Two in the bush

The lights are on as Jamal finally reaches his place, and he lets himself inside as quickly as possible to escape the cold night air. "Brittany? You home baby?" He calls out, then hears what sounds like shuffling coming from the kitchen. "Hello?" He feels the hair on the back of his neck start to rise before another text pops up on his phone. "Ktchn bb" He sighs before making his way over, only to stop when he sees that his girlfriend isn't alone. Besides her sits her long-time, long distance best friend Hannah, and Jamal smiles.

"Hannah? Well this is a surprise. When did you get here?" The girls smile brightly when they see him, and Brittany nearly explodes in her excited rush to explain.

"She got here this afternoon while you were at work, she's actually in town for a while, and asked if she could stay here for a while." Hannah nods sharply as Jamal leans against the wall.

"I know it's short notice, but you'd really be helping me out if you let me crash here before I have to go back. The prices for hotels around here suck! Please!" Hannah's bubbly voice pleads with Jamal, who laughs and waves her off.

"Don't beg, Han, you know you're welcome here anytime. You can use the spare room, no problem." The girls' cheers and laughter ring out like music to Jamal's ears and he turns to check the fridge.

"Ooh, I see you got something while you were out." Brittany's voice coos from behind him as she snatches the vial from his pocket. Jamal turns quickly, but she's already danced back out of his reach. Both girls eye the potion in a mesmerized daze before Brit asks, "What'd you bring us, hon?" Jamal opens his mouth to answer, but stops himself before he can say anything. Not wanting to admit that he'd bought "a potion from a shady shop he'd never seen before" or that he'd also drank a different one, he shrugs and, without thinking, responds simply.4

"When the rain came down I stopped and waited it out, got a couple drinks... you girls want to split that last one?" They smile and nod, taking sips back and forth between themselves. When the vial is down to the last swallow, the two girls offer it to Jamal, who takes it and looks down into the brew.