By her twentieth birthday, there are a few things Valarie Ricci knows for certain.
She knows that her waitressing job barely covers the costs of living out of a beat up old van. She knows she's stuck in the dead end hometown her high school friends...
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Valarie heard about Alice before ever meeting her.
She was seventeen years old, mildly high, and trying her best to give Theo Kent a hickey. Her hands grazed under Theo's dress, across the soft landscape of her thighs, as her lips worked against Theo's throat. The two of them were braced against the door of the cramped bathroom, which did little to muffle the overlap of voices and rap music that reverberated through the house.
Theo's hand dug into Valarie's hip too hard. "Jared invited his new girlfriend," she said, slightly out of breath. "Her sister, too. They must be loaded. Like, they drive a Tesla to school. Who the fuck shows up to our high school in a car like that? Can you imagine?"
Valarie unlatched herself from Theo's neck to examine her progress in the dull bathroom light. A patch of skin near Theo's collar was slightly red. "How do I know if I'm doing this right?"
"Imagine being so rich that not only can you afford a Tesla, but you can afford to let your teenage daughter drive said Tesla to her shitty high school." Theo wasn't looking at Valarie. Instead, her brown eyes focused on the chipped paint of the water-damaged ceiling. "My Dad would murder me if I even touched our rust bucket of a van. Crashing that thing would probably be an improvement. I'm pretty sure it's bringing down our property value just by sitting on our driveway."
"Maybe I'm not doing this right."
"It's not exactly rocket science, Val." Theo sighed, impatience sharpening her tone. "I'm sure even you can figure it out."
"I guess not." Valarie shrugged. "Up for something else?" She moved her hand higher up Theo's leg.
Theo properly looked at her for the first time in a while. Her dyed blonde hair stuck against the door, and Valarie could smell the fruity shampoo she used. Theo lifted one perfectly plucked eyebrow, considering, then said, "Nah. Not tonight." She pecked Valarie on the lips.
Valarie shrugged, allowing her touch to fall away. Her back pressed against the hard edge of the sink, but the bathroom was so small that it only added inches of distance between the two of them. Valarie gestured to the half-finished joint balancing on the edge of the sink. "Is it okay if...?"
"Finish it outside, not in here."
"Thanks." Valarie stored it behind her ear and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "I'll pay you—"
"Don't be fucking stupid." Theo sent her a cutting look. "I'm not a dealer."
"What if your Dad—?"
"It's ten dollars, Val. He's not going to notice. If he does, I'll just say I smoked it."
"You don't smoke."
"Relax."
"Are you sure—?"
"For the last time, yes." Her impatience grew into annoyance.
