"Jesus Christ," Sarah said again, watching the argument unfold. She fixed her eyes on Lily and glared when the girl cheerfully waved at her.
She was about to stomp over and yell at her when a barista grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back from the terrace.
"Don't want to get between those meatheads, honey," she said calmly, then folded her arms as she studied the spectacle across the road.
"...Can you tell me what happened?"
"Is it important?" the barista asked, parting her purple painted lips in a grin, "I kinda wanna see this."
"Yes cause she," Sarah replied, making an effort not to sigh in annoyance, "Is apparently my responsibility."
"Ah. Well, when you left," the girl said, then turned to look at Sarah and make sure she was the right person, "That was you, right? When you left, she got on her phone. Took a few selfies. Thought she was an influencer wannabe or something. She left, then came back a few hours later. Thirty minutes later, the first meathead shows up. The one holding the underwear."
Sarah frowned at the piece of fabric the man was waving around, then felt blood rush to her face and she muttered under her breath, barely aware she opened her mouth, "That's mine."
"Busy girl, isn't she?" the barista said, sounding amused, "Anyway, slow day, so I watched them, and she somehow managed to take her underwear off under her pants, gives it to the guy, and tells him to wait in the bathroom. Should've stopped them at that point, but they should start paying me more first. Five minutes later, gorilla number two shows up. She flirts with him a bit, then sends him into the bathroom... and now we're here."
"I'm going to kill her," Sarah said flatly, there was no hint of threat in her words, just a cool determination. She dropped the flowers she was holding and started to move mechanically.
She spoke one word every step she took, "I. Am. Going. To. Kill. Her."
The barista let out a melodious giggle, cocked her head at Sarah, then watched her storm between the two men that were about to fight.
She tried to yell Lily's name, though it came out as an angry hiss instead. The men, shocked by the new development, took a step back to let her through.
Sarah took three steps until she was face to face with the girl and could spit her words, "What. The. Fuck. Is your problem?"
"Oh," Lily smiled, "You're finally here."
She slid off the table and threw an arm around Sarah's neck.
"Sorry, boys," she said to the two angry men, "My girl's here."
She winked at the one holding Sarah's underwear, "You get to keep that though."
Sarah was about to form an indignant response when Lily planted her lips on hers. Sara's indignant response turned into an indignant slap. She pushed Lily back, sending her slamming into the table, then turned on her heel and made for her car.
"You can walk home!" she screamed over her shoulder.
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Angrily, she strode towards her car, but was stopped halfway by the barista.
"You dropped these," she said, handing Sarah the bouquet, "And uhh...."
"What?" Sarah snapped, ripping the flowers from her hand.
"Don't have to take it out on me, honey," the barista said, "Just wanted to ask if this means you're single now."
Sarah's mouth fell open, then she simply paced past her.
"You know where to find me if you change your mind!"
After Sarah slammed the car door, she spotted Lily in the mirror. The girl was casually sauntering up to the passenger side. Vindictively, Sarah locked the doors and watched Lily try the handle a few times. She knocked on the window and Sarah pushed the gas, leaving Lily behind and cutting into traffic without looking...
Sarah and Diana sat at the kitchen table, Diana patiently listening to Sarah who explained what had happened downtown.
"...And then I got here," she finished.
Diana stopped in the middle of pushing a breadstick into her mouth, "So, you slapped her?"
"Sure did," Sarah said, a hint of pride in her words, before quietly adding, "Probably shouldn't have."
"You shouldn't," Sarah agreed, "Mostly cause she probably liked that."
Sarah sighed, "Guess I should go find her then."
"She already called. She has a ride."
"On a dick..."
"Probably that too, yes," Diana said and finished her bread stick, "But I meant a ride home."
"Too bad."
"Well, good news. Just one more day and she'll be out of your hair. Now, about that barista..."
"What barista?"
"Lily told me the the barista hit on you. Was she cute?"
"Not where my mind was at the time...."
Dina smirked, twirling a bread stick between her fingers, "Maybe you should go back and see her. Could be a good time."
"Or I could lose a kidney."
"Sarah, sweetie. You moved in here, with me, a stranger, without a second thought and this is the time you choose to be worried."
"..."
"Hm?"
"...I'm going to bed."
"I'll put something in the fridge for when you inevitably get hungry at three AM," Diana said cheerfully, standing up to prepare it, "By the way..."
"Hm?"
"I told Lily to buy new underwear for you."
"...great..."
Sarah woke up and checked her phone.
"Ha," she said, in a sort of drowsy triumph, "She was wrong. It's two."
She dropped her phone back on the bed, where it bounced off the overturned cover of the book she had been reading, and she sighed when she heard the device clatter to the carpet. She picked it up, relieved it was undamaged, then got out of bed to find what Diana had left in the fridge for her.
The house felt oddly different at this time of night. The paintings that cluttered the walls seemed even closer and overbearing than usual, and, bathed in the white glow of her phone's flashlight, the walls seemed closer than usual. Adding to the eerie presence was a green light seeping out from under Sam's door, behind which she could hear the clattering sound of somebody typing at breakneck speed. Aside from that, the house appeared to be in deep rest.
She yawned widely as she stumbled down the stairs, the found the light in the kitchen was still on.
Dreading Lily's presence, she trudged on and found...
Nothing. Just an empty kitchen. It didn't seem like Diana to leave the light on unnecessarily, but she shrugged the thought off and started to explore fridge for something to eat.
Diana had left her more options than she expected; Chicken, a whole apple pie, meatloaf, and a bunch of sides from earlier meals. She decided on the apple pie, took the entire thing out and started to eat without bothering to sit down. She noticed the soft hum of the oven, explaining where the sudden urge for pie came from.
She lost herself in the taste of Diana's excellent baking, not noticing the sound of the front door opening. There was some muffled conversation from the hallway, then a delighted squeal which brought Sarah back to her senses. The sound of feet approaching the kitchen followed.
"D," Lily asked,"Is that you?"
Sarah briefly considered hiding under the table, then stoically continued eating, waiting for her to enter the kitchen.
Lily had apparently found a moment to change her clothes, now dressed in a skimpy mini dress, covered by a trench coat that still hung open.
"Oh," she said, "S. You missed one awesome party."
Sarah levelly stared at Lily, chewing her pie as calmly as she could.
"...We cool?"
Sarah remained quiet.
"We're not cool, I guess," Lily said calmly, "Where's D?'
Sarah shrugged her shoulders, took another bite of her pie, then watched as the frustrated Lily went searching for Diana. She couldn't resist a slight, spiteful smile as she watched the demoness leave.