Summertime Saga: New Life, New Saga

As soon as they stepped out of the donut shop, Mark's attention was drawn to the mall across the street. Its design intrigued him.

The center was a big rectangular building, prominently displaying a logo with a bold red "H" and smaller letters spelling "SM" beneath it. A large sign read Hillside Mall, the name reminding him of a shopping center back in Summerville.

To the right was a supermarket with the signage Consum-R glowing above the entrance. On the left side stood the cinema, CineSaga, alongside various smaller stores nestled in the corners.

Mark stood staring, captivated by the place. Diane, noticing his gaze while opening the driver's side door, asked, "You wanna go shopping? We can, but we'll need to be quick. I've got to get these donuts at Debbie's house before they get cold."

Shaking his head, Mark replied, "Nah, just taking it all in. It's my first time in town, and you know I don't have any money on me—my luggage was stolen, remember?"

He felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that was only a partial truth. After all, since White Cookie had transmigrated him to this world, the only things he'd had were a brown envelope and his guitar case.

Diane, remembering his situation, gave him a sympathetic smile. "Oh right, your luggage. But hey, I don't mind lending you some cash. You don't have to keep refusing."

Mark scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "You've already done so much—breakfast, a place to stay. I'd feel greedy asking for more. I might as well rob a bank at this point," he joked with a laugh.

Diane chuckled. "Yeah, rob the bank right next to the police station. Good luck with that. But seriously, don't worry about it. You can't wear the same clothes all week. And aside from that guitar case and those papers, it looks like you've got nothing else."

Mark couldn't help but agree internally. "Damn, she's right." He cursed silently. Why didn't that 'White Cookie' person throw in some extra clothes when he sent me here?

Feeling embarrassed, Mark said, "Well, to avoid causing any more trouble for you and your sister, I was kind of hoping I could borrow some of your sister's ex-husband's clothes, aside from the suit."

Diane thought for a moment. "We could ask her when we get to her house. Let's head there now."

"Sounds good to me," Mark replied, climbing into the car.

Diane started the engine, and they were off, with Mark holding onto the boxes of donuts to keep them from falling.

As they drove through the streets, they passed by the police station and the bank before turning left, past the school where they had made their first delivery.

Mark noticed a large house across from the school, with people constantly going in and out.

"That's the local library," Diane explained, noticing his glances in the rearview mirror."You can't see the big book prop on top from here, but if you were at the front, you'd spot it."

Mark considered it for a moment. "Maybe I could find some clues about the warehouse in there," he thought, recalling that Diane had mentioned the area was gang territory.

"Library?" he said, feigning disinterest. "Sounds like a good place to... take a nap while pretending to study."

Diane laughed. "You bet! Just don't snore too loud, or the books might file a noise complaint!"

They both laughed as they passed by a few houses, making a slight left turn. Soon, they stopped at a red light, and Mark saw a woman crossing the street.

She wore a tight, short-sleeved purple blouse and white pants, with a thin white fabric tied around her waist.

She didn't have many accessories, aside from earrings and a golden rosary around her neck.

As the woman crossed, she glanced at Diane in the driver's seat and nodded. Diane returned the nod just as the light turned green, and they made a left turn.

"You seem to know her," Mark remarked, intrigued.

Diane kept her eyes on the road. "That's Helen, the wife of the white cop we ran into at the donut shop."

Mark instantly remembered the middle-aged officer who had been arguing with his colleague.

"She's also Tammy's neighbor," Diane added, pointing to a two-story house with a green roof.

Mark glanced at Tammy's house just as Diane slowed the truck and parked in front of another house. "We're here. This is where my twin sister lives."

Mark turned his attention to the house they had arrived at. It had a dark brown roof with two windows on either side of the white garage door, and the light brown walls gave the house a cozy, suburban feel.

Without warning, Diane pressed the truck horn, letting out a loud, echoing blast that shattered the neighborhood's quiet atmosphere.

Mark flinched at the noise, but Diane didn't seem to care. Almost immediately, the door to the house opened, and a woman with medium-length brown hair stepped outside, looking exasperated.

"Come on, Diane! Do you have to do this every time you come over? You're embarrassing me, and you're disturbing my neighbors."

Diane shrugged, unbothered. "Meh, it's not like they care. Besides, isn't it the older sister's job to annoy her younger sister?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Oh God, when did you become the older one? I came out first, remember? Out of Mom. Even Dad said I was first!"

Diane snorted. "Well, I'm taller, so clearly I'm the older one."

Her sister sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine, fine. If it makes you feel better. Anyway, just park the truck near the garage. My car's inside, so you'll have to park yours outside."

"Roger that," Diane said with a grin, maneuvering the truck so its back faced the garage, making it easier to pull out when they left.

Mark, meanwhile, watched the interaction with amusement. "So, this is Diane's twin sister? I can see the resemblance. She's like a long-haired version of Diane," he thought.