The two friends embraced, and laughed self-consciously over how bad both of them must smell. The rest of the group said their goodbyes and Alice’s smile disappeared into a frown when Dana beat her to the driver’s seat of the car.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m driving. I want to get home tonight. Knowing you, it’ll take all night before you find the highway.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Sure you can. We’ll be home in no time.”

“Fine,” Alice grumbled, getting into the passenger’s seat. She would never admit it, but she had been slightly worried about getting lost on the way back.

Tina and Bette’s SUV rolled by with a merry beep-beep of the horn that Dana answered. Dana buckled up and put on Alice’s abandoned cat-eye sunglasses. She turned on the radio and messed with the buttons.

“No country,” Shane warned from the backseat.

“Fine. I’ll try to find an oldies station.”

“Ugh, how can you drive with so much noise?” Alice wanted to know, as Dana cranked the volume up.

“It’s the only way I can drive.”

“Well, whatever. As long as you don’t -”

Alice was too late. Dana had already started to sing along lustily with Diana Ross. Alice’s shoulders sagged and she turned to look at Shane and maybe get backup for her request that Dana didn’t sing the whole way home. To her dismay, Shane was rolling something and joining in the duet with Dana’s cracking voice.

That song finished and before Alice could turn down the volume and protest, she recognized it as one of the Beach Boys songs she had liked as a kid. She found herself singing along with her friends, laughing at how stupid they all sounded, and realizing that Tina had been on to something. Basically anything was bearable with these girls.

So they carried on like that, eventually giving the singing a rest when they made a pit stop Shane insisted on for some greasy fast food. Then they talked and laughed together in a way Alice knew only they could. It was overcast in LA when Dana pulled up at her house and finally handed over Alice’s keys. They had already dropped a giggly Shane off at her place.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“At The Planet.”

“Alright. Bye! Thanks for letting me drive.”

“No problem.”

As she walked up her driveway, Alice realized Dana still had her sunglasses perched on the top of her head. Instead of saying anything, she decided to let Dana keep them. They looked better on her anyway.

Alone again in the silent car, Alice thought it was a little too quiet. She put the radio back on, and found herself singing along with the radio all the way home as fat drops of rain began to pour out of the sky. She just had to smile. I love LA.

                                                                                                    THE END