A/N: hello, and welcome to chapter 2 of Enchanted. I'm your host – author, rather – Ash. I just wanted to write a quick note of thanks for those of you who have followed and/or left a review on chapter 1, I truly appreciate it and it brings a smile to my face to get alerts about such actions. I haven't written seriously in a really long time so I'm kind of testing the waters while also trying to get real structure going on with this story. I am open to input/constructive criticism. Well, without further ado, I suppose, let's get on with it.

xxxxx

Heavy bass and the experimental scratching of records echoed through the spacious storage unit that four friends had rented out months prior to the moment. At said moment, three quarters of the bunch were seated all together on a lengthy, beat up couch settled against the metal walls of unit 213, six feet propped up on a rickety coffee table that had been presumably brought in to be saved from the certain doom that was the dumpster. Half empty bottles of soda littered the table along with junk food wrappers, an assortment of wires, and video game consoles with missing face plates. Two lawn chairs sat across the way facing the coffee table closer to the door with a tiny wooden night stand in between them that was vacant of any trash or electronics, just a light yellow glass ash tray shaped as a guitar with a few cigarette butts in it.

To the back of the unit, a small red and black spray painted table was set up, supporting an old black and blue turn table and other various pieces of equipment. Behind it all, a dark skinned girl was playing with the control panel with a focused gaze, grinding her teeth together occasionally as she tried out sounds that were new to her. After a moment, she threw her hands up in frustration groaning at the ceiling before crossing her arms and glaring at her companions. "You guys, this isn't happening! I'm never going to get this!" she exclaimed, tapping her foot impatiently.

Glancing up from his cellular device, a young man shook his head, a small smile forming on his face as he watched her through his dark sunglasses. "Naw, don't say that, Jenny. Never say never." Removing his feet from the table and replacing them with his phone, he strolled over behind the table to stand next to Jenny, observing her settings. "We all gotta start somewhere, right, Sour Cream?"

Bobbing his platinum blond head, the middle man of the couch chimed in his advice. "Just keep swimming, man." He motioned his arm in the air like a sea creature flowing through waves and closed his eyes, smiling. "Swim on."

"HONESTLY, you guys are no help." Jenny retorted, rolling her eyes before turning them back to the table. "So, Buck, what wisdom do you have to impart on me to 'swim on?'" she smirked, looking back to her dark haired friend as he began to readjust some controls and share his advice with her.

Sour Cream tapped on his tablet for a few seconds before looking to the last friend on the end of the couch closest to the unit's slightly cracked door with his bright blue eyes. "So, Peri, what's the plan for tonight? You hitting up the warehouse with us after Latte?" He questioned flatly, watching the blonde absentmindedly playing a game on her 3DS.

A few seconds passed before she let out a slow sigh that was barely audible over the repetitive beats and proceeded to save her game before turning the device off, setting it on the couch between them. "I suppose I have no other means to spend my night, so it will be manageable." she delivered just as flatly, glancing at Sour Cream with a slight nod. She ran a hand through the mess that was her hair and scratched her head softly staring at the coffee table. "...I do require caffeination, so, at what time do you predict we will be leaving for Latte?" she inquired looking back to him, her green eyes blank.

Shrugging, Sour Cream placed his tablet next to the 3DS and stood up, sliding his hands in his hoodie pockets as he walked over to Buck and Jenny and began to converse with them.

Peridot moved her sights from the group to the opposite wall, settling her focus on the empty lawn chairs that hadn't been occupied in months. She honestly didn't know what the purpose of having them there was. Even when the friends had visitors, everyone was on the couch or behind the table or messing with some sort of appliance; she could not recall a single occasion in which anyone had seated themselves in the shabby chairs. The ashtray barely served a purpose itself; it was just used by those standing around, not sitting, relieving their need for nicotine and that was fairly rare in itself. They may as well just move it to the coffee table and throw the chairs out! Just looking at the set up slowly filled her with annoyance and her eyes narrowed.

Pointless. Unnecessary and pointless.

"Peridot!" Blinking, Peridot tore her eyes away from the chairs—probably best at this time, she was getting too worked up over nothing, she realized—and looked towards her three friends, who were all staring back at her. She hadn't noticed the bass and scratches stop and she blushed a bit. "You okay, there, P?" Jenny asked, looking at the wall quickly then back at Peridot with a hint of concern on her face.

Peridot could only nod dumbly as she cleared her throat. "Yes, just, ah, mentally preoccupied with silly notions." She stood, forcing her mouth into a thin smile and stuck her hands into the pockets of her slightly baggy blue jeans and tilted her head watching them. "So? Verdict?"

Jenny shook her head laughing a bit. "Girl, you strange. We the jury have found the defendant in need of caffeine, so we're going to Latte now!" Jenny giggled and Buck and Sour Cream smiled, beginning to shut down and unhook some of the equipment on the table.

Peridot rolled her eyes as Jenny ran up to her, hooking their arms together with Peri's hands still in her pocket. "You call me strange then play into my words." she scoffed, her smile becoming a real one that was soft. "Wow, thanks."

Giggling again, Jenny leaned against her slightly squeezing her arm before straightening back up and putting her own hands into her pockets, keeping their arms linked. "Hey, that's what friends are for! To make fun of you then be a total dork with you!" she teased. Peridot shrugged an "I guess" sort of shrug and the pair watched the boys as they wrapped all the wiring up. "Why you always gotta do that? We're coming back and using it soon, anyway!" Jenny chided, tapping her foot once more.

"I work best in a tidy environment." Buck stated simply, setting the wires neatly on the table.

"You don't work at all when it's unplugged, Buck." Peridot deadpanned.

"Not the point."

"Yeah." Peridot rolled her eyes and turned her and Jenny towards the unit's door. "We'll get the car started." Taking her free hand out of her pocket, she leaned down and yanked the door up, a grating metal noise sounding throughout the small space. "That might make a good sound effect..." she muttered. Jenny laughed and Peridot shot her a smile that quickly faded as her eyes fell back on the vacant lawn chairs, their ugly shades of blue and green offending her vision more than usual. She quickly looked forward and began walking down the driveway towards Jenny's pizza topping themed vehicle, trying not to let the chairs consume her once more.

...pointless.