Late at night, when Ayda probably should have been asleep, she sat at home on her bed. The room was illuminated by a standing lamp in the northeast corner, bathing the space in dim white light. Ayda wore her lavender pajamas, the same ones Jacqueline had so graciously donated.

It was quiet. One could hardly hear the crickets up on the second floor. The only prominent sounds were occasional rhythmic scrawlings from lead marking a piece of white lined paper. Ayda had turned her nightstand into a sort of makeshift desk. On it she laid out her math text book, a pink wedge eraser, and the aforementioned pale sheet. Her smartphone was on the bed to her left. It acted as a calculator. She wrote with a black mechanical pencil, its built-in eraser severely chewed, hence the need for a surrogate.

The paper had been about halfway filled with numerical equations and the thought process required to solve them. Ayda vehemently despised that part of mathematics. Why bother showing all her work? Shouldn't the answer itself—whether right or wrong—be the important part? Drawing out every single repetitive step only served to slow her down. If the ascertained solution was correct, clearly that meant she knew how to solve the problem. Seriously, mathematics wouldn't take an hour to complete if she could just skip all the faff.

Ayda copied down an example and then paused, contemplatively tapping the pencil against the side of her head. She scratched in the next step, having condensed the equation considerably. Her point hovered over the sheet for a brief moment before it continued to write, again smallening the problem to its final hurdle before the solution. So ingrained in her work was she, Ayda didn't even notice the presence which lingered in her open doorway.

"Hey," greeted a familiar voice. Ayda looked up to see her sister standing on the precipice, a white mug in either hand. Grey steam rose from the receptacles.

"Hey," Ayda returned. Jacqueline entered the room. She handed Ayda one of the mugs before plopping down on the bed to her right.

"Studying or just homework?" The blonde asked before taking a small sip.

"Well, it's homework, but I guess you could say it's both." Ayda nudged her book around with her newly acquired mug to make room for it to rest. "I have a test tomorrow."

"You know, if you want some help, I'd be more than happy to—"

"No," Ayda cut her off. "Thanks, but I feel like I retain the information better if I figure it out on my own."

"I think you've said that before." Jackie fell back on the bed, allowing her knees to drape over the side. She held the mug to her stomach for stability. "Speaking of tests," she changed the subject, "how'd it go today? Dad didn't work you too hard, did he?"

"Not at all," Ayda shook her head. "If anything, I think I'm the one that worked him." As she spoke, she scribbled down another problem.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Jacqueline laughed and then sighed.

"How about you? How's school?"

"It's school." Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I get that, I guess." Ayda took a sip of her drink, and in doing so learned it was hot chocolate. "Still, it must be nice spending time with kids your own age."

"It loses it's appeal pretty quick. You'll find out when you get there."

"Yeah, if," Ayda scoffed.

"Don't be like that," Jackie said. "You're a sharp girl. You'll catch up in no time."

"I know, it's just disheartening." Ayda solved the problem. "I missed so much."

"And none of that is your fault." Jackie sat up. She gave her little sister an awkward little peck on the back of the ear. "I'll let you study." She stood.

"Alright, thanks for the coco," Ayda called to her back.

"Don't mention it." The blonde made for the exit. "Good night."

"'night."

Jacqueline departed, gently closing the door behind her. Free of distractions, Ayda continued work on her assignment. She enjoyed the company, but a moment of concentration was also nice. She erased an answer which was clearly wrong and went about correcting it. No matter how much time passed in her life, Ayda didn't think she'd ever enjoy math.

…

The piercing screech of a smartphone alarm tore through the peaceful blackness of a dreamless sleep. Although disturbed, the dark was rent not. Rebellions pangs of lingering exhaustion kept the lightless world intact, stubbornly in protest of forces which would see its end. But sleep faced an uphill battle. Pressed on by electronic ambitions, the alarm was a relentless pursuant. It would not stop. For slumber to succeed, it would require an ally. Thankfully, it had just that.

From under the covers Ayda's hand lashed out. Plagued by a groggy lack of coordination, the most she could do was ineffectually flail at the phone laying on her nightstand. Of course, she realized opening her eyes would make the ordeal simpler, but some things were simply out of the question, like waking up.

She smacked the phone in a vain attempt to silence it. The thing seemed to laugh at her attempts with its constant blare. Another slap, this one slightly more controlled but no less efficient. This wasn't working. Ayda hovered her hand in place, gathering strength with a slow flex of her fingers. When again she came down it was at a different angle, an attempt to hit the off button from the top. Her aim, though, did not prove true. No, that would be too easy. Instead, she knocked the thing to the floor. It landed face down with a soft thud against the carpet. Clumsy fingers searched the ground, but it had come to rest out of their reach. Utterly defeated, Ayda groaned into her pillow.

This had not been her intention. Ayda wanted to continue her next hour or so of sleep in nine minute intervals, but that would not be the case on this damnable morning. She'd have to open her eyes and at least partially get out of bed to halt the annoyance emanating from her phone, but the moment she did that there would be no returning to her solemn dreamland. She took a deep breath. The best laid plans of mice and men never survived contact with the enemy; the enemy in this case being sunlight.

Ayda swung bare feet over the side of her bed and sat upright. A big stretch and yawn greeted the new day. She bent over and retrieved her phone, promptly putting a much needed end to the cacophony it created. For such a small thing to create such horrendous noise truly exemplified the wonders of western technology. Again Ayda yawned before standing. Heavy footsteps led the tired girl from her bedroom.

She made her way across the second floor and into the bathroom. This early in the morning, not even her sister had awoken yet. It truly was an ungodly hour. Shafts of light beaming in from the outside softened the blow, however. At least the morning looked nice. Out of consideration for those still enjoying the rapture of bed rest, Ayda slowly and silently closed the restroom door.

A moment's hesitation before she stood in front of the sink. A light grasp tugged open the medicine cabinet. From within it, Ayda received a sky blue toothbrush as well as a mostly used-up tube of toothpaste, the kind made specially for sensitive teeth. The cabinet closed with a click and Ayda analyzed her reflection for a moment.

The year was 2014. Gone was the slightly naïve and adorable little girl from five years ago, replaced by a fine young woman. Ayda was now seventeen years old.

Perhaps the most drastic change was her hair. Still black as night, it had been cut reasonably short. Jagged, layered tips extended just below a chiseled jaw. It curtained her soft cheeks while drawing attention to dazzling brown eyes. She stood just a little bit on the tall side for a woman. Her physique was fit and healthy with the lean muscle of a professional athlete.

Ayda began hastily brushing her teeth, eager to hop in the shower and maybe awaken herself, if just by a bit. The only thing which could truly jolt her to life was a strong cup of coffee, but there would be plenty of time for that. Running so far ahead of schedule allowed for a modicum of flexibility in an otherwise rigid agenda.

As such, Ayda made sure to take her time. She ate breakfast—something she never did—surfed the internet with her phone, and even got through two whole cups of coffee, all within the space of roughly forty-five minutes. A rather productive start to the day, in her mind.

But, these distractions could only retain her interest for so long. Once the novelty of an early morning wore off, Ayda decided she should probably just go to school. There wasn't anything better to do, after all. So, she donned the burgundy blazer and white skirt of her private school uniform. It was also supposed to feature black stockings, but Ayda hardly ever wore them. Dress code be damned, they were itchy.

Just as Jacqueline had predicted, Ayda made it into the same private high school she had attended. Although the blonde had since graduated, the chance to enroll was simple validation of what she knew to be true. Ayda could do anything she set her mind to. The fact that she'd only caught up in time to attend her senior year at the school was not an important detail. She'd accomplished her goal, and that was all she cared about.

All gussied up and ready to face the world, Ayda made her way to the family garage. Or, as she liked to call it, the Belmont Fleet. Seriously, why four people required so many vehicles escaped her even after five years in the country. There was the boxy black sedan with reverse hinged doors, but it was one of three which received any meaningful use. The rest were what Bernard refereed to as classics, heavy pieces of outdated American bravado preserved in a flawless union of steel and fossil fuels. Of course, everyone needs a hobby, and Ayda was glad Bernard found his, but why did it have to take up so much space?

In that respect especially, Ayda preferred her own vehicle—the second of which to be used on a regular basis. It lay near the front of the garage leaning slightly off kilter on a kickstand. Her chariot was a thing of beauty, two wheels mounted inline on a low slung chassis. The panels were painted matte black while a fat crimson stripe ran down the top center of the gas tank and rear seat cowl. Ayda was the only student who rode a motorcycle to school.

She picked the black full-face helmet from where it hung on the left handlebar and placed it on her head. Ayda mounted the beast. A flick of a switch and push of a button brought it to life with a high-powered roar. An intimidating rumble filled the hollow space, echoing off the walls. With a turn of the throttle, she was off. Ayda accelerated much faster than necessary, just for the fun of it.

The ride to school was a reasonably brief one. It made sense for a high-end school to be near the high-end side of town. The trip lasted a little longer than twenty minutes, which was an absolute blink of the eye for a place like El Puerto.

The building itself was rather new, little more than ten years old, constructed all of glass and metal and white walls. Its layout consisted of two long rectangular complexes connected by a narrow enclosed causeway. Students affectionately referred to it as the Big H, which was admittedly not the most creative nickname.

Ayda pulled into one of the three parking lots. This particular one was out behind the establishment. Being the closest to the property, it also experienced the most congestion. Only the back most spots were available when Ayda normally made it to school, but on this day she lucked out. Between a big black SUV and an oversized pickup truck she found a singular space. It normally would have been much too small for a car to fit in, but her bike hadn't the same problem. She zipped in and switched off her engine, eager to lay claim to the space. Ayda removed her helmet and hung it on a handlebar. With a swing of her legs, she dismounted and made way to the double doors.

Although only the secondary entrance, the back lobby was much larger than the front. It did see more traffic, after all. A trophy case adorned the left wall. It storied all of the student body's achievements in sports and academics. As a rather young school, however, it was sadly bare. The principal liked to call it a promise of things to come, but no one really bought it. Other than that, there wasn't a whole lot else to see besides the staircase immediately to the right of the doors. Ayda ascended these, destined for the second level.

Although it took some effort to reach, being the middle floor, the second level saw the most foot traffic at any given time of day. The mornings were no different. Students walked the halls in droves, all of them dressed in the school uniform. The boys sported more straight cut coats and dark pants. In a search for individuality, many folks chose to alter their clothing in some way, be it a piece of jewelry or something worn crooked. The consistent dress made such deviations from it all the more obvious.

Most of the teenagers traveled in chatty little packs. Just as with every day, the cliques were out in full force. Almost everyone had a place to belong, a unit of close companions within whom they could confide. Those who walked alone simply hadn't located their group yet, but would before the first bell. The high school social structure consisted of several dozen cliques all in competition to be the coolest.

One such temporary lone wolf caught Ayda's attention. He walked several feet in front of her, focused on his forward path. The shaggy, sandy blond hair on his head was unmistakable, or at least it was to those who knew him. Ayda called to the boy.

"Rudy!" Her voice just barely rose over the din of footfalls mixed with conversation. At the sound of his name, the boy turned around. He smiled the instant his blue eyes met hers.

"Ayda, hey," he said when she was within easy earshot. "You're here early." The two fell in together, walking abreast down the hall.

"Yeah, I missed the snooze button and I didn't have anything else to do so..." she threw up sarcastic jazz hands. "Here I am." Upon completion of the story, Rudy snickered at her. "What, it's true!" Ayda took on a defensive tone. "I probably lost a half hour of sleep."

"Oh, you poor thing," Rudy mocked. Without provocation, Ayda jabbed him in the shoulder just hard enough to produce a soft thud. He recoiled. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot."

"Okay." The speed of their exchange, and how well Rudy played it off, indicated this same incident had happened before.

As they continued to trek on, there was a short pause in their conversation. Ayda wasn't really bothered by this. Having known Rudolph for five years, she felt mostly comfortable around him. Her ease was not so readily reflected in him, though. Rudy's shoulders were just the least bit tense; his fists gathered up in loose balls. He almost missed a step.

"So..." he trailed off. "Got any plans for lunch today?"

"I can't join you, Rudy, sorry." Ayda let him down gently. "I'm going out with Jackie, remember?"

"Was that today?" He wondered aloud. Ayda nodded. "I thought for sure that was tomorrow."

"No, it's today," confirmed Ayda. "Our lunch schedules coincide, for once."

"Oh, yeah." Rudy looked away briefly before continuing the conversation. "How's she doing, anyway? That job of hers still going good?"

"She's the same old Jackie. Her job is alright, but she wouldn't complain if it wasn't. You know her." Ayda rolled her eyes, and Rudolph nodded.

"Why'd she go and get a job at a place like that, anyway?"

"I don't know, dude," Ayda shrugged. "Something about wanting to make her own money instead of dipping into a trust fund."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Rudy grimaced. "But still, a convenience store? Her dad is the Bernard Belmont. Surely she could find something better."

"Your guess is as good as mine. It's beneath her, if you ask me." Ayda shook her head. A few steps more, and Rudy glanced at his watch. He sighed, letting his entire body sag. "Something to get off your chest?"

"No," Rudy began. "Mrs. Strumier wanted to see me today." He sighed again. "I guess I've put it off long enough." He walked ahead a bit. "See you later?"

"Yeah, I'll probably be in study hall," Ayda said, referencing their one shared period. They exchanged waves before Rudolph walked away. He was quickly gobbled up the crowd.

Without anyone left to speak with, Ayda plopped down on one of the innumerable wooden benches hanging from the white walls. This particular one was next to a closed blue painted classroom door, yet far from any cluster of slim, grey metal lockers. She plugged a pale set of buds into the jack at the bottom of her phone, and situated them in her ears. A few taps of the screen flooded her senses with the sound of music. Heavily distorted guitars and rough vocals were just barely audible to passersby. She crossed her legs and bounced her foot idly. This wasn't how she'd wanted to spend her free time before classes began, but it would suffice well enough.

…

The first four periods of the day passed with nary an incident, and before Ayda knew it, lunch time rolled around. She made her way to the back parking lot, but it was not her bike for which she was destined. This had been chosen as the meeting spot for the sisters. Jacqueline, as always, was late. Ayda leaned up against the wall and crossed her arms, waiting for her ride to arrive.

She wasn't the only one in the parking lot, either. Many students chose to eat their lunch outside the school. The administration allowed them a gracious fifty minute meal period, and the kids made the best of it. Supposedly, a long break allowed for fresher minds and more effective learning. Ayda couldn't be sure whether or not that was true, but she wouldn't protest as long as it benefited her.

Waiting for the arrival of her date proved much shorter than Ayda expected. After not even three minutes a purple convertible came screaming into the parking lot, much faster than prudent. It's driver slammed on the breaks. The vehicle skidded quickly to a halt, doors even with Ayda's position on the wall. From behind the wheel Jackie looked at her sister, peering over the rims of her blue lensed sunglasses for a better look. Ayda just rolled her eyes.

"You're a badass," she joked.

"Hey, I have to keep up with you somehow," replied the blonde.

Ayda smirked. She walked around the front of the car to the empty passenger side. The teenager didn't bother with the door. Such trivial things just slowed her down. Instead, Ayda placed one hand atop it and hopped clean over, swinging her feet cozily into place. She landed squarely in the seat. A sly smile was spared for her sister in consolation.

"Alright, you win," conceded Jackie. "You ready?" Before her passenger could offer a response, she'd already begun turning the car around.

"I thought you'd never ask," Ayda agreed.

Jacqueline pulled out of the parking lot more more carefully than she had entered. Putting on a little show for her much bolder companion was fun, but she knew the importance of safe driving. The tiny purple bullet merged with traffic, and they were off. Silence gripped the opened up cab for a time as both girls simply enjoyed the sensation of wind running through her hair.

A little bit of yellow flashed in Ayda's peripheral vision, and she glanced over to her chauffeur. Jacqueline had always been pretty, but at nineteen she'd become an absolute bombshell. Long hair, impossibly green eyes, perfectly arranged features, and a figure most other women would kill for, she was America's sweetheart personified.

Now, Jackie wouldn't have necessarily objected to a quiet, peaceful drive with her beloved sister, but there was business to take care of. She was hungry. To that end, she brought up a very important subject.

"So, where to you wanna go," she asked.

"I don't know, anywhere is fine," said Ayda after a moment.

"No, no, no, we're not doing this again," Jacqueline shook her head, suddenly adamant.

"Doing what again?" Ayda wondered, surprised by the unforeseen shift in tone.

"You know very well what. The thing where neither one of us can decide where to go so we end up driving around for, like, an hour until I take you back to school."

Ayda looked out her side of the car, where the window would have been were it not rolled down. The exact scenario Jacqueline described happened once before. It wasn't quite as dramatic as she made it out, though. After being unable to make an agreement, they decided to not be hungry and enjoy the day instead. In the end it didn't really work out, as Ayda must have devoured half the fridge when she got home. No, a repeat of that ordeal was out of the question.

"What about that burger joint a few blocks down," Ayda suggested, turning to the driver. "You know, the one with the weird name?"

"You mean Snap Burger?" Jacqueline brightened up instantly. "Yeah, I haven't been there in forever!"

"Neither have I," said Ayda. "I just thought of it."

"I like the way you think." Jackie grinned. She hung the next right up ahead, taking them eagerly toward their new destination.

The establishment known as Snap Burger was only a few short minutes away. Despite this fact, not many students ever ate there, perhaps for its old fashioned designs. The building carried a sort of retro-fusion motif. Straight royal blue lines intermingled with black and white checkerboard patterns set into a stainless steel exterior. A band of clean windows revealed the inside. It had a modest seating area, although most dining was done outside, and a bar at the far end from the front entrance.

The sisters entered and were immediately met with a rapturous maelstrom of smells. Coffee, hot oil, seared red meat, and pumpkin pie all mixed together in a wonderful miasma. As the two seated themselves in a booth, Ayda could already feel herself getting excited. Few things got her so worked up as good food.

A waitress came by to take their order and before too long their individual meals came charging from the kitchen like two noblemen parading through town. Blue wire boats filled to the brim with fries were placed in front of each of the girls. Both wore thick, juicy hamburger sandwiches as hats.

Ayda munched on a few french fries, but Jacqueline had no time for such fiddling distractions. She squished her burger between delicate fingers and took a big bite. A moment of contemplation immediately was overrun with pure bliss as the flavors filled her mouth. She chewed and quickly swallowed, eager to dive in again.

"It's even better than I remember!" She exclaimed before ripping off another portion.

"The fries aren't bad, either.," added Ayda, plopping another one in her mouth.

She couldn't wait any longer. The younger girl took up her sandwich. For a moment, she considered how best to start the thing. A voluptuous beef patty piled high with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and two big strips of bacon fit alluringly between a sesame seed bun soft as a cloud. How was she supposed to eat something she could barely fit in her hands? This kind of problem, however, was best solved by trial and error. Ayda opened her mouth and moved in for a bite, but only got about halfway before Jacqueline so rudely interrupted.

"What did you get again?" The blonde asked.

"The bacon bleu cheese burger." Ayda answered quickly before finally taking a bite.

"They're not burgers, they're snaps. Get it right." Jacqueline sassed before devouring a fry. Mouth full of food, all Ayda could do was make a dismissive hand gesture.

Despite herself, Ayda wilted at the taste of the burger. It was the best thing she'd ever had, full of greasy, meaty goodness.

So intent were they on eating, the girls barely had time for even the most offhanded chitchat. They finished their respective meals in complete silence and with record timing. For just a brief moment, they were Olympic athletes in the sport of eating way too much. Such self-indulgence was good every once in a while. It kept the human experience from growing dull.

After finishing with their lunch, the girls made way out onto the sidewalk. Jackie had parked in a lot a short walk from the diner itself. The act of traversal didn't really sit right with either of them, though, not after a feast like that.

"I think I ate too much," Ayda commented. Jacqueline gave a soft sigh.

"But that's part of the fun, isn't it?" She retorted. Ayda didn't agree, but kept it to herself.

"We should definitely go there more often, though," said the younger girl. "I hear their apple pie is really good. We'll have to try it next time."

"Oh, for sure," Jacqueline enthusiastically agreed.

A short hush fell over them. The blonde rooted around in her brown leather purse for a moment before extracting a pink smartphone. She messed around with the screen for a few moments before turning it sideways.

"Hey, take a selfie with me," she requested of her sister.

"Wha—" Before Ayda could protest any further, Jackie pulled her in and snapped a quick photo. It was over in the blink of an eye. "What was that for?"

"To commemorate the occasion," Jacqueline responded simply.

"What occasion, getting fat?" Ayda joked.

The blonde gave her a sideways glance. Gaining weight was nothing either of them had to worry about too greatly. Jackie's grin faded just slightly as she inspected the photo.

"You didn't smile," she said.

"You ambushed me!" Defied Ayda in self-defense.

"I like it though," continued Jackie. "Something about that face is so totally you."

"Oh yeah, thanks," Ayda feigned offense.

"You know what I mean." Jackie put away her phone. "There's still a few minutes before either of us has to go back. Anything you wanna do?"

"We don't really have time for anything, do we?" Questioned Ayda. "We could just drive around if you don't wanna go back yet."

"Sounds good to me," agreed Jacqueline. Together, they continued walking toward her car.

Ayda couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. Although a simple, domestic moment, it was the kind of thing she lived for. A good lunch with her best friend in the whole wide world? What more could anyone ask for? It was a perfect moment, a perfect day. Maybe she should get up early more often.