Barbie: Beyond the Trip

Old Roots bring New Beginnings

**just a heads up, this does have some mention of implied romantic/intimate action, but nothing is in detail...
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"Girl, I am going to miss you!"

Barbie chuckled and leaned in for one last hug from her roommate.

"Same, Brooklyn! You have to let me know what exciting things happen while I'm gone"

Brooklyn laughed and pulled away, "Totally! You know this place: there's always something"

"Have fun with Rafa, too"

"Oh, it's going to be fun!", Brooklyn admitted, smiling at the thought of her friend and his family joining them for Thanksgiving dinner, "I get to meet his Abuela, too. Can't wait to tell you about it"

The time had come for Thanksgiving break. The California transplants get a full eight days, including weekends, to be away from their college classes. Free of class, free of lecture, free of work... and free of worries.

Free from the stress of my everyday life

"We'll see you in eight days!", Daisy waved from the vehicle that Mrs. Simone Roberts was so gracious to escort them to the airport. They had elected to take a flight and leave Ken's car in New York: it gave them more time to be home. A six-hour flight is faster than a three-day drive...

"Have fun! Happy Thanksgiving!", waved Brooklyn in return.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" came the chorus of replies from the four travelers.

And as soon as Barbie, Ken, Daisy, and Nikki buckled up with Simone leading the way, they were off and towards the airport, bound for sunny days and sandy shores and stuffing.

"Ahhh", Nikki sighed, relieved. She slumped into her seat and closed her eyes dreamily, "I can't wait to get home"

"Me either", agreed Ken beside his girlfriend in the middle row, "And I can't wait to get out on the surf"

"Ken", warned Barbie, casting a side-eye smirk at his smiling face, "You still have your cast on"

He grinned crookedly, "I told you, nothing's gonna stop me from riding those waves! Just watch!"

****

CRAAAACK BOOM!

"Uuuunnnless it's a thunderstorm...", he mused depressingly to himself as the plane landed on the tarmac at Los Angeles Airport... right in the middle of a nasty squall that wasn't on their vacation radar.

"Maybe we should have checked the weather report", quipped Daisy as she stared out the window while the wheels touched down.

Barbie smiled anyway, gesturing to the four of them, "That's alright. I'm just happy to be home. Storm or no storm, I plan on having the most relaxing break ever!"

Ken chuckled and gazed down at her from beside him, "And you deserve it". He leaned over and kissed her hair, something she absolutely adored.

They had been together officially for over a year... a year and three months, to be exact. And since they spent the night together in the hotel at the Pennsylvania State Fair, they had grown considerably more physically intimate as a couple.

Nothing too extreme, at least, as far as going the whole way, but definitely way more than they ever had been...

Rounding third base, if you will...

And they both loved it.

At first, they were nervous... They were nervous of making the other person uncomfortable or uneasy, but once they got into the rhythm - no pun intended -, it felt more natural than they'd ever predicted. Sharing each other's company made Barbie and Ken feel unbelievably whole, utterly happy, and completely right in the world...