The Tale We Lived

Chapter 1: Part 2

Carina appreciated her surroundings, cocking her head back, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of wet pavement, until they reached 8090 Fordibrim Avenue. Naya was already sitting on her front porch when they arrived. A grin spread over her face when she spotted them and she leaped to her feet and jogged over, pointing all the while, to her hair. She had got it cut so that her wild dark curls fell a little below her ears.

"What do you think?" she cried, striking a few poses for them, "I got it cut like Rose's down at the cafe. Oh, I think it looks so sophisticated."

"I do too." Carina said in awe, "Is this because we're starting MAAS?"

Naya nodded enthusiastically, as Syren fixed her fringe for her.

"I've prepared my outfit from a week before and have changed it about four times since then, but of course it's not done until I have Syren's say. What are you two going to wear?"

She fixed herself behind Carina, and they took off once more.

"I'll show you my outfit once we get to my house." Syren shouted over the wind.

"Hey, do you want to go to Bailee's for a while?" Carina asked.

Naya shrugged.

"Yeah, why not?"

"That was the plan originally." Syren explained to her, "I'm sure everybody is going to be there, but then this one told me that she's grounded and she's snuck out—"

"I've been grounded for a week, Naya knows already."

Syren had just returned yesterday night from two weeks in Uthelisia, 'the origin of fashion' as people liked to call it; Carina only knew all the girls would be fawning over her now. Scarlett, her other best friend, meanwhile, had been left only a week ago for her four month cruise tour of the Madriss Islands, but Carina already missed her terribly.

"Ooh!" Naya squealed as the first few raindrops began to fall.

"Did you bring the umbrella?" Syren asked.

"Oops."

"Yo—"

"So anyway," Carina turned to Naya, "I'm thinking I should wear my black skirt with my pink blouse that I got on Saturday. I could maybe braid my hair back and call it a look?"

"No, definitely leave your hair open and what you want to do is wear your peach top that your mom hates. I think, I don't know, ask Syren..."

They continued to discuss outfits as they made their way over to Bailee's, but the rain began to pour at an exponential rate, and soon, it was too much for Syren, or any of them to even see clearly. It also got chilly as the wind picked up, and Carina was grateful for her coat.

"I can't— splgh— drive any further!" Syren spluttered over the rain.

Carina cowered back against Naya, sheepishly.

"You want me to go look for an umbrella?" she squeaked.

"Oh hey, what do you think?"

Carina looked around her at the seemingly empty road they had stopped on. She tried to ignore the white objects in the distance, pretending she didn't notice them.

"Well, where even are we?" she asked, scanning the trees.

Naya pointed ahead at the same blurry, white objects at the side of the road.

"Trailers." she said, "Stevie and the gang's trailers."

"You want me to ask Stevie for an umbrella?"