"What is it?" River said, alarmed.
Nora, her face red, pointed to Amber. She was mumbling and weaving clumsily through the room, obviously drunk. River facepalmed and helped Nora heave Amber onto the bed, but she was very heavy.
"You're underage!" River said, giggling a little.
"I don't CarE," said Amber. "MAn-StEALErs, thAt's wHAt yOu ArE," she slurred.
River shoved her down on the bed quite roughly and Nora looked at her in disgust. Once they had put her on the bed, River felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket and retrieved it from it. Miles had texted her on a group chat with Randy.
WHAT?
-River, 1:30 PM
Hey, where are you?
-Miles, 1:31 PM
Hano's really drunk and Nora wanted me to come help. In the dorm.
-River, 1:31 PM
Oooh, drunk? Play a prank on her.
-Randy, 1:31 PM
No. Sorry guys but we've put her safely in bed.
-River, 1:32 PM
Nora glanced over her shoulder and gave her a mischievous look. "Should I be concerned?" asked River when Nora glanced at Amber and then back again.
"Yeah. But not for me, for her."
River sighed.
"This is our chance to get back at her for hurting you and causing me hell! Literal hell, though. She turns the heater on at full blast EVERY. NIGHT!!!" Nora fumed, her eyes glowing softly.
River sighed again. "How about this. Next time she gets drunk, I'll help you. Kay?"
Nora looked disappointed, but agreed. "At least today can't get any weirder.
"I don't know about that," said River, checking her texts. "Miles and Randy are inviting us to lunch, They want to show us a famous fortune-teller's booth over near the Bubble Tea cherry blossom garden."
"The one people call a 'crack-pot'?" asked Nora excitedly.
"Yep." said River. "Cmon."
River watched as Nora swaddled Amber up like a mummy in her blankets, claiming that if she fell out like that it would be "soooo" funny. River agreed and said a harmless prank like that would be funny. She also asked Nora to text her a picture if the prank worked.
They walked down to Bubble Tea. Randy and Miles were there.
"Where's Angelica?" asked River.
"Setting up the plans for the dance next month." said Randy.
"You should totally display your canvases there!" said Miles eagerly,
"No," said River.
"Hey, Miles," said Nora, a little red around the cheeks. River noticed and felt her stomach drop. She was starting to really like Miles, like a friend, but she felt this weird emotion that seemed to envy Nora and how naturally her and Miles were interacting. River felt awkward and took a step away from them.
Randy slapped her on the back, grinning. "C'mon."
"If anyone asks if this is a double date," Nora said, a little squeakily, "What's the drill?"
"Say we are?" said Randy, grinning like some sort of imp. He was taller than Miles, and a little more attractive, by River's standards. but Randy seemed a little unapproachable, almost. Like he had some shield around him.
"Say we're not," said River forcefully. "We're friends."
"Oh, but you wanna be more," said Randy with a purr. After a moment, he started laughing when he saw River's distraught face. Despite the fact she knew it was a joke, something in his voice made her believe otherwise.
"Anyway," said Miles.
"Let's go on in!" said Nora hastily. "I have some stuff I want to tell you."
