Page 11 of Alice & Meg, Girls Trip

“Yay for more surprises!” Greta cheered, clapping her hands together in delight.

“I bet Alice’s is cow print something,” Raven teased, shaking her head. “God knows I already have enough cow print hanging in my closet.”

Alice laughed, a bright, infectious sound that made everyone smile. “You like it,” she shot back playfully. “But let’s see what Meg got everyone first.”

With a flourish, I tore open the box, pulling out the first item and holding the back up to everyone. It was a black hooded sweatshirt, with the front facing me. “I just thought this wouldbe perfect,” I said, already thrilled with their reactions before I’d even shown them the design.

I turned the front of the sweatshirt toward them, revealing the bold lettering. “You don’t have to be crazy to camp with us. We will train you!” I read aloud, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.

There was a moment of silence before everyone burst into laughter, their reactions ranging from outright cackling to appreciative chuckles.

“That’s so true,” Reva said between giggles, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “We’re a special kind of crazy and it seems like you guys are fitting right in.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Cyn agreed, her grin widening as she reached for one of the sweatshirts.

One by one, I handed out the sweatshirts, making sure Lennox got her medium. Each person eagerly pulled theirs on, the fabric soft and warm against the evening chill.

Reva slipped hers over her head and sighed contentedly, wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s so soft inside,” she murmured, her face lighting up with a smile as she snuggled into the sweatshirt.

“Perfect for a chilly night like this,” Nikki added, tugging her hood up and giving a satisfied nod.

Wendy was already pulling her sleeves down over her hands, practically making herself a cozy little nest inside the oversized sweatshirt. “Meg, these are awesome,” she said, her voice slightly muffled as she pulled the hood up over her head.

“I’m glad you like them!” I beamed, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the fire.

“These are perfect, Meg,” Alice said, glancing around at everyone bundled up in their new sweatshirts. “We’re definitely going to need these when it gets even colder.”

Greta pulled her hood up and struck a pose. “Do we look like a gang now?” she asked with a mock-serious expression.

“Girl Gang!” Alice, Nikki, Karmen, Raven and Wendy shouted in unison.

“Um, what?” Greta laughed.

“It’s really not that deep,” Karmen laughed. “A while back, we were joking about how the guys were part of the club, but the girls weren’t a part of anything. So,” she drawled, “the Girl Gang was born.”

“Now you guys can be a part of it, too,” Alice added.

“We’re a gang, and the coziest one around,” Raven joked, pulling her hood tighter around her face like a cocoon.

Paige laughed, giving Greta a playful shove. “I never thought we would be a part of a gang. Look at us. All we needed to do was go camping with the Fallen Lords ol’ ladies.”

“I’m in,” Reva agreed, raising her hand. “Girl Gang for life.”

The laughter and chatter continued as we settled back into our spots around the fire, each of us a little warmer, both inside and out. I felt a sense of contentment wash over me as I watched my friends, all of us, bundled up in our matching sweatshirts, laughing and enjoying the night. There was something special about these moments, something that made all the planning and effort worth it.

We were now part of the Girl Gang, and hot damn, that was freaking awesome.

Alice

“Did you really get everyone presents, or were you just trying to look cool?” Nikki asked quietly from next to me. The firelight flickered across her face, giving her a mischievous glow. “Because if you need me to run to the store to find some presents, I can totally do that for you. Just cause a distraction, and I’ll sneak out.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, unable to suppress a smile. “You’re a boob, you know that, right?”

“I should be offended by that,” she replied, her tone mock-serious.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, watching as her lips quirked up into a grin. “But are you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head and sat back in her chair, the grin widening into a full laugh. “Not at all. What gift did you get everyone?”

---