Shifting Plates

Chapter Three

     The sun had barely risen but Miranda was staring out the car window through a haze of wafting steam that was emitting from her thermos. Bethany was in the driver's seat, listening intently to an NPR program playing on the radio. When Miranda finally found the energy in herself to compose a complete sentence, she turned to Miranda.

     "Tell me why I'm doing this. I must love torturing myself."

     "Oh shush, Miranda!" Bethany was still focused on the radio program. Miranda stayed silent until Bethany turned down the radio's volume. "You wanted to spend the day with your best friend, that's why. How is that torture?" Bethany took a quick glance over at Miranda, who had briefly closed her eyes.

     "I was not directing that statement at you, but rather contemplating my decisions out loud. I thought the universe might like to shine some light on the subject." Without opening her eyes, she stuck out her tongue and could visualize Bethany's eyeroll.

     As Bethany parked the car Miranda counted the number of cars around them: five.

     "Woah, we must be early." Miranda thought out loud.

     "No, not really. We're part of the setup team, which usually is no more than five or six people. See that red car over there with the bike rack? That's Timothy's."

     "And I would want to know that because?"

     "I don't know. Just being observant," said Bethany, smirking.

      As they got out of the car, they were greeted with a roar. "BETTTHHHHANNYYYYY!" It was Timothy, who was standing at the top of a hill on the other side of the parking lot.

     "Oh no!" Bethany fiend horror. "STRANGER DANGER!" Miranda thought her best friend had lost her mind. Bethany clearly didn't care that everyone was now staring at her. The only thing Bethany saw, at least according to Miranda, was Timothy. She hadn't taken her eyes away from him since he called for her attention. Miranda shook her head and followed Bethany as she began to walk to where Timothy was waiting.