Nala that day had promised her roommate they would go out, and the lady was anything but a woman of her word. It would certainly make their home situation less awkward.

The black woman hadn't thought where to go, but Minnie had suggested the other night, per her friend Daisy's advice, to go to the Westblair centre, where they had recently opened a new MAC store and a bowling alley. That sounded fun, and while malls were always crowded, they provided enough distraction for the two women to feel loose and maybe start connecting.

"Are you ready, Minnie?" She called from outside the girl's dorm. Nala had already her set done for the day: tight black top, turquiose tight-fit pants, and a pair of sneakers. Rather, she liked more like she was ready to go out for a jog, but it was comfy, which was what mattered most.

"In a minute!" Responded the brunette in her sing-song tone. Once she came out, with her blue dress fluttering all around her, Nala swore she reminded her of a freshly blooming flower in spring.

"Okay, you lead. You know the place well."

Nala honestly hadn't thought about returning to the city at least for over three more years. While she liked it alright, she had come to enjoy working in Kenya, and would've preffered to stay there with her grandmother a few more years. The weather, the food...Everything seemed to agree with her there.

But her mother had insisted, that she had to think about her degree, about functioning in "society" (whatever that meant), to look after her little cousin, Kiara, who was in the middle of her rowdy sixteens...It was a hassle.

And they all decided Nala could take it all.

Well, she could!...But nobody knew it would bother her. And it did, but there was no point in complaining about it. So, after a few months of web searching, she found the ideal flat: not too expensive, not too shabby, and the place seemed trustworthy enough. At least enough to please mom.

Yet while she adapted quickly to the house's needs, her roommate was a different manner. Minnie was sweet and talkative, but Nala quickly noticed that the two had very little in common, aside from gender and possibly age. Minnie had grown up in nice picket fences with the same people all her life, Nala had run from one point of Africa to another, from Kenya to Congo to Tanzania, all thanks to her father relocating every now and then due to his job as ambassador. Nala would seem foreign to others in this suburbia, but she'd guess they'd feel foreign in "her" lands, too. And it wasn't like Tanzania or Kenya were devoid of cities, either. Nala hadn't been living all her life in a village, anyhow. If anyone was expecting her to not know what was a television set, they'd be in for a laugh.

Yet, while all cities in the world shared elements in common, no two cities were alike. She would've love to travel to Europe or even South America to cement her thought, but she'd guess that'd take a long time.

First, I would need to learn to speak Spanish.

"You look so nice, blue fits you well."

"Thank you, Minnie."

"You know, if you haven't been to this mall before, you'll love it. They have this ice-cream made with all types of strawberries and blueberries and it has this pink coloring, and it's so sweet, and soft..."

"...Sounds good." Nala was one to prefer physical activity and in general tried to avoid processed food, but she could allow herself a little snack every now and then.

They spoke idly of random things until they arrived at the mall, and were checking out the first Woman's Secret store.

"So you're liking things at the house so far?"

"Yeah! The place is warm, but comfy. Everything seems to be in place and work well. The bed creaks a little, but I guess I can get used to it. I mean, it's not a big thing."

"Yes, the house is nice, but I think we should go out more. You don't know the city that much, do you? I could take you out, perhaps with Daisy and Mickey..."

"Mickey is your boyfriend, right?" She had to remember, for while she already knew Daisy, she only recognized Mickey due to phone calls or Whatsapp messages. But, based on Minnie's soft sighs, he was probably the finest gentleman on this side of town.

And Simba was like that too...But no, it would do her no good to think of that. This was a happy moment, she had to live in the current...And it had been years ago. She shouldn't dwell on the past, especially on things that cannot be reversed.

Ah, regret. We'll see you in a bit.

"Oh, Mickey..."Minnie giggled softly. "He's the sweetest, most wonderful boy you could ever meet. He always thinks up ahead, and lends a hand whenever you need one...You'll like him."

"Alright, Minnie, but enough with the flattery. I'll end up stealing him from you."

The two laughed at that, and kept playfully teasing one another after
"And you, Nala, do you have a sweetheart?"

She bit her lip as the words echoed. A sweetheart...A sweetheart was a thing of the past. A past that should be forgotten...Or maybe not.

"Yes...Simba."

She noticed her roommate looked at her confused, so she clarified.

"His name means "lion" in Swahili." A little on the nose, but if the shoe fits…

"Oh, what a lovely name."

"...Yes, he was lovely. We were friends growing up...And then..." She smiled, remembering those soft afternoons they shared together. The awkward first kisses, and the hair tangling, and the weird fantasies… "We used to give each other promises about the future we'd make together under a tree."

She recalled his face now, that twirly hair, that smug grin, and how overall she could always find a fleck of red and gold anywhere in him; a hint of it shimmering in his eyes, or in his hair, when it caught the last rays of the sun, and even ingrained in his skin, as dark as hers…

He would've been very handsome. I can't even think how I would've reacted at that.

"Aaw, how romantic!"

Yes, it was…

But it all went away once the earthquake occurred.

"Yeah, Simba and I were really close growing up." She tugged at one of her braids at that, playfully chewing the end of it.

"Were?"

Oh, no. Should she? That was far too painful to remember at this point, and after all, Minnie was still a stranger to her. No, she couldn't tell her the truth. In some cases it was needed, but it was too painful for her still.

"...I haven't seen him in years...I..."

"...Oh...I understand, I'm sorry." She gently held her hand, and Nala appreciated how warm and soft it was. It reminded her of her mother's hugs.

"Sorry, that was too personal for me to ask."

"You shouldn't apologize, you didn't know. You were so busy pining over Mickey."

"Oh." The girl blushed. "It's just that, he's so ideal. And it's so hard to find decent men like him, who love you for who you are and aren't waiting or expecting something from you."

"…Yes, I think so." She smiled nervously. "I sometimes envy other couples. They get on so easily, without any problems..."

Something made her pause. Someone, rather. A someone whom she didn't expect to see, and certainly soured her mood once she properly recognized her.

"Kiara!? What are you doing here!?"

The teen, who was busy chatting with a dark-skinned boy, turned and yelped at the sight of her cousin. Save for the fact that she wore cream-colored clothes, her and Kiara could've been mistaken for each other.

"Nala! Have you been following me!?"

"Kiara, should I..."

Nala then tugged at Kiara's arms and pulled her away from the boy, leaving him confused and leaving her cousin a screaming mess.

Minnie was just utterly befuddled at all this.

"What's wrong?"

"She's my cousin, and I've told her to get away from that boy. She never listens."

"You don't get Kovu. You just listen to what mom or Aunt Sarafina tells ya, and never listen to me..."

"I know enough about him."

She had heard rumors, small things, but it left her heart uneasy when she knew that the boy was the son of Zira, who was known as...ah...Assisting Taka in his work. And considering the last time she had seen Taka, he had ended up with a red cheek...Nothing good was promising of that boy.

Not to mention that it was so typical of Kiara to run away and ditch her homework and house chores to play with friends or with this Kovu. Her mother had warned her, her aunt had warned her, and Nala cursed herself for not being more careful.

Taka had been Simba's uncle, and what were the odds, that he moved from Kenya to the city of Blaira, in the United States, due to work estate. He had basically inherited his brother's state upon the death of Mufasa, and with it all that came with it- including his own work and the houses in Blaira and Nairobi. Nala sometimes wondered what had been of Sarabi, since she had not seen Simba's mother since the funeral.

And now, Taka was coddling himself with the other high politicians of the city; she figured. All those years studying eventually came to fruition for him.

"You should stop telling me what to do, you're not my mom!"

"As if I was. You have to know with whom you're walking around, Kiara! You can't just trust the first person who smiles prettily at you!"

She sighed as she raised her head, hoping to see the boy leaving the mall. But she didn't find his figure amidst the crowd, and wondered if he had chickened out at her reaction.

But of course, the worst surprise was yet to come. Her eyes laid down right in front of a surfboard shop, where three men were observing attentively the boards and the mannequins. She couldn't make out two of them, but one was eerily familiar.

She could recognize that fleck of red and gold anywhere.

She was beginning to feel ill, and even Minnie and Kiara noticed it.

"Nala, are you ok?"

"...SIMBA!?"

And her legs were weak.