The Price ࿊f Peace

☮️: 042

Saturday June 10th, 2024
Somewhere in Oakland

Syara sighed, pushing herself up once more off of the plastic bench she was sticking to.

Camarro had invited her, Leek, Hooty, Kisses, Lucky, and her siblings out to a festival in the hills with he and Nylah.

She was not enjoying it at all. And it was obvious that she wasn't, but she wasn't making it unenjoyable for anyone else.

She just wished Elijah were there. She could still feel the light imprint from his lips on her neck from that morning. She just wanted to stay home. With him.

But, she was peer pressured into going by nearly everyone in her circle, including Elijah.

So everyone just hated her now, she supposed. And, obviously, Elijah didn't want her anymore. That's what she constituted it as.

Syara could already feel her legs beginning to melt into the plastic once again. Did she mention she wasn't having fun?

Because she wasn't. She definitely wasn't.

"Yaya?" She heard her name being called. She looked up to see both Kisses and Seriya locked at the arms.

"Hm?" She sounded, forcing her eyes open in their direction.

Kisses spoke first. "You wanna go to the face-painting station with us?"

Fuck no. She most definitely did not want to go to the face painting section. She squinted up at them, placing a hand on her forehead to shade her eyes.

Syara was very actively in the midst of saying no, but Riya spoke first.

"We could get matching butterflies." She attempted to bribe her with a smile.

Syara was still poised to say no, but Riya's smile was so pleading that it almost looked painful. Syara sighed minutely, forcing a smile, and peeling herself off of the bench.

Her hand was grabbed up in Riya's in seconds, and she was being dragged across the festival venue behind the two heavily chattering young women.

She pulled out her phone, looking through Pinterest to avoid conversation with strangers just as the girls approached the face painting stand.

"I can help you." She heard a familiar deep voice to her left.

Syara looked up immediately, the mug softening from her features when she realized who it was. Both Kisses and Seriya had made their way over to get their own faces painted, leaving her to stand at the front of the line.

She was still standing in place, squinting in his direction. "C'mere, mama." He called her over with a quick wave of his hand as he looked over the paint brushes.

Syara looked around before taking a step toward him, obviously confused as to what he was meant to be doing there. "When'd you come?" She asked quietly upon sitting in front of him.

"Shit, like twenty minutes ago." He shrugged, looking up from the paint he was organizing.

"Camarro." He answered the obvious question in her features.

"Huh?" She asked, still looking confused.

"It's Camarro's fault I'm over here." He explained, pulling her closer to him by the underside of the chair she was sitting on. "So, whatchu' want, pretty girl?"

Syara looked up from his lips where her eyes were fixed. He'd just cut his hair and lined up his goatee the day prior, and it was doing something to her brain.

"H-huh?" She stuttered out again, shifting in her seat and focusing this time.

"Paint, mama," He chuckled. "What you want me to paint on you, shorty?"