Aria's POV:
I sat in the passenger seat of the car, silently suspicious, as Sade drove aimlessly for the past thirty minutes. After saying goodbye to Lauren at the restaurant, we went back to our table to pay the bill, then left. She drove past the hotel which had me confused, and when I asked, "Where we going?" She responded with, "you'll see." And here we are.
Not only was that iffy, but Dylan also hasn't been responding to my texts or calls all day. His work sometimes keeps him away from his phone, so I didn't pay it much mind. But he'll usually at least check in with me at least once by now. And that, on top of the whispered phone call the other night, something ain't right.
I love my best friend, and her surprise visits, but I didn't buy that excuse she gave last night for a second.
Sade's rather punctual and if she had plans to visit, she would have let me know. And when I asked why she was here, the panicked glance she gave Dylan did not go unnoticed. Neither did the glance Lauren gave to Sade when I asked her why she was here. And the fact that Lauren's even here at all, let alone in the bathroom talking to Sade when I walked in, has me tense. Something's going on, and let me find out those two are back together and didn't tell me. It'll be me and them.
Twenty minutes of me glancing around my surroundings, eyeing her occasionally as she followed directions on her airpods with her phone in her lap, and we finally arrived. Now I'd been living in Tampa for about three years now, after moving here with Dylan for work, and I'd never seen or heard of this place before.
Lifting a single brow, I skeptically eyed the plain looking building before slowly drifting my attention to my best friend. "Where are we?"
Unbuckling her seatbelt, she released a blissful sigh. "You'll see," Sade opened the car door. "Come on," she said before closing it.
In amused disbelief, I did so, hurrying a bit to catch up with her since she obviously wasn't slowing down to wait on me.
The second I walked in, my eyes widened and an awed smile tugged my lips.
Beautiful paintings hung amongst the wall, telling the abstruse stories of many black women and little girls. As she walked ahead, Sade glanced back at me with a beam, basking in my reaction. I gave her a knowing glance before letting my eyes wander the place once more.
In contrast to its bland exterior, the inside was rather unique, and in the most pleasant way. Vines hung amongst the walls, some connecting a few canvases. Other vines held the prettiest and most exotic looking flowers, practically screaming at you to reach your hand out just to see if they're real. The building itself is quite roomy also, containing individual classrooms on the right side and a vast gallery, just past the desk area, on the left.
A brown skinned woman with dreads in a head wrap ponytail walked up to us with the most beautiful smile. She wore baggy denim overalls with a beige sports bra and low top black Doc Martens. Her jewelry was gold, adding to her aura. Just before she became within earshot, I whispered to Sade through a smile,
"She is so pretty-"
"I'm saying-"
"Hi there! You two must be here for the 2:30 session." We both nodded, shining smiles of acknowledgement as she stood before us, smelling like vanilla and coconut. "I'm Yasmine, and I'll be your instructor for today. As you know, it's only an hour long, but I promise, it's worth every second. You mind telling me your names?"
I gestured a hand to myself, "Aria." She smiled at me before turning her attention to my best friend.
"Sade," she said, mimicking me.
