Pondovadia: World I Love, Tears I Drop

Chapter Two: Adrenaline Running Through my Veins

———————————

August 2, 302X

It was a sunny day on the streets of Pondovadia. The main trio were walking down the bustling area and enjoying their afternoon. Bell was drinking her matcha frappe, Ponce sipped on a pina colada smoothie, and Toshi savored a pink cherry maple refresher.

"Hey, guys, look! A carnival!" Bell pointed at the digital flyer embedded in a streetlight. "Free for all Pondovadian students....That's us!"

"We should go!" Ponce grinned. "Not gonna lie, I'm pretty good at those boxing games"

Toshi was reading the fine print on the screen. "Nice! It's going on all this week"

Three other kids their age walked up to the trio.

"Well look who it is" the light blue porcupine greeted everyone. He was holding hands with a light grey feline hybrid, and she looked bored outta her mind. The cherry red mutt with curly pink hair next to them was fiddling with a disposable camera in his hands. "Are you guys going to that carnival too?"

"Nooooo, Chris" Toshi rolled his eyes. "We're trying to steal this streetlight for ourselves, weren't we?"

Ponce laughed. "Yeah, it's so easy. Nope, we're going to. Last week of summer break, last week to do something fun!"

"I know, right?" Chris was grinning in excitement. "I checked off everything on my summer bucket list except for this carnival. And I mean everything!"

The canine looked around at his surroundings, put his camera into his jacket pocket and took some earbuds out of his ears. He whispered to Chris.

"Hey, did that siren finally stop?"

The porcupine nodded. "It's all good, Aster"

Aster pulled the bright yellow camera out of his left pocket.

The grey hybrid rolled her eyes and rearranged her messy indigo pixie cut with her free hand. "Yeah, whatever. Can we go now?"

"Sure, Joan" Chris held onto her hand tighter. "Hey can I add you guys first?"

"Of course, Chris!" Bell pulled out her phone and handed it over to him. He tapped away at the device, typing in a couple numbers in her contacts. Once finished, he handed it back to her.

Chris waved to her before walking away from the trio with Joan and Aster. "Seeya guys later!"

The other kids were talking amongst themselves while they walked down the street to the subway.

"Hey, sorry if I was too quiet, guys" Aster said as he checked his phone for any texts. "You know I hate talking to most people first"
The canine took his earbuds out of his right pocket and put them on.

The porcupine patted his shoulder. "It's fine! Are you guys still up for that carnival?"

"Sure" Joan squeezed his hand tighter and flapped her wings. "Are we meeting up with Bell and her friends?"

"I don't have an idea yet," Chris shrugged. "But I'd like to! It's been a while since I saw Ponce and did something with him"

Aster was trying to listen in. He was in the middle of putting filters on some photos he took earlier that day.

"I was gonna beat his record at darts. Last time I won a couple dozen plushies!" Chris began to brag. "Of course, I gave some to my cousin Felicity, she loves those things. She knows a lot about them too— the stitching, fabric type, brand, collector value. I don't get her fascination but I love her anyway!"