"Hiking?"

Tama turned away from the mirror she had been standing in front of to face her childhood friend with an unsure glance. Leah sat on Tama's bed with her legs crossed, balancing a tray of white chocolate chip cookies that Mitena had just baked for the girls on her lap, shoving her third serving into her mouth before shrugging, "I thought it'd be fun."

Not wanting to argue with her friend that was obviously in the midst of emotional turbulence - as was she, so there was no room for judgement - she nodded before checking her lipstick in the mirror again, resisting the urge to smudge it, not caring about Leah's reaction to her "ruined masterpiece". "Yeah sure, it'll be great practice for track and field since my mother hates me and signed me up against my will." Tama agreed almost immediately to please her best friend and Tallulah rolled her eyes, the younger girl lazily sprawled across the bed next to her crush, absentmindedly undoing the plaits she had put in only a few minutes earlier.

She had recently cut her own hair even shorter, now it sat a little over an inch above her broad shoulders, the ends colored an emerald green, one of Leah's favorite colors. The girl had complimented her on the new style and Tallulah had secretly promised herself that she'd never change it. "What she means is, I need a distraction from my idiot fiancée so I'm forcing everyone to go hiking on Tallulah's only off day."

Leah scowled, shoving the girl as she hid her pain, something she did often as she had developed a somewhat sour personality since Sam had basically ghosted her. Tama raised an eyebrow curiously, "Who's everyone?"

She turned to face the mirror again, debating on if a dress was too much for a first date. It was beautiful, she couldn't deny that but, it was out of her comfort zone, which is why it had been thrown to the back of her closet and why she groaned when Tallulah had plucked it out, commenting on how it matched Mason's "ocean" eyes. Sighing, she undressed for the third time, cursing the existence of clothes all together.

"Just you and me, and Lulu," Leah answered, setting the cookies aside before she shot her a look, both of them ignoring Tallulah who complained when Tama tossed the dress back into her closet carelessly, "who doesn't have to come if she's just gonna complain the whole time."

"Of course I'm gonna come," Tallulah shot back, returning next to her on the bed, stealing a cookie as she crossed over her lap. "Doesn't mean I can't complain the entire time, especially since you invited Emily."

Tama undid her braids, watching as they formed soft curls that almost reached her elbows. She quickly followed up with hairspray, knowing her pin straight her wouldn't allow the curls to last without it, the trio coughing as the spray filled the room and their lungs, Tallulah mumbling about how she'd catch lung cancer like her late uncle. She glanced at Leah from the mirror, reaching for her curling iron and fixing any imperfections, "your cousin Emily? What's wrong with her?"

While the two weren't close, Tama wasn't opposed to the girl. She was usually quiet but, straight forward and aware of what she wanted. Tama respected that. Tallulah pouted, unable to come up with a valid argument as to why she disliked her crush's cousin so very much, other than the fact that she got "a feeling" whenever she was in her presence, which wasn't often as the girl usually stayed further up north on her own reservation. The girl originally thought Leah had only invited her, initially excited at the thought of them being alone together. Tama knew this of course, laughing childishly at her friend's pout. Leah knew the younger girl had a crush on her but chose to ignore it, unable to break the girl's heart by outright rejecting her. Despite outward appearances, the jokes and the shoving, she truly did care for the girl and didn't want to lose the bond that they had, especially right now when they needed each other most. They just didn't talk about it, it was an unspoken rule between them.

Tama watched the two argue, a small smile on her face. She quickly slipped on her jeans, knowing they would object at the casualness of her outfit, the two reminding her that this was important. It was important to them, and everyone around her, that she moved on from Paul, the boy who broke her heart and only had his athletic abilities going for him. Her elders reminded her of the fleeting nature of his father, the man leaving his tribe behind to follow a woman to Tacoma. She had divorced him, leaving the man to drag himself and his teenage son back home. Aaron Lahote was practically shunned from the community and by extension, so was his son, the product of his betrayal. So they took solace in the people from Forks, accepting the man for his remarkable mechanic abilities and his son for his athletics. Paul had single-handedly brought attention to their small little town, it's inhabitants excited at the chance for their kids to be scouted and made into something bigger than themselves. This only ostracized them more, and Mitena had found herself close to the same fate when her daughter called herself dating the boy.

The teenager was used to being doted on by her elders, her "aunties" and her "uncles" despite her mother being an only child. Their behavior changed when she struck up a friendship and an eventual relationship with Paul but she didn't care. Their attention, and everything else they had to offer, paled in comparison to what Paul gave her. It felt as though she had been living in the dark with her eyes closed before she had met him. She had never felt more free, more cared for and appreciated than she did with him. She would've traded everything to get that feeling back. It felt like basking in the sun for the first time after a long winter, she had told Leah in the midst of her wailing post-heartbreak.

"You look nice," Leah complimented, offering her friend a genuine smile as Tama slipped on her charcoal colored leather jacket over her top, an item she had stolen from Charlie's closet ages ago, the man pretending he didn't notice whenever he saw her wearing it, which was often as it was rare she was seen without it. It was rare Leah sported a smile so bright and breathtakingly beautiful these days, her relationship with the man she thought she'd spend her entire life with slowly dwindling away by the second and no one had any answers for her, it was taking its toll and everyone could see but no one could help. Tama smiled in return, her hands running over her old jeans a few times nervously. "It's nice to see you excited about someone other than Paul."

Tallulah snorted, grabbing another cookie while she watched Tama struggle to put her sneakers on, "like that's hard. I'm pretty sure he has an I.Q. of two and the temper of a dog with rabies," her words made Tama wince, though she flashed a false smile along with a forced laugh, trying to act as if her words didn't hurt, like they were directed at her and not her "good for nothing" ex.

It was true, Paul had not been the smartest boy and no one would've been surprised if he had failed junior year without his relationship to Tama to blame. But, Tama never minded this, in fact, she enjoyed it. Paul took academics lightly, the exact opposite of her and her life at home with her mother, who put her achievements on a pedestal. It bothered her at first, scared her even, whenever he'd try to get her to ditch a class here and there to go to the beach or somewhere deep into the forest to a place they pretended only they knew but, after a while, she was the one pulling him out of class, pushing aside their homework for another day. She had been annoyed by his dismissal of her assignments as well as his own, the boy trying to convince her she wouldn't need anything she learned past college. They had gotten into countless arguments over her mother and how she was too involved in Tama's life, she took her studies too seriously, as if they were her own. It didn't take long though, for her to realize that he was right.

His temper was a different story. He was prone to outbursts at even the slightest inconvenience, the reason as to why everyone at school was so weary of him. Before he had gotten ahold of his dream car, the boy drove a small, rusty Toyota that looked as though it would break down at any moment. And one day it did. Tama never knew metal and upholstery could be subject to so much damage, bending to the will of the ill-tempered sixteen year old boy.

There was a soft knock at the door, pulling the girls out of their conversation. Tama allowed them entrance, watching as her mother poked her head in meekly. "He's here." She could tell that Mitena was trying her hardest to contain her excitement, the idea of her daughter finally moving on from what she thought was the worst thing to ever happen to her made her ecstatic.

Tama nodded in response, though her heart began racing anxiously upon hearing that. "Thanks mom, tell him I'll be right out." Her two friends left the comfort of her bed and surrounded her gleefully, also excited that she would no longer be moping around about her ex. Leah had a bittersweet smile, wishing she and her lover weren't on the steep downslope she felt they were headed to. She patted her friend's shoulder, motioning for Tallulah to leave and she follow, "I'll see you tomorrow Tams," she said, wishing her friend luck.

Tallulah stuck around the open door, a grin on her face as she said, "we can't wait to hear all about it." Leah shook her head in mock disapproval but there was a smile staining her face, Tallulah beaming at the sight, quickly moving away from the door so that Leah could pass. Alone in her room, she sighed, looking herself over once more in the mirror, debating on whether or not she should change, again.

A part of her wanted to throw everything off, brush the curls out of her hair, and jump back into bed. She couldn't shake the fact that this all felt so wrong. There was absolutely no reason she couldn't go on a date with Mason, they were both single and free to do as they chose. She couldn't say that she had a type but she'd be lying to herself if she tried to say that he wasn't attractive. His hair curled into ringlets that stopped at his shoulders, Tama even joking once that she wished she had been blessed with his curls instead of her bone straight hair that couldn't hold a heated curl for more than an hour. His face still held remnants of childlike wonder and curiosity, something that made her feel as though nothing was wrong with the world. And his eyes.

There was a knock at the door and Tama scowled, resisting the urge to throw her curling iron at it. Instead, she wrapped it slowly mumbling, "mom, I said I'd be right-"

Mason entered meekly, watching as Tama put away her curling iron and the rest of the items scattered across her vanity. He took in her room, catching sight of the multitude of clothes covering most of her  wood floor, something that embarrassed Tama but made him grin widely. She'd put more effort into this than he thought. She cleared her throat, his eyes reaching hers finally, Tama unable to hold back the smile that appeared when they did. Tallulah hadn't lied about his ocean eyes. "You can't just barge in here, what if I was naked?"

His smile was wiped clean and instead replaced with a panicked look, one that made Tama cover her mouth to hide her laughter. He stumbled over his words, debating on if he should've stayed downstairs like he originally planned to. "I-I'm sorry I shouldn't have barged in, your mom made me come up here I swea-"

"I was just messing with you," she reassured him with a gentle hand on his shoulder that made his heart nearly stop, picking up the bag Paul had gifted her one month into their friendship, the bag she wore whenever she wasn't in school. Leah had offered to burn it, along with a few other mementos she stored away from their relationship but she denied, hiding the most precious ones away from the pyromaniac she called her best friend. She smiled at the memory, recalling herself sobbing miserably and attempting to pull items out of the roaring fire to no avail. Her hands still held the scars and she often traced over them when she was alone, a memory of its own etched into her skin for what seemed to be forever.

Mason eyed her warily, still lingering by the open door. "Is everything okay? If you're having second thoughts I totally understand, I don't even know why I-"

"No I-I'm fine, Mason, really," Tama reassured him quickly, frowning as she felt guilt creep up her throat, threatening to spill out. "I'll just meet you downstairs in a second."

He hesitated, Tama sending him a comforting smile that he returned by giving her privacy. She exhaled, her eyes closing shut and her hands slowly tracing over the bag that hung on her side like it was a crime for her to be separated from it. "Ugh, Tama, stop being an idiot for once in your life, please," she begged herself, pulling at the straps as though they were constricting her.

He's gone, she told herself over and over, he's never coming back.

It felt like poison on her tongue but she finally willed herself to throw her bag off and say out loud, "he's not coming back."

ϟ

"I still think it looks like a penis."

Tama laughed again, her hands flying up to her face to cup her burning cheeks, begging him to stop. A few people turned their heads to stare, some glaring at the pair that seemed to be in their own world. The teenagers were in a fit of hysterics though Mason tried his hardest to appear serious. They stood out, the youngest and the loudest in the gallery they currently stood in, shoulder to shoulder as they continued to stare up at the art piece that had captured their attention for almost fifteen minutes. Tama nudged the boy next to her, playfully, still trying to calm herself, though the grin gave her away. "Mason!"

The boy shrugged nonchalantly, his facade breaking when he saw the effect his humor had on the girl next to him, instantly smiling along side her and exposing his dimples on either side. This had been a scene he had mulled over countless times, almost to the brink of utter insanity but he'd never admit it aloud. Though he only brought it up recently, and once, he'd been planning their first "date" for months. Once he had been informed of his crush's interest, art, he set out on a mission to plan what he thought was the perfect date. He wouldn't have guessed that she would've agreed but, here they were; shoulder to shoulder, grinning ear to ear, and he had the absolute pleasure of knowing he had been the one to make her laugh light up the entire room. "What does it look like to you then?"

Tama thought about it, her head tilting lazily to the side as she inspected the painting in front of her. It looked similar to a piece she had painted after Paul had taken her on their first date as a couple, she smiled at the memory, the words leaving her lips before she could even think. She practically swooned, "It looks like a couple."

Mason was oblivious to her true thoughts, staring back and forth between her and the painting. He smiled, slipping his hand into hers, "yeah, I guess it does."

His eyes traveled back to the painting while Tama looked down at their intertwined hands. She felt like a terrible person, enjoying the feeling of his hand in hers, the girl looked around cautiously as if Charlie would appear out of nowhere and arrest her for the act. When she looked back up at Mason, she found that he was already staring at her, a hint of a smile on his face that widened once their eyes locked.

The moment was interrupted when a man dressed head to toe in black and not a smile in sight approached them, warning the pair of the gallery's closing time. It was not the first, nor the second time they had been told this but they still frowned upon hearing the news, bidding him farewell before exiting along with the last few remaining people.

"So..." Mason trailed off, his free hand still holding hers as he drove. Tama, who had been staring intensely at the moon, finally looked over, waiting for him to finish. "How did I do? I think it's safe to say that since you didn't sneak out the bathroom window, I didn't do half bad."

Tama smiled, even allowing herself to laugh a little. "You did good, Mason. I didn't know you were so educated on art though, not complaining but where'd that come from?"

He shrugged, feeling more comfortable around the girl as time went on. "My dad, he's an art collector and my mom...was a painter. So, I kinda had no choice, art is my life in the same way that the cafe is in yours, I guess."

Tama frowned at his words, both for the mention of his mother's death, noting his tone and his sullen look, as well as her association with the cafe. She loved Crescent Moon with all of her heart, she loved working there and she loved the customers that came in and out and she was grateful to have a job so she could save up for college and spend ridiculous amounts of money on gas as she was always driving now but, still. The closeness, the proximity she had with the cafe was somewhat suffocating at times, to the point where she felt trapped. Not necessarily in town but, specifically the cafe. There were often times her mother would schedule her for longer shifts, making her unable to make friend hangouts, reminding her that she'd need the extra money when she was off at her "fancy college" she'd be attending in two years.

She often found herself cycling between school and work with barely any time left for friends or even, herself. The new mural in the cafe was the first time she was able to pick up a brush in months, the process both exciting and a constant reminder of the limits placed on her. Mason noticed her discomfort and apologized immediately, sparing her a few glances while he continued the short drive towards her home. "Hey, I'm sorry. It's just, it's been so long that it doesn't affect me the same..."

Tama shrugged, not wanting him to feel bad for her over his mom's death. She also didn't feel comfortable opening up to him about her internal monologue that had caused the sudden sullen mood, not yet at least. She offered him a half smile to ease his nerves, "it's okay. I'm sorry about your mom, though. I can't imagine what my life would be like without my mom."

"I'm the same way with my dad," Mason smiled then and so did she, watching the way the boy's face lit up as he went on and on about his dad. It seemed as though five minutes had passed before he suddenly remembered something, his face going red before he facepalmed, apologizing.

It took Tama a minute to understand what he was apologizing for but then she got it. She had been without her biological father before she was even born, you couldn't miss someone you never had. At least she never did. Her dad, to her, was an afterthought. She didn't hate the man, wherever he was, nor did she have any desire to go on a hunt to find him. She