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"So what's it been, ten years?" Rita pulls a chair up to their table, banging it loudly on the floor. She settled herself between the two girls, resting her chin on her elbow. "A cup of espresso, please, and that cute cake with a cream rose..." She decisively gives her orders to the waiter, who has recently been doused with tea, immediately forgetting about him as if he was Her Highness's vile serf. "Bills, you look just wonderful! Simply stunning, girl! Long hair is making you so elegant."

Nina is in despair. That feeling came back to her. So many years have passed; she was sure to forget about it for good, but Billy and Rita's first kiss turns out to be forever imprinted in her mind. Nina understands that she herself is to blame for everything: she had to confess her feelings when they were both in their early teens. She could have stolen Billy's first kiss so many times: they were alone a thousand times in a much more romantic setting than a school locker room. Now Nina is powerlessly watching the lively conversation of old school friends.

"Anita Johns is here in town too," Rita says, waving a long spoon like a sword.

"She only gave birth a couple of months ago! I thought she would only post an endless number of photos of her baby on Instagram and an endless number of stories of how she gave birth and what she took with her to the hospital!"

"Do you think the baby will stop her from having fun?" Rita laughs. "She posts everything about her life on YouTube too. I was visiting her two weeks ago. Just imagine, girl, I had to hide together with her parents in the kitchen or at the backyard every time she took out the camera, because she wanted to ask us what we were thinking about her new nursery and her 'amazing' design. Oh my god, it's just a bubbling baby! Give him a boob and put him where he won't fall, and he'll love it! Newborns are not much more interesting than cats. Why do they need all these newfangled gizmos and trinkets?"

"I can imagine how hard it was for you," Billy laughs too, wiping away her tears. "Have you heard about Magda? She has already managed to divorce twice."

"I will never understand these straight women. They always have only divorces on their minds. So I say to her, dear, don't you think it's time to go over to the side of goodness and gayness like me? Believe me, all the problems with men will be solved as if by magic." They both burst into laughter.

Nina is getting a little excited: Billy will talk about their engagement and upcoming wedding, since we are talking about divorces…

Rita pulls out her phone, "Almost all members of our witch sabbath are here." Nina tensed up hearing about the witches from a nonwitch, but looking at Billy's wry smirk and a very pleased one, she realised that Rita was referring to their high school field hockey team. "The girls, with whom you kept in touch, promised to contact you, but you have been traveling somewhere for months."

"I decided to make some time for myself," Billy replies slyly.

"Today we're having a party at Magda's favourite club. She warned us that she wanted to see us all to tell about something important…"

"Maybe she's found someone again, and she is going to love him forever," Billy remarks snidely. Nina looks from one girl to another; It's like they never parted.

"I really hope so, since her last divorce party was with strippers... men," Rita looks like she's about to vomit. Billy is giggling. Nina is in dismay.

"I hope she made up for it with good drinks. I can’t seriously talk about men without alcohol."

"Let's go today, girl, to find out for sure. But I warn you, they will bombard you with questions." Rita Thorn seems to avoid talking to Nina; she never mentioned her private life during the whole conversation. Her gaze is fixed only on Billy. Nina hears Rita's heart fast beating: human’s pupils dilated and the skin flushed.

"With pleasure!" exclaims Billy, and Nina feels despair filling her heart. Nevertheless, all her anger for Thorn doesn’t spill out, instead, there is a strange quietness and silent suffer. Nina has a lot of friends among other shifters. The vast majority of them date other shifters, despite Lev's words about how they all dream of humans and witches. The fear of losing one's animal, obviously, prevails over the desire to possess or obey the witches. Their couples are always passionate and aggressive, especially towards opponents. Nina saw their battles to win the heart of an attractive female. Sometimes, they don’t even transform into animals, which look much more terrible during the duel.

"Give me your phone," Thorn takes Billy's smartphone from the table. "Here's my number. Call me in an hour: I'll text you the address."

"We will definitely come, right Nina?"

Nina wants to object. She would rather have spent this evening in their beautiful hotel room between her fiancée legs.

Thorn forces a smile when looking down at Nina, "This waiter is useless, I ordered a cake with a cream rose, but he brought me a cheesecake. What can you expect from him though: he's just a man."

Nina notices how Billy agrees with her: the corner of blondie’s lips rises in a crooked smile. If it weren't for the danger of revealing her identity, Billy would have told her high school friend about the way she deftly knocked a cup of tea on him.

"Why are you leaving us so soon?" Billy says disappointedly.

Thorn throws money on the table leaving a good tip, "We'll see you in a couple of hours, and then I'll tell you everything: the night promises to be fun! Bye-Bye, dear!" Nina rips her jeans with her fingers when she sees Rita Thorn who kisses Billy on the cheek. "It was nice to meet you, Tina, oh, Nina, I'm sorry. See you!"