Just as Wave and Dream finished organizing the room, her phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up and saw Taya's name flashing on the screen.
"Looks like the last one's here," Wave said answering the call, "Hey Taya, you made it!"
Taya's voice came through the phone, a hint of excitement subtle in her
tone, "Yep! I'm in front of the convenience store."
"There's a staircase on the corner. Just climb it. We're on the rooftop." Wave said as she ended the call.
Taya was dropped by Jace. She stepped out of the car, her suitcase in hand, careful not to let the small bag of gifts slip from her other arm. Her outfit, a cream crop top paired with high-waisted jean. She closed the car door behind her.
"Thanks," Taya said, adjusting the straps of her suitcase, "I'll see you tomorrow!"
Jace replied with a wink and drove off. Taya after the phone call with Wave, she climbed the narrow staircase that led to the rooftop, her suitcase bumping lightly against each step.
When she reached the top, she found the door to the room open, so she got in.
"Okay, Okay, I'm here. No need to make a big deal about it," Taya said, glancing around the room, 'I see Dream went all out."
Wave chuckled, pointing to the bags and piles of snacks, "You could say that."
Taya raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more. She placed her suitcase on the floor, unzipping it, "Well, I didn't bring a whole shopping spree, but I did pack a few essentials."
She pulled out a large bag of chips, some cute matching cups for drink and a plush blanket that she tossed onto the bed.
"See? Essentials," Taya said with a wink.
Wave laughed, shaking her head, "If that's your version of 'essentials', then we might need to make some room for it all."
Taya smirked, "Oh, just wait. You'll see. I've got a few surprises in store."
"Oooh, I love surprises!"
Taya chuckled, "It's just a few things to make it extra cozy. And no, it's not another mountain of gifts," she grabbed a couple of small candles from her bag, "I thought we could set the mood with some nice scents. Lavender for calm vibes!"
Wave smiled, her excitement growing, "Alright, now I'm really looking forward to this." she then added, "Did you guys know that today's my birthday?"
Taya and Dream exchanged glances before they came out clean, "When I was at Mr. Simmons office I accidentally peeked at your form and saw that today's your birthday."
"Seriously Wavy, You don't tell your bestfriends your birthday!" Dream complained.
"You guys. That's why you went all out on the gifts and here I thought that was your thing."
"What? Who goes with gifts to a sleepover?"
"You guys."
"No, this are your birthday gift. We all are officially 18! We should toast with the wine I brought."
"You brought wine? From where?" Taya asked Dream amusedly.
Wave glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing it was time to get moving.
"Hat e to blast the bubble girls," she said standing up and stretching, "We have to go to the convenience store, my shift's starting soon."
Dream followed Wave down the stairs, "What's the best snack when you're working?" They made their way down the stair, "Chocolates, sweets. It must be something sweet obviously."
They arrived at the convenience store, Wave unlocked the door, "Alright girls! Here it is. It's not a lot of work, It's mostly just keeping things organized, helping customers, and ringing up the stuff they buy."
As the door opened, Taya and Dream stepped in, looking around, "It's actually really nice in here. I thought it'd be way smaller."
Wave shrugged, "It's not huge, but we get enough traffic. You'd be surprised how much people come in for snacks and drinks at random hours."
Dream took a deep breathe and smiled, "It smells nice in here, like...coffee and snacks."
Wave laughed, "Yeah, that's the store for yo. You get used to it after a while." She moved behind the counter and grabbed an apron, tying it around her waist before passing two other aprons to the girls.
"Where do we start," Dream asked after she wore the apron.
Wave paused for a moment, looking around, "Let's start by organizing the snack aisle. It's always the messiest part. You can help set things straight while I deal with customers."
"Yes boss!''
As she finished organizing the counter, she glanced at Dream and Taya, who were still organizig the snacks. Dream was hopping between boxes with surprising enthusiasm, Taya was methodically placing products on the shelves with impressive efficiency.
"You two are making this look way too easy."
Dream didn't miss a beat, tossing a packet of cookies into the air and catching it, ''It's all in the wrist Wave! You just gotta have fun with it."
Taya rolled her eyes, but there was a smile tugging at her lips, "She's right though. It's all about finding the rhythm. I could get used to this."
Wave walked over to the snack's aisle, "You guys really enjoy this, huh?"
Taya nodded as she reached up to put a can of soup on the top shelf, "It's surprisingly relaxing. Plus, it's kind of like a mini treasure hunt every time we open a box. You never know what weird stuff you'll find."
"Look what I found! someone's going to get a surprise!" Dream held up a random plushie she'd pulled from one of the boxes, grinning mischievously
"Please don't tell me you're planning to buy that."
"I wasn't going to, but now I'm tempted," Dream winked and tossed the plushie back into the box.
Just then, Mrs. Pierce walked in, her arms full of shopping bags, her eyes scanning the trio
"Well, well, if it isn't the girls who made my store a whole lot livelier today!" Mrs. Pierce said with a smile as she approached the group.
Wave looked up, surprised to see her, "Oh, hey, Mrs. Pierce! We were just finishing up with the aisle, I didn't know you were stopping by."
Mrs. Pierce chuckled and set her bags down at the counter, "I was out doing a little shopping of my own, but when I saw you all here, I thought, 'Why not take a moment to catch up?' " She looked at Taya and Dream, "You must be Taya and Dream, right? Wave's told me a bit about you two,"
Dream immediately flashed a playful grin, "Guilty as charged! We've been keeping Wave entertained today."
"It's nice to meet you. Thanks for letting us help Wave out." Taya nodded, offering a polite smile
"No problem at all. You're always welcome here. Actually..." She paused for a moment, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous gleam, "You all look like you could use a little fun. What do you say, Wave? How about you take the rest of the day off and I'll look after the store for you?"
Wave blinked in surprise, glancing at her girls, "Wait, seriously? But I still have a few things to do here-"
"I can handle it, trust me. I've got everything under control. You girls should get out there and enjoy yourselves!", Mrs. Pierce waved her hand with a grin
Dream immediately perked up, "Ooh, a day off! I'm in!"
Taya glanced and Wave and added, "We should take up the offer."
Wave saw the excitement in her friend's faces, "Alright, Let's go!"
Mrs. Pierce smiled approvingly, "That's the spirit!'
With that, trio stepped out of the convenience store, ready to make the most of their free time
"Thanks again, Mrs. Pierce!'' Wave called back over her shoulder as the door jingled shut behind them.
"I love you, Mrs. Pierce!" Dream shouted too.
Mrs. Pierce smiled.
"So, what's the plan?" Dream asked, excitement clear in her voice.