Through the clatter of chains and the heavy thuds of passing munitions, Gladys tried to concentrate on the task at hand but her mind was straying to the excitement of her own private mission.
The natter of women working around her made the perfect back drop for a day dream.
Betty walked past the brunet, a tiny bubble of excitement filled her limbs in a buzz.
"Hey" Betty tapped Gladys's left shoulder but approached from the right. Their conversation was rushed due to the hawk eyes that watched them from the side lines.
"We'll go as soon as we get off here" Gladys spoke through a smile. Betty nodded and walked off, this was really happening.
Why was it happening? Real life was never filled with adventures.
Betty stood in the winter chill, the wind tugged at her trousers and her coat. As the workers strode past her, she remained still, waiting.
Guarding her cigarette with her hand, she took a steady drag.
"All set" Gladys skipped up to her, taking in the blonds roaming eyes, she felt a small smile creep upon her lips.
"I got us a car" Gladys pulled on Betty's coat lapels, straightening them much like mother does with a stubborn child.
"A car?" Betty puffed out her smoke.
"Got it from Daddy"
"Ha! Typical, Princess, do you know how to drive a car?"
"No... but I've been studying how Daddy and James drive, I'm sure I can pick it up" Gladys looked sad for a second at the mention of James.
"Better to die at the hand of someone I know" Betty smirked and stubbed out her cigarette.
"Nice to know you have confidence in me"
"Always" Betty winked at Gladys and the pair walked from the yard of the factory.
Gladys's heals clicked upon the pavement with a grace few women possessed.
"How tall are those things?" Betty glanced back over her shoulder and chuckled. Gladys looked back too.
"Not that tall"
"Really, the foot between us begs to differ" Betty knelt slightly while still walking and soon rose back to their similar height.
"Oh shh" Gladys shoved her arm playfully.
"Where is this car then Princess?"
"Not far" Gladys placed her hands in her pockets to warm them. Betty noticed this and sighed out into the chilled air.
"So" Gladys started. "Is it... fun, liking women I mean"
"What?" Betty did a double take.
"Well, you know a girl can't help but be a tad curious about it"
"Oh, so you've tried to go there?" Betty laughed.
"No, never, but I have wondered about it"
"It's not fun, no" Betty wrapped her coat tighter around her body. "In fact, I hate myself becouse of it"
"Really?"
"Well yeah, I mean, I can't go have all the dandy times men and women have can I?"
"I suppose not... but can't you tell if another woman is well..."
"We're not unicorns" Betty scoffed.
"I didn't say anything about unicorns" Gladys laughed airily.
"You're sure makin' me out to be as rare and weird as one"
"Unicorns" Gladys giggled and shook her head. "Where do you think from? You are so queer at times"
Betty shrugged.
Where did she think from?
It certainly wasn't from her heart at this moment in time.
"You know, I think a unicorn is more likely to show up than your car Princess"
"It's just around this corner" Gladys rolled her eyes, still laughing.
"Then what? A mystical leprechaun will drive us around?"
Gladys pulled out a set of keys from her pocket and in sure time, they stood in front of a maroon Nash Cabriolet.
"Nice" Betty didn't expect anything less from this girl.
"Ready?" Gladys opened up the car and climbed into the drivers seat. Betty got into the passenger seat and shut the door.
"I can't believe you dragged me into this"
"I'm being helpful... now, we'll start south of town, then work our way around this place until we've got her"
Betty stayed silent. Her mind wondered to a distant, but cruel memory.
"Is this your security report?"
"Please Betty don't look"
"Kate, you need this to work"
"...It's not real"
"Why?"
"Because Kate Andrews doesn't exist"
"How'd you get your other papers?"
"My Mother helped me buy false ones, but no security report, there too hard to forge they've got these seals and water marks... if my father finds me, he'll make sure I can never leave again"
Betty was pulled out of the memory with the scream of a passing car horn.
"Look out for a damn crazy preacher" Betty mumbled bitterly as the car roared to life.
"I'll keep that in mind" Gladys looked triumphant in the success of starting the car up.
Gladys drove a few meters before stalling it.
Their bodies jerked like flies in a shaken match box.
"Jesus!" Betty gasped and Gladys gave a breathy laugh.
"I'll get the hang of it"
"You better! I don't wanna end up with my face in the dash board"
The trundle of the cars engine sounded through the streets of Toronto.
Gladys had returned to their previous topic.
"How do you exactly...erm... do...have,erm, with a girl?"
"You wont quit will you?" Betty had her chin resting on her hand propped up against the window.
"I'm just curious"
"Apparently" Betty looked at her then back out of the window. "You ever slipped a peek into yourself?"
"What?" Gladys gasped, a crimson blush flushed her cheeks, she nearly slammed the breaks on. Betty chuckled deeply.
"From your brilliant tomato impression, I'm thinkin' yeah, you have, you just do that"
"Oh"
A silence fell between them until Gladys began to laugh at it, Betty smirked and began to laugh too.
"It's just so... well, strange"
"You're tellin' me" Betty chuckled.
"How did you know?"
"Know?"
"Yeah, how did you know you liked women?"
Betty had been trying to fathom the root herself of it all of late.
"I dunno"
"You must!"
"Well I don't Princess"
"It's a strange thing love" Gladys's voice trailed off as if she'd submerged herself in a day dream.
"It's damn painful"
"I agree... but we either move on or still stand and fight" Gladys seemed to reassure herself with the fact.
"Where do you think a preacher would bible bash?"
"The recruitment centres or near shops" Gladys nodded as she spoke.
"Then that's the place to start" Betty felt her heart begin to hammer and her head spin, they were doing this, they were really going to look for Kate. It was just the fact that'd she'd have to face her again that sent her stomach churning.
"Kate Andrews doesn't exist"
Gladys parked down a back alley and the two women got out of the car to face the winter evening.
"Shops?" Gladys began at a fast pace.
"Of course, where else would you look" Betty rolled her eyes and followed her.
The pair walked down the high street, Betty strode on, only stopping to whistle Gladys as she stopped to window shop.
"Come on, this was your idea" Betty called out, her breath showed up in white tendrils in the air.
"Oh, sorry, it's a habit" Gladys admitted shyly and her heals clicked loudly as she teetered to catch up.
"Look for the most crowded place?" Betty slunk her hands into her pockets.
"That's the best bet" Gladys sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the display of shoes that had caught her ever needy eye.
"That's what you do isn't it" Betty caught the brunets glance back.
"Do what?" her voice was timid.
"You shop, you get the material things to fill the space..."
Gladys bit on her lip and quickened her pace, to ignore Betty's comment. She had no idea Betty could see her like that, yet again, Betty was a hard egg to crack, so to speak.
"You're waiting for the right guy, ain't you Princess"
Gladys stopped and turned to Betty, a few passers by gave the pair stares but knew it was nothing to pry on.
"James is the one" she spoke through a flurry. "James, is the one..." Gladys seemed to try and convince herself the second time.
Betty shrugged, brushing off her mistake but not entirely forgetting it.
The two women walked into the thick of the crowd.
Betty turned to Gladys with an unimpressed stare."It sure doesn't sound like gospel"
Upon hearing a male voice in lead vocal, the both women moved on.
"So what will we do if you find the preacher?" Gladys asked, rooting through her purse.
"I thought this was your plan Princess" Betty to the irritated look upon her features and sighed. "We'll follow him"
"Gosh, won't he guess?"
"Not if we're careful, we work in a munitions factory, we live to be careful"
Gladys nodded along with her words and they both headed towards the lighter populated side of the street.
"Where to?" Betty looked at the brunet expectantly.
Gladys looked around, trying to search for a direction as if waiting for a calling.
"Down there, there is a recruitment centre there I'm sure of it"
Betty was already walking by the time Gladys registered her pace.
"Won't you ever wait?" Gladys called in the frosty air.