Making her way to the elevator, Sora waved at Howie again.
“Hey!” The man chuckled.
“Didn’t I just say goodbye to you an hour or two ago?!
And aren’t you looking pretty?
It’s great to see you smiling again.” “Aww, thanks!
Just going to run down to the c-corner store and grab a steak to cook on the grill!
Want me to pick you up one, too?” “If you’re offering, I won’t turn down a steak!” “Sounds good,” she grinned, getting into the elevator.
He pressed the lobby button, leaning against the wall as they dropped floors.
“Oh, before I forget, the meds— Eh, med—singular, heh.
It’s in the morning with Ron.
We’re supposed to alternate your other ones every second day to start with.” “Normal t-time?” “Yup.” “Okay… Man,” she ran her fingers through her still slightly damp hair, “it’s gonna be so nice when I don’t need to take any of this crap.” “I hear you!
Let’s just…” “I k-know.
I know.
Haaa,” Sora let out a sigh.
“Temper my expectations.” Going silent for a second while folding his arms and staring at her, Sora glanced at her front with a frown.
“Is there… something on my dress?” “No.
No… I’m just happy seeing you excited to go out.
It’s been a while since you’ve worn something like that or your jewelry.” “Yeah, well… I didn’t want my nice clothes to get ripped or my jewelry stolen and pawned off.
Umm… any barbecue sauce?
You can take it home just before Ron trades out for the night.” “Heh, whatever you want, and you know I’m not… picky.” She gave a short sigh upon seeing the dark rings under his eyes.
“It must be tough since Ray and Ireen got new jobs.
Never liked them anyway, but yeah… Must suck for Ron and you having to work such crazy hours until they find a replacement.” Howie eased around his tight neck with a low chuckle.
“It’s been a bit rough, and standing around in an elevator all day can kill my legs—especially when you can’t sit down in case one of the VIPs comes in, but, heh, you make it worthwhile!” “S-Stop it!” Sora giggled, playfully punching his shoulder as the doors opened to the lobby.
“Gah, and I can’t w-wait until this s-stupid stutter is gone!” “I know how much it bothers you, but it can be super cute!” She exited, giving him a doubtful backward glance as he waved her off.
“Mhm…” Pushing her purse strap up, she sighed and returned passing greetings to the veteran staff.
Stepping outside, the blazing Miami sun kissed her skin, and she let out a pleasant, unbridled purr at the scent of the nearby ocean breeze.
Okay!
Know what, I should grab some cash for Frank!
He did scare off Hannah and Lori, she thought while proceeding to the two-story corner store that carried just about anything she generally needed.
A smile brightened her lips as she relived the look on the blonde’s face when the big, 205-centimeter-tall, bear-like man’s eyes settled on her.
It’s not often people stick up for me.
Holding her wrist behind her back as she basked in Miami Beach’s vivid energy, she noticed her attitude shift; it was great to see crowds of tourists and locals dressed in bikinis and beachwear.
Sora could have picked out a good summer hat after seeing a few women with various shades of the covering, but then again, she could also play her butchered hair off as a fashion statement.
Few people noticed her, far too busy going about their day.
Taking another deep breath to flavor the refreshing scent of palm trees and the salty ocean wind of her home, Sora giggled as she saw a car driving down the street, missing most of its parts, a mattress tied to the hood.
Good ol’ Miami… Never a dull moment in the city of entertainment and insanity.
She didn’t rush to the corner store, but eventually, the large windows and stucco came into view.
Sora made it to the corner store without issue; the two-story building was spackled white and locally owned.
It was the closest market to the hotel, so she visited it regularly for anything she needed.
Catching her reflection in the glass as she neared, a small frown came on.
She had liked her long hair, despite what other girls said about its copper color.
“Well, it will be back in a few months,” she sighed, reshaping it for a second before entering the store; once inside, she did her typical scan for any of Kari’s girls.
Not many kids from her school lived in the busy heart of Miami Beach’s ritzy district, since there were few actual residential areas, as most of the housing there was dedicated to expensive hotels for tourists.
It wasn’t uncommon for the high school girls to cruise around the place, but only Lori was psychotic enough to try something in such a public area and away from Kari’s little bubble.
Luckily, she didn’t find anyone she knew, and it seemed shockingly bare for its location and the time of the day.
There were only a few groups of people she could see, and most appeared to be tourists.
A man and woman in their forties, apparently on vacation, were recording each other with their phones and speaking French; Sora picked up on a few words but didn’t pay them more than a passing glance.
The middle school girl killing time in the unique clothing section near the front left caught her eye for a moment.
Yet it was the two girls around her age, partially hidden to the side of an aisle browsing food, who kept her focus as she proceeded to the ATM.
She took them as tourists by the very unusual sing-songy language they spoke that Sora couldn’t place, and the blonde certainly made them stand out; she was about the same size as Kari and perhaps even more toned.
The short girl—around ten centimeters less than Sora—looked Korean, if she had to take a guess.
She had silky, raven-black hair, a slender build, somewhat tanned skin, and stern eyes of a clouded topaz hue.
With a hand on her hip as she pointed at various items with a slightly exasperated tone, she huffed.
The girl wore tight black jeans and a close-fitting white-and-black split shirt.
Sora couldn’t figure out how she wasn’t burning up in the humidity and heat outside.
Slightly jealous, Sora noticed that she didn’t seem to wear nor need makeup.
Sora’s hands hesitated at her purse as the Korean cut off before shifting her posture to stare right at her, causing her to fixate on the slitted contact lenses she wore.
Weird… but it is Miami.