Dilettante (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 4. Strange Girl

                                                                                           Tell me something.

                                                                                            If birds had words,

                                                                                    what would they say?

Fern changed into a loose sleeveless gray shirt and tight black shorts that strapped around her thighs when they returned from school. Her face has been washed clean and she carried a tray of food with her and a small jug of what Tari assumed must be water. Tari had already finished her bath and had changed into sleepwear thanks to Fern. 

She sat on her chair wringing her hair out in a towel that she lets drop to the floor when Fern carried the items over and carefully sets them on the dining table before climbing onto her own chair across from Tari. Fern pours her a mug of hot light green liquid that was clearly not water.

"It is bitter at first," Fern said, offering Tari the mug, "but it passes."

Tari takes a sip and realizes that it was tea. She reveled in the burn as it slithered down her throat and bubbled in her stomach, and she watched Fern do the same.

They ate their food mostly in silence, only the rain beating out a steady rhythm against the house. It eventually began to gnaw at Fern, so she cleared her throat and Tari lifted her eyes to see the blonde setting the food tray in the sink and her mug on the cabinet. Fern then began washing them and once they were clean, she darted to the stove to dry her hands on a towel and told Tari that she will do her tray later and slipped out. 

Fern stomped her way downstairs, down the hall, and kicked open the heavy-bolted door of Janice's office. If she put a hole in it, Janice could spend her unproductive days to repair it for all she never cared. 

Janice sat in her chair holding a can of beer to her mouth with both of her legs crossed and resting on top of the desk full of stacked papers. She took a long swig of the drink, then swiftly crushed the can to a flat crinkled disk and tossed it across the room. It landed in the trash bin with a loud clunk of a perfect score.

"Need somethin'?" Janice asked lazily arching her eyebrow at Fern. Fern glared at the bitch who dumped this huge responsibility into her life.

"It is 1:30 in the afternoon!" Fern yelled.

Janice falls back in her chair and locks her hands behind her head, boring her eyes into Fern's. "Yeah. Your point is?"

Fern scowls under her breath, "So, you should not be drinking."

"Does it say that in the book of what time to drink alcohol?" Janice snorted.

Fern's nostrils flare at her response and grumpily marched towards Janice. As she approaches her desk, she slams her fist down angrily and challenges her with a death glare. It did not work obviously. They were face to face glaring at each other for about a minute when Janice suddenly threw her head back and laughed.

"Seriously, are you trying to seduce me Fern 'cause that look was too cute," she said chuckling to herself.

Judging by her flushed cheeks and a mouth that reeked like a rotting gutter, Fern knew that Janice was halfway there to fainting on the spot. "Jesus. How much did you drink?"