Good morning, darlings! It broke my heart yesterday to hear the way we were all impacted last year. There is no easy answer to this pandemic, but I hope that this little story will at least bring a smile to your face.

Thank you so much to my beta, Fran S. Sunflower as well as my pre-reader, DaniDarlingxx.

Day 5: March 17, 2020

Alice

11:38 PDT

Los Angeles, California

"Did you guys see this update from W.H.O?"

Bella looks up at me from where she's sprawled out on the sofa. "Last week, none of us knew there was a World Health Organization," she grumps. "Now we don't fucking shut up about it."

I ignore her, shifting on the sofa to read the update out loud. The boys are back at their house, gathering the last of their things while Bella, Rose, and I try to get homework done. None of us has gone near schoolwork in the last two hours.

"The numbers are up," I tell them, looking down at my phone. "Reports are coming in from-"

Bella cuts me off. "Ali, stop. I don't care," she groans. Rose and I look at her. "I know there is bad shit, but I feel like it's the only thing we've talked about for days. I'm sick of it."

I look at Rose. I know she's following the whole thing pretty closely. She's interested in the science coming out, but she doesn't back either of us up.

I frown and shut off my phone. "Fine," I agree, settling back in my chair. "What do you propose we do?"

Bella glances at me. She's been wearing her glasses for days, and her hair is gross. It's taken her almost no time to stop caring about her appearance.

"It's St. Patrick's Day," she says, tapping her phone against her thigh. "Let's get drunk."

"It's not even noon," Rose points out. Bella looks at her.

"So? What have we got going on?"

She's got a point, and Rose looks at me with a light shrug. I sigh and pull my phone open again, shooting off a text to Jasper to stop for more beer.

Does anyone remember the last two St. Patrick's Days? At least in the US, I believe they were still nightmarish events of people gathering. Yikes!

Poor kids are going stir crazy on day 5, though I can't blame them. In the early days, not many of us had developed the stamina for avoiding cabin fever like we've had to since.

See you loves tomorrow for some more St. Patrick's Day tomfoolery.