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Noelle’s feet crunched beneath the ground, making contact with the crumpled autumn leaves. A harsh breeze hit her face, and she quickly brushed her long golden hair away from her cheeks. She took off a hair tie and pulled her hair into a low ponytail, twisting the elastic between her hair.
She paused at the shore and reached her hooves out. She felt the thin layer of water slosh against her. Noelle took a deep inhale, the familiar scent of salt water entering her nose. She couldn’t help but smile and sat on the ground. She made sure her skirt didn’t ruffle beneath the patch of sand in front of the lake.
Noelle dug her hand beside the shore, picking up several smooth stones in her palm. She brushed away a few specks of dirt and deposited them beside her. She used her index finger and thumb and aimed her wrist back. Whipping her hand forward, she watched the stone bounce across the surface of the water.
She nodded in satisfaction and picked up another rock. She committed the same motion, but it plunged in the water with a sad plop. Paying it no mind, she continued skipping rocks before she realized her pile was gone. She wiped her hands on the water and flapped them to dry them off.
Noelle paused at the sound of soft footsteps. She turned her head and blinked dumbly.
Kris stood several steps away from her, their face unreadable.
She smiled awkwardly and waved at them.
“Hey, Kris… Do you like coming to the lake too?”
They nodded and continued forward, and stopped behind Noelle. She wondered if Kris was unsure if they could sit with her. She patted the spot of sand beside her as an invitation.
They slowly sat down next to Noelle.
Silence settled among the pair, but Noelle wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. She didn’t find it as awkward as she usually would have in the past.
“Do you remember when Azzy and Dess used to take us out here? I liked the view of the water, but I was too scared to go in it.”
Kris glanced at Noelle silently. They saw the smile on her face drop. Her eyes glistened with a sad sense of nostalgia. They gazed at their reflection in the water, their figure blurring from the waves hitting the sand.
“Of course, you shoved me in the lake when Dess was trying to coax me in…” said Noelle with a sigh.
Kris couldn’t help but smile at the memory. The deer glared at them indignantly. They dug their hand in the sand, feeling the particles slip through their fingers.
Kris looked to the side. They ran their index finger on the sand and drew shapes. Noelle glanced towards them curiously. She started to realize they were drawing a figure, a familiar figure at that.
She paused and clicked the root of her mouth with her tongue. Noelle pointed at the drawing.
“That kind of looks like Asriel, with the horns, I mean.”
Kris stopped moving their finger and turned towards her. They shrugged, but she saw a small smile grow on their face. She turned to the left and decided to use the sand as a canvas of her own.
Noelle was unsure of what to draw, so she scanned the woods for inspiration. She caught sight of a squirrel crawling on a nearby tree. She quickly drew the silhouette of the squirrel and when she glanced at it again, it disappeared.
With the palm of her hand, she erased the drawing in a long smear. She closed her eyes.
“Do… do you think we would’ve reconnected again if not for Susie?” whispered Noelle.
She noticed Kris tense at her question. She awkwardly laughed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m sorry Kris, that was a weird question…”
Kris paused and wiped their sandy hand on their pants. “I’m not sure.”
Noelle smiled solemnly. She returned her attention to the thousands of stars littered across the sky.
Noelle felt her phone buzz in her skirt pocket. She quickly picked up her device, feeling her damp hand slip for a moment. She heard her mother’s stern voice on the other end of the call.
“Noelle, where are you? Dinner is almost ready and I’m not waiting for you to eat it cold.”
She held a sigh. “Yes, mom. I’m on my way,” replied Noelle flatly.
Her mom ended the call, and she pocketed her phone again. She gave Kris an apologetic smile. She rose to her feet, dusting away sand off her skirt.
“My mom wants me back home.”
Kris nodded and stood as well. “I’ll come with you.”
She blinked, and the pair exited the premises of the beach. She approached the gates of her house. Pulling her phone out, she texted her mom to open the gate.
She turned towards Kris. “I had a good time hanging with you. Maybe we should do it again.”
Kris nodded. Her lips quirked upwards, and she turned towards the gate.
She turned on her heel, facing Kris again. They were mid step, making their way down the road.
“And make sure you start our group project, Kris!”
Kris stopped walking and turned their head to the side. A huge smirk blossomed on their lips. Noelle couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but it lacked real mirth. She waved at them, to which they waved back in return.
She entered the front yard of her house, shutting the gate behind her. She pulled down the hair tie, feeling her hair fall down to her back. Slipping the hair tie onto her wrist, she smiled to herself.
Her head tilted upwards, where the sunset the horizon. The sun poked through the large trees which loomed above her house. Noelle smiled to herself, stepping foot on her porch.
Noelle opened her eyes to Kris, who took a seat beside her. They planted two mugs of hot chocolate on either side of them. Noelle greeted them before her eyes landed on the beverages.
“Oh— did you bring hot cocoa?”
They nodded and offered one to her. She stared at the cup as if she had grown another head.
“T… Thanks, Kris,” mumbled Noelle.
She slowly curled her hands around the metal and popped open the lid. A sweet smell of artificial chocolate filled her nose. She carefully inspected the top, like she was waiting for a toy snake to emerge from the drink. Kris frowned at her and sipped the other mug.
Noelle apologized before she lifted the beverage to her lips and tentatively drank it. She licked her lips afterwards. “It’s… minty.”
“Kind of tastes like Christmas…” added Noelle under her breath.
Kris took another sip of their hot chocolate. “I made too much last night.”
Noelle hummed. She lowered the drink and smiled towards them. “Were you up too late gaming again?”
Kris stared her down, loudly slurping the hot chocolate. She laughed under her breath, placing the mug beside her leg. She turned towards the lake, soft ripples blowing through the surface of the water. Leaning her arms back, she felt the breeze hit her face.
Kris’ phone buzzed, and they quickly tapped away on their device. Stretching their limbs, they got to their feet. They offered their hand to Noelle, pulling her up. The two silently left the path to find a familiar minivan waiting for them.
The passenger side window rolled down. “There you are, Kris! And Noelle, it’s so nice to see you,” said Toriel with a gentle smile.
Noelle waved, flush spreading on her cheeks. “H-hello Toriel.”
Toriel leaned towards the right. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you two together. I’m afraid it’s been too long.”
Noelle chuckled, nerves evident in her voice. Toriel tapped her chin and clapped her hands together.
“Noelle, would you like to join me and Kris for dinner? The last guest we had was Susie, and we’d love to have you.”
Her eyes flickered towards their child. “Right, Kris?”
Kris made a thumbs up in response. They strolled towards the passenger door and swung it open. They paused before they stepped into the vehicle.
Noelle shuffled her feet. “O-oh um…”
She drew in a deep breath and pulled out her phone. She took a step towards the car. “I’ll… I’ll text my mom. I don’t think she’ll mind.”
Toriel smiled wider, watching as she took a seat in the back. Noelle fumbled with the seatbelt before she secured it around her waist. Toriel began chatting, filling the empty space with her voice.
Noelle cupped the side of her cheek with her hand. Nostalgia settled over her. She hadn’t been in the minivan since she was a child with Dess. Kris poked their head out from the seat, gazing at her.
A small, almost miniscule smile appeared on Kris’ face.
Grinning in return, Noelle mouthed a silent thank you.
She could vividly imagine Dess sitting across from her, holding her hand, like she did when she was young. Noelle lifted the hot chocolate to her lips again. Taking a sip, she tasted the minty warmth of the hot chocolate.
She inhaled, her eyes drifting towards the window, where smears of green passed her by. Noelle smiled and held the mug closer to her chest.