SOOooooo, I did write today. But my brain decided that I should work on the Summerfling Au. Anyway, here’s a preview! (Unsure if this is final, so there may be mistakes or some stuff that might not even be in finished product. So think of this more as a summary..??)
Apparently, rain during the summer in Coastal City, was possible.
And Lena had packed absolutely zero items suited for this type of weather, finding herself shivering under the awning instead and contemplating on whether or not she should go back inside and try her luck on finding an umbrella at the lost items.
She turns, set on doing just that.
“Lena… right?”
The voice comes from behind, startling her to snap back around in a whirl.
And comes face to face with someone sputtering and blinking wildly.
“Um.”
“Pleh. Pft.” The stranger wrinkles their nose a few times, spitting their tongue out as though to rid a taste. They finally calm after a few more exaggerated sounds, and laugh. “I like your shampoo, but I can’t say I’m really a fan of having it in my mouth.”
It takes a moment, but when it finally registers, Lena rushes to apologize.
“It’s okay!” The other person laughs, “It’s partly my fault too. I mean, I did kind of come up from behind you and your-“ they gesture to her head, “-Long, tied up hair.”
Lena combs her fingers through her hair, bringing it over her shoulder, “Yes, well. I suppose it is a bit of a hazard.” She laughs, crossing her arms to help provide her with further warmth.
“With a mind of its own, I’m sure.”
Lena eyes blonde curls, “Speaking from experience?”
They playfully toss their hair, “Something like that.”
Lena thoroughly laughs, and the stranger looks a little pleased.
“Not to sound creepy or anything, but you’re over by Hershey Hall, right?” They point in the direction of the dorm building, just down the street in view, and before Lena even has time to be suspicious, they hastily add, “I’m staying there for the summer too, and we’re actually on the same floor. I sometimes see you come in around the same time as I do.”
Lena tries to recall, eyes searching across the stranger’s face in recognition, but to no avail. “I’m so sorry, I can’t stay that I’ve seen you around, um-“
“Kara.” The stranger offers with a beaming smile, “And it’s fine, I get it. It’s the end of the day and you’re probably tired from whatever it is you’re doing.”
“An internship.” Lena provides.
“And you’re probably tired from your internship.” Kara amends with laughter.
She nods, because it’s true. The summer internship that Lena accepted was most certainly working her to the bone; coffee runs, paper analysis, deliveries that were needed to be made due to the fax machines being down… It was as though there was never an end to her workload.
“Which is why I have to ask, what are you doing out here in…. that-” She begins with the corner of her mouth quirked up, gesturing to Lena’s outfit of a skirt and blouse, “When it’s very cold… And not back at the dorm? Where it’s very warm?”
“Well, as you can see… It’s raining.” Lena gestures. “And I don’t have an umbrella, I wasn’t exactly expecting it to rain here during the summer when I came here.”
“Well, we can blame climate change for that.”
“Or just the 100 companies with the most impact on climate change.”
“Even better.” Kara laughs in agreement, “But do you know what’s even better?”
Lena tilts her head.
“If we make a run for it.”
Stunned, Lena looks at Kara wide eyed. “Um-“
Kara is already hopping, excitement vibrating out of her body as she moves closer to the edge of the awning. “Come on!” She gestures wildly.
“But I-“ Lena eyes flicker from Kara and out to the rain.
“Come on!” Kara sings with laughter, “It’s just rain! The dorm isn’t even that far!”
Lena pauses.
It’s just rain…
She looks at Kara, who’s already stepping out and getting soaked, gesturing for Lena to join her with a wide grin on her face.
The feeling of enthusiasm must be contagious, Lena decides, as there can’t be any other explanation for why she stepped out to follow.
Kara squeals in delight as the two make a run for it.
_______________
A cup of coffee is set down in view, snapping her out of her fond memories.
“Here is a refill, ma’am.” The server softly says, “You kind of look like you need it.”
Lena blinks a few times, attempting to rid her eyes of her daydreaming‘ s. “Thank you.” She says, “I suppose I’m a little more tired than I thought.”
The server sympathetically nods, before moving away.
She pulls the coffee closer to herself, opening a single packet of creamer and pouring it in.
How did she take it again?
Lena looks up, and it’s all too easy to see Kara sitting across from her with her own cup; dumping two packets of sugar and six cups of the creamer, stacking them up to form a little pyramid as she finished pouring each one, and inevitably causing a small, neat mess.
By the time she finished her construction, she’d look at it in pride before ducking behind it, goading Lena to shoot it down.
Lena fiddles with her empty creamer pack against the table, and flicks it across the way toward the empty seat.
She exhales a sigh through her nose, and picks up her cup of coffee to take a sip from as she looks out the window to the rainy weather.
Blearily lights pass by, people walking huddled and scrunched under their umbrella. Someone gets splashed by a speeding car turning around the corner, and they turn to yell at the vehicle. She sees a pair of teens ducking under their hoods as they run past the window and toward the door of the cafe she’s in. She remembers Kara voice; thrilling and thralling.
“Lena?”
Startled at the familiar voice, Lena snaps her head up and sees Kara.
Right before her and in the flesh.
“Wow! It’s been so long!” Kara says, wide eyed and in disbelief.
“Years.” Lena says, in a near whisper, as though if she spoke any louder, then this dream that she’s in might disspell.