𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦: 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗦

chapter three

How Whitney Fisher, Brooke Milan, Scarlett Varela, Sawyer Klein, and Alyssa Luttrell became friends is extremely simple; proximity. All of them were on the same cheer team throughout high school, and they all made up the same stunt group, with Scarlett backspotting, Brooke and Whitney basing, and Sawyer and Alyssa switching as flyers. It also helped that Scarlett and Alyssa had been childhood best friends, pushing all of them close together. 

Because of the practically inseparable bond the group of five had, they were often found in only two scenarios; with each other or alone. Their friend group was their friends, there wasn't really anyone else, because they didn't need anyone else. They had each other. 

That was why walking into Light Waves one day, Whitney, Brooke, Scarlett, and Sawyer didn't think it'd be any different than any other time they'd gone to visit Alyssa; they'd try on the new floor set, chat for a bit, and then leave, possibly purchasing a few items. 

However, the first sign that something was different was Sawyer greeting someone her three friends had never even seen, and on top of that it was a guy, a hot guy, who was exactly Sawyer's type. 

"Hey, I didn't know you were working today!" She walked up to him. The brunette boy quickly turned around, smiling when his eyes landed on Sawyer. His name tag read Nick, which was something Brooke pointed out to Scarlett and Whitney. 

"What are you doing here?" He laughed, folding a pair of jeans. "I thought you didn't work until Wednesday."

"I don't, I'm here to visit Alyssa," She motioned over to the three girls, "These are my friends, by the way. Brooke, Whitney, and Scarlett. This is Nick, he's two years older than us."

"Oh, I had an older sister in your grade," Scarlett smiled. "And I work with someone the same age."

"Oh, really? Who?" Nick asked. 

"Phoebe Varela is my sister, and then I work with Tanner Watson," She answered. 

"Oh, yeah, I know them both! Phoebe always had the best after-game parties for football," Nick nodded. "Alyssa's in the fit, by the way."

"Okay, thanks!" Sawyer waved, dragging her friends back to the fitting room. 

"How do you know him?" Whitney gave her a teasing smirk. 

"He's just a friend," Sawyer blushed, glancing over to Brooke who seemed to be looking in the opposite direction. 

"Hey!" Alyssa exclaimed as her friends walked back into the fitting room. 

"Wow you've got a lot of go-backs," Sawyer chuckled, looking at the two full bins and racks of clothes to be put back into the store. 

"Yeah, and we've got five other people that could do it, but Neha asked me to do it while I was refolding the jeggings wall," Alyssa rolled her eyes. 

"Well, I'll put all of our stuff back so you don't have to worry about that," Sawyer smiled. "Do you have four open rooms?"

"Yeah, here," Alyssa nodded. "The fitting room rush cooled down, but now the registers are gonna be slammed."

"Well, good thing you're not ringing," Sawyer laughed before entering her own room. 

She tried on three items; a pair of high-waisted blue mom shorts, a loose white tank top, and a cropped red one. When she first picked them out she hadn't thought much of it, but after trying everything on, she realized how much she loved every item she picked. She ended up walking out with all three of them, waiting for her other, much slower, friends to come out of their rooms.