The California sun kissed her skin, igniting her hot pink hair, and blinded her coffee brown eyes through her glasses; Aurelia Shade was relieved to have escaped New York, despite moving to an equally as crowded city. She felt free from the confines that had bound her to her old life, free from the problems that she'd left behind.

This was a new start for her, and she would rather die than miss this opportunity.

She entered the apartment, the scent of fresh paint invading her nostrils, and the sight of unclothed furniture taunting her eyes; the apartment had been freshly renovated, and she was more than happy to see that it hadn't been tampered with by the staff of the building. She was thankful for her scholarship, because now she could place her savings into groceries and household necessities.

She took a deep breath, unpacking her suitcases, and trying to remember the address that Paige had given her; the woman grew up next to her, having babysat her only a handful of times before CPS had shipped her off to New York. They wanted to meet up, catch up on each other's lives, and hopefully reignite the friendship they once had. It was so long ago, though, that she was unsure of whether or not it would play out.

As soon as she'd finished loading her makeup into the bathroom, her cell phone had begun to ring. She sprinted to the freshly made bed, diving onto the mattress as the caller ID flashed across her glasses. "Paige, hey!"

"Hey, Lia! I was wondering how your trip went?"

"Oh, you know, just the average cross-country drive. . . with the exception of a few gift shop stops, along the way." She laughed, "I got you something, actually!"

"You're joking," Paige gasped. "I got you something, too! I can't wait to see you, it's been way too long."

"It really has." She checked her watch, widening her eyes slightly. "Hey, it's already one, do you wanna meet up for lunch?"

"I'm actually going to my sister's house-"

"Sister?" She questioned, a small smile on her lips. "Did you finally find your biological family?"

"Sure did!" She chirped, and Aurelia could hear a car blinker in the background. "Anyways, that was the address I gave you. If you wanna stop by for a few, feel free to."

Aurelia nodded, "Okay, I'll see you soon."

"Later!"

...

The girl widened her eyes at the large red house, standing on the sidewalk next to her motorcycle; she was ecstatic that she'd been able to afford that trailer to move her things. The girl slowly approached the house, walking up the stone steps with nerves coursing through her veins.

What if she and Paige no longer got along? It'd been seven years, at that point, and she wasn't sure how much each of them had changed.

Hesitantly, she brought her finger to the doorbell, pressing it lightly as she patiently waited for someone to answer. Rapid footsteps rushed to the door, and it swung open to reveal two brunette women with very confused expressions.

"Uh. . . hi. Is Paige here?"

"Damn right I am!" The woman cheered from behind her sisters, pushing through them and enveloping her childhood friend into a tight hug. Aurelia was only half an inch taller than Paige, so she couldn't swing her around like the cliché reuniting stories. "Holy shit, you're so pretty!" She smiled, releasing the girl.

"Me?" The pink haired teen questioned, "Look at you! All adulty!"

Paige turned toward her sisters, "Phoebe, Piper, this is Aurelia. She was my best friend when we were kids. Aurelia, these are my sisters, Phoebe and Piper."

"It's so nice to meet you," the teen smiled, earning welcoming expressions in return as they shook her hand. The sisters moved from the doorway, allowing Paige to usher her friend inside. The pale woman caught sight of her motorcycle, widening her eyes slightly.

"There is no way in hell that that's yours."

"Oh, but it is."

"Who was at the-" a man's voice echoed through the foyer, his jade green eyes landing on a head of hot pink hair that he was unfamiliar with, "-door."

"Chris," Paige sent him a tight-lipped smile, "this is Aurelia, my best friend."

The nineteen year old turned slightly, confusion twinkling in her coffee brown eyes. When her gaze landed on him, she was rendered speechless; shaggy brown hair, beautiful green eyes, slight scruff on his jaw, and an aura that had thrown her off slightly.

"Hi." He greeted, his tone emotionless as he rolled his eyes. He saw her checking him out, something he'd gotten a lot since he'd traveled to the past, but would not admit (even to himself) that he'd done the same thing.

Aurelia Shade was nineteen, he could tell that immediately. She was wearing a yellow and white striped crop top, light-wash high-waisted skinny jeans, a matching jean jacket, black Converse, and black glasses, which were obviously prescription.

Her hair had caught him off guard, not even seeing that color on anyone in the future; she pulled it off incredibly. Her coffee brown eyes swirled with emotions, he could see a mix of pain, attraction, and loneliness within them. She had golden flecks littered throughout her irises, and her plump lips had a thin layer of clear lip gloss on them. When his eyes drifted over her cheeks, he could see the tiny freckles that decorated her skin, and a slight dust of pink; whether it was from him looking at her, or the California heat, he didn't know.

"Uh, hi?" She spoke, her words sounding more like a question than a statement. "It's nice to meet you."

"Uh-huh." He nodded, emotionlessly looking back to his aunts, "I'll be in the attic. Yell if you need my help." He called over his shoulder, before walking back up the stairs. He paused when Aurelia's voice reached his ears once more. She was talking to the sisters.

"Jeez, what a people person. Who was that?"

"Our babysitter." Paige replied, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, and leading her into the living room.

He smirked at her awful lie, before rolling his eyes irritably.

"Great," he thought, "just another liability."