Sequel: The Lunacy Fringe: Part Two ›
The Lunacy Fringe
Twenty-One
A few hours later, I got into Quinn’s car to drive back to his house. He pulled the car onto the road and glanced at the bag on the floor by my feet.
“What’s that?” he asked. I reached down to pick it up and held it against my chest.
“Nothing. Just some stuff,” I told him.
“Who got it for you?”
“No one.”
“So you stole it?”
“You do know I can buy things for myself, right? That is something I can do as a woman in this century.”
“No, you can’t. You told me this morning that you had no cash.”
“Well, I didn’t steal them. So butt out.”
“Who did?”
“Mind your own business.” He laughed.
“It was Felix, right? I was just trying to get you to admit it.”
“I told him I’d pay him back.” He laughed again, but this time he gripped the steering wheel and nearly threw himself over it.
“Even if you tried, he won’t take the money.”
“Why do you say that?” He scoffed and looked at me.
“I’ve known him almost my entire life. Trust me.”
“Well, then I got free stuff.”
“Score.”
I laughed and put them back down on the floor. Then I leaned back in my seat and shut my eyes. I was smiling, and I hadn’t even noticed it. Sure, I’d been drinking all night, and I missed Detroit. I missed all my friends and my house and even my boyfriend. But that was the moment I realized everything was going to be okay. I did want to go back and see everyone again, but I didn’t think I’d be able to leave California. It was where I belonged. Where my family was. Even if I never met Billie or Felix or anyone else. I had a home.
My dad always said I should look at the Lunacy Fringe as a teacher. It was never entirely a bad thing. Sometimes it just made terrible things happen. But it undoubtedly acted as a reminder of my humanity. Sometimes I got hurt, and sometimes bad things happened, but I gained something in return each time, just like moving back to California. In the beginning, I was hurt and angry. But I gained my family back.
The only discernible pattern I’d ever noticed about the curse was that it liked to come along when I least expected it. When I was too comfortable or happy, or things were just a little too perfect, it would come along to smack me back to Earth.
So while I finally decided I’d found a home in California, it was also the moment the Lunacy Fringe chose to kick things into gear. My eyes were still closed when I heard Quinn curse. I felt the car lurch and the tires screech. And the next thing I knew with absolute certainty was that I couldn’t breathe.
“What’s that?” he asked. I reached down to pick it up and held it against my chest.
“Nothing. Just some stuff,” I told him.
“Who got it for you?”
“No one.”
“So you stole it?”
“You do know I can buy things for myself, right? That is something I can do as a woman in this century.”
“No, you can’t. You told me this morning that you had no cash.”
“Well, I didn’t steal them. So butt out.”
“Who did?”
“Mind your own business.” He laughed.
“It was Felix, right? I was just trying to get you to admit it.”
“I told him I’d pay him back.” He laughed again, but this time he gripped the steering wheel and nearly threw himself over it.
“Even if you tried, he won’t take the money.”
“Why do you say that?” He scoffed and looked at me.
“I’ve known him almost my entire life. Trust me.”
“Well, then I got free stuff.”
“Score.”
I laughed and put them back down on the floor. Then I leaned back in my seat and shut my eyes. I was smiling, and I hadn’t even noticed it. Sure, I’d been drinking all night, and I missed Detroit. I missed all my friends and my house and even my boyfriend. But that was the moment I realized everything was going to be okay. I did want to go back and see everyone again, but I didn’t think I’d be able to leave California. It was where I belonged. Where my family was. Even if I never met Billie or Felix or anyone else. I had a home.
My dad always said I should look at the Lunacy Fringe as a teacher. It was never entirely a bad thing. Sometimes it just made terrible things happen. But it undoubtedly acted as a reminder of my humanity. Sometimes I got hurt, and sometimes bad things happened, but I gained something in return each time, just like moving back to California. In the beginning, I was hurt and angry. But I gained my family back.
The only discernible pattern I’d ever noticed about the curse was that it liked to come along when I least expected it. When I was too comfortable or happy, or things were just a little too perfect, it would come along to smack me back to Earth.
So while I finally decided I’d found a home in California, it was also the moment the Lunacy Fringe chose to kick things into gear. My eyes were still closed when I heard Quinn curse. I felt the car lurch and the tires screech. And the next thing I knew with absolute certainty was that I couldn’t breathe.