"Welcome to the Presidio of San Francisco!" Thy exclaimed, standing on top of a mini hill.

"Shh!" Lou pulled at his arm to try and get him to come down. "Are you trying to get as much attention as possible?"

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly. "I like to be a main character sometimes."

"It's fine," she looked away so he wouldn't see her blushing from embarrassment. "I'm going to go find the others."

"Can we get ice cream first?"

"Sure," Lou didn't mention the weather, or the ten-degree celsius temperature (as a Brit, she'd had ice cream in worse). "I think we have some at the apartment, I— is that an ice cream van?"

"Is that Imogen in the line?"

"...I think so."

<<*>>

"Hey, I'm getting déjà vu," Carlos sighed. He was standing by an ice cream van, taking photos of Imogen and Aster.

"Listen, I'm entitled to as much ice cream as I can pay for," Aster took her phone back from him, swiping through the pictures he'd taken.

"Oh my gosh that one!" Imogen pointed, and Aster murmured her agreement. "Okay, now take one of me and Carlos."

"Finally!" The Italian was grateful for Ginny's inclusion and grinned as she stuck her tongue out at Aster behind the camera. "Let's eat these before they begin to fall apart." 

"I don't think they'll melt any time soon."

"I'm trying to enjoy my chocolate sprinkles, Laurier. Don't ruin this moment for me."

<<*>>

@i.imogenhazel more sprinkles please! xx

❤️ 43 💬 8

@carlosmrossi no I took them all

↪ @i.imogenhazel haha this

@asterelodie yess xx

↪ @i.imogenhazel x

@thyrex40 (this is lou) we saw you and now thy is making me queue to get him some 😔

<<*>>

They had spent almost five days of exploring the museums and beautiful flowers in the Presidio. There was a Walt Disney Museum and the Palace of Fine arts, but it was on their final day there that Mila made the best discovery known to man.

"OHMYGOSHGUYS!"

"What?" Giani replied, turning toward them.

"IT'S A FOUNTAIN OF YODA! 

"Oh sh—" Gi stumbled to get a closer look. "It really is." 

"HE'S SO CUTE!"

"Woah, Mila, calm down," Lou stepped closer to them, holding out an arm. "I think trying to climb it so you can hug him is a bit much."

"Ah, come on, it would have been funny," Giani complained.

"Yeah, Mila cracking their head open. I can't stop laughing."

"Guys," Mila piped up, completely oblivious to the turn their conversation had taken. "I have got to take a photo."

<<*>>

@milaslavik YODA 😭❤️

❤️ 52 💬 5

@auberyninaslavikova Mila do you know all 52 people who have liked this post?

↪ @milaslavik uhh, probably?

↪ @auberyninaslavikova Milana you will answer your phone right now and explain this to me.

↪ @riaa.slavik mother, please, give it a rest

<<*>>

"Are you wearing hiking boots?" Lou looked at Carlos questioningly. It was their fifteenth day together (as a group, calm down, Carlos and Lou haven't got together) and they had decided to go on a mini adventure.

"Ja (German for yes)."

"Ignore him, he's probably drunk," Giani shrugged, shoving a biscuit in her mouth.

"Aren't we going to somewhere called Strawberry Hill?" Thy looked extremely confused.

'We're driving," Aster informed him, putting on some fancy-looking trainers.

"Is that possible?"

"I sure hope so. It's not very big, and the mountain peak has been commercialised and made into a park with lots of greenery."

Thy's face lit up. "Greenery?"

<<*>>

"We're here!" Thy sang from the driver's seat. Once he'd established there would be plants there, he was more than happy to drive. (Carlos was deemed not sober enough.)

"Definite opportunity for a photoshoot," Imogen looked out of the window dreamily. "Carlos?"

"Mmm," he shook his head, saying something else in Italian.

"He says he's too hungover," Giani translated. "You're gonna have to use a tree to prop your phone up, or sweet talk Mila into it with candy."

"I would be okay with that," Mila smiled. "Although, I would prefer it if you bought me a milkshake."

"Deal," Aster cut in, offering her hand for them to shake. The three of them got out of the car, Lou and Thy at the front trying to figure out how to pay for parking.

When they eventually had (it was a very painful experience for Giani, who was still in the backseat), they got out the car and locked it, Carlos still draped across the backseat.

"The air con's on, and the car opens from the inside," Giani patted his head somewhat affectionately. "Ciao, big bro." She seated herself on the bonnet of the car, and Lou joined her.

"Hi," the other girl said quietly, watching the others taking photos amongst the trees enviously.

"You should go join them," Gi nudged her gently.

"No, no," Lou shook her head. "I don't post on Instagram much."

"Go on, tell me why not."

"I just— the girls I used to go to school with would make so many comments, negative ones, and I just got so fed up," she sighed, looking at her shoes.

"You should show them," Giani prompted. "You're touring the freaking world with new friends. Screw them! Come on, let me take a pic, and if you want to share it, I'll spam the comments until the others are drowned." 

Lou laughed. "Go on then." 

"GUYS!" She called. "WAIT UP!" 

Lou grinned, looking at her new friends around her. She could see herself getting to know these people, maybe even loving them. She wasn't ready to face her anxiety head on, but this was certainly a start."Welcome to the Presidio of San Francisco!" Thy exclaimed, standing on top of a mini hill.

A/N

this chapter is a very time-skip kind of chapter,  but honestly I wasn't gonna write about the museums as I don't know what's in them since I've never been to them

expect more frequent uploads as it's the summer holidays for me in two days :D