wish list | daerin

❛ Lost & Found: Part Two ❜

⌗ 43
third person ✎ᝰ
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A Chevrolet Silverado occupies the empty parking space beside Mason's Mazda Sedan. She could easily make out the silhouette behind the tinted windows. Her wariness was soon replaced with a sad smile as the car door to the Silverado opens just enough to let it's owner slip past.

The car locks shut and the tall figure approaches her with a warm smile that brings her comfort.

"Open up, you." Mara held out a clear plastic bag with two drinks. "Care if I join you, Miss?"

Mason's downturned mouth was soon replaced by a lopsided grin and slightly narrowed eyes. She hurriedly unlocks her car door and watches Mara hop into the passenger seat of her car.

"Hm. This feels quite odd." Mara tilted her head. "I don't know if I could ever get used to this."

A small chuckle escapes Mason's lips as Mara hands her the plastic bag. "Is it that shocking?"
She pulls out the Gong Cha cup from the bag and removes the straw. "I've grown up you know."

She peels the straw wrapper open and gently stabs the thin plastic that comes between her and the tea in front of her. The first sip brings a broad smile. "Mmm." She hummed. "This is it."

Mara had gotten used to being in the driver's seat. She'd been Mason's self proclaimed uber driver ever since she got her license. Sitting in the passenger seat of her best friend's car was something she'd better start getting used to.

Mara had a smile that reached her eyes. "You've grown up well." She acknowledged. "There's a lot of things about you that have changed—but it's a good thing." She chuckled. "It makes me happy."

Mason sets the drink down between her thighs as she looks into Mara's eyes. She could feel her tears well once again. "I don't feel happy..."

Mara tucks Mason's hair behind her ear and moves it away from her face. "Mika told me what happened." She stated. Her drink remains untouched. All she could think about what her best friend and what she was feeling at this point in time. "You ran off. And you turned your phone off. Everyone's worried about you." She added.

Mason sniffles quietly as she takes a small sip. "I know. I'm not coming home. If that's why you're here then you wasted your time." She takes another small sip of her Royal Pearl Milk Tea as Mara shakes her head in disagreement.

"I'm not here to take you home, Mason." The latter replied. "I'm here because I want to help you. I don't want you out here alone in the middle of the night either. It's not safe."

Mason didn't question it. Mara found her just like that. "How did you get here so fast..." Her bloodshot eyes were looking at Mara with wonder. "I've been driving around endlessly..." Her gaze shifts to the empty parking lot. It's dark and eery and there's a faint McDonald's sign at the near end of the road not too far up ahead.

Mara reaches into her jacket pocket and takes out an AirTag. "You gave me this, remember?" She sets the tracking device down onto the cup holder. "You told me that I was the only person you'd want around if anything happened. Do you remember?" There's a gentle smile that forms on her face as she watches Mason intently.

Mason nods. There was a period of time where she felt unhappy—long before Riley had walked into her life. She'd leave home for several hours and come back undetected. It was Mason's only form of escape. She would run as fast as she could. It didn't matter the distance nor the place. She just ran to wherever her two feet could take her. Things had only changed when she nearly put herself in harms way. Mara insisted that Mason stopped going out all alone with no certainties. Mason racked her brain with reasons as to why she didn't need to stop, but Mara had become too convincing. It came to the point where the young girl had bought an AirTag with her hard earned money to give to her best friend.