The sky looked like it had been painted by hand.
Streaks of orange, pink, and gold stretched across the horizon, reflecting off the calm water in shimmering ribbons of light. The evening air was cool, carrying the scent of lake water and freshly cut grass. Everything felt quiet. Peaceful.
For once, there were no Dark Worlds to save. No weird puzzles. No giant robots. No world-ending prophecies.
Just them.
Well, almost.
Back at the picnic tables near the park path, Kris had somehow managed to fall asleep sitting upright, their head resting against one of the wooden tables. Susie had laughed when she first saw it, but after a few minutes she had decided waking them up wasn’t worth the effort.
So now she and Noelle were alone.
The thought alone made Noelle’s heart flutter.
They stood near the shoreline, watching the sunset spread across the water. The gentle waves rolled against the rocks with soft splashes.
“It’s pretty,” Noelle said quietly.
Susie shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. “Yeah.”
Noelle glanced at her.
Susie wasn’t looking at the sunset.
She was looking at Noelle.
The realization immediately made her face warm.
Before she could say anything, Susie suddenly stepped forward and walked straight into the shallow water.
Noelle blinked.
“S-Susie!”
“What?” Susie asked.
“Your shoes!”
Susie looked down at the dark water surrounding her sneakers.
“Oh.”
A beat passed.
“They’re shoes.”
Noelle stared.
“They’re getting wet!”
“So?”
“You’ll have to walk home in wet shoes!”
Susie shrugged.
“Worth it.”
Noelle couldn’t help smiling despite herself.
Sometimes Susie acted like the most intimidating person in town.
Other times she acted like an overgrown child.
Susie wiggled one foot through the water, creating small ripples.
“C’mon.”
Noelle froze.
“Huh?”
“Get in.”
Noelle looked down at her own shoes.
Then at the water.
Then back at Susie.
“I-I don’t know…”
“It’s not deep.”
“I know but—”
“C’mon.”
Susie held out her hand.
Noelle’s heart skipped.
The sunset reflected in Susie’s eyes, turning them gold for a moment.
Noelle wanted to take her hand.
Really, really wanted to.
But she hesitated.
“My shoes will get wet…”
Susie groaned dramatically.
“Noelle.”
“I’m serious!”
“You’re impossible.”
Before Noelle could respond, Susie suddenly marched back toward shore.
“W-Wait, what are you doing?”
“You’ll see.”
The next thing Noelle knew, Susie’s arms slipped around her.
One behind her back.
One beneath her knees.
Noelle let out a startled squeak.
“S-SUSIE!”
The world tilted.
And suddenly she wasn’t standing anymore.
She was being carried.
Bridal style.
Noelle’s face instantly became brighter than the sunset.
“S-S-SUSIE!”
“There.”
Susie grinned.
“Problem solved.”
Noelle thought her soul might actually leave her body.
Susie walked back into the water as if carrying her wasn’t the most life-changing thing that had ever happened.
The cool waves lapped around Susie’s shoes while Noelle remained safely above the water.
“You said you didn’t wanna get your shoes wet.”