Page 41 of Beautiful Harmony

“Rayna,” Phoebe said. “That’s an interesting costume.”

“Thanks. What are you doing here?” Rayna asked.

“It’s a party. I go to parties,” Phoebe said. “The real question is, why are you here? Oh wait - does the Sheriff have a backed-up toilet that needs plunging?”

Rayna’s smile widened. “Hey, Pheebs? Can you do me a favour?”

Phoebe’s smile turned brittle. “What’s that?”

“Can you go fuck yourself?” Rayna’s voice was so sweet it needed an insulin shot. Emma laughed as Phoebe’s face turned red.

“You’re such a bitch, Rayna.”

“Takes one to know one, sweetheart,” Rayna said. “Now swim away, fish girl. We’re not interested in anything you have to say.”

Her face still red, Pheobe swept off with her head high. Rayna flipped her the bird, and Emma laughed. “Seriously, Rayna?”

“What? She’s lucky I’m just giving her the bird. I should have tripped her in her dumb mermaid dress and watched her land on her stupid perfect face.”

Emma could hear the genuine annoyance in Rayna’s voice. She got it. Phoebe had been a nightmare to both Emma and Rayna, teasing Emma mercilessly about her birthmark and Rayna about her dirty, shabby clothes, alcoholic parents, and living in South Falls.

“High school was almost a decade ago,” Emma said. “You’re not the same person you were back then.”

“Maybe not, but Phoebe still is. She’ll always be the mean girl, and I hate her for the damage she inflicted on both of us,” Rayna said. “I swear to God, my occasional low self-esteem is a direct result of what that bitch said to me throughout school.”

“I get it,” Emma said. “I still hate her too, no matter how hard I try to be the bigger person and let it go.”

“Fuck being the bigger person,” Rayna said. “We’re gonna egg her house after the party tonight.”

Emma laughed. “Sure, okay.”

“Hey,” Rayna gave her a solemn look, “everything’s good with you and Lucas? I saw the two of you together earlier.”

“Yes. We’ve both apologized and are back to being friends,” Emma said.

“Which is what you want,” Rayna said, but it sounded like a question.

“Yes, you know we can’t be -”

“Oh my God, Mario!”

Rayna made a yelp of surprise when she was spun around. Jesse, a firefighter and one of Emma’s gaming friends, lifted Rayna off the ground and hugged her hard. He wore a Luigi costume and gave her a delighted look as he set her back on the ground.

“Mario!” he said in a bad Italian accent. “My brother, where have you been?”

“Hey, Jesse,” Rayna said. She looked a little flustered, and her cheeks were flushed. Emma couldn’t blame her. Jesse was big and thick with muscle and a good looking guy. And whatever aftershave he wore made him smell amazing. Being hugged by him wouldn’t exactly be an unpleasant experience.

“Hey! Come have a shot with me, and we’ll take some selfies!” Jesse put his thick arm around her shoulders and led her toward the far side of the room.

Rayna looked back at Emma, mouthing, “Jeebus Lort!” before pointing to Jesse’s massive bicep and miming wiping sweat from her forehead.

Emma’s laugh died when she realized who the guy was that had trailed after Jesse and now stood next to her.

“Hey, Emma.”

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Hello, Brad.”

Brad took a sip of the beer he held. He was weaving, his eyes were bloodshot, and the stench of alcohol radiating from him made her want to cover her nose.

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