It was a carousel. Cassie had read about them in the books she owned, dreaming of seeing one in person for as long as she could remember. They where described so beautifully and looked even better up close. Ellie was just as shocked as the blonde (maybe a bit less) but was quick to follow as Cassie stepped onto the ride.
Riley walked over to the operating table and switched it on, the ride started slowly spinning as Cassie stood stunned. The pretty yellow lights reflecting in her eyes. The girl walked around, dragging her fingers gently over the crevasses in the poles and tracing the patterns on the horses. She stood still, looking out towards the mall and watched it all pass by slowly.
"you know, if you dont close your mouth a little puddle of drool is gonna start forming on the floor" Riley warned Ellie with a whisper, the two girls seated on the horses. Ellie couldn't help it, the side of her head resting against the pole as she watched the lights reflect off Cassie's eyes. She watched as cassie wiped a tuff of curly hair out of her face and behind her ear, wishing desperately that it could be her doing that.
"i dont know what your talking about" Ellie turned to Riley, subconsciously wiping the sides of her mouth in panic
"im messing with you Ellie but maybe be more discreet about your crush. This is the third time ive caught you staring in the past thirty minutes" Riley shook her head, a smile growing on her face
"a cr- i dont have a crush. what the fuck" The shirt brunette looked away from her friend, eyes stopping on Cassie's figure for a second too long.
Cassie let out a sigh and slowly walked back to her friends, leaning on the pole in front of the horses they where sat on, arms loosely wrapped around it. She smiled at Riley before her eyes caught Ellie's the girl looking at her with a dazed expression.
"your drunk" Ellie told Riley, snapping out of her day dream
"no im not" Riley snapped
"yes"
"not yet" Riley then held her hand out, Ellie chuckled and pulled her bag off, grabbing the bottle and handing it over to the girl who took a swig before handing it back. Ellie also took a swig and handed it over to Cassie. Cassie grabbed the bottle and faux cheers'd her friend before downing half the remaining drink. Riley and Ellie gaped at the girl
"what? tonight's supposed to be the best night of our lives right? im going to get drunk thank you" Cassie laughed, putting the lid back on the bottle and handing it back to Ellie who quickly put it back. The three girls went quiet after that, Cassie went back to admiring their surroundings and Ellie went back to admiring Cassie. Riley just watched them with a dumbfounded grin.
The ride suddenly halted making Cassie stand up a little straighter, her hand instantly going into her pocket just in case. However, riley seemed unaffected so Cassie eased up
"oh come on, let me go see if i can fix it"
"wait" Ellie halted the girls movements, Riley stopping beside Cassie "did you really leave because you actually think you could liberate this place"
"dont say it like its some kind of fantasy, Ellie. They've done it in the other QZ's, set things right, the way they used to be"
"we could do that too, the three of us could rule the fuck out of this place" Cassie said quietly, already knowing how uncomfortable the conversation was about to become.
"exactly, if you come back. I mean were like, the future" Ellie added "you know, we could make things better. We could be running things"
"you could be running things, both of you. I turn 17 next month, that's when you get your assignment. You know what Kwong gave me? sewage detail. standing guard while people shovel shit. That's what they think of me." Riley explained
"Riley" Cassie mumbled comfortingly, grabbing the girls hand gently. Riley was the first to turn 17, almost a year older than the other girls. Cassie wouldnt get an assignment but Ellie would get one within the following months.
"why didn't you tell us any of this" Ellie asked
"i dont know, i just... i just panicked and i ran and the longer i was away, the harder it was for me to come back. Is that making sense" the brunette nodded at the girls explanation
"i get it, i would've gotten it back then too, ya know? so would cassie" the girl nodded
"you know your the one thing that i missed from that fucking place"
"yeah, you know i missed you both too. Your both the only reason i even contemplated re-enrolling" Cassie told them both "i didn't because id rather live on the streets than in that shit hole but i do miss seeing you both everyday"
"weve missed seeing your beautiful face everyday too Cassandra" Riley grinned, squishing the girls cheeks between her hands "isn't that right Ellie"
"yeah, isn't that right Els" Cassie repeated, her words muffled due to her squashed face. Ellie just smiled at her friends antics
"fuck it, were two wonders down. three more to go. If you want to keep going" Riley directed her statement mainly towards Ellie. Finally letting go of Cassie's face.
"i mean, im on a magic horse with like, a million lights. I dont know how its supposed to get better"
Im so in love with their dynamic and im definitely not going to ball my eyes out when i have to kill Riley off