Guns and Tiaras - Prologue. Prologue

The clock at the bottom of the computer screen tells me that it's 2am. Looks like I'm pulling another all-nighter. I should really learn to use my time more efficiently. I'm lying on my bed furiously typing an English essay, with Beethoven blaring into my ears. Just 1000 more words and I'm done. Beethoven is suddenly interrupted by my poppy ring tone, I look down at my phone and the caller ID tells me it's one of my best friends, Barbara. We're not really in good terms so I hesitate, but it might be something important so my maternal side tells me to pick up.

"Hey Barb. What's up?" I hear her walking with an urgent pace and the sound of music growing faint with each high heeled step. I'm taken by surprise at first. Barbara hasn't been her old party self in months, it's actually the reason we argued, but putting that aside I smile, relieved that she's getting back to normal.

"Tia I need you to come get me. Some ones following me." she whispers alarmed. The relief drains from me like running water in a sink and I instantly snap to attention. Getting my car keys off the side table I try, in vain, to calm her down.

"OK Barbie calm down, stay in a crowded area I'll be their soon." As I walk out of my apartment I hear her say

"Hurry Tia. Please hur...." Barbara screams and the line turns cold.

My heart beat quickens and I rush down the stairs, the adrenaline kicking in. As I get into my car, I dial Rapunzel's number and she answers on the second ring.

"Hellos!" comes her enthusiastic voice from the other end. I should have known she'd be busy with an assignment too.

"I need you to drop everything you're doing right now Ze." I yell into the phone, too frightened to moderate the volume of my voice.

"OK OK, gee someone kissed the wrong frog. What's wrong Tiana?" she asks.

"Something is wrong with Barbara." I blurt. There's a pause then she asks,

"She's a 19 year old, whose nick name is Barbie because she's a human, pink, disco ball, and only now you realize that something is wrong?" I sigh in frustration and answer

"I mean it Rapunzel. She's in big trouble. She called me to tell me that someone was following her."

"Tia...." She whines. "When are you going to learn that after a few Jell-O Shots the whole world is following her?"

"It's serious. This time Ze." I say as I stop the car at a red light then tell her about the scream. She falls silent and it's almost like I can hear her mood change.

"I know where she is, texting you the address right now. I'll meet you there in 5" she says and hangs up. Her text buzzes in seconds later and I realise that I'm not too far away from the written address. I pull up to the ocean view mansion after a few minutes and put the car in park before turning the engine off. The party is in full motion and the music is deafening. Walking up the driveway, I try my best to avoid the litter that seems to have been purposely spilled on the stone.

As I get closer my stomach fills with an almost tangible sense of dread. I look around for any sign of Barbara and suddenly on the lawn I see it. One of her favorite, pink, sparkly heels. Now the feeling I had that something is wrong becomes a certainty. Barbara would pepper spray a person before she let anything happen to her heels. By looks of the lawn she was dragged away, which means she either put up a fight or was knocked out cold. A million horror movie scenes flash through my mind and I try to calm myself down but it's not working.

"OK Tia, breath. This is real life not 'I know what you did last summer' . Look. See? There's no blood. Chill" I take another deep breath and hear a whistle behind me. Turning around, I see Rapunzel standing behind me, in a leather jacket, a Guns and Roses t-shirt, black skinny jeans and a floral hair band.

"If I didn't already know you I'd think you're crazy, but since I do know you, I know you're crazy." She gives me a knowing smile that makes me rush up to her and hug her. Involuntarily I start to cry and a silenced message passes between us in this moment. Here in this cold driveway, under the falling stars that slowly give way to a new day, with the sounds of teenagers making their biggest mistakes playing in the back ground, we know. We know that our friend, our sister needs us. The question is: where will we find her?