The shrill sound of the alarm cut through the still morning air. Rayna groggily reached out from her bed, slapping her phone to silence it. Her dark curly hair was a wild, messy halo around her head, some strands still stuck to the drool on her cheek. She squinted at the screen, barely able to focus.
"Ugh, it's Friday," she muttered, her voice thick with sleep. "I'll get ready for school, just in case I don't find anything better to do."
She dragged herself to the bathroom, splashing her face with cold water. After a quick skincare routine, she brushed through her lightly curled hair, then finished off with a swipe of lip gloss. Her mom called from downstairs, "Rayna, breakfast is ready!"
As she made her way down, her mom raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to school today? You know, going regularly builds discipline. You never know—you might actually learn something."
Rayna rolled her eyes as she sat down at the table, grabbing a forkful of pancakes. "Mom, you've been saying the same thing forever. As long as I get good grades, I'm good, right? Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna devour these pancakes. Thanks for breakfast."
Her mom shook her head with a smile, but didn't push further.
Once she finished, Rayna grabbed her backpack—packed to the brim with who-knows-what—and slung it over her shoulder. As she headed for the door, her mom called out, "Don't forget your glasses!"
Rayna hesitated. Her vision wasn't great, but it didn't bother her much—everything was still blurry enough to make do. Still, out of respect for her mom, she reached for them and slipped them on before leaving the house.
Outside, she stood for a moment, contemplating what to do. Without much thought, she broke into a run, heading toward the forest. The morning air was cool, and her heartbeat quickened as she moved effortlessly through the trees, a big grin on her face. She passed by small deer grazing by the riverside, and a few beavers near their dam. Squirrels and possums scurried along the ground, all oblivious to her presence.
Eventually, she stopped. Looking up, she gazed at her "magnum opus"—a treehouse. It wasn't big—just the size of a small bedroom—but it was hers. The rope ladder swayed in the breeze, and the windows, though dusty, let in enough sunlight to create a cozy atmosphere.
Climbing the ladder, Rayna entered and smiled at the initials she'd carved into the wood years ago. "No time to get hung up on the past," she muttered to herself, shaking off the nostalgia. "Let's get building."
She dug into her backpack and pulled out a bunch of metal scraps she had scavenged from the garage. Excited, she began working on her latest project: a rotating platform that would shoot out smoke for dramatic effect. Hours passed in a blur, the platform taking shape under her focused hands.
Suddenly, her phone rang, snapping her out of her concentration.
"Incoming call from Country Song Lover 💩," Rayna read aloud with a smirk before answering. "Hey, Hailey, what's up?"
"Where are you right now?" Hailey's voice crackled through the speaker.
"I'm in my treehouse working on a rotating platform that spews smoke."
"Sounds cool. Are you planning to come to school today?"
Rayna's brow furrowed, thinking for a moment. "Nah, not really. Why?"
"I dunno... I just haven't seen you around much. I miss hanging out. We could catch up at school, if you want."
Rayna grinned. "Bet. I'm always down to hang. Let me finish this, then I'll swing by."
"Thanks, see you then!" Hailey hung up, and Rayna returned to her work. She completed the first part of the project—the platform now spun smoothly, just like she wanted.
"Alright, that's enough for now," she said, standing up and stretching. "Time to go."
With a burst of energy, she leaped out of the treehouse, landing with a roll and sprinted toward school. She arrived just as the bell rang, and as students poured out of the building, many waved or started chatting with her.
"Where've you been? The teachers keep complaining, 'Once again, Rayna isn't here!' It's like they have a personal vendetta," one student said, rolling their eyes.
"I've just been living life. You know how it is," Rayna replied with a shrug.
"Well, we got a chemistry test back today. Guess how much you got?"
"If it's chemistry, probably an 85."
"Ha! You got a 94. And don't guess 85 like you've ever gotten one."
"I've gotten an 85 in French, so, y'know."
"Shut up."
As they continued their banter, Rayna spotted Hailey walking toward her, looking downcast. She broke off the conversation and approached her friend.
"Hey, bestie, what's going on?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"I got a 73 on the chemistry test," Hailey mumbled, her face falling. "I studied so hard, but it wasn't enough."
Rayna reached out, pulling her into a quick hug. "Don't sweat it. Let's go home, play some games, and forget about it."
"Where's Logan?"
"His parents picked him up," Rayna answered as they began walking home together.
The walk was filled with easy conversation—everything from the latest episode of their favorite show to random musings about life.
"You have to admit," Rayna said, "the new character on Pocket Creatures sucks. It's way worse than before."
"Nah, the new character's cute, and the animation's better. It's not like they'll keep the same one for 30 years—it's not One Place."
"You say that like you've actually caught up to One Place."
"I'm 600 episodes in. I think that's enough to have an opinion."
"Blah, blah, blah. No more One Place slander."
They arrived at Hailey's house, and Rayna waved goodbye, heading home. Once inside, she dropped her stuff and hopped on her computer, starting a call in the Dumbasses Discorp group chat. Within moments, Logan, Rein, Hailey, and Rayna were all together.
Rein, his voice tired, spoke up. "Y'all, let's play Valorwatch. I'm so close to Platinum, and I need you guys to help me avoid the incompetent teammates."
Logan agreed. "Yeah, let's hop on."
They played through the night, riding a rollercoaster of win streaks and losses, their minds slowly unraveling from the chaos.
As the call ended, Rein said, "Oh, by the way, I'm coming over tomorrow. I told our younger cousin it was a 'big people trip.'"
"Aight, can't wait to see you for tubing," Rayna said.
Logan, sounding a little shocked, asked, "We're going tubing?"
"Didn't I tell you? It's a whole gang thing, and you're coming whether you like it or not."
Logan sighed. "Alright, I'll ask my mom."
With that, everyone said their goodnights and signed off.