of the bouncers there and they don’t even ID me anymore!” Kelly said.
“You have your fake right?” Kelly asked, assuming that she had one.
“Well, not exactly!” Rachel said, feeling ashamed.
“What do you mean?” Kelly asked.
Thinking up something to say, Rachel answered, “Well, I didn’t think I’d be going out down here with my grandmother so I didn’t bring it!”
Kelly laughed and said, “Oh that makes sense now! I forgot you came to see your grandmother. I wish you’d have known I was down here so you could have brought it.”
“Well, what should we do then?” Rachel asked in a nervous tone. “Maybe you should just take me back?”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll get you an ID from my friend’s house. She doesn’t live too far away. And actually you two look alike. She’s super cool, I think you guys will get along, too!” Kelly said.
“Sweet,” Rachel said, even though she did feel a bit uncomfortable about the whole situation. She couldn’t believe she was going to borrow a fake ID from a girl she didn’t even know and about to go out in a strange city. It was all a bit overwhelming for her to take in. Had she known what the night would bring when she texted her friend she wouldn’t have even bothered, but now she got herself into this whole mess, and she didn’t know how to get out of it.
“Shit! I can’t believe you’re here, Rach! This is so rad,” Kelly said, as she reached into her bag.
“Yeah, I can’t believe it either,” Rachel said, trying to maintain her enthusiasm.
“Wanna smoke?” Kelly asked, pulling out a joint from her bag.
Rachel didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to seem like a loser in front of Kelly, especially since she hadn’t seen her in so long, but she definitely didn’t want to smoke. After everything that had happened to her already tonight, this was the last thing she wanted to deal with. She should have known that Kelly was a burn out, especially from her love of DMB. She should have seen this coming.
“Nah, I’m good,” Rachel said, trying to brush it off.
“What do you mean nah?” Kelly asked. “You can’t turn this down!”
“Yeah, you know I’m not feeling so well right now. I have a bit of a headache anyway,” Rachel said, trying to convince her friend.
“Oh, come one! Have you even tried it?” Kelly asked.
Rachel didn’t know how to answer this. On the one hand she wanted to sound cool and say yes, but on the other hand, she hadn’t ever tried it and didn’t want to lie. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.