Exposure • Tamber

Chapter 13: Picture The Stars

Tara swiveled on the stool and smiled as she reread her texts from that morning.

Amber: you burnt the toast

Tara: what? not even a thank you?

Amber: you left before I could give you a proper one

Tara: and what's your idea of a proper thank you?

Amber: wouldn't you like to know?

Tara: maybe :)

"T! Let's go, what are you even doing?" Mindy jingled their keys as they stood in the apartment doorway.

"Right. Sorry." Tara shoved her phone in her pocket and grabbed her beanie off the counter while she slid off the stool. "Remind me again why we are making Thanksgiving dinner 3 weeks early?"

Tara walked out of the apartment and pulled her beanie on and zipped up her jacket. Anika was sending them on an outing to get cranberry sauce and ingredients for stuffing.

"Because Anika likes to do a trial run before the real thing." They locked the door and shoved their hands in their pockets, "All I know is it means more pie, so I don't complain."

"I guess you're right." Tara shrugged as they stepped outside.

Ever since the rain storm the previous weekend, the weather had shifted drastically. The air was cold and biting with plenty of wind filling the days. Near freezing temperatures at night, leaving the ground frosted as morning crept up slowly each day. It was only a matter of time before snow actually fell, which almost would have been more bearable.

Walking into the grocery store Mindy grabbed a cart and began pushing through the isles with Tara following behind.

"Anika just texted." Tara sped up but kept her eyes on her phone.

"I knew the short list wasn't going to survive." Mindy chuckled, "what else does she need?"

"Uhh.."Tara scrolled through the multiple texts as more came through, "everything." She laughed and walked around to the front of the cart and hopped on to get a ride.

Mindy lifted their arm and pointed in the direction across the grocery store, "To the vegetables!" They yelled loudly before grabbing hold of the handle of the kart and racing through the aisle with Tara still standing on the frame.

Mindy slowed down once they were surrounded by produce and Tara hopped off, and started reading through the new list Anika had sent. She was in the middle of explaining how you can tell if a pumpkin is ripe when her phone chimed again.

"Honestly. How many lists is she going to send us?" Mindy asked as they tried to juggle an onion, tomato and some kind of squash.

Tara flipped open her phone and smiled. It wasn't Anika.

Amber: it doesn't taste the same

Tara's head shot up as she scanned the grocery store. Amber had to be there somewhere but she didn't see her. She looked back down at her phone as Mindy put a few items in their cart.

"Ah, not Anika then?" They asked with a smug smile.

Tara just shook her head and finished her reply.

Tara: what doesn't taste the same?

Amber: the soup

Amber: it tastes different

Tara: different good? different bad?

Amber: just different. not like it did when you made it. i think i heated it wrong.