Chapter Text
Today was a public holiday from school. And for Rachel Wilson and Clare Cooper, that was perfect timing for their situation.
Two days ago, Clare had confessed to Rachel about needing to leave Elmore and go back to Detroit next week. Rachel, in all her wisdom, decided to have Clare organise a bucket list of sorts for stuff to do over the next couple days.
Yesterday was too busy, so they had to get started now.
Rachel paced, snapping her fingers as she thought over the list.
”Okay, we can probably do most of these after school. Jared can be done whenever you want,” she noted.
Rachel realised what she’d said and smirked towards Clare, who rolled her eyes.
”Stay on track,” Clare answered with sarcastic snappiness. Rachel did as was told.
”Okay, and whenever we do one of these things, we take a photo with this?”
Rachel held up an old fashioned Polaroid camera. Instant print, perfect for scrapbooking.
”Yep. I mean, within reason,” Clare answered, feeling quite thankful she hold onto her eight year old birthday gift.
Rachel put the camera in a small bag, slinging it over her shoulder.
”Hm… we might be able to manage one of these today. How does looking for the best pizza in Elmore sound?”
Clare’s stomach rumbled. Damn, had lunch gone through her already?
”Sounds amazing.”
Twigs cracked under Clare’s sneakers as they walked through the forest. She was beginning to have second thoughts about this decision.
”Are you sure this is the right way? I don’t think there’s a pizza place in the forest.”
Rachel kept her eyes on her phone, following the directions like gospel.
“Trust me, Clare, my phone wouldn’t lie to me.”
They kept walking, Clare looking around at every sound. She wasn’t scared of the outside world, that’d be pathetic.
”How do you feel about camping?” Rachel asked Clare with casual enthusiasm.
Clare thought back to her camping trip in fifth grade. When she was bitten by a raccoon and was thoroughly convinced she was going to get infected.
”Not a fan.”
”Oh?” Rachel asked. Clare looked around, rubbing the sleeve of her sweater up and down as a comforting sensation.
”I mean, the stuff like toasting marshmallows on a fire is cool, but just all the other stuff. Buzzing insects, the heat…”
Clare went wide eyed when she looked up.
”Bears,” she whispered.
Rachel scoffed, unaware of the danger.
”All good reasons-
Clare pulled Rachel back by her jacket, ignoring the yelp of protest.
”No, as in there’s a bear nearby.”
Rachel turned on her flashlight, circling around to find a wild bear a few feet away from them. Oh.
Oh no.
The bear growled. Rachel and Clare went white in fear. A single thought blasted in both of their heads.
Run.
They sprinted past the beast and through the forest, hoping and praying that today wouldn’t be their last day alive, not with so much left to do.
”Come on! I see a fence!” Rachel shouted.
They climbed up and over the fence while hopped up on adrenaline, landing on their knees. Clare hissed with the new pain, but got over it when she realised their location.
“Rachel, you won’t believe where we are.”
Rachel pulled down her sleeve, looking up to find a neon sign for Mama Belle’s Pizza Pie. She blinked, then huffed cockily while sticking a thumb at herself proudly.
”See, I told you I knew where we were going.”
Clare rolled her eyes.
”Yeah, yeah. Let’s just eat, I’m starving.”
Rachel stopped Clare.
”First, picture.”
Rachel slung her arm around Clare’s shoulder, positioning the camera to get the sign behind them. She clicked the capture button, and waited for the photo to print.
It cleared up, Clare giving the thumbs up of approval. Rachel nodded, pocketing the photo in the camera bag.
”Alright, let’s eat.”
Exhausted, Rachel ordered a large pepperoni pizza for them to share along with two tall glasses of lemonade.
”This better be worth the bear we ran from,” Clare murmured as the pizza was set down before them.
They took a bite, praying it was worth it.
”Eh. It’s alright,” Clare admitted once she swallowed the bite of pizza.
”The meat is juicy,” Rachel noted, savouring the taste of good pizza as opposed to cheap reheated pizza.
Clare took a sip of lemonade to soothe her burning tongue.
”Does your family usually have this type of thing, or is it all Filet Mignon?”
Rachel looked up in stunned silence. Clare felt her cheeks blush for a second.
”I, uh, don’t know what rich people eat.”
“First of all, my family isn’t that rich. My dad just likes acting that we are. And, no, we don’t have filet mignon.”
Rachel noticed the cheese dripping onto her fingers, and she hurriedly licked it up, Clare taking the opportunity to take a picture.
”Dude, at least wait for me to finish eating,” Rachel complained as Clare waved the photo.
”My dad wanted me to use it, he never said how.”
Clare showed Rachel the picture, the cheerleader trying to make a show of pride despite being clearly caught off guard.
”Can’t help it, can you?”
They kept eating in relative silencer until they were finally done. Clare elected to get a bus back home. They were not going back to that forest after sunset.
”When does the next bus leave?” Rachel asked as she pulled a few notes to pay the bill.
”Uh, ten minutes.”
Rachel leapt up, grabbing Clare by the hand and running to the nearby bus stop.
Weirdly, Clare wasn’t too bothered by this.
Rachel returned home, pulling a twig out of her hair and flicking it out the window.
She stretched her arms above her head with a moan of exhaustion. What a day she’d had. Running from a bear wasn’t on her bucket list, but hey. It was a good rush.
“There you are!” Her parents scolded, and for a moment, Rachel felt ashamed that she didn’t let them know.
They were still her parents, at the end of the day.
“It was a free day of school. Just hanging out with a friend. I’m sorry,” Rachel apologised, blending her casual attitude with sincerity.
Her parents’ anger dimmed down, telling her about dinner only for her to politely turn down for the moment.
Rachel trudged upstairs, soon being set upon by her “beloved” younger brother.
”How was hanging out with your girlfriend?” Tobias teased. Rachel had forgotten how annoying he’d be with this stuff.
Still, it was better that he’s annoying than not around at all.
”It was good, we got pizza. And we’re just friends.”
”Mhm, whatever you say!”
Rachel shot a thumbs up before entering her bedroom. It was a masterpiece of illusion, reflecting what everyone assumed about her. A cheerleading outfit hanging in a clothes hanger, photos of many kinds. Fairy lights on the ceiling, and a speaker system on her desk for blasting music.
It was in her bedside table where she kept her current memories. A personal journal for the darkest secrets and her anxieties. A sketchbook where she’d draw her dreams. Or were they nightmares? Visions? She’d draw the stuff in her head, is what she’d do.
Or maybe she was just looking too far into her bedroom. In any case, it was a nice setup.
She flopped onto her bed, sighing. What an experience this had been. And there were plenty more to come.
Rachel could imagine no better way to spend a last couple days than hanging out with a friend.