Lake Side - Morning
The morning sun glistened across the calm lake, birds chirped in the trees, and the air smelled fresh and clean. It was the perfect day for... fishing.
Well, for Aslyn, anyway.
The six of them were gathered by the water's edge. Aslyn sat on a small stool, fishing rod in hand, looking like she'd been doing this her whole life. The others were scattered around her in various states of participation.
Perra was taking selfies with the lake in the background. "The lighting here is AMAZING! This is going straight to my Instagram!"
Lilian was practicing dance moves on the grass. "One, two, three, spin! One, two, three, pirouette! Oh, this grass is perfect for practicing!"
Amy was setting up a picnic basket. "I made snacks for everyone! Sandwiches, cookies, and my special homemade lemonade!"
Everyone exchanged nervous glances. Amy's cooking was... legendary. And not in a good way.
Chima and Naila sat slightly apart from the others, enjoying the rare moment of peace.
Chima leaned toward Naila and whispered, "I'm so glad we're here. This group is so much calmer than the Five Girls."
Naila nodded sleepily. "Yeah. No Alice screaming."
"No Alice causing chaos."
"No Alice spilling coffee on laptops."
"No Alice in general."
They both sighed contentedly.
Chima smiled. "This is nice. Just us. Peaceful. Relaxing."
Aslyn cast her line into the water. "Fish, come to me! I will catch you and you will be delicious!"
Perra took another selfie. "Aslyn, you're in my shot! Move your rod!"
"My rod is fine where it is!"
"But it's ruining my aesthetic!"
"Your aesthetic is fine!"
"NO, IT'S NOT!"
Chima and Naila exchanged glances.
Chima whispered again. "Okay, maybe not COMPLETELY calm. But still better than with Alice."
Naila nodded. "Much better."
***
Aslyn was getting into the zone. Her focus was intense. Her grip on the rod was firm. She was a fishing warrior.
"I feel it," she said dramatically. "The fish are calling to me. They know I am their predator."
Amy looked up from her picnic basket. "Are the fish talking to you?"
"Yes. In my head."
"That's... concerning."
"It's called CONNECTION, Amy. You wouldn't understand."
Lilian stopped dancing. "Maybe you should teach me to fish. I could use it as a dance move. 'The Fishing Dance.'"
"That's not a dance."
"It could be! Imagine: cast, wait, reel in, CELEBRATE!"
Perra laughed. "I'd watch that."
Chima leaned back on the grass. "This is nice. No drama. No chaos. Just... peace."
Naila was already half-asleep. "Mmhmm..."
Chima smiled at her. "See? This is what I needed. A break from Alice and her... Alice-ness."
Aslyn stood up suddenly. "I GOT A BITE!"
Everyone turned to look.
Aslyn's rod was bending dramatically. The line was pulling hard.
"It's a big one!" Aslyn shouted. "I need help! Someone grab the net!"
Perra grabbed the net. "I'll help!"
"Don't get in my way!"
"I'm helping!"
"You're in my WAY!"
Aslyn pulled back hard. The line went slack. Then it snapped back.
And the hook went flying.
Directly toward Perra.
"OH NO!" Aslyn yelled.
The hook caught onto Perra's flowy skirt.
And yanked.
Perra spun around. The skirt flew up.
And then it flew off entirely.
The skirt landed in the lake.
Perra stood in her shorts, completely frozen.
Everyone stared.
Silence.
Then Perra screamed. "MY SKIRT! MY FAVORITE SKIRT! IT'S IN THE WATER!"
Aslyn dropped the rod. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"
"YOU CAUGHT MY SKIRT WITH YOUR FISHING ROD!"
"I WAS AIMING FOR A FISH!"
"YOU AIMED AT MY SKIRT!"
"I DIDN'T AIM! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"
"AN ACCIDENT THAT RUINED MY OUTFIT!"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7d7ZF34Fv
Perra was now chasing Aslyn around the lake, still in her shorts, waving her phone threateningly.
"I'M GOING TO POST THIS! EVERYONE WILL KNOW YOU FISHED MY SKIRT!"
"PLEASE DON'T! MY REPUTATION!"
"WHAT REPUTATION?!"
"I'M A FISHING LEGEND!"
"YOU'RE A SKIRT KILLER!"
Lilian was trying to help, but she was laughing too hard. "This is... this is amazing! I've never seen anything like this!"
Amy was trying to retrieve the skirt with a stick. "I'll save it! I'll be the hero!"
"AMY, DON'T FALL IN!"
Amy leaned too far. She wobbled. And she almost fell in.
"AMY!"
Lilian grabbed her just in time. "That was close!"
Amy smiled. "I almost got it!"
"You almost DROWNED!"
"But my heart was in the right place!"
Perra was still chasing Aslyn. "GIVE ME YOUR ROD! I'M GOING TO THROW IT IN THE LAKE!"
"THAT'S MY FAVORITE ROD!"
"AND THAT'S MY FAVORITE SKIRT!"
"WE'RE EVEN!"
"WE'RE NOT EVEN! YOUR ROD IS STILL DRY! WHILE MY SKIRT IS WET!"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkb0U3ntnOu
Chima sat up, watching the chaos unfold.
Her peaceful afternoon was gone.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyM30H6n4a
Destroyed.
She turned to Naila. "Did you see that?"
Naila nodded slowly. "The skirt. It flew."
"It FLEW! A skirt flew off someone because of a fishing rod!"
"That's... impressive."
"THAT'S CHAOS!"
Naila tilted her head. "You said this group was calmer."
Chima stared at her. "I was WRONG. I was SO wrong."
"But no Alice."
"No Alice. Just... different chaos."
Naila nodded. "Chaos is everywhere. You can't escape it."
"THAT'S NOT HELPING!"
"You said there was no drama."
Chima looked at Perra, who had finally caught Aslyn and was threatening to push her into the lake.
Aslyn was screaming, "NO! NOT THE WATER! I CAN SWIM BUT I DON'T WANT TO!"
Perra was screaming back, "THEN DON'T FISH MY SKIRT AGAIN!"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjNbGtTKwz
Chima sighed. "You're right. Chaos is everywhere."
Naila patted her arm. "It's okay. At least it's not Alice."
Chima paused. Then she smiled. "Yeah. That's true. At least it's not Alice."
***
Lilian finally managed to retrieve Perra's skirt from the lake with a long branch. It was dripping wet and covered in weeds.
"I GOT IT!" Lilian announced triumphantly.
Perra rushed over. "MY SKIRT! IS IT OKAY?!"
"It's... wet."
"I CAN SEE THAT!"
"But it's not ripped! Just wet and... weedy."
Perra took the skirt and hugged it. "MY BABY! YOU'RE ALIVE!"
Aslyn approached carefully. "I'm really sorry, Perra. I didn't mean to."
Perra glared at her. "You owe me a new skirt."
"A WHAT?"
"A NEW SKIRT. This one is ruined!"
"It's just wet!"
"IT HAS WEEDS ON IT!"
"Weeds can be removed!"
"IT'S THE PRINCIPLE!"
Lilian stepped between them. "Okay, okay. How about this? Aslyn pays for dry cleaning. And Perra doesn't push Aslyn into the lake."
Perra considered this. "Fine. But I'm posting about this."
"WHAT?!"
"I'm posting the evidence. So everyone knows you're a skirt fisherman."
"THAT'S NOT A THING!"
"It is NOW!"
***
After the chaos subsided, they all sat down to eat Amy's homemade snacks.
Chima took a cautious bite of a sandwich.
She immediately regretted it.
"AMY!" Chima choked. "WHAT IS IN THIS?!"
Amy beamed. "My secret recipe! A little bit of everything!"
"A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING?! IT TASTES LIKE PAINT!"
"I used food coloring! For fun!"
"FOOD COLORING IS NOT A SEASONING!"
Perra took a bite of a cookie and immediately spat it out. "AMY! THIS TASTES LIKE SOAP!"
"I thought it would be creative!"
"SOAP IS NOT CREATIVE!"
Lilian took a sip of the lemonade. Her face turned green. "Amy... this lemonade is... sour. Extremely sour."
"Too much lemon?"
"NOT ENOUGH SUGAR!"
Aslyn was trying not to laugh. "Amy, we appreciate the effort. But please... never cook again."
Amy pouted. "But I tried so hard!"
"We know. And we love you. But your food is trying to kill us."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwL1mr1Uzo
Chima sat back, watching the chaos around her. Perra was still complaining about her skirt. Aslyn was apologizing repeatedly. Lilian was trying to save the cookies. Amy was crying because no one liked her food.
Naila was asleep on the grass, completely unbothered.
Chima shook her head with a small smile.
"Hey, Naila," she whispered.
Naila didn't respond.
Chima looked at the chaos again. Perra was now threatening to make Amy eat her own cookies.
"At least it's not Alice," Chima muttered.
Naila mumbled in her sleep. "But chaos is everywhere..."
Chima laughed softly. "You're right. It really is."
She looked at her friends, the Six Club.
They were ridiculous.
They were chaotic.
They were just as crazy as the Five Girls.
And honestly? She wouldn't have it any other way.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iEKR503EH
and then Add to home screen.