#╰ › text messages﹕ alara kaplan.

[julietahernandcz]

drunk - alara

julieta: we should keep meeting up and being sluts. julieta: it's good for our healths. julieta: i know because i'm a doctor.

[riverwclker]

sad - alara

river: alara... i know i've been saying this a lot lately, but seriously, something weird is going on with heidi. it's so frustrating because i can't put my finger on it but she's starting to really pull away from me? river: i've tried to not think too much about it since the festival but it's so obvious now that she's over me, or something? at my party she seemed fine but she's been giving me the cold shoulder ever since... river: and i know we weren't the greatest of pals back home but other than you she's really the only one from home that knows about me. river: i don't know. it's probably me being paranoid. she probably has something going on that she doesn't want to talk about... i just don't want to lose her you know? i don't want to lose anymore people...

[riverwclker]

the  intoxicating  scent  of  wisteria ,  intertwined  with  the  briny  aroma  of  the  sea ,  momentarily  captivated  river's  senses.  the  fragrance  spun  a  tapestry  of  nostalgia  and  tranquility ,  luring  her  into  daydreams  of  lazy  summer  afternoons.  however ,  her  reverie  was  abruptly  interrupted  by  alara's  startling  revelation  that  ms.  jenkins'  pastries  had  been  left  out  in  the  open  for  far  longer  than  might  be  deemed  acceptable.  river  turned  her  full  attention  back  to  her  roommate  and  friend ,  her  eyes  wide  with  disbelief.  ❛ three - day - old  pastries !? ❜  river  exclaimed ,  her  voice  rising  in  incredulity  as  her  mouth  formed  an  ' o '  of  shock.  she  glanced  at  alara ,  her  expression  a  mix  of  amusement  and  horror.  ❛ that's  it !  the  world  has  officially  turned  upside  down  on  its  head !  i  mean ,  if  i  can't  trust  ms.  jenkins  with  her  notoriously  beloved  cherry  tarts ,  can  we  really  trust  anything  anymore ? ❜  with  a  dramatic  flourish ,  she  continued ,  ❛ well ,  at  least  i  know  that  if  the  pastries  are  suspect ,  i  can  always  count  on  you ,  alara  kaplan. ❜

as  they  stood  in  the  bustling  marketplace ,  the  colourful  array  of  carnival  treats  beckoned ,  beckoning  river  to  understand  the  culinary  landscape  of  briar  ridge  —  a  place  she  was  still  growing  acquainted  with.  river  , happy  to  let  alara  lead  the  way ,  silently  marveling  at  the  other  woman’s  familiarity  with  this  vibrant  world  of  indulgence.  river's  curiosity  was  piqued.  ❛ i  don’t  even  have  a  clue  what  an  elephant  ear  is ,  but  if  it’s  good  enough  for  you ,  it’s  certainly  good  enough  for  me ! ❜  river  readily  agreed ,  her  enthusiasm  infectious  as  she  stepped  into  line  with  alara ,  her  heart  lightened  by  the  prospect  of  trying  something  new.

as  they  waited ,  the  vibrant  sounds  of  laughter  and  chatter  swirled  around  them ,  but  amidst  the  excitement ,  river  found  herself  distracted  momentarily  by  her  phone.  she  checked  for  any  messages ,  particularly  from  their  mutual  friend  and  fellow  roommate ,  heidi  lee.  ❛ hey ,  have  you  heard  anything  from  heidi ? ❜  river  asked ,  glancing  up  at  alara  with  a  hint  of  concern  in  her  voice.  ❛ i  texted  her  this  morning ,  but  i  haven’t  heard  a  peep  since.  it’s  not  like  her  to  go  quiet  for  so  long … ❜  the  tone  of  river's  voice  dipped  slightly ;  something  felt  off.  the  uncertainty  of  heidi  gnawed  at  river’s  thoughts ,  making  her  wonder  if  perhaps  she  had  unknowingly  said  or  done  something  to  push  heidi  away.

If you had asked Alara two years ago if she thought she'd end up back in Briar Ridge with River as her roommate, the woman would have laughed in your face. One - because she had truly had no intentions of ever coming back to her small town and two - because it was so weird to think about two very different worlds colliding like this. But when she'd moved back into her condo at the beach, Alara was surprised at how well River and Alara's outside world seemed to fit in here in her Briar Ridge world.

Walking arm in arm with her roommate through the festival, Alara considered their options. "Those tarts are a good idea if you don't mind eating three day old pastries." She quickly tugged her friend along. "Ms. Jenkins is notorious for somehow making her pastries look fresh and tasty, but they're never less than 24 hours old in the first place." Alara may have spent a lot of time away, but Briar Ridge didn't change. Even the vendors at festivals were still the same. She scanned the row of carnival-esque delicacies before pointing out towards two towards the end of the line. "Now anything from those two vendors, and you will not only get your money's worth, but you'll also probably think you've made it to Jannah." River had spent enough time with Alara now to know Jannah referred to paradise in Islam. "I'm thinking I'll get an elephant ear might just do the trick." she explained, practically salivating already at the thought.