Raven cackled.“He apologized to that cow for stepping on clover.I would watch ten episodes of that.”
Bell bumped my shoulder.“Don’t worry.The cameras don’t care about us.And if we do get one of the camera guys chasing us later, we’ll just throw pie at them.”
“Please don’t throw pie,” Mayra said, and passed me a second quiche.“But I support the sentiment.”
“Okay, assignments,” Alice said, and snapped us back into order with kindergarten-teacher dominance.“Me and Karmen: décor.No glitter.”
“Biodegradable glitter,” Karmen countered.
“No glitter,” Eden repeated, eyes like lasers.
“Fine,” Karmen sighed.“Metallic confetti in cow print.”
Eden opened her mouth.Closed it.“We’ll… r-r-revisit that.”
“Carnie, Wren, Mayra: menu,” Alice continued.“Make it over the top delicious, but keep Fox away from the spice level.Last time he made us all cry into our empanadas.”
“Hydration station,” Nikki said, and pointed to Karmen to write it down.“Cucumber water, lemonade, and that hibiscus thing Eden likes.I can handle that.”
“Thank you,” Eden said softly, and peeled the paper off her quiche like it was a delicious delicacy.
“Cora and Raven: seating plan,” Alice said.“Make it flow.Remember who can’t be near who.”
Raven cracked her knuckles.“Ah, the delicate art of separating chaos vectors.Penny and Bay opposite corners?”
“Bay next to Carnie so she’s forced to eat a vegetable,” Cora added.
“Bell and Clove,” Alice pointed with the pen, “games and favors.No glitter.No nacho bath.”
Bell deflated.“You hate fun.”
“I love not having to mop fun off a ceiling,” Alice said.
Mom chimed in, and squeezed my shoulder.“We can handle the flowers.”
“Done,” I said, trying not to picture myself on camera with a bouquet and reality-TV text under my name:ADLEY, Recently Deceased By Social Club Shift.
“Question,” Eden said with her hand up like she was in class.“Can we not have a t-t-throne?Last time a ‘guest of honor’ chair appeared, C-C-Cole zip-tied the person to it mid-speech.”
“Noted,” Karmen said, and we all nodded because yes, that had absolutely happened.
A soft beep sounded from somewhere above, the cameras marking something, maybe.I caught myself tightening again, then a paper ball bounced off my shoulder.I turned to see Raven with her hands up in a mock-surrender pose.
“Camera therapy,” she said.“If you look too serious, we lose our brand.”
“What is our brand?”I asked.
“Unhinged but lovable,” Cora said smoothly.
“‘Girl Gang: We Will Feed You And Be Crazy,’” Wren added.
“‘No Glitter, No Cheese Baths, High Probability of Cows,’” Bell sang.
“Put that on a shirt,” Calla said.
“Already did,” Karmen muttered, while writing it at the bottom of the flip chart like she was designing merch in real time.
A door clicked and Mac appeared in the hallway, headset dangling around her neck, and clipboard in hand.She clocked the quiche tray, the flip chart, and Alice’s growing pile of cow-print sketches.
