Ella

Who could've thought that Ella had to leave her comfort zone. That not good not bad zone that gives us comfort.That doesn't threat us and also doesn't encourage us to do something different. The thing is even she ruined your life you can't hate your mom. After getting kicked from their old place of Kentucky her father decided Riverlane will be the perfect place for them to spend their life for God knows how long. Ella's father is in marketing and her mother looked for a new job while Ella tried to convince her mind that she can go through a day in school without crying in public.Ella practices to not to be so upsate over the fact that she lose all of her friends, who defreind her because her mom fell from horse and hit her head and suddenly realises that Jesus is a more liberal guy than the church members wants him to be.

Mom's first mistake was being a woman. Second was speaking freely about stuffs that are considerate as 'taboo'. For example mom's doing the marriage ceremony of that two gay guys who have a salon in the town. As time passed more and more gossips about Ella's mom spreaded and Ella found notes on her locker like 'slut' 'whore' since she was a very much a virgin and that's what you call to insult a girl.

Ella isn't sure how to describe her feeling about leaving Kentucky, but it suddenly not sadness. Maybe she always hated Christian music, maybe she always hated to fit in those fake conversations and in laughs in between them, maybe she always wanted a boyfriend...maybe she always hated her friends. But pretended to like them cause that's what makes life easier, to pretend everything is fine,  everything and everyone is what you want but the truth is always so far from it.

Ella always yearned for something new but she was always stuck in predictablity cause that's what makes her comfortable. But this town seems so good and certainly what Ella needs in her life now. But here she is lying in a bed with caught between unsatisfactory and exciting future. Schools starts from tomorrow and she can't stop thinking about those small words carved in wall ... "Kill me now" "I'm already dead"

"Who's even this person" Ella softly mumbles under her breath.

Marina

Fuck this. Fuck these cousins. Fuck them who thinks Marina is their slave. Fuck old school agreeing with elders. Fuck this crooked bike. Fuck Riverlane and its muddy street. Fuck those who dont give tips at La Cocina.Fuck everyone!

But Granny is okay. Marina likes her. Although she creats trouble for Marina but she loves her. Even though She wandered off sometimes and it's Marina who have to find her everytime still she loves her. Like that one Tuesday night her granny wandered off, dressing really nice and somehow ended on the slightly nicer and much whiter neighbour hood. And that pretty Cheer leader Aza who Marina is crushing over for nearly two years, was the one to bring her back. After crying for half an hour and riding her bike to search her Granny through the empty roads of Riverlane, Marina heard a knock on her door. Eyes numb, wet nose with tears and snot, hair a mess Marina opened the door to find out the cheer leader with Granny. "Look who I found! " Aza said and Granny kissed Aza on her chick "Such an Angle" Granny said. Marina was so embarrassed that she closed the door on Aza's beautiful face after managing to say a simple thank you.

Marina cringes with those memories. No one ever made her behave so un-Marina like. "Weak in the knees". She always thought it was something goofy romantic feelings but after getting the scientific proof that she is physically attracted toward that Cheer leader , She hates how  cliché it sounds and she hates being such a girl about it.
                                ***
Marina wanders through the empty roads of Riverlane with her bike like a eternal loner to find something new and interesting but all she finds is usual empty cans and bottles on the streets. Why she always ends up on the streets?  She knows these roads are not leading her anywhere. No where.

But here it is. The house of Lucy Owen. A off white house with peeling paint and green spots on it. Nothing new. It housed a girl Marina barely knew. It was empty all summer. It doesn't matter, it shouldn't matter then why does she always keep coming back here? As if it's calling her,  as if Lucy is long gone but She's not done with this place yet.

But it's not empty anymore.
Marina sees a chubby girl on the porch reading a novel what seems like a generic fantasy novel. Her face is deep down in the novel. She's the off white girl against the off White wall. The kind of face you will trouble remembering. But she's new!  it's something, more than something.

" Hey! " Marina calls her out. She jumps a little bit.

" Who are you?" Marina kicks the stand of her bike "You just moved here?" She walks towards the girl "this is your home now?"

"Um..hi" She drops down her novel and stands up and brushes her dirty blonde bangs off her forehead but they fall back where they were.

"I am Marina" Marina says thrusting her hands out for a shake.

"Ella".