Chapter 1: Plans Interrupted
1420 Words
Kira frowned at the line of cars waiting for the light. "Is this entirely necessary?”
Rhea, Kira’s dormmate, tapped her electric blue fingernails impatiently against the steering wheel. “This is absolutely necessary. You’ve spent all your free time moldering away in our room studying ever since you moved in. We are going to air you out and show you how to enjoy life a little.”
“By shopping?” Kira quirked an eyebrow at her flamboyant friend. “Maybe I’m just boring, but I imagine I’ll enjoy my life more if I’m not still paying off college loans when I’m fifty. I told you, I’m on a budget. I don’t have the money to shop.”
“Ah, but looking is free!” Rhea’s gorgeous lips spread into a big smile and she winked playfully.
Kira tried to look disapproving, but she felt it failing as her own lips twitched into a reluctant smile.
“Fine,” she surrendered. “We’ll window shop for an hour. But I’m not buying anything.”
“Ha!” Rhea beamed, making her black eyes sparkle. “That’s good enough for me this time. We can load up and stake out a dressing room- have ourselves a little fashion show!”
As much as Kira was usually practical, and spending time trying on clothes you weren’t going to buy wasn’t particularly, she had to admit: doing something lighthearted and frivolous after studying for so long did have a certain appeal. “That’s only if we ever actually get there,” she grumbled dryly, looking back out at the crawling city traffic. “This is ridiculous.”
Rhea waved a hand dismissively. “After all the arguments I had to win to get you this far? Ain’t no little thing like traffic gonna dare to stop me now!”
Kira couldn’t help but laugh, her mood already greatly improved from even the short time relaxing with her sassy friend. She was about to tease Rhea that a good argument would certainly convince traffic to improve itself, when she was interrupted by a buzz as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She checked the caller ID and smiled when she saw Incoming call from: Anneliese Jessies.
Kira jabbed the talk button and put the phone to her ear. “Hey, squirt!”
“Hey yourself, ancient,” her little sister’s voice crackled over the speaker.
Kira grinned. “What’s up?”
“Dad wanted me to ask if you’re still having dinner with us tonight.”
“Planning on it!” Kira smirked at Rhea, who was inching forward as the car in front of her moved up a few feet. “It will require Rhea to release me at a reasonable time.”
“Oh, she finally convinced you to go shopping?” Liesa asked as Rhea chuckled. “Good. You really need some new outfits.”
Kira raised her eyebrows, even if her sister couldn’t see it. “And pay for them how?”
“You have a job,” Liesa said. “Duh.”
Kira closed her eyes melodramatically. “Oh, the misguided assumptions of a sixteen year old. So young. So naive. So sheltered from the grim reality of finances.”
She could practically hear Liesa rolling her eyes. “I literally have a job. I just know that you can’t keep wearing the same clothes until they fall apart. You have to get a couple new things once in a while. Tell Rhea to look for olive greens and grays- they make your eyes pop.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kira said, smiling. “Hey, while I’m at the mall, is there anything you and Dad need?”
Rhea shot Kira a look. “This is a fun outing. Not a grocery run.”
“We’re low on eggs, but I think that’s it,” Liesa said. Kira listened patiently to the muffled conversation on the other end of the line before Leisa spoke into the phone again. “Dad says just the eggs, and to tell you he loves you and misses you and can’t wait to see you tonight.”
Kira chuckled. “He makes it sound like he hasn’t seen me in months. I see you both at least twice a week.”
“Yeah, but since you lived at home last year, I think he assumed he’d have until you transferred next year before you moved out. This last month has been hard on him. Since you decided later, he didn’t have much time to adjust to the idea of losing you early.”
Kira’s smile faded and she felt slightly guilty. It wasn’t her fault, really- the transit time and the cost of gas made it impractical to live at home any longer- but she wished it wasn’t so hard on them all.
“I get it,” she sighed. “I miss you both too. How are you holding up?”
“Not terribly,” Leisa said. “I miss you a ton, of course, but I’m adjusting. And Kylie has been really great about making sure I don’t get too lonely- she texts me a lot in the evenings. I’ve started a list of things I think of to tell you when I’m missing you and can’t call. Oh!” Leisa exclaimed suddenly. “I was gonna tell you this at dinner, but whatever- I’m really happy, cause guess what!”
“What’s up?”
“I finished my book!”
“Really?” Kira whooped in excitement, making Rhea’s smile flash in the corner of her eye. “Congratulations, Liesa!”
“Thanks!” Kira could hear Liesa’s grin even over the phone. They had both finished multiple shorter stories over the years, but this one was the first full length book Liesa had started, and she’s been working on it for a few years now. “It ended up longer than I meant it to be, but I had to add some scenes to fill in a few plot holes that Dad pointed out when I was telling him about it. I’ll give you a copy at dinner- you’ll mark up things I need to edit?”
Kira smiled softly, feeling an irritatingly tangled mess of emotions that she didn’t feel like sorting through now. “Of course I will.” Both girls were silent for a moment, understanding the significance of the moment without words. Kira caught Rhea glancing at her and whispered, “She finished her book!”
“Ah! Yay!” Rhea gave her a huge smile and a thumbs up. “Tell her I said congratulations!”
“Rhea says congratulations on finishing,” Kira relayed.”
“Aw, thanks, Rhea!” Liesa called. “Well, I let you guys go. We’ll see you tonight. Oh, and tell Rhea that I want to be invited next time you go shopping.”
“Will do- I’m sure she’d love such a willing partner-in-crime,” Kira laughed. “Love you, Liese.”
“Love you too.”
Kira hung up and slipped her phone back into her bag. She glanced out at the light that they were almost up to. “Are we almost there?”
Rhea rolled her eyes. “Two minutes. You sound like a two year old.”
“I do not,” Kira said automatically, even as her traitorous brain reviewed her words.
“Um, yah. You totally do.”
Kira couldn’t help the grin that stretched across her face as she rolled her eyes. Despite her bellyaching, she was really looking forward to spending the afternoon with her bubbly friend. She glanced out the window at the cars on the side street as they passed through the intersection and barely had time to register that one was still moving, hurtling toward them.
The last thing she heard was Rhea’s scream.
- Writer
