Searching For Scarlett [Undergoing edits]

0.6

"So how are we going to do this?" Mariana asked as they continued walking.

Taylor shrugged. "I don't really know," she admitted.

Mariana bit her bottom lip in thought, hands gripping the backpack straps.

"Well, we obviously can't just barge in guns blazing," Mariana informed her friend, "we'll get in trouble for sure. Like I said, Saquanians are not allowed across the border-- not without permission."

Taylor hummed in thought. "And I agreed. Saquanians aren't allowed to cross," Taylor repeated, "but Outlanders are. So we'll just have to pretend to be Outlanders."

"Right," Mariana snorted, "that'll be easy. Do you, by chance, know anything about Outlanders?" She drawled sarcastically, rolling her and tipping her head towards her friend to give her a pointed look.

Taylor snorted and rolled her head, turning her head away from her friend, smiling.

"Where're we going?" Mariana asked as she came to a halt in front of a patch of unpurchased land at the end of another street that was covered with trees behind her friend.

Taylor shrugged and pouted her lips, turning her head to her friend and causing a few wisps of blonde hair to fall in her eyes.

"Somewhere relatively close to the border," she replied, grunting impatiently and sloppily tying her hair in a ponytail resting at the nape of her neck with one of the few hair ties that resided on her wrist.

Mariana blew a puff of air through her nose and blinked sharply, crossing her arms and resting her weight on her left leg as her right foot balanced her, knee slightly bent.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," she retorted, leaning her torso forward a little and stretching her neck forward towards her friend, her eyes slitted and glaring at Taylor scathingly.

Taylor rolled her eyes and turned right, signaling for Mariana to follow.

"You asked, hotshot," she called over her shoulder, turning her head slightly.

Mariana shook her head and muttered to herself about befriending wise-asses as she hurried after her friend, dropping her pose.

"Where are we going?" Mariana asked again, falling into step behind Taylor. "You never really responded. Obviously we have to be close to the border, but we've never been anywhere too close to the border."

"Correction," Taylor chimed, turning and flashing her an evil grin, "you have never been anywhere near the border. I on the other hand, happen to know a few things."

Mariana' mouth opened and closed like a fish's, trying to speak but having no words come out.

"Unbelievable," she finally managed after a few seconds of silent walking. "When? How? Where? When?"

"Doesn't matter," Taylor replied curtly. "It was a long time ago, I went on a dare and didn't want you to get in trouble if we were caught, so I didn't invite you."

Mariana shut her mouth and looked down, her hands one again grabbing the straps of her backpack, her throat closing.

"Am I supposed to thank you?" Mariana asked, her voice cracking slightly in the end at her miserable attempt at humor.

Taylor stopped, causing Mariana to stop as well, and turned her head to look at her friend, concerned. "Don't be upset. We could've been caught. You know what happens to those who get caught, Mari, you know. I-- I couldn't risk it. So be mad all you want. I'd rather have you're anger on my conscience than your Oustation," Taylor whispered, turning back around to continue walking, rubbing her cheek and eyes with the heel of her right hand, annoyed, while her left clenched a strap of her bag.