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THIRD PERSON'S POV
"You exited so fast I could've sworn you were a meteor" A-Zara commented at an upset River from outside the building. River hummed and ran her hands over her face. She looks up and fixes herself in the chair with straighten posture. Rio gave out a force smile and tilted her head outward to A-Zara's direction.
"I figured you would've left by now" A-Zara admits. "You know, since there's no Willa, and she doesn't let you walk alone by without her being two steps behind" Zara sassed, still on the outside of the table for two. River pressed her lips together and sighs. She leaned forward and lets her arms rest on the table while she messed with her silver ring on her right hand. "I'm trying this new thing where I do what I want, even if it means doing it alone".
"And, as of today, I have a feeling I'm gonna be alone for a while" River told the ombré braided hair extraterrestrial. "Really?" A-Zara says, now fully intrigued. "Care to elaborate?" She asked while making her move to sit in the seat across from River.
"I rather have you elaborate on how you guys plan on winning that Cup if you guys never cheered a day in your lives" River says in order to change the subject.
"There's nothing our minds can't do. Besides, how difficult can it be?" A-Zara said. River simply shook her head and giggled. The quiet silence had fallen upon them and River lets out a breath. "Speaking of minds...." She said quietly with hesitation. "You read them, correct? Everyone's minds" Rio questioned. A-Zara's eyes slightly widened and she gulped, shifting uncomfortably. "I don't know what you're—" Zara tried to lie.
"Mind Probes. Your glove thingy. Her memories and thoughts are all inside that thing." River said with a quickness that made her words sound more like demands than anything else. Her breathing grew heavier as she stared at Zara's Luma Lens.
"River..." A-Zara slightly frowned. She was feeling empathetic. River clearly was stressed out by many things. If another thing went wrong, A-Zara was sure that the human girl's head would explode. "You... you have to tell me something." River says sadly. Zara sighs and reached out her hand to touch Rio's. "It'll only make things worse if I do" the alien said. River simply let the words wash over her like an ocean wave, falling back into her chair and slowly blinked.
She lets out a scoff and then her lips curled upwards to the point where it almost looked like a grin. "So she really is hiding something from me and you weren't just bluffing that night?" A-Zara nodded and looked down. River's rage only grew more. She slams her fist on the table and made Zara look up with an amused expression, still slightly terrified. "I've been busting my ass off for her these past three months and this is the thanks I get!?".
"You seem highly aggressive in this situation. I could help you get your mind off things" Zara suggested. "Please." River whispered, fidgeting at the ends of Willa's hoodie sleeve. "Just don't say her name" She instructed with a finger point. A-Zara nodded and looked outward to see a few passing cars going along the concrete road that lead them to different destinations. "She's not the only one who's been lying to you".
"Oh, god..." River says, exhausted.
"I don't have to tell you." Zara said in order for her to keep her mission a secret and keep Rio from getting more upset. "No! No! I'm desperate for something truthful about anything at this point!" River replied. A-Zara laughed. It seemed to be contagious enough to even make the upset girl laugh a bit. That briefly relieved Zara's nerves. "We're on a mission" A-Zara announced, adjusting her posture in order to feel more confident. "What?" Rio questioned. "Yes." The alien nodded.
"I thought you guys were here for the comp'." River says with a finger point at the window of the shop, motioning to the cheer group inside.
"We lied. We meant no harm the day we came, I swear" A-Zara stated. "But seeing the way they all reacted... it made us think that you guys weren't willing to help us" Zara said with a shaky breath unsure what River's reaction would be to the information. "Help with what?" River asked with tugged eyebrows. "Finding our home" Zara answered. "Where is it? I mean I know it's in space but—" River goes to say but A-Zara cuts her off, not intentionally.
"We're not sure. We've been searching for years for it, Utopia, after our home was destroyed by environmental blight".
"But, with no success, and nothing but a damaged scouts log in the ship to help us" A-Zara says wearily. "I have the feeling of doubt that we will have to wonder the galaxy without a home" the alien picked at her braids and took a deep breath. "That's terrifying. What if we don't find the map?" She said. "You guys could always stay here" River simply said.
"Willa won't—".
"No Willa zone!" The Barbadian girl reminded her. A-Zara held her hands up in defense and chuckled. "Your partner isn't going to be too happy about that one" Zara said. "She'll get over it" River shrugs.
"If you guys need a home so badly and you, god forbid, never find your utopia in space. Seabrook is quick to build new things!" She continued. "You guys could have a home in, like, months!" The human beamed with joy. "But, you know, it's just a backup plan. Not that you'll need one since you're going to find your utopia eventually" River says encouragingly that made A-Zara smile. Rio smiled back and the comfortable silence came to greet them again. A-Zara slowly eyed her up and down, licked her lips. River tugged her brows in confusion at first before she blushed and attempted to hide her growing smile.
"What?".
"Nothing".
The silence continues on up until River gets a notification from her phone. A-Zara frowned at the fact that River was getting ready to leave. "I- I... sorry, Z. I gotta go" Rio said, distractedly. She had read the text saying that her dinner reservation would be ready in a few hours. "I had this whole thing that I'm surprising you-know-who with later and I should really get a head start on it" She stated. A-Zara hummed with little to no emotion. "I'll talk to you later okay?" River says as she stood up, the chair scrapes and scoots back. River grabs her things and steps away from the table and tucks in the chair.
"Hey, Rio?" A-Zara questions. "Yeah?" Rio smiled, looking down her. "You're a good friend" Zara says. "Better believe it, baby" River winks at her after slinging her mini bookbag over her shoulder. With that, she begins to walk down the street to get to her car.
"Riv!" Addison called out as she rushed out of the shop. River turned around with an alertness and tilts her head at the platinum blonde bob girl. "Can you come to practice?" Addison asked. "Uh..." Rio hesitates as she checks her phone screen for the time or any message from Willa. "Please?" Addison asked. River sighs. She did promise that she would help out. "O...okay. Okay, yeah. I'll just leave early" She agreed. Addison squealed loudly and rushed over to River—giving her tight hug. River had looked over Addison in the hug and smiled at A-Zara after Aspen walked to her.
"Is the plan still in motion for tomorrow night?" A-Spen questions through their shared telepathy. "Why don't we do it tonight instead?"A-Zara replies in a suggestive tone while crossing her arms. She leans back against the shop's brick wall, her eyes never left River. A-Spen tugs their eyebrows together and tilts her head after looking over at the still hugging duo.
"You gotta let me go, Addi!" River says with a laugh.
