Dominique yawned, his breath forming clouds in the crisp evening air. Rubbing his hands together to shake off the cold, he had just returned to his dorm after a party that lasted until midnight. The plan was simple: collapse on the bed and call it a night. Yet, as he stepped into his dorm, his phone buzzed almost immediately.
At first, he contemplated ignoring the call, but a glance at the caller ID revealed it was Gaia. He sighed and answered, "What?"
"Dom," Her voice held urgency. "Where are you right now?"
Slightly annoyed, he replied, "My dorm, where else would I be?"
"Do you think you can drive to Lake Town? Tonight?" There was a brief pause.
"I'm on my way." He hung up, curiosity mingling with the irritation.
Without a word, Dominique swiftly dressed. Fingers deftly buttoning his shirt and lacing up his shoes, his mind raced with questions. Why did Gaia need a drive to Lake Town? And then it struck him—it must be Fauna who needed help.
Pulling up to Gaia's place, he found both Fauna and Gaia with packed bags. "What's going on?"
Fauna stood in the living room, her red eyes suggesting recent tears. She seemed oblivious to Dominique's presence. Gaia, already moving towards Fauna, said, "I'll explain in the car. Bring the bags."
Annoyance simmered within Dominique, but he held back. It was classic Gaia—commanding without explaining. Now was not the time for demands; Fauna's distressed state made that clear.
"Hey, Dumbo," Gaia shouted from outside the door. Dominique sighed, "Why are you still standing there? Bring the bags."
As they settled back into the car, Dominique's frustration lingered. His gaze shifted from Gaia to Fauna. Something terrible must have happened, and the six-hour drive to Lake Town loomed ahead.
Midway to their destination, Fauna asleep in the back seat, Dominique finally broached the subject. "What happened?"
"Her grandmother passed away," Gaia whispered.
"Were they close?" he inquired. "She talked about her from time to time, but I don't really know how fond she was of her."
Gaia sighed. "She liked her, but..." She hesitated.
"But what?" Dominique asked, glancing at Gaia through the rearview mirror.
"Nothing, it's just that, sometimes when she talked about Lake Town, she sounded sad."
"Or she's trying to avoid something? Yeah, I noticed it too, but I didn't think much of it."
Gaia leaned forward, whispering, "Do you think something bad happened there?"
"I thought she was homesick."
Their conversation unfolded, oblivious to Fauna, who was now awake. She wanted to cry; even her friends had noticed. She thought she had hidden her feelings well.
"Maybe she left her boyfriend?" Dominique speculated.
"She was 15; relationships aren't that deep at 15," Gaia replied.
"She was only 15," the realization hit Fauna. Eight years had passed since she left Lake Town, and maybe everything had changed from what she remembered.
