Straight and Fast

Arrivals and Traditions

CHAPTER ONE

River's head rested against the window, the bumps in the road made her feel sick so she put in her earbuds and turned on some music to distract her. About half way through "Halah" by  Mazzy Star she, and her brother arrived at Culver Creek. Langdon had graduated last year, but didn't want River to drive down alone so he volunteered to help her through her voyage. River always had a weird tendency of not stopping a song till it was fully done so she sat in the car as the music started to fade, just observing what was happening around her. It was a bright day, and excruciatingly high in temperature. River hated the heat. She hated sweat, and fatigue, and having to drink water. 

As thoughts of what the school year was going to look like ran through River's mind the last notes of the song ended. Exciting the car River spotted Alaska. River swung the door shut, made eye contact, and ran straight into Alaska's outstretched arms. "Oh how I've missed your beautiful button nose!!" Alaska gushed as she spun River around by the waist. These greetings were typical for the two, they both were rather dramatic, but the happiness that filled them the first day never got old. 

"How have you been youngin?!?" River asked. By now her excitement caused her to forget about her brother that was now chatting up old friends while unloading all her luggage. "Oh my god i can't wait to tell you what happened with Justin!" Alaska practically yelled. River was familiar with the boy and knew he was kind of a weirdo, but before Alaska could begin to tell her about the awkward encounter they were interrupted by Sara.

River had always been surrounded by the weekday warriors because of her parents and she had accepted that a long time ago. Their families had always been a tight-knit group and some even felt like family. (a highly dysfunctional family but still family) Her family were well off to say the least, and had had the status for a long time, long before them. The Laurier name was a large one to live up to, and although River always had that opportunity open to her, going home, sleeping in a comfortable bed, and enjoying luxuries that weren't provided at Culver, she was never a person who enjoyed cliques. In her mind, and everyone else's, that's what the Weekday Warriors are, a big clique.

"Hey River, Alaska, i just finished moving my stuff and i was just wondering if you needed any help with yours." Sara knew the answer would be no due to the known fact that River and Alaska always hit up Coosa's the first day before they settled in, but she loved River and she knew that if she didn't make an effort, the rivalry would push them further and further away from each other. River and Sara had shared a dorm every year since they first arrived and although they did grow a fair bit apart it was never a question that they would bunk together.

"Oh Sara you know our ritual." River said in a knowing, but playful, tone. "I'll be back later." sending Sara a wink. With that Sara nodded and walked away to her group, who were all staring at the awkward interaction, as River and Alaska saw Marya. 

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IN THE CAR

After having "the talk" with Marya and feeling satisfied with their impression on her, River and Alaska waltzed into the roadside shop hand in hand. River let Alaska do all the sweet talking and convincing while she picked out a few snacks for her mini fridge. She hoped Langdon had installed it already and not gotten too distracted by his friends. Unlike River, Langdon always stuck close to the group they grew up with. It made him feel secure and known, which is something he didn't get anywhere else other than with his own sister. 

River and Langdon had always gotten along and she was happy that he came to drop her off instead of their parents. When River was with Langdon she knew he could understand her like nobody else.

River settled on a 6-pack of Arizona green tea, a pack of milk duds, and a pair of black "dad glasses" as Alaska called them.

Hopping back into the car's passenger seat, River rolled the old window down and felt the force of the air against her hand, going in and between her fingers as she stuck her whole arm out. Her nails were always painted black or a deep maroon, and held many rings, almost too many. She had a septum piercing and a few stick-and-poke tattoos that Alaska had done that summer. During the summer River snuck Alaska in multiple times for sleepovers, especially when Alaska had problems with her dad. It got both the girls mind off their screwed relationships.

"Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith was playing on the radio as River stood up and angled herself out of the car window. Her actions were met by a loud holler from Marya telling her to "Get back in the car before one of these trees chop off your pretty little head" as well as Alaska tugging at her shorts, trying to get her to sit back down. River only focused her attention ahead at the trees and the sky. She was waiting to see the old, quaint sign that signaled her return home. The sign that read "Culver Creek".

if anyone was wondering abt the piercings:

Arriving back at Culver River hopped out of the car, after a quick goodbye, and headed to her room to fill her fridge and unpack while Alaska set out to her room and presumably to hide the cheap liquor they had just purchased. As River entered Sara sat at her desk setting up her lamp. Which was not a pretty sight. Deciding it was best to start with her clothes she opened her big trunk and began to open her bags. River unpacked her clothes and hung her shirts into her armorer. She then folded all her bottoms and placed them neatly into one of her dressers. For River it was important to make everything very neat at first so that as her messy tendencies occurred it would be easier to clean it all up when Sara complained, which happened very often.

"Are you going to the bonfire tonight?" Sara asked to break the silence. River had just finished stacking her books. River had a very large collection of novels, most of them residing at her house hidden in the back of her walk-in closet. Her closet back home was like a cave filled with some of, what River thought were, the most indulging reads to have been written. 

"Yeah i was planning on it." River replied
"Cool. Do you know if i should take a suit? i don't want to be the only one." 

"i'm wearing one." River said as she cracked open a green tea and headed for the door. 

"i'm gonna go. catch up to you later?" River did a mock-salute as she left Sara, who was still struggling to set up her lamp. Somehow she ended up with two extra screws.

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