Border, KS

“And then there is the scary red one with yellow circles around the border.” Lacey finally finished her accounting of all the unexplained doors she knew of in Border.

“I think they’re the moon or planets, because it looks like they have phases. And it’s yellow for a reason—I think it might be Venus?” Monica filled in with a shrug. “That one is near a dance club that’s been around since the nineties called ‘Hope’.”

“So that’s five.” Antigone held up a hand as if to demonstrate, all of the fingers extended. “Five spooky doors in town, and no one knows where they go.”

“Because they’re locked.” Siobhan added thoughtfully. “Except when they’re not, and they decide to terrify innocent schoolgirls.” She said, glancing back down in to the school as if she could see from the roof to the basement and the door contained within it.

Lacey snorted and then giggled, and Monica just smirked. “Well kind of. You set a record, Annie—you saw a door open.” The blond girl said with a grin. “We’ve never seen that happen before.”

“Does anyone in town know anything else about them?” Antigone asked curiously, shaking her head. “This town is too freaky and there is too much weird crap going on for me to be the only one who knows about them.”

Monica shrugged. “If there is they aren’t making a big deal about it, so I can’t think of any. It isn’t exactly something you talk about, you know?” She laughs. “I know if I had ever had one of them open for me and take me to hell or whatever, I wouldn’t tell anyone about it afterword.”

Lacey blinked at that, considering the taller girl. “Would you be able to tell anyone if you’d been dragged down to hell? Do Satan’s play-things get cell phones, or do you think Skype works down there?” She asked, and then laughed when she was shoved by her friend. “I’m just trying to think about logistics, you know. My dad’s an attorney, and he says there is a case where a man sued Satan but the judge threw it out because they didn’t know how to get the lawsuit down to him.”

“I’d have thought we had ways of getting people down to serve process,” Siobhan pointed out, “I’m just not sure we know how to get someone back afterword.” They all laughed at that, and then sighed as they considered the school.

“We shouldn’t try to open them.” Siobhan said, drawing a raised eyebrow from Antigone. “I can be sensible from time to time, you know. I’m not saying we’re not going to try, just that we shouldn’t. Someone needs to say it, so that the record can accurately reflect we knew we were being dumb.” She sighed, looking out over the city, and the school bustling beneath them. “At this point we’re just skipping first period, right?”

“Yeah, who needs math, right?” Antigone offered with a little bit of a grin. “Not like we’ll ever use it or anything.” She offered, sighing. “The roof is the oddest place I think I’ve ever ditched.”

Now it was Siobhan’s turn to snort. “You only ditch when you think it’s expected, or you’ll keep up a reputation.” Lacey and Monica both raised eyebrows, and then shared a look as they ran through the record in their heads.

“You know she’s right. You’ve never suggested it, and you’re the one who knows exactly how many days we’ve missed.” Monica pointed out. “So as long as we’re spilling secrets—why?” She asked, her dark eyes peering at Antigone like they could probe the depths of her soul. And Antigone thought that Monica might just be able to, if she put her mind to it.

Antigone glared at Siobhan before she sighed and leaned back, shaking her head and staring up at the sky. “I…” She began before she trailed off. She quirked an eyebrow up and looked at the three of them, as if hoping they would let her get away with just that. When no one said anything else she sighed, and went back to staring at the sky. “I want to fit in, that’s all.” She explained, kicking her legs a little bit. “I never seem to make it, I never seem to get it right. I’m always just a little bit off, always just a little bit weird and on the outside. And I hate it, and I want to make it work this time.”

Lacey laughed at the explanation, smiling at the younger woman who had become a friend and confidante.. “Have you ever thought that maybe there is something to being cool that is effortless? Like…confidence in yourself?”

“Well…maybe, but if you’re too confident then you’re a bitch, and if you’re not confident enough you’re a doormat. So everyone does a balancing act.” She responded. “Or have you never been called a ball buster, Monica?” Antigone asked. When Monica laughed and nodded in confirmation. “Everyone makes the calculations I do. Even people trying to consider how much black to put on without a little bit of color. I’m just more honest about it.” She offered. “At least with my sister. Or I was honest until now.”

Morgan reached over to a squeeze Antigone’s shoulder a little bit. “Yeah, you’re a little bit neurotic about it, but you aren’t wrong. Everybody has to make those kinds of considerations, especially women. But you’ve made at least two friends here, and we like you for the person that you are underneath all the concerns. Kind, and loyal, and quick thinking under pressure. There is a lesson there, although we’re not expecting you to have that much personal development so quickly—have to save something for graduation speeches. Wouldn’t want to take that from you.” They all laughed again and sighed.

“Things are going to be weird and scary for a long time, aren’t they?” Siobhan asked. “I mean even after Dad and Morgan and Tania deal with all of this Faerie crap—do you get the feeling that things can’t possibly get less messed up after that, no matter how it shakes down, just keep getting more weird?”

No one agreed with her outright, but in the companionable silence on the roof that morning, no one spoke up to contradict her either.