Ash

"Come on..." Zaharah paced from the back of the bathroom to the front and pressed her head against the cool metal door. Dwight's avi pulsed on the screen, a tiny phone headset shaking over it. "Pick up." Dwight's voicemail picked up instead of him. "Damn it." She checked the messenger again, but he hadn't responded to or seen the three messages she'd sent. Even when the lab got busy, he still found time to respond to her; he must be up to his dreadlocks in chaos.

She paced back to the mirrors and winced at her reflection. Her eyes held the cold vacancy of death, no soul to light the black brown irises. She turned her attention back to her screen, where her harrowed face couldn't stare back at her.

By the time they left the rushout, it would be late and she would be too tired to ride to the lab and chores would take up most of the morning tomorrow, which meant she couldn't see Dwight until—

Noise from outside the bathroom cut into her thoughts.

"The fuck? It's locked." Someone banged on the door. "Hey! Other people out here have to piss."

Zaharah pocketed the pin and unlocked the door.

Beyond the threshold stood a guy wearing a scowl and the scent of white noise. And by judging his bloodshot eyes, he'd smoked that garbage recently. He shoulder checked Zaharah as he pushed his way into the bathroom.

She turned her attention to his two companions to stop herself from doing something stupid. The first, another guy who was not high as far as she could see. Both he and the mechpet cat on his head had eyes on his phone. The second, a woman sparkling like a neon disco ball in her glittery dress and striped tights. The very tights she wanted to sacrifice her first born to, and they looked even better up close.

Pharahdox looked better up close, too. Shorter than she'd appeared on stage, with a round face and pouty full lips. She toyed with a curl that had escaped her pink puff and frown at Zaharah. "Sorry, we didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's fine." Zaharah brushed by them and crossed the hall to the skybox.

No one paced the floor or wrung their hands, despite her being gone for longer than promised. Jade lounged in front of the windows, and Markus stood in a corner with Director Sanders. They hadn't noticed her yet, and if fate favoured her, she would remain invisible for the rest of the night. She needed to eat and having food in her mouth meant not having to talk to anyone.

The buffet beckoned to her with the scents of fresh seafood, none of which she could eat. She grabbed a plate and perused the vegan options, stuffed mushrooms, vegan wraps made with fake meat the health nuts in the lab swore by. The conch salad's citrus scent ran across her nose, and her stomach whined. Damn this stupid new diet.

"Hey." A hand landed on her shoulder and she startled, the plate nigh slipping from her grip.

"Can you all stop doing that please? I'm gonna have a heart attack."

"Sorry." Demarkus gazed down at her with a sheepish smile. "You good?"

"Yeah," she stacked her plate with some stuffed mushrooms and wraps. "It was just some school stuff, sorting out my digital portfolio."

"Well, if you ever need to talk about school stuff." He lowered his voice. "Or anything else. I'm here."

"Sure. Great. Thanks." She left him with the food and made a break for the bar. Only one thing could get her through the rest of tonight without having a mental breakdown in front of everyone. Maybe. She sat on a stool and waved the android barkeep over. "Pina colada daiquiri please, the biggest one you can make."

"Leaded or unleaded?" he asked.

"Leaded." She didn't drink much, but Cammi and Dwight were testing her limits and her patience. A little alcohol would take the edge off, maybe make her less suspicious and get Markus and Jade off her back too.

The bartender whipped up her beverage and topped it off with a metal straw and a pineapple wedge. "Here you are ma'am."

Zaharah took a sip, savoured the thick creamy consistency, and then the rum punched her in the back of the throat. Bless this android's heart, he understood. She took her food and drink to the windows and plopped down next to Jade.

Skorpi skittered from her head to the armrest and beeped at Zaharah with his pincers held up like a toddler beckoning to their mum. One of his eyes turned red.

"Why didn't you charge before we left the house." He dropped his pincers, eyes downcast. "All right. Come here." She popped the panel on her arm and blew on the ports underneath. A plume of dust swirled up in her face, reminding her that it was past time she took her arm apart and cleaned it. "Alright Sk—"

The light caught shimmering gold letters just above the charging port. A tiny logo, two C's, one inside the other. Intriguing indeed. She offered her arm to Skorpi. "I need a favour." While he jacked into her arm, she pulled out her phone and brought up Cammi's messages. "Save this conversation and phone number."

Skorpi answered with a beep and his eyes flickered blue and green. If this was a game Cammi was playing, she needed to keep track of all this information, to maintain as much control over this situation as she could. Which wasn't much, but better than wringing her hands and speculating.

Jade tapped her on the shoulder. Everything good?

"Yeah. Sorry I was gone for so long." She popped a whole stuffed mushroom in her mouth. It was serviceable, but her mind kept going back to the conch salad. If she ate any of it, the indigestion and heartburn would keep her up all night.

I'm not carrying you on my back. She pointed to the daiquiri.

Zaharah rolled her eyes. "I can hold my liquor, thank you."

The parade dragged on, and the shallower her drink got, the brighter the colours became. The blues and greens and blacks blended together, goat skin drums beat in time to her heart and the brass screamed in her ears. Her worry melted away, and she sank into a rum induced euphoria—a bliss broken by the shouting at the door.

It wouldn't be Junkanoo without some unruly people ruining the experience. Zaharah threw a look over her shoulder. Eau de White Noise waltzed into the skybox with Pharahdox and mechpet guy in tow. He gave the Director a shit-eating grin, one that made his face ten times more punchable.

"Pharah, excellent performance as always," Director Sanders said.

Zaharah resisted the urge to gag, and turned back to find Jade sunken into her seat with her knees to her chest, eyes wide and lips pressed together. She arched her brows. She hadn't seen Jade this scared since she lost her stuffed shark in the mall when she was four. "Aren't you going to ask for an autograph?"

Are you stupid? she signed. Do you see how raggedy I look and how gorgeous she looks? I can't stand next to her. We shouldn't be in the same room.

Zaharah looked over her shoulder at Pharah – hands flying about as she spoke with the Director. The pink hair complimented the warm tones in her skin, and the sparkly dress fit to her curves like a dream. The girl was glowing as bright as her neon tights, and Zaharah was here for it. "Yeah, she's fine as fuck." That earned her a smack upside the head.

Stop it, Zaharah. I swear if you embarrass me, I'll throw monkey tamarind in your bed.

"Fine. I'll stay over here." She picked up her drink and frowned at the bottom of the glass. Another full cup would land her in the hospital, but a shot would get her light buzz to a level where tolerate being outside the comfort of her bed. Or make her break down in tears; it could go either way. Mechpet guy sat at the bar with Demarkus, and she didn't feel like socialising. The light buzz would have to suffice.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet," Director Sanders said. "Jade, could look here a moment?"

Jade grimaced and looked at Zaharah with puppy dog eyes, but only got a shrug in return. Big sister powers weren't enough to save her from Director Sanders; that woman was too powerful. She rose from her seat with robotic movements that put Skorpi to shame and shuffled to the Director's side. Zaharah set her eyes on the parade but kept her ears on the conversation.

"Pharah, this is Jade Devereaux. Jade, DJ Pharahdox."

"Nice to meet you. The Director told me you're a huge fan." A few seconds of silence ensued.

"Is she deaf or something?" the junkie asked.

Zaharah spun in her seat, protective big sister instincts kicking in. Her fingers clicked as she balled her metal arm into a fist, though Skorpi threw off the threatening vibe with his cuteness. "Non-verbal," she said, louder than was necessary. "Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all," Pharah stepped in front of the guy, hands up in defence. "Don't mind him. He plays too much." She looked over her shoulder at him. "Devin, can you grab me a raddler from the bar?"

Devin kissed his teeth and headed for the bar, but not before shooting Zaharah a dirty look. She gave him her middle finger, the metal one for extra style points. Of course his name was Devin—a douchebag name if she'd ever heard one.

"So what was it you were saying Jade?" Pharah asked, drawing the attention back to her – easy for her with her good looks and sparkly, disco ball charm.

"She asked if you could sign her shirt," the Director said.

"I'll do you one better." She took her horns off and offered them up. "They already have my signature."

Jade marvelled at the hunk of wood like she was a devout Christian and Jesus had just given her his crown of thorns. Thank you.

Director Sanders cleared her throat. "Pharah, I don't think you've met Zaharah, Jade's sister." She fixed Zaharah with the kind of look a parent would give their child when they acted out in public.

"We bumped into each other in the hallway." Pharah plastered on another cheesy pop star smile. "But it's nice to know your name."

The whole bubbly vibe left a bad taste in Zaharah's mouth. Or maybe it was the alcohol. "Are you always like this? Or only when you have to meet fans?"

Her smile faltered, and she breathed a laugh. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Pharah, weren't you looking for an artist to help with your new logo?" The Director cut in, playing interference once again. "Zaharah is brilliant. She did the piece in my office."

"Shop's closed," Zaharah said. "I have exams and homework and a bunch of other school stuff to catch up on. No time for commissions."

Jade gave her a look that could freeze over the atlantic.

"But I think I could squeeze you in if you're willing to be patient."

"Oh it's no rush," Pharah said. "We can exchange information and go from there."

I'll give her your info, Z. Jade pulled out her phone, grinning from ear-to-ear. Traitor. She wasn't above using her big sister as an excuse to see more of her favoutrite DJ, but Zaharah couldn't deny her anything.

And she wouldn't mind seeing more of Pharahdox, too.