Before they reached sight of the outside world, Mabry turned towards the labyrinth, which Aiva’s mother had installed a month previous. She chatted to fill the silence until they entered the emerald shadows. Despite the warm day beyond it’s hedged walls, the fauna maze had the same empty feeling that pervaded the halls within the manor and quiet descended around them.

              “I’m really glad your mom put this in.” The older girl did not elaborate until they were deep within it’s twisted paths. “not just cuz it’s a friggin labyrinth, which is cool by default, but because it becomes very useful for an escape.”

              She then demonstrated to a silently watching Aiva how to climb up the leafy barrier and boost herself onto the estates boundary wall. “Do you think you can handle that?” Her tone was not harsh, nor judgmental, though Aiva supplied both as she nodded. Though she wasn’t so sure.

              With a deep breath she held onto the image of the brave heroines she read about in her books of mythology and fantasy. She took her time with every foot placement and handhold, her muscles already aching with an unfamiliar burn. Mabry only had to help her once when she lost her balance and almost fell backwards. After that it was a small drop to the city’s dirty sidewalk.

              For the first time ever, Aiva was free. It was almost like she was a character in one of her books, she was sure of it.

              The girl treasured the few times she was able to see the world outside her own closed off existence, but this was something entirely new; no boundaries, no chaperones. All the way to this mysterious destination Aiva’s head didn’t stop moving. She made sure to take in every sight, every sound, and every smell. The air was harder to breathe out here. With people crushing on on all sides. Nobody paid mind to two girls walking by. From her pocket she pulled the inhaler, feeling how the cool mist of the medication hit the back of her throat and eased her inhalations.

              Mabry looked over at her, worry creasing her brows. “We’re almost to the park where my friends are.” She stated, the secret now revealed in a somewhat anticlimactic way.

              Aiva nodded and answered the unasked question. “I can make it.”

              They passed a large plain fountain. It wasn’t anything like the one outside Aiva’s home. This one was a mottled gray with algae growing over the sides. A myriad of coins shimmered at the bottom, catching the sunlight between shifting shadows of blue.

              Mabry held out her arm, catching Aiva. “Wait! We should totally make a wish!”

              Aiva shot her a confused look but her friend was currently digging around in her shorts pocket. She pulled out two pennies with a grand flourish and handed one over. Flicking hers in she clapped three times with her eyes shut tight. Aiva looked down at the change in her palm and shrugged. She copied the movements that Mabry had gone through but she didn’t know what to wish for. Closing her eyes like Mabry did not help either, as she hoped it would. Fantastical heroes would be too humble to wish for anything, or perhaps ask for some item to help them in their quest. But Aiva had no such grand calling. Nothing came to her. She already had more than what she needed, more that what she knew to do with. It felt wrong to wish for more, and she’d accomplished no great deeds to earn such a gift. Aiva knew she didn’t deserve to wish for anything.

              So Aiva wished for Nothing.

              “Geez what took you so long.” Mabry teased.

              Aiva had no rely.

              As they walked away from the fountain, Aiva bumped into someone. She turned to apologize and was taken aback by the strangeness of his appearance. Just a boy, though older than her, he wore a black nd red striped jacket with the hood up. Black hair streamed out from underneath. His eyes looked almost crimson and when he smiled down at her Aiva could have sworn she saw sharpened teeth. The moment ended and he blended back into the crowd with surprising ease, leaving her staring at empty space.

              At Mabry’s call she realized she’d fallen behind. The girl dismissed the odd feeling that had settled in her gut and caught up with her friend.

              As they neared the park Aiva lost her enthusiasm step by step. She stopped looking around, instead fixating upon the cement only as far as the next slab. Never had she met any of her friend’s real friends, and she wondered what they would be like—people who came to like each other without the necessity of living conditions.

              Aiva noticed a change in their environment and paused to lift her gaze. They’d reached their destination; a park. She marveled at how such a place could survive in the mass of commerce surrounding them. The girl tried comparing it to her own home with its manicured lawns and landscaped garden. A certain beauty lost in the order found at the estate. Here it was green hills between gray borders and all different types of trees against skyscrapers. Aiva’s regard could not encompass it all.

              They found Mabry’s friends beneath one of the many bridges. Aiva felt her heart skip and a flush rose to her cheeks. This was more people than she had expected, including boys. Two of them, and three girls that all looked about the same age. Like Mabry, their skin tanned and clothes lived in. she struggled to not think about what she must look like to them in the ill fitted garb that she wore so awkwardly.

              “Hey it’s Mab! She brought someone new!” They’d been spotted and a boy with dark hair stood up, high-fiving Mabry as the rest of them put their phones away. He held his hand up for Aiva as well, which she simply stared at. “okay!” He said with the same amount of enthusiasm and swung his arm down. Her own hand twitched up after the fact and much too late. She clasped them both before her in an attempt to hide this movement.

              “Yo Mab waddup?” The other boy asked. He stayed crouched near the stream. This boy had longer, shoulder length brown hair.

              “Hiya! Whose your friend with the afro?” One of the girls asked, who’s hair was a pretty blonde, impudent blue eyes flashing in Aiva’s direction. When she finished scrutinizing, she turned away to face Mabry.

              “This is my friend Aiva. She’s the girl I live with.” She put more emphasis on the second sentence and sent a meaningful look around the circle.

              Aiva noticed both of the implications and she tired not to wonder about what it meant to the others.

              “Oh, that rich ki—” A girl with an upturned nose started, but a taller girl elbowed her in the gut. “That rich kid.” She finished despite and rubbed at her stomach. She shot the taller one a dirty look.

              The last of them did not say anything, or show much interest in the proceedings at all. She’d not stood at Mabry’s approach, but continued to study the creek. Which gave Aiva an extra few seconds of unabashed staring. This girl was odder than the rest. With a beauty that was not quite noticeable at first. Her short hair was a light shade against her darker skin and when she did turn to look in their direction It was with unsettling bright blue eyes. They were unfocused and filled with daydreams. The clothes she wore looked familiar, though Aiva couldn’t place from where, and were more ragged than the others.

              Mabry introduced them all but the only name that Aiva was ale to catch was the strange girl’s; Ckyler.

              “How do you do.” Aiva stated in her quiet voice, and there was a moment where she almost curtsied, as her etiquette lessons with her cousins had taught her.

              The five friends exchanged glances, then looked to Mabry.

              Before anymore discomfort could settle in too heavily Mabry quickly filled the growing quiet that bubbled out from Aiva.

              “Tell me you guys are caught up with the latest ‘One Ring’ season!”

              “Ohmygawd is was so badass! That finale?”

              “Mind: Blown”

              “Eh, it wasn’t my fave. I def felt like they coulda done things differently.”

              Aiva’s eyes snapped back and forth as each person spoke. She wasn’t entirely sure what they were talking about at first, but the name was familiar…”

              “Oh! I love Tolkien’s books! ‘The Hobbit’ is my favorite!” Aiva blurted out before any thoughts or anxieties could still her tongue. Two of them turned to look at her, their eyebrows raised. Which was a better reaction than the others who simply ignored her statement, jumping back into their conversation as if she hadn’t spoken at all.

              The problem here was that Aiva’s parents never allowed much screen time unless it was educational and the girl could feel the distance between herself and the others growing, unable to stop it.

              “I like the books too.” Ckyler’s voice startled Aiva—but they smiled softly at each other, her’s much more confident than Aiva’s. The shorter girl opened her mouth; thinking of asking which scene she liked the most, or perhaps which character; falling back on similar discussions she’d had with Miss Juliet in their lessons on literature. But the long haired boy had grabbed Ckyler and physically pulled her into their circle.

              Aiva’s heart, previously so excited in it’s quickened beat at the prospect of this adventure, now sank. She should have known. It was her own fault for raising her hopes.

              She tapped on her best friend’s shoulder, torn as so many different words rested behind her lips. “I’m going to sit over there. That walk was a lot for me. Don’t worry I’m fine! I’d just like to rest. Um… come get me when you’re ready to leave.” She rushed out. It felt like a well practiced script, dry in her mouth. Without waiting for an answer, she headed to the stone bench she’d pointed out, beneath a grand oak. Other possible sentences, ones filled with longing, remained trapped against her teeth. A jarring sensation.

              Mabry caught up with her easily. “You’re okay right?”

              “I’m fine, truly.”

              “You sure? You can come over.”

              Again Aiva thought about what she should say. Another chance for the truth. But she didn’t want to ruin this day for Mabry. She took too long and the older girl took her silence as answer enough.

              “Wow Mab, you live with her?” One of the girl’s exclaimed.

              Aiva wanted to turn around and tell them all that she could still hear as snickers filled the air—but of course she didn’t. she was used to being talked about while still in the room.

              “She’s really weird!”

              Aiva allowed a sigh to escape as she settled, posture never once slackened.

              While Mabry had fun with her real friends, doing whatever it was that normal teenagers did, Aiva watched. She listened, felt, and smelled the world outside her experience. She could hear car horns and the whooping of sirens from emergency vehicles behind their laughter, sounds which never pierced through to the heart of her estate. While none of this could ever be boring to her, there was a fleeting moment where she wished that she’d brought a book. Maybe one Ckyler had read. Perhaps then Aiva would have had the courage to pursue more of a relaxed chat with the girl.

              A hotdog stand nearby wafted the scent of its wares. Food that she was not allowed to eat. Her eyes tracked the course of the many-hued birds which flitted about above her from branch to branch—connecting together the trees around her. Beyond that she watched the clouds as they drifted behind the silhouetted buildings. She felt the sun warming her skin and the wind tugging her hair. A sense of want grew within her and she tried to crush this nameless thing. To focus on Nothing instead of everything.

              So she didn’t think anything of the sky growing dark or the atmosphere reflecting orange and pink until Mabry came running towards the bench with curses flying.

              “Shin man we are so late! Mom is gonna skin me alive!”

              She yanked Aiva up before the younger girl processed what was going on.