GB96 - Carla's Way Part 1

“OK. Listen.” You reach out and grab Stef’s hand. “Stef. What if there was a way to do this that didn’t end with you getting shot or going to prison?”

Stef stares across the table at you. “What are you thinking I’m planning to do?”

“I don’t know. Kick in their door and shoot them,” you reply, looking meaningfully at the guns.

“I don’t have a plan yet.”

“OK, good. Great.” If she doesn’t have a plan, there’s nothing for you to talk her out of. You can make the plan together. “Let me help.”

Stef lets out a snort of laughter, slouching in her chair. “Sure. Help.”

“What do you want from these guys?”

She looks up to see if you’re serious. You hold her gaze. Stef rolls her eyes.

“I don’t want to see these guys again. I want them gone.” She drums her fingers on the table. “I want it to hurt.”

You had a feeling that was coming. Hurting these people won’t help. Not really. But you can’t hope to fight Stef, only to influence her.

“OK,” you say. “We can do that. We can find a way. Can you promise me not to do anything stupid?”

“No.”

You groan. “Can you promise me not to do anything stupid today?”

“I guess. Have you seen Ellen?”

“No. She’s probably planning **** against you like we’re planning for those bikers.”

“I feel bad about that. I heard that Nadia’s acting like Ellen doesn’t even exist.”

You sigh and lean on the table. “I don’t know. I don’t think Ellen was ever going to get Nadia out of the closet. If we’re being honest.”

“She believed it.”

“I know she did. But Nadia and Mary are both planning to go to law school. They aren’t going to change those plans for some dick.”

“I know.” Stef lets out a long sigh.

You listen to the frogs in the swamp and the creaking of the fan blowing hot air on you both. The smell of motor oil mingles with the smell of stagnant water. You’re used to it.

“They’re a lot smarter than us, huh?” Stef says finally.

You gaze across the table at her. She’s right. Stef is your best friend. She’s not the only one who’s made bad decisions lately. You’re the smart one, but even you have blind spots.

“They’re planning to be lawyers and we’re planning to shoot some bikers,” Stef snorts. It sounds like she wants to cry. “What happened?”

“We aren’t shooting anyone. And that’s the other thing.”

“What other thing?”

You take a deep breath. “This plan. We can do this because these guys deserve it. That’s fine. But then what? We need a future, Stef.”

Stef looks sadly at the garage. “It won’t be here.”