when love lasts || original story

5. finding you

mia rode her purple bike down the road of key west to the coffee shop to meet up with her friends, she'd gone home to read for a couple hours - if she's honest that's all she'd wanted to do ; she loved the beach & the sea but not all day all the time like her friends did. sometimes mia needed time to herself.

she parked her bike against the side of the white wall of the café before tightening her ponytail and heading past the few tables, they were all empty apart from one occupied by what she'd assume were tourists, they were a group of four teenagers that she'd never seen before.

as mia pushed through the entrance, she caught sight of laila behind the counter with cam.

"hey-" mia furrowed her brows when she saw laila just in her bikini top and denim shorts "what happened to your pink shirt?"

laila sighed "coffee spilled, long story,"

"actually it was pretty quick-" cam stopped when he saw his twin sister give him a glare "uhhh, anyway, my shift ends in five so we can head out after..."

"wait where's zo?" mia asked looking around "i thought she was helping you out?"

cam closed his eyes and ruffled his hair anxiously "yeah, um, i kinda brought up an idea of her taking a boat ride to town-"

"you did what?!" laila and mia questioned simultaneously, raising their eyebrows

laila reached over and smacked her brother in the back of the head

"ow!" he exclaimed, reaching for the spot she hit with her hand

"you're a dumbass," she pointed at him

the boy sighed "i know, guys. i'm an idiot... it just slipped out and then she left,"

"well, where could she have gone? not home... that's the last place she'd go if the boat thing was brought up," mia said matter of factly as she sat on the stool, resting her chin on the palm of her hand

the three thought for a moment before cam had a lightbulb moment, rushing to take his apron off and replacing it with his backpack "i know where she is,"

"wait but what about getting ready for the bonfire—"

"i'll get her and bring her over in time, don't worry." cam reassured them, walking backwards as he spoke "i'll text you when i'm on the way,"

laila and mia shared a look and the curly-haired girl put her hat on "alright, then that's our cue to leave."

mia sighed "i just rode my bike here."

"we can just walk over to mine, that way i can start putting an outfit together for you," laila grinned triumphantly and mia groaned

"what's wrong with what i'm wearing??"

laila looked at her best friend's baby blue floral t-shirt and white shorts with a pair of converse and she bit the inside of her cheek

"not for a bonfire." she said, taking mia by the arm as the two headed out.

laila and mia walked through the now-completely empty tables, heading towards the purple bike when the red-haired girl noticed something shining in the sunlight, bending down to pick it up.

it was a small steel disc, one side painted in a sea green with the initials L.B engraved on it. she had no idea what it was... what does a person need a random metal circle for?

"what's that?" laila asked, leaning over to check it out and mia just shrugged, looking around and noticing a glimpse of black curly hair disappearing around a corner.