Chapter One: October in May

"October?" A feminine voice, only slightly roughened by years of shouting and working with occasionally smoking cars, filled the small house. It belonged to a young woman that had just finished high school, her appearance almost as rough as her voice, though there was an elegance to her as well. Behind her stood her boyfriend, a somewhat short young man who claimed to be still waiting on his growth spurt. He did have five inches on her most of the time, though, due to her disinterest in high heels - save for special occasions. When there was no response to her call, she tapped her toes a few times before stepping forward. "Sam, I'm going to go get her."

"Mikaela, no." Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, refusing to let her go, not that she was fighting all that hard. "She's a big girl, let her dress herself." His voice was low and soft as he laid a kiss to the back of her head. She couldn't help the soft smile in response, and then she looked up again, brightening.

"Ha, ha, ha, Sam. You're so freaking funny." October herself leaned against the door frame, voice laced with sarcasm when she spoke. Her golden copper hair caught the light just right to make Mikaela think of the copper wiring she needed to finish for her stereo. Sam just noticed her russet colored eyes roll to emphasize the sarcastic remark. "I just need to put on some sunscreen and then we can go."

"Why do you need sunscreen?" Sam asked, releasing Mikaela so she could help October put the lotion on. "It's only like seventy out."

She couldn't move to really glare at him, not with Mikaela's hands on the back of her neck and shoulders, but she still turned her head enough for a sidelong look, which Sam only knew too well the meaning of. Most of the women in his life had given him that look many times. It basically translated to 'you're an idiot manchild but I'll explain anyway'. Or something like that anyway, since they did always explain. "Sam, do me a favor and look at your skin, then look at hers," she nodded towards Mikaela. "Now look at mine. Notice anything different? I'll burn to a crisp in ten minutes without this stuff." Indeed Sam looked. He had a nice tan, gained from long hours outside with Bee or Mikaela. Mikaela was a light brown color, hers more natural than his, though she'd certainly had help from the sun as well. October on the other hand really lived up to her namesake. Her hair was like the dying leaves along with her bark colored eyes. Skin as white as the chilly bite that the month gave off. With such pasty skin she would indeed 'burn to a crisp in ten minutes'.

The lotion was on and outside they went. Sam's bright yellow chevy sat right in front of her small house, or as Sam fondly called it shack. On the tailgate were two bikes. October never said anything as Sam told his car 'see ya later buddy' even though she had found it odd at first. Then she had figured every person had their quirks, that was just Sam's.

Opening her garage, empty of a car, she took her own bike out and hitched up the small trailer. She used to be a babysitter for several families so she had gotten a baby trailer attachment for going to and through the park. Now she just used it to put her bag and the picnic basket into it, this made biking to the park easier. The three friends put everything they had into her trailer and got ready to go. Sam was the only one that bothered with a helmet, until he pleaded enough with Mikaela to put hers on that she gave in just to shut him up.

October found it cute. Not the pathetic pleading or her giving in, but that he cared about her. All three of them had just graduated high school together and were taking a year break before college. Well Sam was, the girls were forgoing higher education. October because she was rich, her grandfather had been rich up until the day his heart gave out and willed everything to October including his large estate that her mother rented dirt cheap from her. She did odd jobs but was literally set for life, three times over. It was because of that vast amount of money that had fallen into her lap that she had only these two friends and envied their relationship. Love, or the teenage equivalent of it, was something that she wanted.

Being rich as a young teenager she quickly and easily saw how people wanted to use her for her money. So she became shy and stopped talking to people. Mikaela had been her gym partner from ninth grade until graduation but they had become friends before October even opened her mouth about anything money wise. With Mikaela came Sam, due to their relationship, so these were the only two friends she had. October wished for more than a friend. Or rather a friend that was not only just a friend.

Shy little October wanted love but for now she would be content to bike up this hill with her two friends, accepting the heavy sweating as a fair payment for not being alone. Cars and her, well they just didn't get along. Not since her father had died in one at least. She could easily ride as passenger with someone, but put her behind the wheel in the driver's seat and she began to panic. Besides, biking and being outside was better for her health.

Behind her, October could hear her friends talking. "Hey, Toby," October grasped the wrong bike handle brake and held it so tight that had it not been for her trailer, she would have went over the bars.

"Call me that one more time and I'll remove a piece of your anatomy." Before people wanted to use her for money they had made fun of her. Moby Toby they called her; as a pre-pubesent kid to teen she had been a bit heavier than the rest of her classmates. The reference to Moby Dick did surprise her slightly though. Who had known her classmates even knew who- or what- that was! But even so Toby was still a sore spot.

"Whatever," Sam grumbled catching up to her and stopping next to her. He stopped to not only take a breath but a drink from the water bottle connected to his bike. He offered it to her and Mikaela. Accepting it she took a gracious drink then passed it on. "We were wondering if you wanted to meet a few of our friends? They're not exactly like normal people so we were thinking maybe you guys would get along." The we there obviously being him and Mikaela.

"I- I don't know," October mumbled and looked down at her feet as she stood and held the bike up during their small break. She hadn't been good with meeting new people for a long time. If anything she'd make a fool of herself and her friends.

"Just come with us to meet them, please? Even if you don't talk just stop by with us to see them." Mikaela asked and pulled out her puppy eyes. October mutely nodded already knowing that the eyes would make her agree no matter what. Besides, she was a sucker for doing what her friends wanted. All either had to do was ask and she would say yes. If Sam had asked her to meet their friends she would have said yes, but he had asked if she wanted to. "Cool, how tired are you two? Cause the base is only an hour's bike ride from here."

Sam groaned and October took a small bottle of sunscreen off its key hook to slather more on. She hated getting burned, so if Mikaela was going to make them take an hour long bike ride she was taking no chances with turning her white skin lobster red. "Can't I just call Bee? Can't he drive us?"

"Man up Sam," Mikaela ordered then began to lead the way. Half an hour later Sam was falling way behind again and this lunch picnic is not what October had been expected.

When October was forced to stop again or leave Sam behind, she looked at Mikaela and asked "You want a cold water, Mikaela?" They were waiting for Sam to catch up so they might as well keep hydrated. Unzipping the sides of her enclosed baby trailer she took out her insulated lunch bag. In the bottom was two ice packs and five waters she had shoved in. Taking two she passed one to her friend and opened her own.

"Water~" Sam moaned as he caught up. Having drank half of hers already, October passed it to him. They were so going to get mono one of these days. Sam chugged the rest of her water and tossed the garbage back to October, who put it into the trailer. Mikaela finished what she wanted and passed it to Sam. He finished hers too and the same happened with that bottle. "Do we have to? I can still call Bee. He's got air conditioning, Mikaela~" he tried to reason then it turned into a whine when Mikaela ignored him and began to pedal forward once again.

October just gave her friend a shrug then continued to bike. Sam was so out of shape compared to the two girls! While he drove everywhere, Mikaela did walk and bike nearly weekly and caught rides with him, and October walked or biked daily. October also jogged a lot too, she used to be on the school's track team, that was the one thing about school that she missed. This bike ride was nothing compared to her normal schedule it was just that the sun was going higher up and, checking her phone that was mounted onto the handlebars, the temperature was rising with it. An hour ago it had only been seventy, now it was seventy-eight and still going up. She did worry slightly that she hadn't brought enough water.