Calypso sighs as she scrolls through photos on her phone. Her back is propped up on her bedboard and her legs are covered in tiny rainbows, reflecting off the glass suncatcher in her window.
She's smiling softly, remembering the time these photos were taken. They're of her and her dearest friend, Añuli, at a summer market festival they recently attended together. Añuli is glowing in a yellow sundress. Calypso, in a light pink tank top, is putting a sunflower in her friend's voluminous hair. The next few pictures are the two of them at different booths, looking at locally made jewellery, fresh fruits, soaps and flowers.
In all of them, Calypso's face is almost the colour of her shirt.
She switches tabs to her conversation with her best friend, which is in the middle of a conversation about using flowers in cooking. She hesitates for a moment, then types out a quick message.
Lippy: yo can you call me? I have a question
Luli: lol why don't you just text it
Lippy: bc I like my ringtone :)
Luli: lmao k
The screen changes then to Añuli's smiling face as the phone plays Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles. Calypso smiles and taps to answer.
"Hey," Añuli's bright voice sings through the speaker.
"Hey, you," Calypso replies, smiling.
There is a rustle on Añuli's side as she shifts. "So what did you wanna ask me?"
Oh, right, Calypso thinks. "Do you wanna go to the park?"
There's a pause in which Calypso nearly calls it off, uncharacteristically unsure of her plan. Then, "Sure. Is that all?"
Calypso's tense shoulders drop and she sits up. "No. If you bring your board, we can practice carving."
"Alright! You've got the tool?"
"Yee."
Añuli laughs. "Sweet. See you in ten!"
"Bye!" Calypso says and disconnects
She scrolls through another few pictures, then gets up. She quickly changes into a white tank top, a green flannel and skinny jeans. She considers redoing her bun but decides against it. It's just Añuli.
Just before ducking out the door, she grabs her phone, her wallet and her longboard. She tramps down the stairs and calls out to her mom, telling her that she's going out with Añuli for a few hours and will be home before curfew. Her mother gives her thumbs up in reply.
The wind smells of flowers and family barbeques as Calypso zooms down the street towards the park to meet her best friend. Añuli is already there when she arrives, basking in the sun. She's wearing a yellow tube top, shorts, and the sunflower necklace with "You Are My Sunshine" inside, a gift from Calypso on her twelfth birthday. The bright yellow is an eye-catching contrast to the deep brown of Añuli's skin, which is so clear, Calypso once joked that she could see her future on Añuli's face.
She prides herself on her subtlety.
"Good afternoon, m'lady," Calypso says, stepping off her longboard with the swipe of an imaginary hat.
"Good afternoon, Your Thighness." Añuli replies, equally regal from her spot on the grass.
Calypso rolls her eyes and falls onto her back beside her friend. "How long were you waiting here?"
Añuli shrugs. "Not long. I saw you around the corner just as I was sitting down."
Calypso nods. She puts her hands behind her head and closes her eyes, relishing the warmth of the late afternoon sun above her and Añuli beside her. She splutters in surprise when she gets a mouthful of thick, kinky hair.
"Nuli!" She squawks.
Añuli hurriedly sits back up and laughs. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, Lipsy!"
Calypso pouts and lifts a leg, then drops it in Añuli's lap. "Meanie."