“You don’t have to spill to me, ’cause I see you, girl. I know everything you know before you know it. GOAT assistant.”
Kia smiled. “Yeah you are.”
chapter 36
Sullivan sat inthe living room that evening, happy to be showered and away from the ATVs. Kia, Deja, and about a dozen other people were clustered around the kitchen island, eating Kia’s Pop Rocks–crusted bacon caramel corn and talking like revolutionaries. Sullivan picked up her phone and dialed Aubrey’s number. She still had it memorized. A few weeks ago, that might have felt significant. Now Aubrey was just an acquaintance whose number she happened to have, and Sullivan needed a favor.
“Do you have contacts at any environmental protection group?” Sullivan asked after a quick hello. “Someplace who could help stop a development that’s going to destroy an important habitat? Maybe the only habitat for this species?”
“The tree snake,” Aubrey said with so much love and sadness. “Remember when we went looking for one? It was in the fall. It was getting cold. We thought we’d figured out where they might be and we got binoculars?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember.” She almost wished she did so they could have a moment of nostalgia and then get off the phone, but she really didn’t.
“I’m sorry, Sullivan.” Aubrey’s voice broke. “Love Sullivan n Aubs was the worst mistake of my life. I got addicted. People say that now. Social media addiction is like gambling addiction. You get hooked on the endorphins every time a post goes viral.”Aubrey paused. “I know it’s not fair to ask you to forgive me, but I need you to know, I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t hooked. It was like getting a hit of a drug or taking a drag off a cigarette. And when I didn’t get likes or when another influencer got more, I felt this…” She seemed to struggle for words. “It was like,What good am I? I should quit everything. I suck, and there’s nothing I can do about it except make another video. A better one. Funnier. Sexier.And you are so fucking photogenic. How could I not put you online? But I hurt you with my addiction. I used you to make myself feel good. It was wrong.” Aubrey choked back a sob.
Aubrey’s tears elicited only a vague human sympathy. Sullivan didn’t want anyone to be sad… well, maybe everyone who ran Mega Eats. She didn’t want Aubrey to suffer, but she wanted the conversation to jump over this part.
“It’s okay,” Sullivan said. “Um… thanks. Don’t worry about it.” They had more important things to talk about. “Mega Eats wants to cut down the Bois. If we can get someone’s attention, we can get an injunction, get the judge to stop them until we find out if we can protect the land for the tree snake. Do you know anyone who can help?”
“Yes. Yes! Of course.” Aubrey cleared her throat, jumping at the chance to help. Nina would say it was useful to have an ex who was racked with guilt. “I got a job with Portland Metro Conservation.” She hesitated, probably remembering that she’d quit her day job when she started making money online.
“That’s great,” Sullivan said before Aubrey started apologizing again. “So you said you know some people?”
Aubrey started listing off names and organizations.
“I can call all these people today,” Aubrey promised. “And I’ll text you their numbers so you can call them too.”
“Thank you.”
Sullivan was already taking the phone from her ear when Aubrey said, “I went to therapy. I know that doesn’t take away what I did to you. But I worked on myself a lot.”
Sullivan’s attention wandered to the kitchen full of activists. They let out a cheer that Aubrey almost certainly heard on her end.
“I know we can’t… couldn’t just pick up where we were, but would you… would you like to—”
Sullivan could feel Aubrey working up her courage to finish the sentence.
“Go on a date with me? Maybe we could give it another try.”
A really good person wouldn’t have felt a rush of satisfaction as she spoke the next words, but Sullivan wasn’t quite that good.
“Oh, Aubrey, you didn’t hear? I’m married.”
The rally transformed the grange hall parking lot. The weather had cleared and the sky was a perfect shade, shaming every paint chip ever labeledsky blue.
Kia heard one of Deja’s friends explaining, “If Mega Eats shows up, we’re going to do a call-and-response. He cupped his hands around his mouth. I say,Savor local flavor.”
The people around him answered, “Reject Mega Eats!”
Someone walked by with a sign readingMEGA EATS: GREASE IS THE WORD.
Kia had already opened the Diva. Her own face beamed from the LED screen on the side of the truck. The four other food trucks that Kia had invited lined the parking lot: Me’shell’s Soul Food, a Mexican-Thai fusion, a truck called K-Pop Corn Dog, and a classic American burger truck with the nameMAN BUN BURGERSemblazoned on the side. The food truck staff were running around, passing cords and sparking pilot lights. Miss Brenda washelping at Me’shell’s truck. Opal was chopping cilantro at the Mexican-Thai fusion truck, trying to talk the owners into joining the She-Pack. Several people in green tights were fitting themselves into a green snake puppet reminiscent of a Lunar New Year dragon. The White People with Woke Water Bottles were walking around shaking hands. It seemed like every environmental organization in Portland had a booth or spokesperson handing out flyers.
Nina had apologized; she could only stop by for a moment. She had a meeting with a client about tracking down the wealthy absentee mother of his two children and relieving her of several million in past due child support. But Nina had made Sullivan an authorized user on a platinum credit card and told her to buy whatever she needed for the rally. When she’d asked Nina how much she could spend, Nina had looked miffed and said,You don’t have to ask, because I can afford it. With all the support from the community, they didn’t need much, but Sullivan had a screen printing company printSAVE THE SNAKEon a hundred thrift store T-shirts, in the same glittery script as Kia’sLET’S GET GOURMAZING!tees. Kia sported one proudly.
Everyone was taking selfies and live streaming, even Sullivan.
“I have to cook,” Kia said. “But I’ll sneak away when I can for our speech.”
