Prologue

***Prologue*** is the first episode of *The Adventures of Evie and Mya* in Season 1 and the first episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

A day at the park for ten-year old Evie Ly is upended when she finds someone she has never met getting bullied. In the process, she gains far more than what she bargained for - but in the end, it's everything she's ever wanted.

## Transcript

*The episode begins with a classic view of a vivacious blue sky as clouds drift on by, carried by a delicate spring breeze. Spring is in full bloom in the state of Washington, blossoms blooming, animals singing and croaking, people out and about, all of it part of everyday life in the state.*

*Between the economic, cultural hub of Spokane and the academic prestiege in Pullman lay a small city known as Pineshadow, renowned for its natural beauty, social digs, cute shops, and deliciously savory scones, pulled pork, and seafood. Here, there was much to see and much to do, that was for certain.*

*On this particular day, it was warm and mildly breezy; summer was going to start in a few months. Clouds dotted the sky, breaking up the infinite blue along with a flock of Canada geese, who honked profusely between one another.*

*The day was calm. All there was in Pineshadow was serenity - a very common serenity. Pineshadow was regarded as one of the safest cities in Washington, for little crime had occurred in the last ten years, and thus, children and young teens were let off the typical leash cast upon them by parents. It was safe to say that if you wanted alone time, you could get alone time.*

*Near a small woodland in Pineshadow, the mysterious and alluring Piney Woods, was a small, brightly-colored playground surrounded by dense bushes, looming trees of many species, and the distant snowy peaks - Pinelake Park. A commune for all ages, Pinelake was the go-to place for children big and small. Nearby, under the grace of a regal oak tree, sat a young ten-year old girl. Her skin was pale, smooth as a leaf. Her hair was sleek, jet-black and grown long enough to reach her shoulders. Her dark, holly-green eyes were focused intensely on a novel she was reading - Aether and the Darkness Falls.*

*Her name was Evie Ly.*

To most, Evie was seemingly average - she was young, in elementary school, and concentrated pretty hard on her book. However, it would go without saying that "average" was *not* the way she preferred to be described.

Not many knew, but Evie was Vietnamese-American, born with a unique mixed heritage spanning generations. Her long-gone maternal grandparents immigrated to Washington from Vietnam decades before her birth, and her great-grandfather, this time from the paternal side, did the same even more decades before, marrying an American woman and having more children, then the next generation would continue after that, and so on, and so on, until Evie's father was born.

She was the spitting image of her mother. *Mostly* her mother. Evie had the same pale skin as she did, the same jet-black hair, except longer, and the same dark holly-green eyes, precise and scanning. What broke the mirror image was the presence of freckles on her face and her rounded eyes compared to her mother's narrow eyes - traits that belonged to her father.

Opal Ly was a generally kindhearted, positive, and receptive mother, albeit strict at times, desiring for Evie to go above and beyond and to succeed. She always wanted her to study, hone in on her skills, rinse and repeat, and branch out, eager to see her daughter turn into someone with no bounds, extraordinary. Because of her, she always had a nose in a book of any genre, envisioning herself in fantasy or endulging in information she had yet to learn. Beyond her frosty exterior, Opal deeply loved her.

On the other hand, Anderson Ly was a sweet, dedicated, and free-spirited father, relaxed half the time and partially losing his train of thought the other time. His lapses were usually funny or sometimes unfortunate, but nonetheless, he was the perfect father she could've ever asked for.

Evie smiled at the thought of that. She had gotten pretty lucky with her family, having a devoted mother, a lovely father, and a beautiful, nimble black cat in Holly, Evie's personal companion whenever she was alone in her bedroom.

Shaking her thoughts, she flipped to the next page in *Aether and the Darkness Falls*:

*"Aether, we have to be careful," warned Nori in a heightened voice. "If we are to escape from this school of horrors, we need to rely on our stealth, or the Heads will be upon us."*

*"Right," Aether agreed, scanning their surroundings, palms burning with the desire to run away, escape the torture and confinement of the school they had never even wanted to be snared into - their wicked stepmother and stepfather were going to pay someday, disowning them as as burden.*

*It was night, the halls dim and quiet. If there was anyone up, no signs indicated a soul. The coast was tenatively clear.*

Evie glanced up, her heart tinged with boredom despite the adventurous novel she held in her hands. Pinelake Park was quiet today, and the only ones here were herself and her mother, Opal, watching her daughter's every move through narrow eyes - she was keen on eliminating any possible disobedience.

*Come on, mom. There's no one here; do you think I have a motive to cause trouble?* Evie shook the thought away. In some ways, she was like her mother, resourceful, devoted, and slightly sharp-tongued. She could easily catch on to new topics and be straight and true as an arrow.

Evie was also truthful and spoke most of what was on her mind - she despised white lies above everything - oh, she *hated* those damn lies.

Moving on, Evie flipped to another page, attempting to melt into her insane fantasy world compared to the calm of Pinelake Park.

*"Dear children, I'm afraid your copious silence will not save you this time!" a voice snarled, and in a flash, bang! Smoke flooded the stony hallway, and Aether and Nori both hacked profusely. It burned, tore through the flesh of their eyes like swipes of a blade.*

*"Just because you have the advantage doesn't mean we're done!" Aether retorted, gripping their fists until sparks started to emit from them. Crackling filled the tense air.*

*Wow,* Evie thought to herself, *their power is manifesting. But Nori wasn't born with an ability... I do wonder how this will play out.*

The complex vocabulary was no problem to Evie; she knew the definition of every challenging word she found. At school, she was a prodigy, remarkably talented and always scoring the highest grade on quizzes and exams. Every topic presented to her was a topic she could quickly leave behind with ease.

Some were jealous of her. Some didn't even *want* to be friends with her because of the spotlight she was constantly in.

Evie didn't mind.

In part, she could thank her mother for the vast intelligence stored in her brain.

After flipping to the next page, Evie heard some sounds in the distance, seemingly delighted screaming. Just children playing, nothing to be worried about.

But she couldn't stop a pang of sadness from hitting her, quietly and soundly as a falling raindrop, as she remembered her reality.

Evie had *no friends*.

*None*.

She just didn't have the necessary time to flesh out her social life, not when she was a worm constantly enamored by a new book or something relating to her education or life. Studying and improving herself, to her, were more important than having one friend. She couldn't even consider the idea of at least trying to make one.

That's what she had been raised to believe by her mother. Well, she wasn't wrong. Education *was* pretty important.

Evie did as she was told.

*Enough of that,* she internally chastised herself. *You came here to relax and read your book, not think about where you stand in life.* She continued to read the page she was on.

*By now, the hall was engulfed in flames, windows shattered as Aether ran, Nori in their arms, toward the door. They were almost there. They placed one creamy brown-skinned hand on the door...*

*"FREEZE!" a shrill, haunting voice commanded, and Aether's heart fell to pieces. Nori blinked open her eyes, jolted by the sound.*

*Upon seeing the Head Mistress of Blackthorn Reform School, she screamed and clutched the frill of Aether's school uniform, deeply petrified.*

Just as Evie read that line, the screams in the distance grew closer and closer. They were definitely children playing. Some of it sounded rough.

*That's none of your concern, Evie. Shut it out and keep reading. What goes on in others' lives does not bother you.*

Evie bit her tongue lightly, flipping to another page in the book.

*"Stand down, Vira. We know the truth about what you do to students and faculty who don't obey you at Blackthorn. You brainwash-"*

Suddenly, a *scream* rang out across Pinelake Park, startling Evie, who immediately dropped her book.

That scream was *not* in jolly fun. That scream belonged to a young girl who sounded incredibly *terrified*.

Something was awfully *wrong*.

Turning to her left, Evie found a girl around her age and size on the playground near the castle, horror flashing in her eyes. In front of her were two girls and one boy; the boy held a chalky red ball in his hands. The trio were smirking in no friendly way, but in malice, something which made Evie's insides a bee's nest of activity.

The boy stared at the girl intently, just like a hunting dog locked on its prey. The girl, in her fear, looked small and mousy. She too had pale skin and shoulder-length hair, this time auburn in color, along with leaf-green eyes, doe-like and delicate.

"Give me my ball back!" the girl weakly demanded. Unfortunately, her voice cracked, and to the trio, her attempt at defiance was painfully *pathetic*.

"It's ours now," the other girl responded, smiling in glee, and her companion took a step toward her enemy.

"There's no *way* a crybaby like *you* could get your dumb ball back. What are you gonna do, turn into a bear and dice us up?"

"But my ball doesn't *belong* to you! Please just give it back!"

One of the two girls took a dangerous step close to the other girl. "Not going to play fair, ugly ducky? This is your last chance to *run* before we *make you*."

The girl's legs shook, becoming noodles from under her, and by now, tears had formed in her eyes. The heat in Evie simmered to the surface. This bullying was *nasty*. Now, it could turn into *violence*.

Something Evie knew she could *never* allow to happen.

Her mother eyed her intensely, eyes still slitted, as she got up and cracked each and every one of her knuckles. She knew she would likely get a good yelling or two for what she was about to leap into, but for Evie, that didn't matter.

*Sorry, mom. But this behavior is inexcusable and something that won't happen any longer!* Quick as a whip, Evie sprinted toward the playground, a growl escaping her.

The girl had cowered, her heart beating a nervous *thump, thump, thump* while the other girl had triumph gleam in her eyes.

"Looks like you can't even bring yourself to run away. I guess I'll *make you*, then!" With a snicker, she raised her hand up and prepared to strike her target right on the cheek.

The girl shut her eyes, preparing for the worst.

*Slap!*

The blow had landed. But why wasn't she feeling anything? Her body was slow, trembling with shock, still quivering madly. At last, she opened her eyes, stunned by what she had now seen.

Evie had leapt right in front of her, an arm raised to counter the blow with a powerful block. Her eyes were burning green fire, her pose firm and determined.

"Leave her *alone*!" she commanded, her tone edged with anger. The girl's mouth formed a small o from behind her.

"You can't tell us what to do," one of the bully girls sneered back at her. "We have the right to do what we *want*."

"Sheesh, were you born with any *dignity*?" Evie retorted. "Clearly you were not. Targeting someone like *her*? That's wrong, it's *foul*. You stole something that belonged to her. Give it back."

"I'm not giving her the dang ball back!" the boy hissed, and Evie tilted her head slightly to face him, gritting her teeth in sheer irritation. This group seriously wasn't going to go down without a fight.

*Nice way to derail my plans to read. Well, if you want a fight, I'll be glad to give you one.*

Despite her glare burning into him, the boy still spoke, sticking out his tongue at her. "When that stupid girl kicked her ball right up to us, it became *our* property. She's a moron for thinking we'd just kick it right back. Finders, keepers, losers, *weepers*."

"This is your last chance," Evie warned, clenching her fists and dragging her tennis shoe back against the woodchips. "I don't want to have to make you regret coming here today, but since you chose to harass an *innocent person*, I might as well."

"Buzz off. *No one* gives us orders and tells us what to do!" one of the bully girls spat, moving right up against the boy.

"Yeah, I'm afraid we have a reason to ignore-"

Evie did not even give the other girl a *chance* to complete her sentence, the fury inside of her pulsing through her veins. A young girl, who had only been seeking fun, was in tears and had lost the ball she had enjoyed playing with, all because of this trio who only satisfied themselves by hurting others.

She *loathed* bullies. Especially the ones who picked on the *weak*.

It was about time they got taught a lesson.

With a snarl, Evie jumped into the air and landed cleanly in front of the trio, shocking them. Then, before anyone could react, she swung her strong right leg at the boy's left leg, connecting and hooking him. Unbalanced, he toppled into the woodchips, the ball rolling a small distance away from him.

He crawled up to his feet, his left leg shaky. The other two girls flanked him, their sinister looks replaced with worry, shock, and even *fear* directed at Evie - it looked like they had finally gotten the memo.

"Would you like for me to do that again?" Evie asked, taking a step forward them and squaring her foot on the ground. The group turned around and fled, having met their match and hopefully having learned their lesson at long last.

Relieved, and her annoyance dissipating, Evie scooped up the red ball in her arms and gave it back to the young girl, who had considerably relaxed since her intervention and had cracked a nervous smile on her face.

"T-Thank you," she said, dipping her head in gratitude. Evie nodded.

"Anytime. Are you hurt?" she questioned, checking her body over. There seemed to be no bruises or cuts, no dirt, and no mark left by the bullies. That was great.

Just as she completed her exam, the girl responded, "Oh, I'm fine. That was really, really scary... you were so brave!"

"Mmmhmm." Evie nodded again, smiling. "I don't like seeing people get hurt by others."

Made happy by her reply, the girl dropped her ball for a moment and pulled Evie into a hug, and flustered, Evie yelped and pushed her away. Her eyes were wide, mouth twisted.

"Oh... I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that, getting too carried away... I like meeting strangers."

"You're fine. I'm just... not used to strangers... getting close. Anyways, I'm going to read my book, have a nice day!" Evie waved at the girl, who waved back, and with her mission now complete, she returned to her tree and picked her book back up again.

Her thoughts drifted back to that girl. *She's pretty sweet, her outfit's lovely. Seems friendly. I just hope no one else aims to bother her like that, I don't want to see her get hurt.*

Evie sighed, tucking her knees closer to her along with her book, making herself more snug and cozy under the tree's leaves. Sunlight danced around them, turning them into many patterned shades of green. *Pretty,* she thought.

As she analyzed her book, she felt sharp green eyes watching her every move. Opal was once again at it, keeping her daughter within the lines from afar. While she wasn't overprotective, she had her standards and her reasons.

Yeah, they were definitely going to talk later.

Evie started from where she left off in *Aether and the Darkness Falls*:

*"You brainwash students and steal their powers, destroying them so you remove the magic from the falls. You like torturing people because their pain gives you pleasure. You had a secret affair with a teacher only to steal his riches. But we know the truth, and now, we're not going to stop until the residents of the falls know of your sins!"*

*"Devilish brat!" Vira snapped. "You stole control of my school, robbed me of my papers and lesson plans, and stole from everyone! Your souls are overrun with greed. Tyranny. Uncontained fury. Luckily, this is why I engineered a pioneer technique to put those dark desires in you to rest..."*

*Oh god. This doesn't sound good...* Evie thought as she read, biting her lip in anticipation for what was to come next. In the distance, she could hear the *bonk, bonk, bonk* of the young girl playing with her ball, squealing in glee. Her ear twitching, she returned to her fantasy, holding her book tightly.

*Immediately, Vira twirled a syringe in her hand, filled with a glowing green syrum that Aether knew was more toxic than a black widow's bite. If that was injected into them - or Nori - there would be a fatality in less than a few seconds.*

*Slowly, they backed away and into a small, cramped room containing only one chair, tons of wires, and massive laboratory equipment that at most was screaming the definition of diabolical.*

*Aether had nowhere left to hide.*

*"Sweet child, did you even know what you were getting into, being so aggressive and rebellious?" Vira questioned, her head tilted and eyes slanted.*

*"I know damn well what I'm getting into, you cheap sack of-"*

If Evie had been paying attention to the real world compared to her book, she would have heard a noise.

She would have heard a *bonk*, a continous thrum of a ball bouncing and being kicked.

The ball got closer, and closer, and closer...

...until it hit Evie square on the side on the forehead.

Instantly yelping in pain, she whirled around as she toppled into a patch of grass next to the tree, covering her face with the copy of her book protectively should the force strike her again.

"What the hell???" she demanded irritably.

"OhmygoshI'msosorry!" an apologetic voice said less than a foot away, and slightly pulling her book to the side, Evie found the girl from earlier. Her eyes were soft and filled with regret, and she nervously clutched the hem of her dress.

"Did I... did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Evie grumbled, sitting back up against the tree, her book now in her lap. "All you did was interrupt my time reading. Not a big deal."

"I'm sorry..." the girl apologized again, picking up her ball and also sitting next to the tree, only a frog's leap away from Evie. She turned away from her, holding her ball in her lap, knees pressed close to her.

"All *I* wanted to do was to come here and play with my ball, if you get what I mean... but there are some really nasty people who don't want me to have fun, and I didn't expect them to attack me at all. It was just... scary."

Evie tilted her head up, but did not eye the girl, an indicator that she was listening.

However, Evie's lack of friends profoundly impacted her social skills. The girl, believing that Evie was still annoyed with her, spoke again, nearly in tears.

"Ugh, why did I even come here?! I keep being weird! If I keep this up, people won't want to be my friend! I... I shouldn't have talked to you. About any of this. I should leave..."

"Wait," Evie then stated, facing the girl directly and letting her guard fall. "I don't think you're weird."

"You really don't?"

"No... not at all. I'm sorry for being a tad blunt with you and giving you the wrong idea."

Evie set her sights on the young girl, finally taking in her cute appearance. She wore a patterned pink dress with a black belt around her midsection, white tights, black shoes, and two hairclips on her auburn hair. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of leaf-green. *Aww, she's really cute.*

Evie couldn't help but blush, and her cheeks turned pink, causing the other girl's to turn pink as well. Her gesture had reached her, smooth as a gentle breeze, and she relaxed significantly.

"Thank you, really. For going out there and standing up to those guys. I lack the courage to speak up for myself a lot. But you were crazy *great* out there!"

"Oh, it's nothing!" Evie quickly replied, hiding a smile on her face with her book. *She likes me! I've never had some stranger be so sweet to me!*

She flipped to the next page, eyes scanning the long lines of text. Something grazed her cheek.

Startled, and face red, she turned and saw the mysterious young girl staring at her, eyes wide, teeth pulled back in a *huge* smile. She was excited.

"Oh my god!! You read *Aether and the Darkness Falls* too?!"

Evie grinned, choosing not to hide herself this time. "You seriously read it?"

"Yes! Aether is a badass, they destroy anything. And their rebellious nature is so satisfying! Nori is a sweetie and a softie and wouldn't hurt a fly. So relatable! And then there's the main villain and the guards and Cabin Boy-"

"Slow down there, buckaroo!" Evie exclaimed, mind spinning as she tried to process the girl's uncontained hype. She felt the ground between her even out, a bridge forming between a small gap.

She chose to welcome that bridge and scooted even closer to the stranger.

"Who's your favorite character?" the girl asked.

"Vira. Complex, hardcore villain with motives that keep your eyes set on the page."

"Mine's Aether. They're a non-binary icon and always serve when times get rough."

"Favorite moment?"

"When Aether goes into-"

"I'm not there yet!"

"Okay. Not spoiling."

The two went back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth again, enveloped in the book and its fantasy world. At the same time, they closed in the distance between them until they almost touched.

Evie's body was fizzling, almost as if she was a firework about to combust in the night sky. Meeting this girl was unexpected and something she never asked for, but even with that, she couldn't help but admire the person in front of her.

*She's such an innocent girl and so kindhearted!*

Breaking into her thoughts, the girl said, "You're so awesome... surely you have lots of friends?"

Evie blushed, once again put in a mess over the girl's words. Someone calling her "awesome" was rare. Someone outside of her parents liking her was *strange*. Lots of feelings built up inside of her, mostly excitement and happiness, but new feelings she had yet to recognize, feelings that made her feel like she was on the edge of the very world...

For once, she didn't want to conceal who she really was from the girl - a bookworm, highly intelligent, and lonely.

"Thanks. It's not every day I get compliments. But, to be frank with you... I actually don't have friends."

"*What*?" the girl questioned, gasping in shock, her mouth unhinged and wide. "You shouldn't be so lonely..."

"I'm fine with the way my life currently is. Far as I know, I don't need any friends... I just need myself."

"Nuh-uh!" the girl retorted, stunning Evie, who faced her with astonished dark green eyes and a frown.

"You deserve a companion, someone you can hang out with and someone you can connect to. We already have much in common! You made my life better, and so, I have the honor of making *your* life better. Open yourself up to the world - and let me be your first friend."

Evie gaped, tucking her book up against her stomach. Her mother glared at her, expecting her to reject the offer and continue living the life the way she had planned it.

She had always been told that friends were unimportant, believed that they would only weigh her down.

But something different happened with this girl. She wasn't blocking her or seeking out a way to harm her. Instead, she had floated peacefully over to her, connected to her, and bonded to her in a way that made Evie glow.

No. This decision was something far from a rejection.

Evie did not want to feel alone and isolated *again*. This time, she was certain that she wasn't making a mistake.

And in that moment, she got up alongside the girl and shook her hand gratefully, fingers interlocking perfectly.

"You have yourself a deal, partner. My name's Evie. Evie Ly. And you...?"

"Mya Heartley, eating my way into your heart. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Evie laughed wholeheartedly. *Her name's so cute! She has a lot of heart. It definitely fits her.* "As it was meeting you, and I'll try eating my way into your heart as well."

"You already have, Evie." The two girls smiled brightly. Mya then scooped up her ball, balancing it on her head briefly before it fell into her arms.

"My parents are probably expecting me, so I'm going to *get* going. Hey... do you want to meet up again sometime soon? I... really want to know more of you."

"If my parents don't object, then sure!"

"Alright! I'm on Malamute Drive."

"Whoa! You're only a few blocks away from where I am," Evie responded, dipping her head. "I'm on Fallen Log Road."

"Heck yeah!" Mya stated in reply, bobbing up and down. "Okay, I need to go... now I need a snack."

"*Tạm biệt*!" Evie called to her new friend as she walked away. Upon hearing her farewell, she turned and faced her with a little confusion.

"Oh, sorry! I should have told you that I can speak Vietnamese... it's always been in my blood. What I said was actually "goodbye."

"Awesome! Okay byeeeee!" Mya shouted as she took off.

Evie couldn't curb the sheer resoluteness and happiness that bloomed from within her. She desperately wanted to show her truest, shining colors to Mya, perhaps the sweetest person she had ever encountered.

She wanted her to see her copious amounts of smarts. Explain to her everything she knew and make her crack up.

*I won't let you down, Mya.*

*Maybe having a friend is alright.*

Another thought cracked her head as she realized that she would get pushback from her mother.

But Evie would fight to the finish to make sure she'd win.

**THREE YEARS LATER**

Three years since their first meeting, Evie and Mya had matured considerably, now the age of thirteen. The two were inseparable best friends, unable to be torn apart or broken. The usual warm temperatures were replaced by a stronger breeze and dropping temperatures that were still above "normal" for the average winter season in Washington. Last week's snowfall had dried up, paving the way for grass to regrow and leaves to start budding on trees again.

Evie walked alongside Mya to Pinelake Park, snugly wearing her patterned gray sweater. Mya, on the other hand, wore a light blue pullover jacket. Even that was not enough to keep her warm, as she shivered, causing Evie to glance at her.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home?" she asked gently. "The weather is getting chillier and it's going to snow again soon."

"No. I'm okay," Mya refused, meeting Evie's gaze with a light smile. The two walked slightly closer to each other.

Noticing that their tree was approaching, Evie got an idea. "Let's sit down under the tree and relax for a bit."

Mya nodded eagerly, and grabbing her friend's hand, she hauled her over to it effortlessly, much to her startled amusement.

The duo sat down side by side against the thick oak wood of the tree; the leaves above them rattled and shook amidst their fight with the wind.

Mya clenched her teeth together and curled up into a ball, but it was not enough to warm her up, and her teeth started clattering, making various clicking noises.

Her condition alarmed Evie. "How cold do you feel?" she asked worriedly, moving closer to her.

Mya shook her head. "I-I'll be okay," she reassured.

"Do you want to go home? You shouldn't be out here if you're freezing, or you might contract an illness. And I am *not* getting sick from you, just an FYI."

"I'm not wasting our time together! I wanna be with you, Evie... t-this is our day, and no weather is gonna s-stop us from being two peas in a p-pod!"

Immediately following the conclusion of her sentence, she shivered and curled up into a ball for a second time. Evie observed that her face was getting pale, her cheeks turning pink from the sting of the cold.

*Oh, Mya... sometimes you're a little too naive for your own good.* Mya was going to freeze and develop a cold if she was to get no warmth going in her body, but her friend had a solution.

A bizarre, yet simple one, in fact.

"Do you want to lay with me?" To emphasize, she tugged on her sweater.

Mya stared at her in surprise, her cheeks reddish from becoming so flustered. "Uh, Evie, well... I'm not sure if I want to "snuggle," if that's what you mean, I don't want you to think I'm giving you any ideas nor do I want to make you uncomfortable, I-"

"Oh, don't overthink it, silly goose! You're cold. You need to warm up. Come on... you know that I don't bite."

For a moment, Mya thought of still saying no. The thought of *laying* directly on Evie, not just beside her, was something she felt uncertain about. Someone could walk by and assume the two were being romantic. *Evie doesn't like romance! Unless it's fictional. And I don't want her to feel uncomfortable by me laying on her stomach... what if she thinks I'm being weird?*

But she realized that Evie was smiling at her warmly and had her body stretched out, proving that she was indeed fine with snuggling with her friend - and she didn't think it was wrong or unordinary.

"Mmm. Okay." At once, Mya gently crawled onto Evie, placing her head on her shoulder and the rest of her body on her stomach while her legs rested on Evie's own. The latter mumbled contently, shutting her eyes, and burrowing into her neck, Mya sighed peacefully. Her body had begun to warm up.

*Damn, Evie's warm! She's almost a living heating pad!*

"Now this... this is the life."

Evie chuckled, tilting her chin up, and with the distraction, Mya scratched her under it.

"Hey, stop that! I never asked!"

"You're my bestie, I legally get to do that!"

"Do you really?"

"Says me."

"Fine, you win." Evie gave in to the touch, pulling Mya's hand away, only to grasp it firmly. Even after a few years, their fingers still interlocked perfectly.

Mya rolled slightly so that her head now lay on Evie's torso, and she stretched her body out. "You're so sweet for letting me do this," she whispered.

Evie scratched the back of her head. "May be sweet, but I'm also sour. You know I don't take nonsense from anyone."

"Hence why you're the perfect candy, my friend," Mya teased, sticking out her tongue at her. Evie did the same before breaking out into laughter, as did her friend.

Mya re-positioned herself once more so that her whole body was directly on Evie's. Then, she wrapped her arms around her backside, pulling her into a passionate, yet delicate small hug. Their faces were pink, either from the cold or from them blushing from their actions.

*You're so snuggly when you don't mean to be,* Evie thought to herself as Mya thought, *You're so sour, but inside, you're just like a marshmellow.*

Ten minutes passed of the girls simply snuggling under their tree, sharing each other's desire to rest and have a great day. Mother Nature pretty much stopped caring about them at this point.

Suddenly, Evie's phone buzzed, and curious, she pulled it out of her pocket. It was a text from her father:

*Bí ngô! I've talked with your mother, and after some pretty decent conversations, she's agreed that Mya can come over and have dinner with us tonight. I'm gonna see if we can get us some pizza, but if not, then Mya is welcome to try Opal's rolled pho - it's a rare time where she nails her cooking!*

*Luv Dad*

Evie squealed, both surprised and delighted, but Mya had sprang up off of her and bounced around. Getting invited to dinner was definitely a rare treat, but to be fully welcomed into Evie's house was something special.

"Alright. Let's run back. Whoever gets there last has to hobble on one leg for the rest of the day!"

"Idiot!" Evie yelled as she gave chase, running by Mya's side. Tonight was going to be awesome.

*More* than awesome. Especially with Mya having the opportunity to stay with her longer.

Euphoria.

Unbeknownst to any of the two girls, at the same time within the lush Piney Woods, a pair of black boots hammered the ground, sending pine needles and dust up from behind them. Birds flew away from the trees, startled by the noise.

The boot heels stomped and crushed pine needles in a relentless attack, digging up dirt as a person - a young, teenage girl, skidded and turned deeper into the woods.

She took flight, soaring over a small stream, bouncing off of a small rock in a seamless ricochet, tearing through bushes like a machete.

Finally, the girl running touched the door of what appeared to be a small house or cabin, panting with absolute sheer exhaustion. Her heart was kicking strong, ready to beat out of her chest. She wiped sweat beads off of her forehead.

Without a word, she headed inside the unlocked cabin and shut the door, hooking a key from a nearby table and locking herself inside. Solitude, at last, had returned to her. She then hid the key under a tissue box.

*It has to be still there!* Quickly, she dashed up to a wooden shelf, where a bunch of her unique antiques lay. In front of her was a small wooden box, dark brown in color, with various silver etchings all over the side.

She scanned the box, holding it delicately in her hands. The initials *WM* were imprinted on the front.

It was shut tight with a latch, unopened without a scratch on the wood. Perfection.

*What a relief.* The stranger sat on the wooden floor of her cabin, holding the box in her lap. She lifted up the silver latch encasing the contents and peered at them, her mouth in a frown.

Everything was safe, and her anxiety could finally vanish at long last now knowing that her latest outing didn't result in her secret being exposed to the world.

*Thank the heavens that I'm safe, and so are you, my beloved box.* She rested the bob end of her short-cropped hair against another shelf.

Out of sight, out of mind.

## Appearances

* **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Evie
* **Dee Bradley Baker** and **Kimberly Brooks** as unnamed bully children
* **Dakota Fanning** as Mya
* **Mae Whitman** as unnamed girl

## Songs

* Twenty One Pilots - *Jumpsuit* (snippet)

## Trivia

* This episode is the first to be released in 2020 and the first to be released in October 2020.
	+ It is also the first episode to be rewritten and re-released and the first of such episodes to be in September 2022.
* This episode marks the debut of Evie, Mya, and the unnamed girl.
* It is revealed that:
	+ The series takes place in Pineshadow, a small town in the state of Washington. Pineshadow is located between Spokane and Pullman.
		- Pineshadow is also known for its pulled pork, seafood, and scones.
		- The town is renowned for its natural beauty, social digs, and cute shops.
		- Little crime has occurred in Pineshadow.
	+ Evie (and later Mya) is revealed to read a book series called *Aether and the Darkness Falls*.
		- The lead character, Aether, is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.
	+ Much is revealed about Evie:
		- She is Vietnamese-American. Her mother has parents that immigrated from Vietnam while her father has a Vietnamese and American heritage.
		- Evie is the spitting image of her mother, having the same skin, hair, and eye color as her. However, the image is broken up by the presence of freckles on her face and lack of narrow eyes, traits that she received from her father.
		- In part due to her strict mother, Evie is a bookworm, vastly intelligent, and is a prodigy at school.
		- While Opal is strict and wants Evie to be successful, Anderson is laid-back and occasionally ditsy.
		- Evie and her family own a pet cat named Holly.
		- She hates white lies.
		- Evie doesn't have a social life and lacks proper communication skills due to having no friends. Her mother raised her to believe that she didn't need them, but Mya would change her mind in the episode.
		- Unless it is fictional, Evie doesn't like romance.
	+ Mya met Evie when the latter came to her rescue, saving her from a group of three bullies that stole her ball and threatened to harm her.
		- After Mya had accidentally caused her ball to hit Evie on the side of the face, the two would chat and get used to each other. Mya revealed that because of her personality, she thought she was making a weird impression on Evie and was making her furious.
	+ Evie and Mya only live a few blocks away from each other.
	+ Evie's mother isn't really that great at cooking, but occassionally, she will make good dishes.
	+ A girl lives in a cabin within the Piney Woods. It is hinted that she is hiding secrets contained within a box in her cabin.
* "Tạm biệt" means "goodbye" in Vietnamese.
* "Bí ngô" means "pumpkin" in Vietnamese.
* When the girl is running to her cabin, a snippet of the opening to the Twenty One Pilots song *Jumpsuit* is audible.
* The girl being noted to be "out of sight, out of mind" is a reference to the 2014 Au5 song *Snowblind*.