FAR FROM ERIS • FreenBecky •

TWENTY - FIVE

Irin parked the car in front of a fairly large wooden cabin. Freen and Heng didn't seem to have arrived yet, as their van was nowhere to be seen. Becky grabbed her backpack from the trunk and followed Irin to the entrance of the cabin. It was around noon, and although the warmth of the sun fell on their shoulders, traces of winter still lingered even with the sun at its peak in the sky.

-Wow, it's huge,- Becky said.

-They always give us the same one. We  tell them that we wouldn't mind a smaller one with bunk beds or something, but they must be happy that we come back every year. It has four bedrooms so choose whichever you like,- Irin said, entering one of the bedrooms to drop off her things. -By the way, the one next to mine is the one Freen chooses every year, just letting you know in case you don't want to annoy her further,- she joked from the bedroom.

Becky laughed, and for a moment, she thought about choosing that room just to see Freen's reaction. But she had the feeling that the situation wasn't right to push her luck, so she decided to take the one right across the hallway.

As she was putting her things on the bed, she heard the van's wheels screeching to a halt in front of the cabin, and nerves returned to her stomach. She heard Heng's voice talking to Irin as they approached the cabin's door.

-We've arrived!- Heng shouted.

-Hallelujah!- Irin replied from her bedroom.

Becky leaned against the doorframe, letting herself fall onto her shoulder and crossing her arms over her chest. She watched as Heng and Freen entered, carrying their things. Freen went straight to the room Irin had labeled as -Freen's room- and entered without looking around. Becky saw her leave her things on the bed and take a deep breath. She never took her eyes off her. Not when she stretched her neck from side to side with her eyes closed, not when she adjusted her hair falling over her chest so it wouldn't tangle with the hood of her black hoodie, not even when she turned around and suddenly noticed Becky's presence, who didn't flinch when Freen's eyes met hers directly for the first time all day.

Freen slightly opened her mouth in surprise; she didn't expect to see Becky there, watching her. Becky smiled and raised a hand in greeting. Freen did the same, with a grimace pretending to be a smile.

-Well, I think we should go to the village for lunch and then we'll be there when they open in the afternoon- Irin said, coming out of the room. -Then we can buy something for dinner and stay here tonight; they left us firewood for the fireplace.- Suddenly she realized that Freen and Becky were each in their rooms staring at each other as if they were in a staring contest. -What a weekend we have ahead- she thought.

The village turned out to be a charming place. At most, five streets, with colorful houses of one or two floors and colorful shop windows. Many bars filled with locals sharing laughs at noon, gift shops, and folk music coming from the venues. Becky couldn't understand how such a place could exist alongside where she grew up; so gray, so dark, so impersonal. She let herself be infected by the spirit of the place, by that vibe of tranquility, and by the winter sunlight warming her face as they walked down the street.

They stopped to eat at a terrace near a park. Freen still couldn't hold Becky's gaze for more than a couple of seconds, let alone have a conversation. However, it seemed that her anger had decreased considerably because she at least tolerated walking beside her.

-The warehouse is on the outskirts, so we'll go with both cars again. I don't want any adventures in the back of the van like last year- Irin warned.

-Come on, it wasn't that bad,- Heng said.

-Sure, the fact that you had to get four stitches in your head wasn't that bad,- Irin looked at Becky, who had an expression halfway between confusion and curiosity -Last year the three of us came, and of course, to avoid taking both cars, Heng volunteered to travel with the materials in the back. You can imagine the rest.-