Adapt or Perish (Previously Unintended: An Univile High School Story)
Chapter Three: Faith
Bering and Wells, Not really T yet
a/n: Thanks to ohthesefeelingz (from tumblr) for proofing. This is an actual normal sized chapter! Hope to get more done (as always). Let me know what you think.
"You drive a mini-van?" Helena asked in disbelief.
Myka was already loading the other girl's bike into the back of her vehicle. "What's wrong with mini-vans?" Myka joked.
"Nothing, I suppose," Helena dropped her bag on floor in front of the passenger seat. "I just pictured you in a little sporty thing. I mean, I don't even have a mini-van."
"Why would you?" Myka asked, but continued before the girl beside her answered. "It's paid for, it runs, and it's mine, okay?" Myka defended, turning the engine over. "And no one wants to steal a G.D. mom-mobile."
Helena laughed. "Yeah." She nodded. "It's nice to have something that's just yours, sometimes."
"Yeah." Myka agreed. "Shoot, I should text my mom and let her know I'll be late." She flipped open her phone and wrote a quick message. "Okay."
"You're sure you'll be okay?"
"Yeah, I told her I was driving you to Ms Lake's; she'll be cool about it." Myka set her phone in her cup holder. "Uhm, what street do you live on? I forgot to ask."
"Oh, Dover and Norfolk. It's about a mile from downtown." She gestured a bit. "There's a faster route that I take, but you have to drive through fields and whatnot."
"I think I know where that is. Besides if we cut through downtown," she smiled. "We can drive by my place."
"I was under the impression that that was a commercial area." Helena mused.
"It is. My family owns a bookshop, we live above it. And I work there." Myka watched for Helena's reaction: she'd found that most people react by saying how boring it must be to live/work with books. Helena, however, did not.
Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands. "Really? You live in a bookstore? That's brilliant!" She smiled brightly. "You must enjoy it, don't you?"
Myka nodded. "I do." She pointed to the storefront. "There. Bering and Sons Bookstore."
"Hm," Helena glanced back to Myka. "Do you have many brothers?"
"No, just me and my sister." She smiled melancholically. "My dad thought it sounded better." She sighed briefly before pulling herself back to the conversation. "You should come by sometime. You seem to like reading?"
"I do!" Helena smiled. "I don't have a ton of free time though...I'm trying to focus on classes...and stuff." She coughed uncomfortably.
The phone buzzed. "Do you mind reading that for me?"
"No problem." Helena opened the phone. "It says 'Sounds fine. Say hi. Home by four. Love, Mom'. That's good?" She asked. Myka nodded. The Brit continued, "So, you never even told me; what grade are you in, Myka Bering?"
"I'm a junior, technically." She explained. "I took a few extra classes, so I only need ten more class credits to graduate, but I'm only 16." She glanced to her passenger. "If we get pulled over; you're my cousin."
"Why?" Helena asked.
Myka sighed. "I still have my provisional license. It just means I can't drive anyone under 18 around without my parent's permission."
Helena nodded. "I still need to get my American driver's license; I've been biking or getting rides from Emily everywhere. It's not bad, it's just difficult to go anywhere or pick anything up, like groceries or whatever, and I can't take C—any passengers with me."
Myka nodded. "If you need a ride to school or whatever…I'm usually free. I mean, if I'm not in class or working."
Helena smiled. "That's very sweet, but you've barely met me. I doubt your parents want you chauffeuring a complete stranger around."
"Well, I mean, I've known Ms Lake for years. She even gave me a ride home once when my van got fritzy." Myka smiled at the memory. "I can only assume you are very kind and responsible as well. And I'm kinda in your debt because of the whole 'assault with hockey equipment' thing."
Helena snorted. "It really wasn't a big deal, I just have a sensitive stomach and—I would have been fine to bike home."
The younger teen shrugged. "You got me out of stocking shelves for a few hours. And besides, what are friends for?"
Helena smiled at the comment and pointed to a red house with a white fence. "You can drop me at the curb."
Myka pulled her van up to the house, impressing herself by not needing to 'back and pull' to get even with the curb. Helena reached for the handle. "Do you…uhm, can I come in? …To help with your bike and maybe say 'hi'?"
Helena chewed her lip. "I…" She thought that Myka seemed honorable enough, and she was the first 'friend' type person she'd met in Univile. And Helena needed a friend. "It's just…Can I trust you?"
Myka nodded. "Of course." She softened at Helena's nervousness. "I mean it. I'm very trustworthy. I was a girl scout." She flashed a smile.
The older girl nodded and pushed open the car door. "Righty-ho, then."
Myka helped Helena get her bike and bag from the back of the van. "Where do you keep your bike?" she asked.
Helena held open the front gate. "Just on the porch, It doesn't really need to be chained."
The Lake house was really quite nice. The windows had those fake shutters next to them and it had a covered porch. Myka leaned the bicycle against the railing taking notice of the baby stroller tucked against the porch swing. Helena took a deep breath as she opened the front door.
"Emily?" She called. She heard the radio playing in the kitchen and followed the sound.
Myka trailed awkwardly behind her; it was weird, being in a teacher's house. She had to try to take in everything at once. Lots of books. Everywhere, not just in one room. There were small bookcases in every spare corner. She stopped to look at one, turning her head to read the binding. They were organized alphabetically! Like a library. She could stay here forever.
"HG? Good, you're home." Emily greeted the girl. "She went down for a nap about an hour and a half ago, should be ready for a snack if you—"
"And I have a friend with me." She murmured, gesturing to Myka.
"Myka!" Emily smiled, "It's so nice to see you." She got up to hug her former student, tossing a brief questioning glance to Helena. "So, do you and HG have some classes together?"
"HG?" Myka asked. "Uhm, no…I hit her with a ball in gym—By accident, of course!"
"Are you okay?" She asked, turning back to Helena.
"Yeah, just hit me in the gut, knocked the wind out of me." She answered, shifting her weight from foot to foot anxiously.
"Hm, Myka?"
"Yeah?" Myka watched the exchange.
Emily pointed to the fridge. "There's some lemonade in the fridge, could you get it out for us? I just want to talk to HG for a sec, get some Advil for her."
Myka nodded and went to get the drinks, trying not to eavesdrop on the conversation happening in the next room.
"Helena?" Emily looked the girl in the eye. "Do you want to do this?"
HG nodded. "I'm trying to make friends, like you said to."
"I know, but…Myka is a very nice girl, you made a good decision in bringing her." She nodded and glanced back to the kitchen. "I think she'll be a good friend. She doesn't gossip like a lot of teenage girls." The comment was pointed. "I trust your judgment."
Helena rolled her eyes and reentered the room to speak to Myka. "Oh, glasses! Here." She stretched to get out three cups from a top shelf, smiling at Myka. It wasn't a full smile, but rather one weighed down by apprehension. "Emily really does make great lemonade."
Myka poured the glasses and handed one to Helena.
"Do you want to stay for a little while?" She asked hesitantly. "Maybe we could do some homework, since you aren't expected home for a while."
"Sure. If it's okay." Myka replied.
Emily waved her hand at them from behind her computer. "It's fine." Then she looked up. "But feed Christy first."
Christy? Myka thought. Ah, must be the baby who belongs to the stroller.
"Deal." Helena nodded. "I'll just take a second to get the bottle ready." She added to Myka.
Helena turned on the tap and left it running while she retrieved a baby bottle of white liquid from a drawer in the fridge. She returned to the sink and tested the water with her hand; she adjusted the tap a little and let the water run over the container for a minute. Myka leaned against the counter and watched. Helena seemed well practiced at prepping the meal. After a moment, the older girl pulled the bottle from under the stream and shook it, letting a few drops hit her wrist before nodding and turning off the tap. "Shall we?" She asked.
Myka nodded and followed her new friend down the hall.
A/N: Please review, and let me know what you think Oh, and how's my Emily?