they call me Camila (Madison)

Madison kept up with Cami as she heard all she had to say. All the while keeping her eyes on the cycle lanes as a lot of people used bikes here. You didn't want to be hit by somebody taking a shortcut to the outside lane to turn right. Then they hit a jam and Madison had to stop until the traffic lights changed. Back home there'd have been horn honking and cussing out of of the other drivers but here it just looked like something people got used to.

"I do think so Cami. You're hot either way" Madison cheerfully replied. "If people have a problem that's their loss. You just need to move on and be yourself. You learn that as a native New Yorker. The rest of my family still live there" she further added as the lights were about to change from red to green as the people on the zebra crossing had made their journey.

"About the only thing my city hasn't seen is a real life Staypuff man and Godzilla. I have been here for two years and have still only figured out a small part of the isle. When you hear about weird things happening its best to be calm about them; and then you see some of them yourself" she added.

Cami Q.- Carter

How would you describe New York in a few words? A place so full of life but with many problems for starters. Madison put her mind to the question as she peddled again on the green light.

"For starters is a loud city; full of life, lots of fun, dirty, lots of problems and the level of problems depend which part of the city you live in. I grew up in a middle class neighbourhood as my father runs a Real Estate firm. Things look hard for him right now but my brother Taylor helps him out. Weather wise you boil in the summer and get snowdrifts in winter" she replied for starters. Then smiled again as Cami complimented her.

"I'm involved too but it can't stop us going to the beach in other ways" she added with a smile as Cami explained what it entailed. No harm would be done if they just peddled off somewhere and got some rays and waves.

"Oh, Already" Madison posed looking slightly surprised for a moment. Then dismounted. She didn't feel sore despite not doing this for a while but this bike did feel too big for her. "Lets go". Then they entered the shop.

Cami Q.- Carter

"I don't think New York will honestly have changed that much" Madison replied; though the national news she was getting via her brother didn't look good. The prejudice would still be there and it wasn't wise for any oddity to be there in the first place. "Although if you can find a butcher who can make proper hotdog sausages I could show you how to make your own up" she added. The ingredients were the key thing though she could still get her hands on bagels for her breakfast.

Madison knew you needed friends and your partner; without both you'd have problems. So smiled back hearing this. Then Cami mentioned a marathon; probally on bicycles. "Like a touring bike event?" she mused giving the matter some thought. You could run it in one day but it had to be a long enough distance to make it worthwhile. "It should work if you make it a long enough distance" she added as she see the new bikes; bright, shiny and hopefully in her size; and Cami's.

Cami Q.- Carter

So it seemed Cami still wanted to go. Her choice Madison supposed. Free will and all that stuff. "Please be careful if you do. My brothers news from home isn't good" she cautioned but they could move onto more hopeful things.

"I would suggest involving the university. There's sporting links there between the fitness centre and them already. Some of my students are university students and would be interested in something like that" she suggested now on more hopeful ground.

Now she could have a good look at the bikes on show. She tended to go for yellow as a colour but also drawn to pink. Either would suit her. There were slim tyres and frames, bulkier frames and tyres that wouldn't have looked out off place on a moped and mountain bikes. She spotted one that looked a bit old fashioned but it did have a set up with a front basket and panniers. Just the thing to get your shopping back in but she wasn't sure about the front basket.

Cami Q.- Carter

Cami felt sure of this so it gave Madison just that little bit of hope about the situation back home. The Friends of Humanity were picking up support and the difficult economic times back only gave them more to blame oddities on; quite falsely as it was the current White House administration who were messing things up.

"You can put a name to the hate these days Cami. This group calls themselves the Friends Of Humanity but it looks just like old school fascism and bigotry at work; but as you seem sure of this if you get there a little statue of liberty would be nice" Madison said softly. She didn't have much faith in her own species given she hadn't seen any change in the situation as she grew up.

Then another question was posed. "Yellow or pink I think" she added. The mountain bike looked like the best option given she could put her shopping in a backpack. So closely examined one of those in red to see where she'd set up the front and back lights. "I did track and field too along with keeping up my gymnastics and tennis. It's no wonder I've seen so little of the island given the amount of work I had to do" she further added. Being a student was hard work and it took a lot of time. She also had to work to support herself and only now did it feel she had leisure time. Such was life.

Cami Q.- Carter

Madison knew exactly what Cami was talking about. She tended to get a day of work every week but to work round that lack of time she needed to do her fitness work at 4am. She also did her laundry and cleaning just after she got home so that she could fully enjoy her free day off.

"I know that feeling well. I tend to get a day off every week and can work either day or evening shifts. I also had to work while I was being a student in coffee shops. So I'm used to it by now" she replied as she continued to inspect the bike in front of her.

"Something like this in pink would be perfect. And you're right about holding onto the good things; otherwise you forget to remember that the light is still there in the darkness" she added with a little smile. "Do they have my size in this?"

Cami Q.- Carter