There we go again. She sighed. For the umpteenth time she wondered is this had been such a bright idea. Back then, when was it, o god was it only three days ago, back then the sun was shining heatedly, making all doubts seem petty and cowardly. She did not see herself as the one saying no. This was, after all, an open-ended affair. It could take her absolutely anywhere.

She wished they would never get there.

Yes, a paradox, she smiled wryly to herself, whilst taking care not to appear smug. He must not notice her thoughts. This she had discovered the very first day, and it didn’t really come as a surprise either. She knew the type, if not all its variations.

So she smiled gamely at the opposing forces. She knew how to put up a front. Jeez, she was born fighting. Nothing ever came for nothing. You earn your place on this globe, ot you pay dirt. Yes, she could hear mother, still after all this time. The timbre in her voice. The ruefulness in her eyes, admonishing her rebellious daughter.

She felt no remorse for what happened later. It was bound to.

Not that she believed in the inevitable outcome.

There was always choice.

And chance. Let’s not forget chance, the little bugger. Chance is the little brother to luck, and a fidgety one at that. It is not, obviously, someone to trust.

Yet, trust she must, as do we all, for the bricks do not always fall our way. In fact, they most rarely do, in her opinion.

So you grab chance by the balls and run with it. Yes. That was more like it. This was the frameset she was moulding for herself, looking all vacant and carefree. I wouldn’t call her callous, exactly. But neither was she any sort of benign push-over.

Later on, i would learn first hand exactly what that entailed. But for now, i just watched from afar, as per instructions.