The Anti-Delinquent System

T h r e e : Delinquent in Distress

T h r e e : Delinquent in Distress

"Chase," I realise aloud, slumping back against the nearest wall. The back of my scalp makes a dull thud as I lean my head back to glare at the ceiling. "How did you get my number?"

"You texted him, dumb-beetle," Miko answers from across the room. She's sat upright on the bed now, eating the bowl of salted popcorn that I cooked for her earlier. I hate salted popcorn, but Miko loves it so my Dad always ensures to stock up. Miko's almond eyes are wide as she watches the phone in my hand, crunching through handfuls of the snack.

"Never mind," I groan before Chase can answer my question. I step away from the wall and walk over to the desk, reaching for a pen to twist idly around my fingers. "You're better off calling somebody else. You haven't done anything for me yet, so as far as I'm concerned, the chances of me helping you are equivalent to the note A0 on a piano. You know- really quite low."

"I need a lift." I hear Chase sigh. "If you want my help, you'll come and collect me from Redwood Avenue as soon as you can and drop me off at Joe's house. I'll meet you at the party at eight, as planned, and we can talk about my end of the bargain then."

I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and jump a little, dropping my pen to the floor. I had completely forgotten that my face was covered in grey mud. "Look, hypothetically I would come and collect you, but I actually have plans."

"Are they plans you can get out of?" Chase asks, clearing his throat. His voice softens a little. "Please, Erika, I need to get out of here and my lift bailed."

"Taxi? Bus? There are options," I suggest cheerily. In my peripheral vision, I see Miko shaking her head adamantly. She outstretches her hand towards me, knocking the popcorn bowl off balance so that the fluffy kernels spread across my bedsheets. I scowl. "Miko wants to talk to you."

"Wait, who's Mi-"

Before I can answer Chase, Miko has snatched my phone away and is smiling brightly with the phone pressed to her ear. "Hi, I'm Miko, Erika's best friend. I heard about your conundrum and I just wanted to let you know that I'm happy to let you borrow Erika for half an hour."

My mouth falls open. That traitor.

"So, Redwood Avenue. That's the other side of town, right?" Miko asks, chucking a piece of popcorn towards my mouth. It bounces from my cheek. She pauses to hear his response. "Yeah, Erika will know where that is. She'll be there as soon as she can. Please don't keep her out too long though; I have a couple of weird back hairs that I need her to pluck before the party."

I perch back on my desk, arms crossed as I frown at my eclectic best friend.

Miko shakes her head. "No, nobody has quite the same technique as Erika. She's very gentle. She's very gentle at a lot of things actually, she'd make an excellent love make-"

"Oi!" My arm swipes through the air to snatch the phone, but Miko dodges.

"Aw!" Miko coos to Chase, angling her body away to block my attacks. "Erika, he just offered to pluck them for me! This guy is a keeper."

"I think that's enough," I grumble as I finally manage to pluck my phone from her grasp. I lean back against the desk again and press the warm screen back to my ear. "You better not be offering to pluck my best friend's back hairs. That's not your jurisdiction, Thatcher."

Miko throws a kernel of popcorn at me, hitting me squarely in the forehead.

"I just wanted to prove that I could be way gentler than you," Chase replies smoothly. "At both plucking back hair and love maki-"