Page 76 of Don't Leave Me Behind
Pepper
Isn’t that why you love me though?
Unfortunately I also have news. Though it’s of the bad variety.
Flipping onto my stomach, I rest my phone against the headboard and make sure all my nakedness is covered before I start a video chat with the group. Pepper pops up on my screen first, and she looks like a hot mess. Her hair is pulled in a messy bun, but not a cute one. One that suggests it might have been in the same bun for several days now. Makeup is smudged downher face, and I’m pretty sure there’s Cheeto dust on her nose. She sighs when Miya joins the chat and gapes at her.
“I know,” Pepper moans. “I’m in mourning.”
“Let’s start there. No offense, Leni.”
“None taken.” I shift my eyes to Miya, hoping Pepper doesn’t notice the worried glance we share.
“Ugh.” Pepper flops onto her back, holding her phone up above her face. “I did something stupid, and it got me fired.”
“Oh no.” I fill in an awkward gap of silence because Miya is trying to hide a face that plainly reads,saw that coming. “What happened, Peps?”
“The tiki bar had a wet t-shirt contest and wanted it filmed to be put up for advertisement. My manager asked if I wanted to join in on the promo, so I did. I didn’t really see the harm in it, you know? But the school board called me in and told me a parent had alerted them to the videos, and they didn’t think I was a good fit to be teaching kindergarten.”
“Can they fire you for doing something outside of work?” Miya looks annoyed.
“Yeah,” she sniffs. “There’s a code of conduct I agreed to when I signed my contract.”
“Shit, babes, I’m so sorry.” I give her my best sympathetic look before I smile like an evil maniac. I sit up suddenly, forgetting for a second that I’m naked and covered in hickeys. “Oh shit, fuck!” I squeal before falling off the bed, flashing my two best friends my entire body.
The girls are howling with laughter, and I can’t help but join in. Lying on the floor for a solid minute, my abs ache from laughing so hard. Popping my head over the bed, I reach for the blanket and wrap it around myself before getting back onto the mattress.
“You know,” Pepper wheezes, still trying to control her laughter. “I’m feeling so much better now.”
“Girl,” Miya wipes tears from her eyes. “We saweverything.”
“How did I not know you had like, the best boobs?” Pepper winks. I can feel my cheeks heat at the compliment. This was so not a conversation I ever planned on having with my best friends.
“I kind of feel like we should flash you now, make it even.” Miya surprises the hell out of me, taking a sip of coffee and giving us the most innocent-looking face.
Pepper shrugs before ripping her tank down, showing us her small, perky tits. “I’ve got nothing to write home about, but feast your eyes, ladies.”
I fall over laughing, gasping for air, before squealing at my phone screen because no-nonsense Doctor Park is flashing us, and there’sJEWELRYon her boobs.
“And now I’m bi,” Pepper says, bringing her phone closer to her face so all we can see is her forehead. Miya laughs, shaking her head as she rights her shirt and sits back, like nothing weird just transpired. “Did those hurt?”
“A little, but it really wasn’t that bad.”
I’m staring at the phone, shocked. Growing up, Miya and I did everything together. We snuck our first beers together, had our first kisses at the same bonfire. She called me when she lost her virginity, and I called her when I lost mine. Hell, we even went and got tattoos together when we turned eighteen.
“Len, why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?” Miya scrunches her forehead in concern.
“I feel like I don’t know you anymore. Nipple piercings? Flashing? Who even are you?”
“I’m still me, Leni, or…at least trying to figure out who me is. You might have been right about me focusing too much on work. I’m not sure I even know who I am.”
“Ahh, you guys, we’re having a moment!” Pepper saysseconds before ruining said moment by dropping her phone onto the bridge of her nose. “Ow, goddammit!”
“Okay, back to Leni now, it looked like you had an epiphany when Pepper was talking about work, but before we get to that, I need to know about those hickeys, because the ones on your shoulders look like bite marks.”
My face is red again, and I realize that I really should have put clothes on before trying to video them. “Ugh, yes.” I hide my face in the blanket, peaking out only when they are finished laughing.
“That’s hot.” Pepper fans her face.
