Strings of Fate

78- Sorting and singing Eventually, | give Aaron a break and we head to my work. The shift drags on although there is a brief moment of amusement when a group of human girls stop and try to flirt with Aaron. | say try because they don’t really get very far. Talking to him really does take a lot of work. I still haven't decided if he is intentionally not talking to people because he doesn’t want to or if he’s just really shy. Or maybe a combination of the two? Well, | don't mind. Actions speak. louder than words and his actions say plenty. He is always mindful ofand helpful in general. I'm hoping that | can becgood friends with him, it will make having him around less uncomfortable.

Besides, it would be nice if he enjoyed working with me. | stop by and remind him to send the check in message to Bellamy and to encourage the girls to move on and let him be. He givesa nod of thanks then sends the message. Aaron showed no interest in the girls and they were pretty enough. I've asked him before if he’s seeing someone and he said he wasn’t. | wonder who he will end up with. | haven't seen any threads for him yet. He seems like a very solitary person and it will likely take a very special type of person to draw him out. | suppose | will have to wait and see.

| get a text from Megan just as | finish work.

Megan-You're on your way over soon right? I'm so excited. I've been planning this all day.. Bellamy says you don’t have work until evening tomorrow. | hope you don’t have any early. morning plans tomorrow...

Ryann- | don’t have plans. What exactly have you been planning? Should | be afraid? Megan- You'll have to cfind out. It'll be fun. Promise.

my | consider heading hto change but in the end | ask Aaron to takestraight to see Megan. My work clothes might be a little provocative but it’s just Megan, she won't care what I'm wearing. She would have toldif | needed to dress a certain way. The worst part of uniform was my shoes, but Bellamy took care of that months ago. Since then I've been wearing black flats and it’s soo much better. | practically skip out to Aaron's car suddenly excited for girls night. I've always wanted this kind of thing, and | have been avoiding it for the last few months when Bellamy and | weren't talking since | was trying to keep clear of him. I've also changed my mind about hiding that letter from Bellamy. | don’t want to be dishonest. | don’t want to just tell him on the phone though. I'll make sure to tell him in person when | see him next.

Megan answers the front door and she looks super excited.

“Aaron, you can head off. If Ry needs you again tonight we'll call but I'm planning a long night so you don’t need to stick around. Thanks!” Aaron nods respectfully and waves as he heads off. Megan grabsby the hand and leadsto the kitchen. There are about four reusable shopping bags on the bench and she encouragesto grab a couple and follow her to her room. The first bag clinks as | pick it up. | peek in curiously and see... alcohol.

Not just a bottle or two but over a dozen different types.

“Uh, Megs. Do our plans for tonight include getting black out drunk?” I question. She shrugs.

“If it happens it happens. Researching those cocktails for Harry madecurious. So, we're going to make as many of them as we can and try snew drinks. It'll be fun. Also, | think | need to clean out my closet. You know, a fresh start. | want to get rid of things that have bad. memories attached to them. So | was thinking, music, drinks and going through clothes. | can give you a fashion show, sof the stuff will probably fit you too so we can have sfun. with it. I'm taller than you but we're still a similar size other than in height.” | give Megan a look over. She actually looks a lot better. A good night of sleep seems to have done wonders for her. | don’t expect her to magically be better. She went through hell and it’s only been a couple days. But she is clearly trying to move on and make things better. | think going through her stuff and clearing out things for a new start is probably a good sign. | hope, I'm no expert but it feels right. Alcohol might not be the best coping mechanism but as long as she isn’t getting smashed every night | doubt it’s an issue. Besides, making sweird.

cocktails does sound fun.

“Okay, sounds like a plan.” | answer cheerfully. Megan squeals in delight.

“Awesome! | spent the morning getting supplies for different drinks. | got sfancy cocktail glasses as well. Oh and | made a playlist for us!” Making drinks with Megan turns out to be far more fun than | anticipated. It’s actually slightly more difficult than | expected but we manage to make sfunny ones. Megan's playlist is full of ‘girl power’ songs. The kind that encourages you to get up to dance and sing and leave you feeling like you could somehow take on the world, at least for a bit. Sorting through Megan's extensive closet is also pretty entertaining, particularly as we start getting tipsy.

2/4 “OH | totally forgot | had this! It's so cute!” Megan pulls out a green mini dress.

“Yeah? Show me?” | demand. Megan giggles and without hesitation strips off her clothes and shimmies herself into the outfit.

“Wow. That looks hot.” | blurt out. My filter vanished about three drinks ago. Megan poses and | take a bunch of photos on my phone.

“We need cute pics together!” Megan insists. | wrinkle Tace.

“I'm in gross work clothes.” | object. Megan starts going through her clothes, bending in a very unladylike way and flashingher underwear as she does so. She pulls out a black dress and throws it at me.

“Put it on, put it on!” She chants. | laugh and comply. I'm wearing blue underwear but my bra is black so even though the straps show, it looks alright. Megan looksover from head to toe.

“May | say, respectfully, damn.” she winks atand | collapse into her bed, laughing. We take more photos in increasingly silly poses as we have more drinks. Megan took over making the drinks after | knocked over a bottle of vodka. | managed to save it before it all spilled out but | got banned from pouring anyway. Originally, Megan and | were sorting her clothes into a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ pile. But somehow the piles have gotten mixed up and we end up throwing things at each other instead while singing and jumping around. | climb up on Megan's bed, trying and failing to dodge her latest projectile bra. In my attempts to evade her, | stumble and fall off the bed. I land on the floor in a pile of clothes and despite the pain in my shoulder from where | fell, | can’t seem to stop laughing. Megan joinson the floor.

“Are you kay?” She slurs at me. | keep laughing breathlessly.

“M‘ fine. Must be getting tired, m’ clumsy when | get sleepy.” | explain. Megan nods.

“Does that mean it’s bedtime?” she questions.