Two Unlikely Friends

"Hey Amber!" Joan called out excitedly as she burst out from the bathroom, warm steam flowing into the hallway as she threw a damp towel into a hamper. Amber, sitting on a small couch in the crowded livingroom with a book in her hands, looked up and gave a timid smile. She was a redhead, with long, cascading hair and a pair of round glasses that framed her eternally tired green eyes.

Joan, on the other hand, was the epitome of a tomboy. Her short, brown hair was almost always messy, and her sleek figure was adorned exclusively by basic t-shirts or more sporty outfits, depending on her mood. The two had been friends as long as they could remember, always riding a fine line of driving the other crazy.

Amber tried to focus on her book, attempting to ignore Joan's teasing, "Did you hear about Hannah's new boyfriend? Apparently she's a total ditz!" Joan chuckled, knowing she could easily get under Amber's skin with her teasing remarks about others.

"Joan, come on, let's not gossip about people," Amber said, attempting to dismiss the conversation. She preferred not to judge others based on their appearances, unlike her more candid roommate.

But Joan continued, undeterred, "Oh, lighten up, Amber! You need to loosen up a bit. Life's more fun that way!" She plopped down on the couch beside Amber, moving some of her clothes out of the way to make room. She decided to not push Amber any further, instead leaning over to see what she was reading.

Amber didn't say anything, but as Joan leaned on her roommate she found some of the book familiar. "Oh... Is this that one with the dragons and the girl with magic powers?" The sound in her voice playing up her disgust.

Amber let out a small laugh, giving Joan a small push. The tomboy giggled back and stood up, now heading for the kitchen. "You want some ramen?"

Amber didn't look up from her book. "Uh- yeah sure."

Eventually in her attempts to converse with her roommate, Joan brought up a topic Amber is always interested in. "So, school?"

At just the mention of the word, Amber's head perked up as she glanced towards Joan. "Huh? What about it?"

"Its not happening right now?" Joan said, obviously trying to drive the conversation a certain direction.

"Yeah? What about it?"

Finally Joan broke and just got to her point. "It's spring break! Lets get out of here and go do something!"

Once again Amber's interest levels plummeted. Her eyes threatening to return to the pages. "You mean like go sit in the cafe?"

Joan waved off her usual suggestion. "Nah, I mean something off campus, you know, like normal people our age?"

Amber opened her mouth to offer another rebuttal, when their conversation was interrupted by the sudden sound of the doorbell.

Amber hesitated for a moment, glancing at Joan, before she got up to answer the door. Joan followed curiously, and as Amber opened the door, they were met with an unexpected sight. There, on their doorstep, was a box adorned with a peppermint symbol.

"What's that?" Joan asked, her curiosity piqued. Amber shrugged, equally bewildered, but she noticed there was no sender's address or name on the package.

Joan grinned mischievously, "Well, there's only one way to find out," she said, reaching for the box, but Amber quickly snatched it away, her cautious nature taking over.

"Wait!... Let's at least use some scissors."