The four girls rode in an old gray four-door Honda Accord. Savannah smiled giddily, the joy of skipping school pulsing through her veins. Savannah drove barely above the speed limit because she hadn’t had her license very long.

Jordan, easily with the longest legs, needed the most room. So Jordan rode shotgun.

Abby and Kaya sat in the back. Abby, large glasses, short brown hair, read her U.S. history book. She needed to be back to school by fifth period so she could take her test on Colonialism. Abby flipped through her notes, trying to retain as much information as she could.

Kaya stared out the back window, unable to talk. Savannah guided the gray Honda down Main Street, headed toward a place that Kaya knew should not exist. Kaya knew its name. Kaya knew who created it. But still, Famous Unicorn Creations Kitchen should not exist.

Kaya hugged herself.

Kaya tried to convince herself this was just a dream. But she had a vague confirmation that she was awake. So, for the sake of her friends, Kaya pretended that she was sane. Because if her friends knew what was really going on inside her head they might not want to be her friends. Kaya was having trouble believing anything was real. The fact that this pizza place might exist was the icing on the cake. Some type of crazy meth-laced cake.

Something was going on inside Kaya’s brain. Like something was crawling around. Something warm, squishy. She imagined worms or maybe a South American parasite crawling around inside her brain. It never hurt, but the sensation was unmistakably uncomfortable. Maybe it was more like warm, bubbling honey inside her skull. She couldn’t decide.

"I don't want to be late for my test," Abby said. "So let's just eat and get back to school."

"Oh come on Abby," Savannah said. "Live a little. We are on the basketball team. If you are late for the test, just have Coach put it a good word for you."

"Coach isn’t going to be cool with Abby missing the test," Jordan said. Jordan craned her neck toward Abby. "Hey Abby don't worry. I promise you won't be late for your test."

"Jordan I'm not like you and Savannah," Abby said. "I'm not going to get a scholarship offer from anywhere to play basketball. I barely get playing time in games and that's only if we’re winning by a lot. You and Savannah will get multiple scholarship offers. Heck, even Kaya has a decent shot of getting a basketball scholarship somewhere. But me? I'm happy to be on the team and I do my best. But the only scholarship chances I have for college are academic ones. My dad said if I can't get a scholarship to college, I may not be able to go to college. We don't have the money."

"My family is in the same boat," Kaya said. “Yeah my dad is the chief of police. But college might not happen unless I get a scholarship."

"You guys are really killing the mood," Savannah said. "We are the Avalon Springs Dragons. We are the defending state champions. And Kaya is having a bad day, so we’re going to get pizza. Now cheer up ladies. Don't worry be happy."

Savannah guided the gray Honda through the twenty mile-per-hour streets of downtown Avalon Springs. She turtled the car past the old theater which only showed independent films, past the Christian bookstore which also sold home school supplies, a flower shop, crept past a small real estate shop, a thrift store, and then past a bar that Kaya knew her dad went to some nights.

Most of the buildings were one story high, some were two stories high. Definitely a small town. Avalon Springs did have a mayor and a police department. But it did not have a mainstream movie theater or Imax. Even the closest Walmart was in Aberdeen, not Avalon Springs.

The car came to the primary intersection in downtown Avalon Springs where Main Street intersected with Fourth Street. To Kaya’s right was the post office.

To the left was a large structure. It reminded Kaya of a stilt house, except instead of wooden poles it had large stone columns. Atop the columns was a two-story brick and stone building with a patio, and a roof with solar panels. The brick was painted like someone had painted a rainbow out of watercolors, the colors slightly blended together starting at one end with red going all the way up to purple. Kaya felt numb. This building had not been in Avalon Springs yesterday. On the building’s patio level servers bustled around tables with patrons taking an early lunch break.

The crawling worm sensation inside her brain got more active, like it was buzzing. This building should not exist. Kaya knew this building was not in Avalon Springs twenty-four hours earlier. But the building was just as she remembered it from five years ago. Her stomach hurt. Kaya took a shaking breath.

Savannah guided the gray Honda to park next to the rainbow-colored building. The four girls got out of the car, walked around to the side of the building where there was a large staircase leading from the sidewalk up to the first level of the building. The sun was bright, and Kaya held her hand over her eyes to see clearly. The sign was just as she remembered. Famous Unicorn Creations Kitchen. Each word in a different pastel color.

Kaya’s brain hurt. For the first time she actually did start to experience pain. Not overwhelming pain but certainly discomfort. She winced. "Kaya are you okay?" Jordan asked.

Kaya nodded. Even though she was NOT fine. Why is this building here? Her heart beat faster.

Kaya’s phone rang. Kaya had a Lady Gaga song as her ringtone, Just Dance. She pulled the phone out of her pocket.

Kaya’s phone screen showed her who was calling. It was one of the officers from the Avalon Springs Police Department. Officer Mike Gentry. Sometimes her dad had other officers pick her up at school, or from other locations, so she had Officer Gentry's name in her phone’s caller ID.

Kaya answered.

"Kaya," Officer Gentry said. "Where are you?"

"Why?" Kaya asked. But there was something more. Officer Gentry paused, and she heard him breathing unsteadily. Was he crying? Kaya couldn’t tell. "Mike are you okay?"

"Kaya… I don't know how to say this. We found your dad in his office…"