Harmony took the path of least resistance as the sun rose that morning. She rolled out of bed, jumped in the shower, pulled her wet hair in a bun, and threw on some clothes. She tiptoed through the house, down the stairs, and out the door. She thought she was the only one awake but learned that wasn't so when Ariel came running out the house in her crochet hem dress as she cranked up her Jeep.

"Where you going?" Ariel asked leaning over the door as Harmony hooked up her phone to the AUX cord.

"Out." Harmony told swiping her thumb up her cell, strolling through her iTunes library. "Or you in or out?" She lifted her eyes from her phone and placed them on her sister.

"Uhh..." Ariel nibbled on her pink lip sneaking a peek at the mellow yellow paneled house. She turned back to Harmony with a quirk of her mouth, "In." She pulled the door open and hopped into the vehicle with a low grunt.

"Cool." Harmony uttered then tapped the song her thumb had been hovering over. N.E.R.D's Lemon boomed through the burnt orange Jeep's speakers as Harmony reversed out the sand laced driveway and headed into town.

Harmony stood in the art museum with her hands in the pockets of her black, pineapple-patterned shorts and her white tee didn't hide the lace red bra she had on. The A/C cooled her skin that was warmed by the blazing sun. She gazed up at the canvas getting lost in the strokes the artist used to paint the Piney Woods.

Harmony stood in the art museum with her hands in the pockets of her black, pineapple-patterned shorts and her white tee didn't hide the lace red bra she had on. The A/C cooled her skin which was warmed by the blazing sun. She gazed up at the canvas getting lost in the strokes the artist used to paint the Piney Woods.

Harmony didn't know much about art. She was the student body president that grew up around hospitals. She could point out where the hairline fracture was in the x-ray of a femur but ask her for the difference between Realism and Romanticism and she'd be dumbfounded.

Now, she knew the artwork in the gaudy gold frames on the white walls around her was Realism because Cairo taught her about Diego Velázquez and Jean-François Millet. On lazy Saturdays and free Sundays she drug her to museums around Austin and she discovered Salvador Dali and Jacob Lawrence.

Ariel groaned loudly as she gazed longingly toward the entryway.

Harmony glanced over at the sulking redhead, "You didn't have to come." She stepped over to the next painting, this one of a dark-haired woman washing clothes in a wooden bucket.

"I thought we were going to do something fun." She flung out her arms, the light overhead showed the outline of her green swimsuit under her dress. "But this is borrring." She held out the word slapping her hand to her sides.

"We're almost through." Harmony told moving to the next painting. "Just one more hall to go then we can go get something to eat." She rubbed her eyebrow, "What do you want Tex-Mex or burgers. I could go for some Whataburger, right now"

"Cool, I could go for a Patty Melt and fries," Ariel stated excitedly as she typed on her phone.

Harmony heard the swish of a text being sent and she looked back at Ariel, "What'd you just do?"

"Told Cairo and Sam to meet us at Whataburger. They want to go to Mustang Island," She pulled her eyes away from the screen and onto Harmony's strained face. "What?"

"I didn't want—" She waved the thought away and moved to the next canvas.

"You didn't want to what?" Ariel stood before the curly-haired girl stopped her from viewing the artwork.

Harmony tsked, "I don't particularly feel like seeing Cairo, right now." She pushed up her eyebrows.

"Why?"

Harmony shrugged, "It's complicated." Ariel held her breath as Harmony continued, "Have you ever dated someone who refused to accept a breakup?" She kept her eyes on the artwork remembering the venom Wesley spewed at her after they met up. She told him it was pointless to try to rehab a dead relationship but he disregarded her wishes. Her arm still hurt from the fury her confession ignited in him. 

Harmony observed her blank stare and said, "Forget it."

"Fuck that." Ariel spewed. "I'm telling Dad." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and blocked the swiftness of her fingers with her hand.

"This has nothing to do with him." Harmony batted her hand away. "It's my mess. I'm going to fix it. Laurent doesn't need to know. No one needs to know."

Ariel shook her head. "I don't think this is a moment to be independent woman, I can handle my own sit. And I'm sure Samuel would understand if you have to get the law involved.

"Woah." Harmony held up her hand. "It's not that serious. Just a minor disagreement. Emotions got out of control. I'm sure once we get back to campus the time away will dissolve the tension and deflate emotions."

"Whatever you say." Ariel held out her hand for her phone. Once Harmony placed the device in her palm she continued. "I'll let you play it your way but if he's still in the picture after a week, I'm telling dad."

Harmony nodded. "If you must but it won't come to that." She turned back to the art wondering how her dad would feel. He loved Wesley like he was his bonus son. "It won't come to that." She repeated the words as if they were to convince herself.

Do you think Ariel will give her time to work things out before telling Laurent?