⌗ 43
third person ✎ᝰ
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A Chevrolet Silverado occupies the empty parking space beside Mason's Mazda Sedan. She could easily make out the silhouette behind the tinted windows. Her wariness was soon replaced with a sad smile as the car door to the Silverado opens just enough to let it's owner slip past.

The car locks shut and the tall figure approaches her with a warm smile that brings her comfort.

"Open up, you." Mara held out a clear plastic bag with two drinks. "Care if I join you, Miss?"

Mason's downturned mouth was soon replaced by a lopsided grin and slightly narrowed eyes. She hurriedly unlocks her car door and watches Mara hop into the passenger seat of her car.

"Hm. This feels quite odd." Mara tilted her head. "I don't know if I could ever get used to this."

A small chuckle escapes Mason's lips as Mara hands her the plastic bag. "Is it that shocking?"
She pulls out the Gong Cha cup from the bag and removes the straw. "I've grown up you know."

She peels the straw wrapper open and gently stabs the thin plastic that comes between her and the tea in front of her. The first sip brings a broad smile. "Mmm." She hummed. "This is it."

Mara had gotten used to being in the driver's seat. She'd been Mason's self proclaimed uber driver ever since she got her license. Sitting in the passenger seat of her best friend's car was something she'd better start getting used to.

Mara had a smile that reached her eyes. "You've grown up well." She acknowledged. "There's a lot of things about you that have changed—but it's a good thing." She chuckled. "It makes me happy."

Mason sets the drink down between her thighs as she looks into Mara's eyes. She could feel her tears well once again. "I don't feel happy..."

Mara tucks Mason's hair behind her ear and moves it away from her face. "Mika told me what happened." She stated. Her drink remains untouched. All she could think about what her best friend and what she was feeling at this point in time. "You ran off. And you turned your phone off. Everyone's worried about you." She added.

Mason sniffles quietly as she takes a small sip. "I know. I'm not coming home. If that's why you're here then you wasted your time." She takes another small sip of her Royal Pearl Milk Tea as Mara shakes her head in disagreement.

"I'm not here to take you home, Mason." The latter replied. "I'm here because I want to help you. I don't want you out here alone in the middle of the night either. It's not safe."

Mason didn't question it. Mara found her just like that. "How did you get here so fast..." Her bloodshot eyes were looking at Mara with wonder. "I've been driving around endlessly..." Her gaze shifts to the empty parking lot. It's dark and eery and there's a faint McDonald's sign at the near end of the road not too far up ahead.

Mara reaches into her jacket pocket and takes out an AirTag. "You gave me this, remember?" She sets the tracking device down onto the cup holder. "You told me that I was the only person you'd want around if anything happened. Do you remember?" There's a gentle smile that forms on her face as she watches Mason intently.

Mason nods. There was a period of time where she felt unhappy—long before Riley had walked into her life. She'd leave home for several hours and come back undetected. It was Mason's only form of escape. She would run as fast as she could. It didn't matter the distance nor the place. She just ran to wherever her two feet could take her. Things had only changed when she nearly put herself in harms way. Mara insisted that Mason stopped going out all alone with no certainties. Mason racked her brain with reasons as to why she didn't need to stop, but Mara had become too convincing. It came to the point where the young girl had bought an AirTag with her hard earned money to give to her best friend.

"Here." She handed Mara a small white box. "I went to the mall and bought it." Mara blinked several times as she took the Apple AirTag into her own hands. "That way you can track me down. I tend to keep my phone off when..."

Mara felt quite uneasy at first. "You're really giving me this?" Mason nodded without question. "And I'm the only one with this?"

Mason nodded once more. "You're the only one I trust. Heck, if I ever try to run away then you can come track me down..." Mason chuckled. "As long as it's just you." She added firmly.

The best friends laughed loudly as they looked down at the device and then to each other. "When you told me I could use it to track you down I didn't think I'd actually be doing it."

Mason nodded in agreement. "Neither. But at least we know it works." She takes another sip of her drink. "You even made a trip to get these."

Mara intertwined her fingers with Mason. "I couldn't come empty handed. I figured you would've been rather parched from all the driving. I knew it would make you feel better."

The youngest felt her heart ease. "You made me feel better." She confessed. "Thank you for coming out all this way to come get me." Mara's warmth on her skin made her feel lighter. She felt the heaviness rise of her chest as they sat in each other's presence. "I can always count on you."

The eldest nods. "Always." She smiled. "But I want you to know that a lot of people are there for you too. You can count on them too. And I know that you probably don't want to hear it but...Mason...you can count on her too."

She bit her lip as she lowered her head. Mason knew full well that she could. She'd rather not admit it in this moment, but she knew she could.

"I know." She sighed deeply. "But isn't it selfish? I'm convinced that everyone at dinner knew. Except me! I'm her girlfriend. I had no idea."

Mara runs her thumb across the back of Mason's hand. "I know. But you have to think about her side, too. It was probably a hard decision."

She pondered for a brief moment. A huge part of her knew that it must've been hard, just like Mara said. Regardless, she couldn't help but feel upset. Mason would've felt a lot less hurt and upset over this situation had she known from the very beginning. Either way, every thing had happened in a blink of an eye. They're both hurt now and Mason had no idea how to face Riley.

"I would've felt better about this if she just told me. I know it would've been hard but it wouldn't have hurt like this." She confessed. "I could've gotten used to the idea of it or...I really just wish that Riley had told me." The tears she held back were now running seamlessly down her face.

Mara bites down on her straw and stares down at the floor. "I don't know what to tell you, Mace." She chews the toppings that sit in her mouth. "I just think that it'd be better to talk to her about things and see if there's something you both agree upon. I hate seeing you hurt like this..."

Mara hardly ever cried. She hardly felt hurt or disappointed either. But she doesn't help but feel a slight ache and heaviness in her chest as she watched her best friend burst into tears.

"I'm sorry." She apologised. "I feel like I haven't done much to make you feel better..."

Mason turns her body and wraps her arms around Mara as best as she could. "Don't say that." Her sobs were muffled against the crook of Mara's neck. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're here."She answered. "Please. You've done so much. I need you to know that."

~

The night begins to fade away slowly. The moon hangs beautifully in the night sky as it illuminates the world below it. Mara and Mason are sat into two small camping chairs, thick blankets wrapped around their bodies to keep warm. "Are you asleep?" Mara asks softly.

A soft "mmm" escapes Mason's lips as she dozes off to rest—her head on her best friend's shoulder. "I'm so happy it's you." She mumbled.

A warm smile forms on Mara's lips as she squeezes Mason's hand tightly. "I'm here always."

Her best friend could be anywhere in the world. No distance would ever stop Mara from being by her side when Mason needs her most. Be it a long drive to the country side or a plane trip to a continent across the globe. To Mara, nothing deemed more important than her friends and their happiness. Every bone in her body would move like they were programmed to do so.

She took one last breath before closing her eyes to rest. There was no denying Mason's importance in her life. Things can happen at any given time after all. Mara needed to make sure that she spent her time wisely. She feared losing people the most. She couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone—Mason most especially. She felt more comfortable knowing the latter was right there with her.

Safe and sound. That's how it should be.