She glanced over with a grin that was half-warning, half-amusement. “They might even sing you their welcome song if we’re really unlucky.”

The lost woods surrounded them now, ancient and knowing, as they sped along the highway. Sophia smiled to herself, watching her friend navigate both the road and her emotions with that characteristic determination. “I love the speed govna on this car,” she thought with amusement, appreciating both the pun and the metaphor as Juniper pressed down on the accelerator, as if speed alone could outrun whatever she was trying to leave behind.