InsaneJournal

With the excitement over having a friend from home around still going strong, Elena was feeling even more like her old self. That meant reaching out to others and befriend them, of course. She didn't have to stay hung up on the fact that her life was literally a dead end road when, or if, she returned back home. She had made a brand new one here, one that lacked a few person-shaped necessities, but otherwise resided on a fairly stable mountain of happiness. This wasn't where she would have predicted herself to be after turning eighteen and getting into college, but it wasn't the worst situation she had ever experienced.

Seeing someone new arrive with uncertainty took her back to when she showed up not knowing who was around. She had been on the brink of death, the future seemingly so certain as to the finality of where she was headed. Now Elena knew a great deal more about what was in store for herself, and had somewhat accepted the fact that she could not change it. She had only to sit back and focus on her life here, because the television had only a specter of herself to watch in broken fragments of melodramatic scripted scenes.

Immediately taken with Gwen's candor, Elena was happy to oblige her with a little bit of sight-seeing. It was nice to be on the other side of the coin. No longer the fresh blood, so to speak, she could lend a hand where people like Claudia had done for her. Elena was a little overzealous to go shopping, too, but the more important matter was making a shiny and new friend. At least, given the way they spoke, she couldn't see them as becoming anything less. Optimism really had become a habit.

Refreshed by the realization, Elena made haste in getting ready. Neutral colors had become a sort of staple for her, the darkness of her own curiosities and slip into love expressed by fashion. Even so, she remained simple in style, complicated only by the cooler temperatures that required heavier clothing in order to keep her warm. Being from Virginia, Elena was no stranger to the weather they were experiencing in New Creandi. Given that Gwen was from New York, Elena figured she was in the same boat. It was much colder up there during the winter, wasn't it?

She rather lamented the fact that she would never find out as long as she was in this mysterious world.

Nevertheless, she had to get down to their meeting spot quickly if she wanted to be on time. So, hurry she did, arriving a few minutes shy of the designated time. Hooked to technology already, probably in part thanks to having befriended someone like Claudia who was so good at it all, she was glued to her phone while waiting for Gwen's arrival.