Page 93 of Off Limits
There is a ‘yes’ in unison. In the end, I signed up to the same projects as Jewel.
‘Okay great,’ Harmony says. She sobers. ‘Second point, Mona opted out of today.’
There are some sighs of disappointment. ‘I invited her but… says she’s not coming back until the weight is off.’
I see some of the girls roll their eyes, keeping their views to themselves.
‘Come on, ladies, it’s what we signed up for,’ Ashlyn reminds everyone, twisting her pink-blonde braid between her fingers.
Harmony waits for the room to settle again. ‘Third point. I know there’s some gossip and rumours flying around already…’
‘Persia Takeda…’ Angel says in the same voice as a movie trailer, ‘and the case of the missing uniform.’
On the floor, I feel my muscles tense.
‘For those of you who haven’t heard,’ Harmony continues, ‘Persia Takeda’s CMC uniform has gone missing. I want y’all to know that Persia’s been questioned and she denies any theft has taken place,’ Harmony states, raising her eyebrows a little disapprovingly at Angel.
‘How the hell would she have even gotten into the stadium anyways?’ Shawny interrupts from behind me.
‘Exactly,’ Angel echoes. ‘They took her security badge the same moment they fired her ass. There’s just no way.’
‘I say they’re tryna make out like one rotten apple can taint the whole barrel,’ Imara argues with her mouth full of crescent roll. ‘Like, they wanted to endorse their own decision to have her fired, like,oh, in case there was any doubt,she stole her own uniform, looks like we were right about her all along. You know what? I think they knew Persia was badass and they decided she didn’t fit the mould.’
‘Like, we all make mistakes,’ Shawny adds.
My stomach churns. I keep my gaze fixed on the carpet. To think that I know precisely who took Persia’s CMC uniform and that last night I wore it myself.
What would they all think of me if they knew the truth?
‘Look, let’s not speculate,’ I hear Harmony say, but it’s hard to hear over the voices that are screaming at me in my head. ‘There’ll be an investigation. Hopefully Persia will be exonerated.’
‘I can already guess the outcome ofthatinvestigation,’ Angel grumbles from behind me under her breath.
Solana, a Hispanic third-year veteran, speaks up. There’s an excitable glint in her eye. ‘Speaking of speculation, what’s the order of play for today?’
There is movement as the attention of the room shifts to Angel and Shawny on the couch, wearing smiles that say butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths.
‘We don’t have the green light yet,’ Angel says, looking across at Harmony and Ashlyn.
Harmony holds up her palms, as though in defeat. ‘What happens in this room stays in this room, alright?’
Jewel and I exchange nervous glances.
‘What’s it to be girls?’ Ashlyn asks.
Angel takes in the expectant faces all around her. ‘We thought aboutNever Have I Ever. But in the end, we went with good ol’Truth or Dare!’
There’s whooping and applause. My stomach churns. Jewel squeezes my bicep.
‘And we’ve gotquestions!’ Shawny sings, pulling out two hats containing slips of paper that she’s seemingly been hiding all this time. I feel a sense of impending dread.
‘Can I please confirm that everybody left their cell phone at the door?’ Harmony asks, a little nervously.
‘First of all,’ Angel says to the group, ‘who wants cocktails?!’
‘It’s ten-thirty in the morning!’ Ashlyn objects.
There are cries of ‘I’ll have one!’
