April 9, 2021. 15:20. Burnaby.
"C'mon, Jamie!" Erica repeatedly tugged on her best friend's sleeve. Her voice was a playful mix of desperation and excitement. "It's Friday! I've been hyped for this all day!"
Jamie sighed, retracting her arm from the relentless pulling. "No." Her reply was both flat and deadpan. "I was planning to play Tekken tonight."
Rather than giving up, Erica tightly wrapped her arms around Jamie's torso.
"Pleeeeeease?" Erica's cheerful persistence went into overdrive. "It's been a while since we hung out!"
The two of them stood in the corner of a bustling school hallway.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting long shadows across the busy halls. Neatly kept brick walls and spotless floors shaped the atmosphere of a middle-class high school.
Students hurried past Erica and Jamie, eager to rush to their lockers and out the doors. The noise of conversations between friends walking around the building and the honking of carpool rides flooded Erica's ears.
But that didn't matter—she had one goal for that Friday afternoon: to convince Jamie to go shopping with her. And she wouldn't take no for an answer, at least not easily.
Jamie stiffened under Erica's enthusiastic embrace. "Shopping is boring," Jamie muttered, trying to peel Erica off her. "It's all the same."
"You don't mean iiiit," Erica insisted, pouting as she held on tighter. "Besides, it's Metrotown! I'll go to your favourite gaming and anime stores!"
As Erica waited for Jamie's answer, nearby students passed by, waving goodbye to them. Jamie just rolled her eyes while Erica waved back.
Silence lingered between them as Jamie looked at her friend with a mix of disbelief and conflict.
Around them, lockers slammed shut, with laughter and chatter echoing throughout the area. Outside, a faint hum of traffic mixed with the occasional distant shout from the nearby basketball court.
Jamie's nose scrunched in annoyance as she brushed back her straight, shoulder-length black hair. Neither beautiful nor ugly, her face was striking only in its plainness. Of average build and height, she wore a plain white shirt and black sweatpants with little care. The shirt was slightly wrinkled, as if she couldn't be bothered to fix it. Her expression stayed blank, eyes dull—like she was already over the whole situation.
Erica, on the other hand, radiated energy, her eyes bright with a puppy-like innocence as she looked at Jamie. She wore a pleated navy-blue blazer paired with a matching skirt, every fold crisp and deliberate. A vibrant blue bow sat beneath her collar, echoing her lively personality. Glossy black hair framed her face in perfect order, each strand falling neatly into place. Next to Jamie, she looked almost too put-together—a living reminder of just how different they were.
A few seconds passed, and Jamie let out another sigh. She resigned herself to the whims of someone she couldn't refuse forever. "Fine," she said at last. "I'll go."
Erica let out a happy squeal, practically bouncing on her heels. "YES! I knew you'd come around!" She released Jamie and flashed her a triumphant smile. "Okay, okay, go get ready! I'll meet you at the front in ten minutes!"
Grinning to herself, she spun around and jogged toward her locker, waving to groups of friends along the way. Quick conversations popped up as the young socialite zipped past them.
When she arrived at her locker to pack up, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Hm? Curiosity pulled at her, and she took out her phone to find a text. Oh! Dad!
With eager hands, she read the incoming text.
"Be careful, sweetie. There've been rising cases recently in Vancouver. Stay alert."
Erica's smile softened. Her dad's concern was nothing new, but she loved how much he looked out for her. She quickly typed a response.
"Don't worry!! Jamie and I are going to Metrotown to shop. We'll be in Burnaby all day! :D"
A response from her dad came in almost immediately.
"Haha, alright, enjoy your Friday. I'll be at Metrotown later to pick you up. Wanna get dinner together after? Jamie's invited of course."
Erica grinned and typed back. "Sure! See you tonight. I'll let her know <3." She slipped her phone into her pocket and finished packing up, satisfaction lighting her face. After a quick check of her things, she breathed out and headed off to find Jamie again.
As she rounded the corner toward the main doors, a small group of students caught her eye.
They spoke in hushed tones, glancing over their shoulders every few seconds. Their heads were either shaved or hidden beneath beanies, and their baggy, scratchy hoodies hung loosely over thin frames—a mismatched, punkish look.
Ever friendly, Erica lifted a hand and waved. "Hey, guys!" she called out brightly.
The group returned a mix of wary glances and muttered replies. One of them leaned toward another and whispered, not quite quietly enough, "Hide the powder. Cop girl's here."
Erica froze, the words sinking in. What? Her smile faltered for only a heartbeat before she forced it back into place.
The warmth in the air vanished, replaced by a sting that settled deep in her chest. Cop girl.
It wasn't the first time her dad's job as a police officer had turned her into a target for suspicion or awkward jokes. She'd learned to live with it—but that didn't make it any easier.
Isolation pressed down on her, an invisible wall she could never quite break through. She had no intention of befriending anyone mixed up in shady business, but she still wanted to make the most of high school life.
Even so, her loyalty to her dad was unwavering. He'd spent years drilling one rule into her: never get involved in police work for her own safety.
She knew that. Not that it stopped people from assuming otherwise.
Erica narrowed her eyes, her smile fixed even as irritation coiled beneath it. Then she noticed the tattoos—small symbols peeking out from under their sleeves. Melders.
Her father's voice echoed in her head, warning her that the Melders were nothing but trouble. Years on the force had turned them into his constant headache. She could still remember the sleepless nights, wondering if he'd come home safe.
A faint frown tugged at her lips. You assholes.
Just as she was about to react, Jamie appeared beside her, tugging gently at her arm.
"The bus is here." Her voice was as monotone as ever.
Air puffed from Erica's nose in mild frustration, and she pouted. Still, Jamie's quiet tug won out, and she let herself be pulled away, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Oh… right. Thanks," Erica sighed, turning from the stairwell. Together, they headed toward the main doors.
The irritation still lingered, though.
"Those guys are soooo annoying," she muttered, low enough for only Jamie to hear. "Why do they always act like I'm gonna arrest them or something? Ugh!" Her hands waved in the air, sketching impatient shapes.
Jamie nudged her with a raised brow. "Let it go. It's not worth it. You didn't want to deal with them anyway."
"Yeahhhh, you're right." Erica blew out a breath and shook her head, forcing the frustration aside. In an instant, her energy bounced back. She wrapped an arm around Jamie and grinned. "By the way, my dad said there's been an increase in cyberpsychosis cases."
Jamie didn't react outwardly. "Noted. Thanks for the warning." Her tone stayed flat, but Erica had known her long enough to catch the subtle shifts—the faint change in cadence, the flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
"Oh yeah," Jamie added after a moment, "my dad was planning to get dinner with me later. Did you want to join us?"
"Oh! Really? My dad wanted to take us out for dinner too. Maybe we could combine everything?"
"Sure."
"Okie dokieee! I'll let him know!"
They made their way to the bus stop. As they waited, both pulled out their phones. With a lazy flick and a few taps, Erica unlocked hers and sent an emoji of a cartoon character waving enthusiastically.
"Dadddd, Jamie's dad is gonna pick her up at Metrotown later too. Can we all have dinner together?"
The low roar of a bus echoed in the distance, followed by its silhouette turning the corner. Across the lot, sleek black and red Dodge Chargers—tagged with gang insignias and splattered with neon spray paint—rolled in to pick up the Melders.
It wasn't an unusual sight; the neighbourhood had its fair share of gang activity. Erica and Jamie glanced at the cars but didn't comment.
They shared a look, and Erica shrugged. I dunno.
A few minutes later, her phone buzzed with a reply.
"Of course! The more the merrier. I'll see if I can get a reservation going."
Erica beamed and nudged Jamie. "Looks like you're stuck with us for dinner," she teased, poking her in the side.
Jamie shrugged. "Fine by me."
The bus pulled up just in time. The two climbed aboard and took seats near the back. As they rode toward Metrotown, the city drifted by outside—the golden light of late afternoon painting the streets in a warm, sleepy glow.
Can't wait 'til we get there.