The Homecoming: Book Three of The Psychopath Maker Series

Chapter 24: Crack is Whack but Herbal is Universal

Five to ten in the State Pen. Five to ten in the State Pen. Five to ten in the State Pen.

Isabeth couldn't get the words out of her mind as she prepared the mojitos in Gidget's kitchen. She was committing a serious crime. The vial was heavy in the pocket of her polo dress. A boulder dragging her morality deeper into the muddy trenches. Sullying up her shotty morality that became much clearer after discovering she didn't kill Fulton.

It was just assault. Was an assault for an assault justified in a court of law? She knew Faith and Alex thought so. Deep down she did too but would a court deem it to be? She shook the thought out of her mind knowing if the Good Doctor told a soul what she did to him, her parents would have the best lawyers that money could buy and she'd get off with a plea of temporary insanity.

"Red or white?" Gidget called from the comfort of the white cushioned chair on the patio just mere feet from the spacious kitchen where Isabeth stood.

The O'Malley beach house was an oasis away from the nosey, gossiping eyes of Evening's elites. With the glass doors opened, the patio and kitchen became one room. The whisper of the waves crashing into the shore could faintly be heard under the music streaming from the speaker on the massive ottoman near Gidget's dancing feet. It wasn't a song Isabeth was familiar with but it wasn't her house, she couldn't make the rules concerning genres.

"Hmm." Isabeth set a sprig of mint in one of the glasses trying to decide how to answer her new friend's question.

The City Twin's Sinner and Saints party was in a couple of weeks which meant now was the time to start planning outfits. Isabeth was going to sit this year out but when Gidget brought it up during lunch, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to do the task she didn't want to do.

She didn't know what color she was going to wear but as she dropped two droplets of the concoction The Messenger gave her, she knew she was far from a saint.

"Fire brick," Isabeth said sauntering over to the patio. She handed Gidget the glass with the mint and kept the glass with the lime dangling on the edge for herself. "Shorts."

"So, red?" Gidget set the straw between her pursed lips and pulled. She gagged with disgust and Isabeth stalled over her chair.

"What?"

"There's something wrong with this?" Gidget studied the glass, the murky clear liquid swimming with crushed ice. "Where's the rum?"

Isabeth felt the airflow back into her lungs as she plummeted into the chair with a huff. "We have work tomorrow."

"Virgin mojitos." Gidget frowned at the glass then took another long sip. "That's just unnatural, Isa."

Isabeth flinched at how easily the girl uttered her nickname that only close friends called her but since she was drugging her, she let it slide. It was the least she could do.

"A break from alcohol never killed anyone." Isabeth held up her glass with a sweet smile. It was easy for her to seem like a good girl even when she wasn't.

Gidget swallowed another sip before tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder, "Ginger and lime. It's refreshing." She shook the ice in the almost empty glass before settling her eyes back on the iPad upon her lap. "I'm in love with this dress. Wait! Oh My Gosh!" Her voice with up high and her eyes shot to Isabeth. "You're wearing red! What!!!"

Isabeth stopped pulling on her straw as she sat on the edge of the chair ready to leave, "Not red. Fire brick."

Gidget shrugged peering at her like she was a shiny new toy, "Have you been naughty, Isa." The words were sealed with a yawn, which she covered with her hand.