Page 4 of Give Me a Shot

“That’s good,” Jess said. “What is up with—”

“I’m late, I’m late, I’m late for a very important date,” Stephanie said, interrupting Jess as she joined the call.

“The surprise would have been if you were on time,” Jess said, smirking as she sipped a bit more tea.

With Jess in Michigan, Alice at an NGO in Mexico City, and Stephanie teaching at a university in Sao Paulo, they’d been staying in touch through video calls in addition to their group chat. They’d become close friends while finishing their doctorates in gender studies at the University of Sussex near Brighton in the UK. Finding a good time to talk with their newly differing time zones was taking a bit of an adjustment, but they were adamant about making it work.

Stephanie stuck out her pierced tongue.

“I am nothing if not consistent,” she said. She got closer to the camera, raising an eyebrow as she angled her head to one side and ruffled her bright purple pixie cut. “Apart from the story behind this impressive sunburn you’re rocking, Alice, what did I miss?”

“Ha,” Alice said. “While Goth-girl skin wasn’t an issue in Sussex, I need to get better about sunscreen now that I’m closer to the equator.”

“Yikes,” Stephanie said.

Alice nodded.

“Jess,” Alice said. “The big day is coming up. I’m sure you’re already prepared for work, but how about socially? Any exciting encounters in real life?”

Jess snorted. “As a matter of fact, I have had one…adrenaline-filledencounter.”

“Excellent,” Alice said. “Do tell.”

“ ‘Adrenaline-filled’?” Stephanie asked, squinting. “We’re listening.”

Jess quickly recapped her run-in with the weirdo dressed like aserial killer while she’d been emptying out Cassie’s storage space. She couldn’t remember if he’d mentioned his name, but it wasn’t like it mattered.

“So you threatened an innocent stranger with physical violence,” Alice said.

“Consistent for you,” Stephanie added.

“Hey!” Jess said. “I’d like to see how you’d respond when an ax murderer cosplaying as a blacksmith shows up. And there’s no way to know if he’d planned on remaining an ‘innocent stranger.’ ”

“I wouldn’t have announced my presence,” Alice said, her shiny, posh British accent making the chiding worse. “He didn’t even know you were there. You approached him.”

Jess rolled her eyes.

“I wasn’t going to let him get the upper hand.”

“Of course not,” Stephanie said.

“Anyway, it worked out fine,” Jess said. “He went away and left me alone. I got everything out of the space, so we won’t cross paths again.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Alice said, chewing her lip a little. “You could cross paths with other people, maybe. Like your parents?”

Jess frowned.

“There’s no need,” she said. “I’m here, they’re in Rockford. Everyone is just fine exactly where they are.”

“I see,” said Alice.

“I get it,” Stephanie said. “But seeing them might actually be useful. It’s only been a few months since…Cassie, and grieving together might—”

“Can we talk about something else, please?” Jess snapped, cutting her off. She had zero desire to see her parents. An awkward pause almost gave Jess time to start feeling bad about being rude. But Alice saved her by pasting on a bright smile.

“Sure we can,” she said. “Steph, do you have your class schedule yet?”

Stephanie barked a laugh.

---