The Way It Is [#OpenNovellaContest2019]

• Chapter Four •

Anna pulled up in the parking lot of The Silverbend Apartments and waved at Faith, who was watching from her balcony.
Racing down the stairs, her beach bag trailing behind her, Faith grinned as she jumped into the passenger seat of Anna's old convertible Ford Mustang.

"Hey, boo", Anna laughed as Faiths sunglasses fell off her head and onto her nose.

Faith pushed them up again, past her hairline. "Ready, Angel?"

As they drove along the busy streets of Saskatoon, they chatted about who would be at the party.

"I wonder if Taran and Lily will be there. They were coming back to visit from New Zealand, right?" Faith asked as she observed herself in the side view mirror.

"Maybe." Anna turned a corner and parked behind 3 more cars that were out in the front next to the sidewalk.

"Alright, this is it." Anna looked around at the place. A nice house with two stories and big window in the front showcasing a cozy living room. Cars were lining the street, probably guests at the party.

The two girls could already hear voices as they walked through the back gate, as instructed. Marina ran over to greet them from where she was standing with a few more people.

"Hey, guys! Glad you could make it," she said, giving them each a quick hug. "Help yourself to some food, the pool and hot tub are open, and maybe we can gather and play a big party game or something later."
Marina was already rushing off to say hi to more people. "Let's talk later!"

Anna smiled back at Marina before observing the backyard. The large lawn was crowded with towels and picnic blankets, the pool had a few people in it, and there was no one in the hot tub yet. Groups of people sat on the lawn, drinking and talking, laughing and enjoying the sun. And of course there was that one random person standing in the shade of the big oak tree with a huge plate of food, shoving it into their mouth.

Faith pulled on Anna's arm. "C'mon, let's put our stuff down and get in the pool, I'm boiling."

Anna laughed and followed Faith to the lawn, where they found a clear spot to lay out their blanket. They took off their t-shirts and shorts that were covering their bathing suits, quickly sprayed themselves with sunblock, then chatted for a few minutes as they waited for it to dry.

Anna was wearing a halter style two piece bathing suit with dark blue and black stripes. Faith was wearing a one piece purple bathing suit with an exposed back.

Once they felt dry enough, they walked to the side of the pool. It was pretty big for a backyard pool, completed with a small slide leading into the water and a diving board. Faith stood there, looking at the bottom.

"Oh boy, it's been a while since I swam last."

She kept talking, not noticing Anna creeping around behind her.