[The young girl looked up, hood of her thin hoodie pulled up and over her head. Whoever said it couldn't get cold in the deep South was lying.]
...Hi.
[Yeah the other person looked familiar but she didn't know who it was. Lets face it, it had been a while since Tonia had been allowed to go to Louisiana or talk to her old friends. Memories got fuzzy fast.]
Just out of curiosity, have you ever spent a summer at Oak Alley?
[She's rolling on a hunch, sure, but this girl looks like she could use a friend. Heck, she already looks enough like an old friend. So Chris figures it counts.]
[That got the girl to sitting up right pretty fast. It was a pretty popular summer camp when her grandma had been able to help run it. Now it was mostly just family that spend the summers there with her.]
[Pushing back the hood a little the other kid hardly seem to notice the black eye that she was sporting. The name was familiar, Tonia had to admit that much. As the person sat down beside of her Barrows glanced from the group she had left to where she was sitting at now.]
[There's more smiling now, even as her heart sort of wants to drag the other girl's butt to the doctor to get something put on that black eye that, by now, is definitely not a trick of the light.]
[Tonia blinked a couple of times before letting a forced smile slip across her face. It had been years since she had spoken to the girl who had been her partner in crime running around the old Castille homestead in the swamps of Louisiana. When her dad had cut out most of the summer visits and her having much of a social life.. she had stopped writing or calling.]
[Tonia froze as the girl, Christine, put her arm around her to give her a hug. She was being nice to her? She had all but dropped off the face of the planet thanks to her jack off of a dad and she was.. being nice? Christine had ever right to be mad as hell.]
Life.. kinda caught up with me. [And her Dad's fist.. belt.. foot.. words.. Seven years could make a large difference. Pulling her hands in to her sleeves in hopes of getting fingers warm again, she tried to give Chris a smile but it was hard. It made her cheek hurt from the black eye he had given her hours before she had high tailed it out of Montana.]
Sorry about that. School and all you know. [She had never been that great at lying.]
[There's a lot Chris wants to ask right now. Why did you stop writing? Who gave you that black eye? Why are you alone? But she presses her lips together and sort of hums as she leans against Tonia, trying to give the undressed, slightly older girl some good vibes. Or body heat, at least.]
Yeah, well, it never was my strong point with people who knew me. [Which meant eventually having to tell Chris what had happened and why she was alone in Louisiana at.. whatever time it was.]
[Her foot kicked her half packed duffel bag as the awkward reuniting of the two friends continued on.]
Dad wouldn't let me come down here any more. He... started to drink again.
[Yes, as a matter of fact, that does require another hug. This one even tighter, with some teary eyes to go with it. All the excitement over her trip Chris had felt before is gone, completely replaced with worry and concern and love for Tonia.]
You didn't see me here. You've not heard from me in years. Got it?
[She hated that she was going to ruin whatever trip Chris was going on. That was probably why her friends were looking at their watches for the time and huffing slightly.]
I'm gonna go ask my Grandma for some money or something then try to get to San Francisco. See if I can sign up for Starfleet.
Umm... hi?
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...Hi.
[Yeah the other person looked familiar but she didn't know who it was. Lets face it, it had been a while since Tonia had been allowed to go to Louisiana or talk to her old friends. Memories got fuzzy fast.]
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[She's rolling on a hunch, sure, but this girl looks like she could use a friend. Heck, she already looks enough like an old friend. So Chris figures it counts.]
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Yeah.. a lot of them. Why?
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Remember Christine?
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...Chapel?
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That's me. Hi, Tonia.
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[Tonia blinked a couple of times before letting a forced smile slip across her face. It had been years since she had spoken to the girl who had been her partner in crime running around the old Castille homestead in the swamps of Louisiana. When her dad had cut out most of the summer visits and her having much of a social life.. she had stopped writing or calling.]
It's been a while.
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[With a bit of hesitation - this girl looks like Tonia, but acts like a little Tonia shell - Chris wrapped her arms around Tonia, hugging her tight.]
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You... did?
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[And it's true. Such well-clicking friends were hard to forget. Now she pulls back and does some sort of smile-frown thing at Tonia.]
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Sorry about that. School and all you know. [She had never been that great at lying.]
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[There's a lot Chris wants to ask right now. Why did you stop writing? Who gave you that black eye? Why are you alone? But she presses her lips together and sort of hums as she leans against Tonia, trying to give the undressed, slightly older girl some good vibes. Or body heat, at least.]
School makes life busy, though, yeah.
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[Her foot kicked her half packed duffel bag as the awkward reuniting of the two friends continued on.]
Dad wouldn't let me come down here any more. He... started to drink again.
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[Yes, as a matter of fact, that does require another hug. This one even tighter, with some teary eyes to go with it. All the excitement over her trip Chris had felt before is gone, completely replaced with worry and concern and love for Tonia.]
That's why you're... here, aren't you? You're running away.
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[She hated that she was going to ruin whatever trip Chris was going on. That was probably why her friends were looking at their watches for the time and huffing slightly.]
I'm gonna go ask my Grandma for some money or something then try to get to San Francisco. See if I can sign up for Starfleet.
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