On Saturday morning, Annie was on the roof of the Anderson Park Bus Terminal.
The roof was a secluded place, situated away from the buses and the pedestrian traffic in the lower levels of the terminal. To get there, one had to walk out of the way, through the back corridors of the building and up the back staircase. The only reason for anyone to climb up there was the view.
It was a good vantage point, providing a view of the greenery of Anderson Park below and the distant river beyond. In the park, there were joggers on the paths among the trees and flower bushes and there were groups of people having picnics on the grass under the cloudy sky. One of the larger groups was setting up for a barbecue.
Some people were just determined to enjoy nature. Even the poor weather could not discourage them.
Up above, birds were busy darting to and fro, chirping on their daily business. Further up, a helicopter flew past while out on the river, there were yachts and barges. There were people rowing in a few of the smaller boats in the enclosed water next to the park.
Near the bus terminal was a steel bridge that spanned the river. Traffic across the bridge that morning was light.
Second Sis was beside Annie, also taking in the view. She wore a thin long-sleeved sweater under a vest, along with a pair of jeans and boots. Wind was blowing through her blond wavy hair.
That made Annie wonder if she should untie her ponytail. She toyed with the idea of the wind going through her black hair, gently caressing it, sending chills down her neck. She pulled her jacket tighter against the cold. It was freezing that morning. She should have brought a scarf.
"Hey, Annie," Second Sis spoke, "I think it would be fun to gather the boys and girls for a barbecue one day."
"Couldn't you have invited the basketball boys to celebrate your win?" Annie asked. And get her out of having to spend the whole day with Second Sis, away from her studies. But when she thought of that, Annie felt a little disappointed. She realized then that she truly wanted to spend some time with her sister.
"We already did." Carrie grinned. "Yesterday, we took over a whole section of Greasy Aunt's."
So Second Sis had returned late the previous night because she had been at Greasy Aunt's, the diner near their school. That diner was a popular after-school hangout for the students of Fernham High, serving fried snacks and sweet desserts. It also had a few arcade machines and a foosball table.
"Carrie!" A girl about the same height as Carrie came up behind Second Sis and nudged her shoulder. "Happy birthday, in advance."
Second Sis put on a bright smile and spun around. "Hey, thanks, Jul." She gave the girl a hug. "Annie, this is Julia and..." She looked at the shorter girl standing a step back. "... you must be the younger sister Jillian."
"Please call me Jill," the shorter girl requested with a smile.
As the girls greeted one another, Annie noted the similarities between the other pair of sisters. Both had golden hair that had more brown than Carrie's, though Julia's ponytailed hair was longer. Both had similar facial features - the same face shape and mouth - though Annie could not compare the noses and eyes due to the spectacles that Jill wore.
"So it's only Urs left," Carrie mentioned.
Julia glanced at the small watch on her wrist. "We're still early."
As the two older sisters talked about yesterday's gathering at Greasy Aunt's, Annie leaned against the railing with Jill, watching the people in the park below.
"Annie," Jill began, "You go to Fernham High too, right? I'm a sophomore there."
"Yeah, I'm a freshman."
"Have you picked a club yet?" Jill asked.
"No, not yet," Annie admitted.
"I'm with the History Society. My sister, you may have guessed, is with the Basketball Team." Jill adjusted her spectacles. "Although it's not compulsory, I think you should join one. You can have fun with students with similar interests."
"Maybe later. Right now I'm still getting used to high school."
"Still?" Jill uttered doubtfully. "It's the second semester. You can't be having that much trouble."
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