Julia
I light the last candle and turn off the lights, running to the coffee table where my two favorite gal pals are waiting. Scottie is reclined on her wheelchair, legs propped up on a carefully stacked set of pillows, and Kayla leans on the couch behind her.
I plop onto the pink pile rug on the kitchen side of the table.
The Ouija board Kayla brought sits menacingly in the center like it knows we’re not ready, but I swallow down the nerves and rub my hands together dramatically. “Let’s do this.”
Yoko Ono—the dog—is bouncing beside Kayla, desperate for attention. She scratches the back of his neck lovingly, but it’s not good enough for him. He starts licking her ear like it’s steak, and she giggles and pushes him down lightly.
“Yoko, come here!” I call, fully aware that he’s about as obedient as a windstorm. But maybe one day he’ll listen. Manifestation is key. I circle the table and grab him, holding his thrashing little body in my lap as I take a seat next to Scottie again on the pink pile rug.
“I still can’t believe you have a dog!” Kayla squeals. “And that you justfoundthe breed you’ve always wanted in the park? What are the chances of that? Like one in a million?”
“I know.” I smile hugely. “It’s so wild, but Ace and I were just walking along in Central Park, and he came running over, straight into my arms. I swear it’s like it was meant to be. I was really nervous that he belonged to someone, but Ace called all the shelters around the city to see if anyone was looking, and he wasn’t wearinga collar or anything. I guess someone could turn up, but until then, I’m claiming him.” I pet his head and shrug. “Technically, Ace says he’s both of ours since we both found him, but he ran straight to me and barks every time Ace tries to hold him, so I don’t know if that’ll stick.”
Scottie licks her lips and nods, her expression a little suspicious, so I babble on quickly to keep her distracted. Finn explicitly tasked me with occupying her tonight so he could do the last-minute work for her surprise birthday party on Friday, and if she somehow finds out on my watch, Finn is liable to flip out.
“Anyway, we settled on Yoko Ono, even though we know that was a lady and our Yoko is a boy, because she didn’t really break up the Beatles like everyone said she did, and since Ace and I are unbreakable, her being part of our union without breaking it up feels like it brings some justice back to her name.”
“Okay,” Scottie laughs. “That’s an Ace Kelly explanation if I’ve ever heard one.”
I giggle and shrug. “I liked the sound of it because it felt like some kind of win for women, so I went with it. My only other option was Bernie Barks-A-Lot, but that might have just been a gateway to failure. Like, hello? Am Iaskingthe universe for a dog that barks all the time?”
“So, what now? You just have a dog?” Kayla questions with a laugh. “What are you going to do if you’re out?”
“I already talked to my mom and Ace’s mom, and they both said they’d dog-sit whenever I needed. Cassie already has Philmore and Thatch, per her own explanation, sowhat’s one more animal.”
Both girls laugh, and I cuddle Yoko a little closer. “So…who’s going first?” I jerk my chin at the Ouija board. I’ve never used one before, and for some reason, it’s making me super nervous. But maybe that’s just because my period is imminent and I’m a hormonal, emotional swamp monster whenever I’m in the middle of my flow.
“Not me,” Scottie says, grinning. “I’ve got enough problemswithout hearing from the other side. Someone else can vibe check the ghost energy first.”
“Fine, I’ll do it,” Kayla volunteers. “I don’t have that much to lose. What’s the worst that can happen? It tells me my ex-boyfriend is going to break up with me again?”
“Oh, Kayl—”
A rapid knock on the door cuts off Scottie’s sympathy, and Yoko goes absolutely berserk. He’s yapping and jumping and flipping and flopping, and it’s all I can do to keep him out of the appetizers and Ouija board.
“Jiminy Cricket, Yoko, it’s okay! Relax, relax. It’s probably just Ace anyway.”
“Ace?” Scottie asks, glancing at Kayla and back at me again. “I thought he was with Finn.”
“Yeah,” I call back over my shoulder. “He texted earlier and asked if he would mess up girls’ night too badly if he dropped by. He promised to be quick because he’s supposed to meet Finn.” I giggle nervously. “Sorry in advance if Finn’s upset later because his buddy was late.”
“Oh, no issue with me,” Scottie says. “Right, Kayla?”
“No issues.”
My eyebrows draw together. “Okay, I can’t put my finger on it, but you guys sound weird.” Ace knocks again, soft but loud. “Remind me to interrogate you later.”
The two of them devolve into giggles, and I chalk it all up to pitcher margaritas and charcuterie. We’ve been gabbing for two hours now, and the two tiny shots of tequila I poured in the mixer—which Scottie approved of—must finally be hitting us.
When the door swings open, Ace is smiling so big I can see his molars. I laugh. “Hey, buddy. What’s up?”
“Sounds like you’re having a big time in there,” he says, still grinning. “Want me to take Yoko for a little while so you don’t have to worry about him?”
The offer is both considerate and unexpected, and I find myselfswooning a little over Ace’s ability to know what I need without my having to ask.
Still, I have a part to keep up, and that includes the white lie that Ace is supposed to meet Finn to do guy things—not work on Scottie’s secret party that she’s not supposed to know about. “What about Finn?” I ask loudly, just in case Scottie heard him, and he raises his voice back, thankfully catching on.
