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[img]https://i.imgur.com/lw9cs88.gif[/img]
[sub]A Collaberation between [@Altered Tundra] & [@eclecticwitch]
[i][b][color=gray]F[/color][/b][/i] e a t u r i n g   [b][i][color=pink]S[/color][/i][/b] t e l l a    &   [b][i][color=AD74AD]P[/color][/i][/b] e n n y[/sub]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/uZZNKLO.png?1[/img][/indent][/indent][/center]

[indent][indent]After the rush and thrill of picking out swimsuits, accessories and whatever else Penny decided they needed, she lead the way out of the door and into the hot pink Porsche Donny had bought her.  She hopped into the driver's seat and started her up.  The beautiful beast purred to life with a rumble and Penny turned to Stella with a huge grin on her face.  [color=AD74AD]“You ready, darling?”[/color]

The confirming sound of a slammed door was the first thing that Penny should take as Stella’s nonverbal ‘yes’, but as she brought her brown eyes to Penny’s, she gave nothing but a calm, happy smile to her friend. [color=pink]“Yep, yep, yep!”[/color] She happily said back to Penny. [color=pink]“Let’s go hit the beach! I’m so ready to soak in some rays!”[/color]

[color=AD74AD]“Me too,”[/color] she said, perhaps with a bit too much enthusiasm.  She was desperate to get Stella away from this house.  Within moments they were driving off, sun shining and the top down.  The wind blew Penny’s hair and made the curls absolutely wild!  She pulled an iPod out of a little compartment and handed it over to Stella.  [color=AD74AD]“Play whatever you want!”[/color] she shouted, the wind sweeping most of it away.

Had Stella not already had practical bed hair, she would’ve been up in arms about her chocolate hair flying all over the place. But honest to every god in every religion, she was having too much fun. With verbal permission from her friend, Stella chose to stick to what she felt was the perfect road trip song to the beach. Even though it would only take them ten or so minutes, Stella took it upon herself to switch to the pop radio station that Penny seemed to have programmed. To her surprise, it was the same one she listened to. 

[color=pink]“Oh my God, you listen to The Claw 99.3 as well!?”[/color] Stella gasped at the top of her lungs, mostly due to how the wind forced her to practically scream.

[color=AD74AD]“Hell yeah babycakes!”[/color]  The two girls jammed out on a short trip to the beach.  Penny was feeling better, her smile was more honest, which was something Stella took notice almost immediately.  Once there she parked the car and grabbed the bag she had brought with them which held essentials.  [color=AD74AD]“Where to?”[/color] she asked, gesturing to the expanse of sand.

[color=pink]“Oh!”[/color] 

Without even thinking, Stella saw the perfect spot right by where the water was. It was maybe a yard and a half away. Most importantly, her eyes homed in on how nobody took the spot. It was just too perfect. The sun was shining and it wasn’t too humid, either. Usually, Florida humidity was a common thing this time of year (Which Penny’s hair was often too happy to communicate), but on this particular Sunday, it was low and cool. Plus, the breeze coming in from the ocean was just what the girls needed to relax fully.

Stella absentmindedly took hold of Penny’s hand and led her to the spot. Quickly when they arrived, Stella would once again take the initiative by taking the blanket that Penny had packed into her bag and lay it out (with Penny’s help of course). When it was secure on the sandy beach, she sat down on her knees and smiled at her friend. [color=pink]“It’s so nice out here, isn’t it?”[/color] She asked cheerfully. 

Penny flipped off the hat that she had placed on her head in the brief moments from car to blanket and laid back rather dramatically.  [color=AD74AD]“I’m ready for my close up, Mister Demille,”[/color] she said cheerfully as she posed, one arm holding her up and the other holding the hat aloft.  Her legs were crossed sensually across the blanket.  After a moment longer, she collapsed backward with a small laugh.  It was just what she needed.

She looked up at Stella, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.  [color=AD74AD]“Love,”[/color] she asked lightly, [color=AD74AD]“If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be?”[/color]
 
[color=pink]“Paris, France,”[/color] Stella said without even so much as thinking about it.

[color=AD74AD]“My dreamy romantic,”[/color] she replied and closed her eyes for a minute.  Penny enjoyed the rays of the sun and the warmth of the day.  A day away from a weekend she was already dreading.  [color=AD74AD]“Why France?”[/color]

[color=pink]“Well, I come from French ancestry. I’m not sure if you knew that. My father’s family comes from France. My father's ancestor s who would be my ancestors, too,  originated from a small town called Sauveterre.”[/color] When Stella spoke, the slightest hint of a French pronunciation came through her normal feminine voice. [color=pink]“We still have some relatives that live there even though most of my cousins live in Paris. I just want to go there as soon as I can. I miss seeing Annabelle,”[/color] she somewhat muttered to herself.

As Stella spoke, Penny could hear her going back to the places she had visited before.  She lay on the blanket, chin propped up on an upturned palm and just watched the young woman nearly reminisce.  [color=AD74AD]“Mmm, it sounds delightful.  I wish I had something like that.  All that family and history.”[/color]

Though she was still smiling, Stella became mindful of Penny and tried to cool it back a bit. [color=pink]“Where is your family from Penny? I’d love to know!”[/color]

How could she answer that honestly without souring the mood?  Penny sat up and stared at the waves.  The silence dragged on.  She didn’t want to lie to Stella and that was the true struggle.  Had it been anyone else she could have come up with something, anything to deflect.  She cared far too much about this girl to lie to her.  Penny turned her face and studied Stella for a moment.  [color=AD74AD]“They all passed away,”[/color] she finally responded.  [color=AD74AD]“All that is left is Don.  And he’s not even blood.”[/color]

Stella was drawing a blank as she trying to unconfuse herself. [color=pink]“Was Don the one I met earlier?”[/color] Stella asked her friend.

[color=AD74AD]“Oh, yeah.  Yeah, he was.”[/color]

Admittedly, Stella was more relieved to hear that confirmation that she let on. She grinned happily for Penny. If not to hide her own whirling thoughts about how weirded out she was seeing that kiss between Penny and her non-blood relative, Donny, then just to preserve the overall enjoyment she felt being with Penny and having fun beachside. 

And that’s when Stella, instead of wanting to pursue the thought in her mind about Donny, she had decided to focus on how amazing the water looked. [color=pink]“Y’know, I’m half tempted to take a dip,”[/color] she smiled through her words. [color=pink]“Though, maybe I should put on some sunblock.”[/color] The rare moment of a mindful Stella reached into Penny’s bag. She knew she saw sunblock in there before they left her house. 

A quick rub of sunblock all over her body, Stella stood up and offered to do the same for Penny - at least her back. Once it was done and once Penny was able to do that as well, she smiled at her friend. [color=pink]“Let’s hit the water!”[/color]
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