A Duet of the Soul

Chapter 1: Couches and Killers

*Maria's POV*   
  
"Let's go, Maria! I don't want to be late!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I stepped out into the warm afternoon. A slight breeze brushed by, causing my freshly curled dirty blonde hair to lightly dance across my exposed shoulders. I slipped my hair tie off my wrist and quickly pulled my curls up into a loose ponytail. Fortunately, my black tank top was long enough to cover my stomach even with my arms raised. I took an extra moment to adjust my khaki shorts and black converse. A move designed to annoy my best friend who looked as if she was about to jump out of the truck at any moment to drag me along down the sidewalk to the waiting truck.

Ciara's loud sigh could be heard by all out enjoying the warm afternoon, and a smirk planted itself on my face at her childish behavior. Walking towards the pickup truck, I notice the first signs of fall were starting to set in around us. The once deep green trees had started to turn various shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple. Soon they'd be bare with layers of snow draped across their branches.

Before the long, lonely months of winter set in, my best friend Ciara had decided now was the perfect time to move in with her boyfriend, Carlos. A fresh start in a new season, she had said. Or something like that.

Carlos humored his love by playfully honking the horn of his rusty truck while Ciara leaned out the passenger window waving her arms wildly in the air. "Come on! If we're late he may sell the couch to someone else!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her as I pulled the back door open. "If you keep harassing me, I won't keep helping you move all your heavy furniture."

"Too late now, you're already in the car." Ciara stuck her tongue at me, then laughed as she flipped her long shiny black hair over her shoulder. "Alright, babe, let's get going!"

"Carlos, I don't know how you're going to survive living with someone this crazy."

He let out a chuckle, pulling away from my apartment complex. "David said the same thing to her about me. Guess we'll see which one of us truly is the crazy one now that we're living together."

I let my hand trail out the window, enjoying the warm air flowing through my fingers. "Why is it that we're going to pick up a couch anyways when Carlos already has a perfectly good one in his apartment?"

Carlos reached across to entwine his fingers with Ciara's. "Because someone is obsessed with adding feminine touches to my too manly apartment."

"I'd like to have a place to sit that doesn't have old food rubbed into it or has stuffing coming out the bottom. Besides, David's slept on it so many times that it's rather lumpy now." Ciara turned her head to wink at me. I knew the mischievous look in those dark green eyes.

Ciara had tried to get me to date David ever since she and Carlos hooked up. It made sense to her to have her best friend and his best friend dating, but he's not the one for me. He and I got along fine enough, and I didn't mind hanging out with him when we were spending time together as a group, but there's not that special spark between us. I wanted someone who would make my heart zing and stomach swirl with emotions, and David just wasn't that for me.

Once Ciara turned back to facing forwards, Carlos and I made eye contact in the rearview mirror. I could see the happiness in his hazel eyes, and it made my heart swell knowing my best friend had found her true love. He redirected his sight to the road ahead of us, and gently tugged on Ciara's hand. "Well, when you put it that way, David's fat ass has done quite a number on the couch. Although I really don't think this new, fancy couch will change him on that matter."

The conversation remained light and playful as we drove through downtown. The streets were packed with people shopping and enjoying the pleasant day. I would have preferred walking down to the park near my apartment with my latest library book than helping to move a couch, but I had a soft spot in my heart for Ciara. She and I have been the best of friends since our sophomore year of high school. We graduated together, went to college together, and have shared the ups and downs of the modern dating world together. I would be lost if it weren't for her friendship.