I really hope she shows up.

My finger traces the rim of the glass in front of me as I absently stare into the red mix of a drink in it.

I wouldn't blame her if she didn't. I haven't been the best bestie in the world lately. I've been kinda blowing her off for the past few weeks and it wouldn't be surprising if she didn't want to hang out with me because of it. I mean, it is Christmas after all but it isn't like she wouldn't do it.

I stop and pick up the candy cane on the edge, bringing it up to my lips and sucking on it.

What she probably doesn't know is the why. I'm not entirely sure that I know why myself. There's just no way to really explain a lot of the weird things I've been feeling lately. Even though I've had a lot of time to think about it. I mean, the whole Santa thing happened last year and I still don't really know how to deal with it. He told me that I should go after the answers that I want and not be afraid to ask.

But I just can't bring myself to work up the courage to ask. It's been hard, especially with all of the craziness going on with my dad and Archie's trial and going to jail and the weird G&G obsession going around, it's been hard to focus on it all. Not really the best time to blow up our whole lives. But I'm not sure I can put it off any longer.

I look around the speakeasy I own as the Christmas party I threw goes on around me.

Not after that weird girl showed up outside and I got that weird vision. I'm still not exactly sure how that happened but I can't deny that it did, even if I don't understand what it means. That's why I suggested we meet tonight at the party.

I look towards the door but I don't see her so I bring my eyes back to the drink in front of me.

Maybe she saw it to and we can figure it out together. But that only works if she shows up.

"Hey..."

I look up to see her standing there in what I think is the best looking dress I've ever seen her in.

Damn she looks good in that.

She just stares at me with this weird look and I realize I haven't said it back.

"Hey... thanks for coming."

She smiles at me and it gives me this weird feeling.

That's not usually how I feel when she looks at me like that.

"Of course, I'd never miss a chance to see my best friend at her own party."

I am not sure how to feel about that. We're best friends, of course she'd want to come hang with me. But for some reason it bothers me.

I smile before looking to the bar and flagging Reggie from my seat.

"Let me order you a drink. What are you having?"

"What you're having looks pretty good. I'll have that."

Reggie comes up.

"We'll have two more."

"Coming right up."

He heads off back to the bar and I turn my attention to Betty as she sits across from me.

"I'm glad you came."

"I'm glad you called. I haven't heard from you in a while. I was getting worried. How are you holding up since Archie left?"

I take a deep breath.

"I'm okay I guess. I mean, I wish he wasn't so stubborn and he'd just came back but... you know Archie."

"I do."

We fall into a bit of a silence together despite the party.

"Thank you by the way."

"For what?"

"For your help with the whole pentagram thing. I realized I never actually thanked you."

"No problem, I'm just glad I was there to help. Did you ever find out who did it?"

Okay, that could be a good opening.

"No, and somehow I doubt Minetta is going to help me find out more."

"Probably a safe assumption."

Again we fall into a bit of a silence together.

Just bring it up.

"Did you ever find out who that girl was?"

She sighs and I can't help but smile at how cute it is.

"No, but then it's kinda hard when you only have a vague description and that her cat's name is Salem. I talked to a bunch of local vets to see if I could find her but none of them had heard of her."

Okay, now's your chance. Just ask.

"Did you ever figure out what she did to us? Whatever that weird thing was when she touched us?"

"I don't know. It had to be some kind of hallucinogen or something but I've never heard of something so specific. Have you?"

I shake my head.

"No, I mean, I've had weird visions before but this? Usually I have to take something for that to happen. Did you take anything?"

She shakes her head back at me.

"Nope."

"Then what was it?"

"I don't know."

Another silence between us.

"Do you mind if I ask... never mind."

Just ask.

"What?"

She's giving you the perfect opening. Just ask.

"What did you... see?"

She sits back in her chair, clearly uncomfortable with the question.

"You know what? You don't have to say."

That has her lean forward again.

"No, I... I want to talk about it I just..."

Reggie comes back over and interrupts us, making us both sit back.

"Thanks."

"Anything else?"

I look at Betty and she smiles at me but quickly turns her focus to Reggie.

"I'm good."

"I hope you enjoy."

He walks away and we're left in even more silence.

Just put it out there or you'll never know.

I pick up my drink and take a sip and it tastes a little off.

Damn it, these drinks aren't even alcoholic and they still have trouble with them.

I look at Betty across from me as she takes a sip.

"Look, Betty, I..."

She gets a weird look on her face like she's tasted something sour.

"Uh, V, I think Reggie poured us something from an expired batch or something. This really doesn't taste right."

Her too?

"Are you sure?"

She takes another sip and I get an even worse reaction from her.

"Oh yeah... just... wow that's bad."

I take a bigger sip of mine and definitely don't like it.

Oh wow, what is that?

"I thought I tasted something off in this."

I push the drink forward and Betty does the same.

Damn it... I can't have everyone drinking this.

"I'm sorry B, I have to deal with this."

"Totally, I get it V, go."

I get up and make a B-line for the bar with a purpose.

Damn it, I was just about to bring it up and then this happens.

I reach the bar and get his attention.

"Hey..."

He comes over.

"What the hell are you doing? Tell me you're not serving it to the customers."

He looks at me confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The drinks you gave us are off."

Again he gets even more confused.

"Of course they're off, you asked me to make them that way."

What?

"What?"

Reggie pulls out a small jar from behind the counter. It's clear with a red liquid in it. There's a card tag on it attached to a bow around the lid. I look at the tag.

'Give Betty and my drinks a little kick with this when I ask for it will you? - V'

"I didn't leave this."

He looks at me confused.

"It's in your handwriting isn't it?"

He's right. It looks exactly like mine. But there's no way it is.

"Everything okay Ronnie?"

I look at Betty who has come up beside me.

"No, it's not. Someone is playing a sick game with us."

I show Betty the jar.

"What is this? It looks like your handwriting V."

"I know Betty but I swear I didn't write it. Someone left it here and we just drank it."

Betty starts to open the jar.

"Do you know what it was?"

Reggie and I look at each other and he looks as clueless as me. Betty sniffs the open jar.

"Wait, B, maybe you shouldn't..."

"We already drank it V. I don't think there's much more danger we could be in. Besides, neither of us has keeled over yet so it's probably not lethal."

I guess she's right, still...

"We should try and..."

"It smells familiar."

She takes another whiff of it.

"Almost like..."

She pauses and goes kinda whiter than usual.

"What is it Betty?"

"I think it's blood."

Blood? Oh my god... what?

"Like fake blood?"

"The real kind."

Reggie asks the obvious.

"I swear I had no idea. I saw your name on it and thought it was just food coloring for booze or something. Who's blood is it?"

Betty gives him a weird look.

"I don't know. I'm not a blood hound. I just... I've smelled enough of it to know what it feels like."

Oh god... I drank blood like some kind of weird vampire or something.

"What do we do? Do we get our stomachs pumped or something?"

"I don't know that we'll need to but... we should probably call the police or something. This is a lot of blood. If this all came from the same person?"

I get it...

"Someone's probably dead."

Betty puts the lid back on and the jar shifts, giving me a glimpse of something.

"What's that?"

"What?"

"I think there's something in there B."

She pulls the lid off and sticks her hand in, fishing around.

Only she wouldn't give sticking your hand in a jar of blood a second thought. It's part of what I like so much about her.

She pulls out some kind of bag with a piece of paper in it. She opens up the bag and pulls out the note, reading it.

"What does it say?"

"To my OG OTP, B and V. May this cleansing help you find your way to each other."

She pauses for a moment.

"Your Secret Santa"

Someone thinks this is a gift?

"That's just... eww."

"We have to find out who did this V."

What?

"Uh, no we don't. Whoever did this is a sick human being."

"All the more reason to find out. We need to turn them in."

I start to feel like I'm going hurl.

"You wanna do that Betty, go right ahead. I'm going to go investigate the rim of a toilet bowl and throw up."

I don't give her a chance to respond as I speed walk to the bathroom. I push through the bathroom door and into the nearest stall just in time to throw up into the toilet.

Oh god, maybe this is what I get for following the advice of a nut job in a red suit and a random blonde who came out of the woods.