Luce

A Teenage Girl

"This is our summer vacation, Anna. High school is over and there's only two weeks until we start college. Enjoy yourself!" Lisa, being my closest friend, put her hands on my shoulders and smiled warmly.

I sighed lightly and said, "I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now, Lisa. Can't I just go to our dorm and read?"

I looked around the mall that I had never been to before. It was bigger than the one at home. Just yesterday, Lisa and I unpacked our things in our dorm at New York University. I never imagined myself going to NYU, especially as a single woman.

Lisa turned away and kept talking. "You're my best friend and I am not letting you sulk over that ginger jerk, Alfie. I am finding you a new and exciting man that won't treat you like a pet."

"He never treated me like a pet..." I paused. "Can we just go back to our dorms? I'll hang out with you tomorrow and we can go clothes and boy shopping."

Lisa giggled. "I'll let you read as long as you let me watch Netflix."

She held out her hand and I shook it. "Deal."

***

We walked to the subway and rode back to our dorms. I sat in my blue bean bag chair with my black hair in a lazy bun and read a fantasy book my mother gave me before she passed away.

When I was a baby, she read stories to me about Norse, Greek, and Biblical mythology. When the library she stored the books in was set on fire, she burned with the books. I've always been interested in fantasy things like goblins and nymphs, but I was never able to pick up a book relating to what she read to me. Instead of reading religious mythology, I read the fantasy books in the teen section of book stores.

Lisa laid on her bed and watched one of her favourite TV shows on Netflix with her headphones on. Her mom and my mom had been friends since they were babies and Lisa and I have been too. Hopefully one day Lisa's kid and my kid will be friends too, whenever we decide to have kids, that is.

When I had finished my book, I stood up and stretched. Lisa noticed and paused her show. "Hungry?" She asked. I didn't realize how hungry I was until she asked, so, I nodded and smiled. She always knew what I was feeling. It was as if she was telepathic.

I took out my bun and let my curly hair fall to the middle of my back. Lisa's straight blonde hair was wavy from the fishtail braid she had be wearing all day. We stood side by side in the mirror that leaned against the wall. I was always amazed how similar our eyes were. They were both the same shade of brown except her eye shape was a little bit more slanted upward.

Lisa faced me. "Anna Rose, you look stunning on this lovely evening."

I smiled and cleared my throat, preparing a posh British accent. "Lisa Grey, you look like a queen. Would you do the honor of walking with me outside?"

I held out my hand and she took it then curtseyed. "I would love to."

We paused for a moment then broke out into laughter. It took us most of the way down the halls to stop laughing. When we were outside, we took a cab to Central Park. There, we found a quick place to eat then walked around. We talked about how the book I was reading and the show she's watching. No matter how often we talked, we always had more things to say to each other. I never got sick of Lisa like most friends do if they've been around each other for a long time.

After we finished our food, we got ice cream from a nearby ice cream truck. We walked from the southern end of the park all the way to the north. By the pond, we sat on a bench. While Lisa was talking, I looked around us at the scenery. It was beautiful. When Lisa realized I wasn't paying attention, she kept quiet and observed the scenery with me.