After several minutes spent laying in the stream and splashing water on each other, Lara and Julia laid down on a patch of tall grass and flowers above the banks, drying their nude bodies under the sunshine.
The sun radiated a glow from Julia's fair skin and contrasted by Lara's lightly tanned body. The bright whites and yellows of the wildflowers caught the rays and created sparkles of light against the green grasses while dragonflies hovered by.
"Who, Daniel? I never had a crush on him!" Julia remarked.
"It was like you were always talking about him." Lara answered.
"That's because we had three classes together!"
"Well, if your parents had let you go to the Prom, and he asked you, would you have gone?
Julia paused for a moment, "Um, probably. He's kinda cute anyways."
The two giggled.
Lara turned on to her side and facing Julia. She reached out for a tall flower stem growing up from the grasses and plucked it out, and then twirled the stem in her fingers.
"Hey." She whispered. "Thanks for going nude with me."
Julia opened her eyes, and squinted as she tried to look at Lara, and then smiled.
"Doesn't it feel great to wander free and not care about anything?" Lara asked.
"Yeah, it's nice."
Lara held the flower stem in her fingers and looked at the flower closely.
"I guess it's different for you though." Julia continued. "I mean, I'm going to college. I still have to think about that. But, you don't have to be anywhere. Freedom is more a permanent thing for you."
Lara held the flower out over Julia's neck and brushed its petals down her chest and belly, and then brought it back up to her neck. Julia giggled. Lara brushed the flower against her skin again, this time drawing all the way down across her pubis.
Julia giggled again. "Hey!" she spoke, wiggling her body.
Lara giggled too, then put the flower down and scooted herself closer to Julia's body and then rested her head on Julia's shoulder. Julia giggled slightly, but quieted when Lara placed her hand on Julia's belly.
"It's not like I have don't have to worry about anything." Lara spoke. "I still have to find something to eat. I still have to find a place to sleep."
Julia used her one free hand to brush Lara's hair.
"Yeah, but you're kinda the wildlife. You can find food anywhere and sleep anywhere."
"Like Bambi, right?" Lara replied with amusement.
"Yeah, Bambi!"
"I keep thinking one day when I'm older someone will spot me in the woods and capture me, and the newspapers will call me Wolf Girl because I've been living in the wild."
"But you're not wild though." Julia explained. "You went to school. You just choose to be free, that's all."
Lara smiled and closed her eyes.
"You know who's wild..." Julia continued. "Nan. That woman creeps me out. She and her mom are like hillbillies. She looks strange, and acts strange. She wandered into the basement where I was sleeping and took my clothes, and made me wear that nightie all around the house. There's something going on with her."
Julia paused for a few seconds, and continued.
"And her mom, she's liable to kill someone. And what kind of family doesn't have a telephone, or television, or a second car to get around with?"
Lara just kept her eyes closed and didn't answer.
"I just wonder what her father is going be like!" Julia continued. "I don't want to be around when he comes home!"
Julia looked up into the sky and thought for a moment. "I just hope he's nice enough to get my car out."
Lara remained quiet. The sunshine made her drowsy, and she slowly drifted off to sleep with her head on Julia's shoulder. Julia could hear Lara's breathing, and realized she was taking a nap.
Julia closed her eyes and listened to the water rushing through the stream.
