Chapter 100

Jojo: Nothing surprised me and made me feel elated more than seeing the girls at the restaurant. It was like a life-changing moment for me. Knowing that there were people besides Mel and Valerie - my family - who loved, and supported me made my heart melt with so many emotions I could not even begin to describe. Ashley made sure that they closed down the restaurant and in no time, we were seated around a table, drinking and laughing ourselves to stupor. Only Brandy had excused herself from the group, saying she had somewhere to be. They bade her their drunken farewells while I stayed quiet and watched her walk out of the diner. "We should order another bottle of champagne!" Ashley cried out, throwing both her hands into the air. I chuckled and looked away from her, focusing my eyes on Hadley and Zelda who had their heads flat against the wooden surface of the table. Their eyes were closed and they muttered inaudible words to themselves. Mel staggered up to pick the bottles from the tab