Dancing in the dark

Chapter 28

"Your name is Karen, my name is Rose and Mina's name is Anna." Nayeon reminded the kid before they entered Hershey Park in Pennsylvania.

Ari crossed her arms and stared at Nayeon, "Why do I get to be Karen while you get to have a cool name?"

Nayeon shrugged dismissively, "Because I chose the names."

Mina shook her head disapprovingly at her younger sister, but there was a faint smile on her lips when the attendant at Starbucks asked for their names and Ari cut in before Nayeon could answer, "I'm Anna, this is my sister Rose and that's my aunt Bertha." She pointed at Nayeon.

Nayeon refused to talk to them both when they doubled over in laughter when the attendant loudly called for an Aunt Bertha and everyone in the store turned to look at her as she went to collect her drink.

When they stopped at a bed and breakfast for the night, the owners told them there had been a mistake in the booking and instead of the two rooms she asked for they only had one available.

"Again?" Nayeon buried her face in her hands, the beds in the mini camper was comfortable and warm but she wanted to stay in a real bed for one night.

"Nayeon-chan." Mina said, grasping her hands gently and pulling them away from her face, "Why don't you take the room while me and I Ari can stay in the RV for the night?"

"I don't want to sleep in the van." Ari claimed haughtily.

Nayeon woke up the next day spooning Mina in her arms when she originally went to sleep with the kid in her arms.

When she realized her hands were under Mina's top, stroking the skin on her stomach in sleep, she removed her arms and moved backwards abruptly, making her head smack loudly against the wall.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Mina was immediately by her side, rubbing the tiny bump on the back of her head.

"That's just the universe trying to knock some sense into her thick skull." Ari replied for Nayeon.

They stopped at McDonalds to get their breakfast, flying under the radar in their funny disguises.

An hour later, they had arrived at the Michaux State forest.

Mina enjoyed the lush scenery around them as the camper slowly climbed up the mountain.

Nayeon parked the RV at a spot a little away from the highest point that overlooked the lake.

They made lunch, went fishing and used it for dinner later that night. At night, Ari said she wanted to watch the clouds from the top of the mountain.

So they hiked up the trail for ten minutes and reached the cliff of the mountain, sitting down on the grass and enjoying the view before them.

"The moon is really beautiful tonight." Ari said, shivering slightly at the cool breeze caressing her skin.

Mina's teeth chattered as she agreed with her sister, "It looks so big from here, like it's within arms reach."

"Nayeon-tan," Ari turned her puppy dog eyes at the older girl, "I'm cold."

"Let's get back to the van." Nayeon replied with concern.

"I want to be here for a while." Ari declined, casting a look at Nayeon's oversized red jumper. "I'm going to get under there." 

Nayeon laughed as Ari wiggled her way under her jumper and sat between her legs.

"Mina, you should come here too. It's really warm." Ari told her sister.

Before she could refuse she tugged Mina closer and stretched the jumper over her as well.

They sat there together watching the clouds below them for a while until Ari declared that she was getting too warm and slid away from between the two of them.

Mina suddenly found herself sitting between Nayeon's legs.

She contemplated if she should get out too, but Nayeon's arms wrapping around her middle, her head resting against her shoulder and the warmth and comfort she found in the embrace made her change her mind.

She leaned back against the taller girl and continued to watch the clouds, while Ari threw stones into the cliff to see if she could hear them hitting the distance below.

Nayeon parked the van so that the back faced the view of the lake, the mountain line and the starry sky.

She opened the backdoor and asked Mina and Ari to get comfortable on the couch.

They wore pleased smiles when she handed them two mugs of hot chocolate.

"I wish I could sleep here." Ari mumbled, as her sleepy eyes watched the starlit sky, tracing the constellation and forming shapes in clouds.

Nayeon who was sitting on a foldable chair next to the campfire, turned around and gave a warm smile to the kid.

She hopped on to the camper and pulled a button on the side of the couch. It converted into a double bed in an instant.

Nayeon grabbed a quilt from the closet and threw it over them when they dozed off together about ten minutes later.

Her fingers gently brushed Mina's hair which flew about in the breeze and her eyes skittered across her beautiful face.

She wasn't sure if it was the stars in the sky or Mina who looked more dazzling that night.

She went to sleep in the single bed in the camper with a contended smile on her face.