"Are you guys ready?" Marion asked, clapping her hands.
"Yup!" Lily replied, dropping the heavy backpack onto the counter. "I'm going to leave my bag here, Cixi. Bring it with you when you come into work, okay?"
Cixi nodded, still completely overwhelmed by the ambush.
The three girls piled into a waiting taxi. Once they had settled inside, Cixi asked suspiciously, "Where is this other friend you were talking about? Is she coming straight to the club?"
Marion and Lily exchanged a quick side glance that carried a silent agreement before Lily finally confessed, "I lied."
"You did not!" Cixi's eyes narrowed sharply at Lily, disbelief written all over her face.
