Mark My Words

93 | We Need To Talk

"I can't believe our dumb asses thought Joanna would never find the group chat," Ray whispered, mortified. They could all feel the palpable energy of Joanna's glare through the airplane seats.

"We flew too close to the sun," Juliana sighed dramatically, a hand to her forehead. "Icarus, why can't we learn from your mistakes?"

"Icarus didn't have the internet, let alone Spencer to deal with," Ray hissed, propping her elbow on the armrest and her head in her hands.

"Were are mere mortals, destined to fail," Juliana moaned, throwing her hands up to grip the back of her seat. She slouched with a distressed groan. Brynn gave her a soft pat on the head, where Juliana had her hair tied up in a messy top knot.

Rosalie sighed as her phone buzzed in her lap. She glanced at it, and saw that Joanna was already messaging her.

JOANNA: A secret group chat, huh?

JOANNA: To talk about me

ROSALIE: It really isn't as bad as it looks

JOANNA: Uh huh, sure babe

ROSALIE: 😤

ROSALIE: Now is not the time for pet names

JOANNA: There is a time and a place for it, and that is always and everywhere

JOANNA: Babe 😉

ROSALIE: ugh

ROSALIE: and in regards to the group chat

ROSALIE: It was something that happened, like, TWO YEARS ago. And then it sort of resurrected after what happened in Delaware

ROSALIE: Its inception wasn't because of you, I promise

JOANNA: Fine

ROSALIE: Really?

ROSALIE: I expected you to be angrier

JOANNA: O I'm pissed

JOANNA: I just don't think it's productive to vent right now

ROSALIE: That's very rational of you

JOANNA: Storing up my energy

ROSALIE: Like a bear?

JOANNA: Precisely

ROSALIE: Vicious

JOANNA: I hope so

Rosalie twisted around in her seat, laughing, and managed to catch sight of Joanna snickering several rows behind her, across the aisle. Joanna looked up and, after catching Rosalie's eye, put her middle finger up to block Rosalie's view of her face.

"Gay," Ray teased under her breath, giggling when Rosalie punched her in the arm.

The plane descended just an hour from then, and they felt it in the gentle slope of the plane tipping as it curved around the airport, readying for descent. The clouds streamed over the windows before dissolving into the view of the city skyline encompassed around the curve in the Mississippi. Rosalie looked to where some of the sophomores were leaning over to peer out the window, barely restrained by their seatbelts.

The plane landed with a jostling bump. The overhead compartments clattered around, and Rosalie's teeth clanked together in her mouth. She turned a smile onto Ray, who grinned and bumped their elbows together. "You ready, Mason?" she teased.