Timere

before • what's in a name?

"Karen?"

I shoot Lana a dirty look as I lock the front door. "I will hit you."

She laughs. "Go ahead, midget."

I kick her in the shin, grabbing the picnic basket from her and prancing off.

"Barely felt it, Natalie!"

I wrinkle my nose, looking back at her over my shoulder as she follows at a more leisurely pace. Black jeans, a grey tank and her favourite black leather jacket and gloves, make her look twice as dangerous as she usually does.

And ten times as hot, in my opinion.

It's a rather odd thing to be wearing to a picnic, as opposed to my flowery, soft pink dress and brown sandals, but we're taking her motorbike so it checks out.

Lana wouldn't be caught dead in a dress anyway.

"How about Sakura?" She asks when we get into the elevator. "Your hair's still pink, after all."

It is, although the roots are going brown again. I'll probably mix in some purple next time I dye it.

"Nah, too obvious."

Lana hums, idly tapping away on her phone. She rarely uses the thing, except for creating playlists and looking up new recipes on YouTube, and texting me, sometimes when we're literally ten steps away from each other.

"Whatcha doing?" I get up on my toes, trying to peek at the screen, but she just lifts it higher, tutting in false disapproval.

"No peeking," is her response, with a cheeky smile.

"You can't look up names, that's cheating!" I jab a finger in her chest.

She blinks at me, endlessly amused. "Cheating? There's rules now?"

"Well, no, but-" I cut myself off, grumbling.

Seeing as I really, really want a fresh start, I'm looking to change my name.

I've picked a random enough last name - Owens. In memory of a friend-turned-sister who left me behind. She's not dead or anything. Just decided she didn't want me in her life anymore. Which stings even now, but, oh well.

My girlfriend - it's still surreal to even think. My girlfriend. Damn - had offered that I could use hers. Offhanded and casual enough that I didn't feel pressured, but I declined.

I would love to be a Diablo but... only after I have a ring on my finger. If that happens. And I really, really hope it does.

So Lana's taken to calling me random names until I pick one I like, because it really isn't enough to just choose a name from the internet. It's pretty slow going - we've been at this for almost three weeks - and a part of me just wants to say yes to the next name she calls me because I'm sure she must be sick of it all-

"Hey," Lana calls, breaking me out of my reverie. "Ariel?"

I tilt my head, turning it around in my head. "Say it again."

She huffs out a laugh, stepping closer and leaning down, not breaking eye contact. "Ariel," she says, and I can feel her breath ghost over my lips, "I want to take you on our picnic blanket, in Giordano park, and watch you try to be as quiet as possible while nature watches us."

A pleased shiver runs down my spine, and my response is more hiss than actual words.

"Yes"

-
Apologies for missing the Sunday update. Life smacked me.
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