“Ash, um, you might wanna slow down, you’re getting all jittery.”

She grinned behind the lip of the can and sucked the last of the liquid from the can’s bottom. Just when Dodger thought she would pull another can from her bag, Ash pulled out a piece of paper and stared at it intently.

Dodger closed the gap between them, trying to read what it said despite the poor lighting. A name jumped from the page and Dodger regarded Ash curiously, as though he had just now figured her out for the first time.

“Are you serious, Ash? Dennison’s party?”

Ashley held the flyer above her head with both hands and began to walk seductively around the merry-go-round like she was at a boxing match in her bikini announcing to the crowd it was time for Round 3. She stumbled briefly, but recovered gracefully…or so Dodger would tell Ashley.

“Oh yes, D," she slurred seductively, still in character, "Aiden’s party. THE party. We are going to go. You and me. Tonight. You’re picking me up at eight…providing I can figure this hair thing out within 3 hours.”

A loud squawk erupted from above them. Ashley glanced up to see a large blackbird gliding over the trees towards the school. Suddenly, a loud thump struck the flyer with such force, it was knocked from Ashley’s hands.

The two glanced up in unison. Both heads followed an invisible path back down to the flyer that lay in the sand. As their shoulder’s touched, the two friends squatted down and admired the huge pile of gray and white bird shit that had strategically placed itself on top of Aiden’s supermodel face.

Dodger poked at the liquid mass with a tiny twig while Ashley downed another can, crushing it on her forehead and throwing backwards over her shoulder.

Crickets surrounded the two like hidden ninja assassins; able to be in twelve places at once. Ash opened her mouth wide, and pushed out air, her breath visible in the cold night air.

“Tonight will be monumental, my dear Dodger.”

“…I just hope your hair turns out okay. Remember, ‘Autumn Sunrise,’ okay?”

Ash let out a tiny giggle, and squeezed Dodger’s cold fingers.

“No problem…and by the way, stop buying me regular soda, okay? I feel like I wanna run around the block a whole bunch of times.”

Dodger squeezed her hand back and let out a low laugh…”yah, okay.”