Isa left from work an hour early, wanting to beat traffic before she tried showing up at Arjun’s place. She called him but he didn’t pick up.

As she drove, she realized she didn’t even know what she would do once she got there. He lived in one of those new buildings with a bunch of layers of security. There were multiple doors you needed to get through with a key fob, and then the actual door needed a key.

She wondered if Kassie had a key. Probably not.

Then again, Kassie was the mom of their friend group, so if anyone had a key, it was probably her. Or at least Kassie might know someone who did.

Isa almost switched directions to go to Kassie’s place instead, but then decided she might as well finish driving to Arjun’s place.

She got out of the car, making sure to grab a sweater. The leaves were still green, but you could tell fall was coming by the quality of the air.

She walked up to the apartment, wondering if she could convince some other resident to let her in. Her phone buzzed.

She felt relief to see it was Arjun asking her what was going on.

Isa: I’m outside your place. Let me in

Arjun: k

She waited and paced for what felt like five minutes, before Arjun came down. His hair was all messy, and he was in plaid pajama pants and a oversized U of M hockey team t-shirt.

Arjun hadn’t played hockey, so why…

Isa focused on what was important, “Are you okay?”

Arjun tilted his head, “I was asleep. I took a sick day.”

Isa pulled up her phone and scrolled through the messages. What if his rants had disappeared too?

They were still there, thank god.

She showed him her phone, and he looked through them, his brow furrowed.

“I don’t really remember writing this… Like, I do, but I don’t,” he murmured.

“Do you know that Kassie’s place was broken into?” Isa asked.

Arjun’s eyes widened, “No, what happened?”

“I don’t know, I wanted to check on you first.”

“Let me get dressed for real and we can head over there.”

She followed Arjun through the maze of his apartment building.

“So where did you get that shirt from?”

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Arjun shrugged, “A friend of my old roommate left it. It's comfortable.”

That didn't sound like a secret tryst. Arjun wasn't that good of a liar. Isa wondered at Arjun’s perpetually single status. He was good looking, worked out, great job. He never complained about it either.

He had a single bedroom apartment with nothing on the walls. His living room furniture was bare bones as well, except for a top of the line gaming set up, with everything black and with bright green accents.

He went to his room, and Isa sat on the gaming chair. Bumping the desk “accidentally” with her foot. The screen turned on, but it was the lock scree. Isa couldn’t look at what Arjun had been reading on who-knows-what corner of the internet.

He came out in a hoodie and sweats, which was only a slightly more socially acceptable upgrade from what he had been wearing before.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Am I driving?”

“I’m clearly not in a state to drive. Did you see those texts?” Arjun was grinning.

Isa scowled at him but didn’t make a fuss.

Arjun was subdued during the drive. Isa had expected him to start raving about conspiracy theories, but mostly they drove in quiet, with a stop for fast food on the way.

The police had already left by the time Arjun and Isa got there. They knocked, and heard a muffled sound. Isa tried the door, and it was unlocked.

There was stuff everywhere. Kassie usually had a perfect apartment, done up in a magazine worthy minimalist style, her only excess being books, and even those were usually arraigned by color on her shelf. They were now all over the floor.

Isa stepped around the broken remains of a vase. Most of the furniture was still standing, but the couch was flipped over and the bottom cut open.

“Kass?” Isa said, her voice felt too loud.

“Here,” came the reply without inflection.

Kassie was stone faced as she sat drinking tea in the ruined kitchen. The mug didn’t have a handle.

Isa went over and hugged her friend, who didn’t hug back, but sat stiffly. Isa let her go, and grabbed a trash can, carefully picking up the shattered ceramic pieces from the ground.

“I’m sorry Kassie, we’ll help you clean it up,” said Arjun, for once without some kind of flippant remark, “And I’ll help replace some of the stuff.”

“I have renters insurance, so it should cover some of the damages,” Kasie said, her usual warmth sapped out.

“Did they take anything?” Arjun asked, crouching down to join Isa.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. They left my firesafe alone.” Kassie, sighed and also started picking things up. Of course she did, because Kassie wouldn’t just let them work while she sat.

“That’s wierd. And if they were stealing, why would they wreck so much stuff?” Arjun asked.

“Could if have to do with the mask?” Isa said.

“But it was at your place,” Kassie countered, “Why would anyone come to me?”

Isa waited for Arjun to offer up some sort of conspiracy theory, like the texts he had written, but he didn’t say anything.

Isa told them about the changed price and listing. And glitter being missing. Somehow it all felt less ominous in the light of the current disaster that was Kassie’s apartment.

But after she described it, none of them really wanted to talk about it. The topic moved to current movies and complaints about work. After they finished cleaning the kitchen, they went to dinner.

They went to a new fusion restaurant that had just opened. It had funky decor made by local artists, with green and pink lighting, and played low-fi synth beats. Kassie had found out about it a few days ago. She was always on the lookout for new spots to explore.

There was a little bench with a faux-neon sign above it, saying “dreams are made of stars” and a bunch of star decals. Isa pointed to it, “Kassie, do you want a pic here?”

“Nah, I’m good, how about you?”

Isa shook her head. They then followed a waitress to the table.

After their food came, the gloom lifted slightly. Afterall, a few drinks and a big plate of kimchi fries could alleviate, at least temporarily, most woes.

“You look cute with this lighting, let me take a pic,” Kassie said, ever the artist.

Isa smiled and tried her best to pose. Arjun slid in to photo bomb. Isa rolled her eyes, and then they posed together.

Somehow, in the chaos, Isa had a picture that she really liked. She posted it on her Instagram before bed, her phone on “Do not disturb” mode.

She didn’t see the hundreds of likes until the next morning.