^ Saph's outfit ^

"Shooting stars don't come back, make it quick."
-me, @__queenly__
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H o l l o w s I n
T I M E
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I watched as all the girls dispersed into the crowd, naturally blending in with those who didn't look like me. Like death. But someone stayed. Bria. She shifted so that she was in front of me, but stared off at something to my right.

She outstretched her arm, "Want to get some snacks and a drink?" She proposed, her eyes meeting mine, before I looked away and over at the tuck shop, the one with the least amount of people gathered around it.

Why would she want to go anywhere with me? Is she up to something?

Nonetheless, I nodded. She smiled. It was only the raw beginning of one, but I saw one. I know I did.

So we went over, and I stared up at all the snacks, bewildered by the fact that one simply eats what they want, not what they need. I needed food to survive back then, but I didn't have it. I need to have food to survive now, but I want nothing. Why? Am I used to the feeling of feeling unnaturally hungry?

Someone nudged me and I jumped slightly. I looked over to the person responsible, finding that the person was Bria. She stared up at me with a curious expression. Then she held out a packet of Oreos in one hand, and held a bucket of popcorn in the other. I stared at her for a good few moments before I realised what she was doing. She was asking which one I would prefer.

I wasn't a popcorn person. I also wasn't a food person. I also wasn't about to choose. Choosing is hard, I'd know.

"Get both, we can share." I told her and a smile grew upon her lips. Suddenly, I spotted dimples that I didn't spot before. She tottered off to the stand and handed over her change to the male cashier, who flashed her a big grin. She span around, not seeming to care about the attention she had been shown, and walked back over to me.

Someone jumped onto me. Not as literally as it sounds. Though, I wouldn't be surprised. The person latched onto my arm and squealed.

"Fireworks, fireworks, fire–" She paused. "Sky," She asked, tone growing serious. "Were there fireworks in Egypt?" Yeah, big ones, ones that went bang—but it wasn't the sparks that fizzled out, it was a life.

I didn't say that, though. Instead, I just laughed. "No." I told her simply and she frowned up at me. She didn't get to say whatever she wanted to say next as Saph latched onto my arm and tugged me and Cassie to the very front of the show. Avery ran after us, catching up to Bria and looking as though she loved holding her popcorn for her.

Just before the show started, Bria shimmied her way over to me, and handed the popcorn box to me. We sat upon the hilltop, and awaited the start of the firework show as the lights went down.

Suddenly, up shot a stream of light, it went bang in the sky, the sound bouncing off the lustre moonlight. Colours and lights streamed across my vision, with sparkles and ribbon-like luminescence cascading down the troposphere.

When I looked over at Bria, the fireworks were illuminated in her eyes, like a cartoon. Like we were children once more.

So I sat and gazed up at the night-sky, seeing billions of shooting stars, which were actually fireworks, and I made billions of wishes.

The soft hum of music died down as the fireworks show came to a close, and I was instead greeted by the soft glow of the fitted lights around the arena. People began to chat amongst themselves, picking up belongings and leaving the hilltop. I frowned; it seemed outrageous to leave without a documented memory. And so, when Avery took out her phone to check the time, I had an idea.

"Let's take a picture." I offered quietly. Bria turned to look at me, peering at me from under her bangs. Cassie, who was spinning around in circles, didn't even hear, and Avery hummed in question.

Saph rose an eyebrow, "Right now?" I felt my cheeks flush, "In the dark?" She threw up a hand to gesture to the dimly lit landscape. I let my head drop as I nodded.

Someone snorted beside me. "The lights are still on, Saph, and like anyone could miss you in your virgin white." Bria retorted and I giggled to myself, letting my head raise to see Saph glaring straight at Bria, arms folded over her chest. I turned to see Cassie stop spinning and dizzily see what was going on. My eyes flickered over to Bria. She held Saph's gaze as if it would cure all the worlds problems. When Saph sighed and looked away, Bria's eyes met mine again, and they seemed to smirk. I smiled back.

"Okay then, party pooper," Avery swung her arm around Saph's neck, "Lets get ourselves a picture." She quickly stopped someone who was cleaning up the litter and politely requested them to take two photos, much to Saph's dismay.

"Two?" She had groaned. Bria chuckled, grabbing my hand and pulling me over to where Avery was tugging Saph to.

"Okay," Avery announced once we had found the perfect spot. "One serious, one–" Cassie shoved Avery out of the way and stood to my left, wrapping both her arms around me in a sidewards hug. Avery glared at Cassie but finished her sentence. "–silly."

We all agreed with a few giggles, and I found myself being shoved and squashed into the middle of the huddle. Bria on my right, and Cassie clutching to me on my left. Saph refused to stand on Bria's side, and so, even though Avery originally claimed the right side, she let Saph take her place and instead went to pose with her improv daughter.

Once our serious photo had been taken, somehow our group deciphered some hidden morse code and started to jump into each other all at the same time, trying to form a silly pose. Cassie tried to jump on my back whilst Saph tried to pull me onto the floor with her. Avery jumped out and caught us all as we fell and Bria held out a hand towards me as I struggled to get up. And that's when the flash went off.

And so that was it. That was our picture. A massive mess. But I wasn't disappointed, if it had turned out any other way, it would've been a complete lie. We are a mess. We are the mess.

Talking about mess, I should probably get my scrawny arse back to my dorm at some point, or Jameson will lose his mind. His mind, probably lost already, his mind. My mind was always lost, I never found it. But I could feel the girls slowly picking up the fifteen year old pieces of me, scattering around them a field, letting them sprout into delicate daisies. I hoped the field would be complete one day.

Someone nudged me, "What you thinking about?" The person asked. I looked up to see Bria flashing me a grin. The other girls had started to walk off, and so Bria and I took off straight behind them.

I shrugged, "Daisies." Bria rose an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything more, and instead, her head fell. I frowned but ignored it. Suddenly, she stopped and crouched down.

"Like this?" She asked, plucking a daisy from its roots and presenting it to me. I stopped in my tracks and glanced between Bria's eyes and the flower in her palm.

"Yeah." I agreed, gazing at the perfect petals that would soon die, thanks to Bria killing it.

She stuck it out to me. "Here." I stared at it, then picked it up. For someone who tried to ignore everyone, her naïvety was stronger than her own hatred. I now saw that the chip on her shoulder I had once thought was there, I understood wasn't a chip at all; there was nothing really there. Sure, we've all had hard times, and this, right now, was one for Bria. I think finally fitting into our disorganised friendship group made her happy.

And off we walked. Soon, Cassie left, then Avery, then Saph—who was more grateful for that fact than the others—and that left Bria and I alone. My last thoughts echoed in my mind as I said 'goodbye' to her and pulled her in for a hug, as I had done with the other girls.

As I pulled away, I noticed it. Her eyes smiled. She was happy.

And so I walked into my room knowing exactly how to fix myself.

I wouldn't fix myself, I'd fix others.

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I told you

I warned you

And still

You didn't see it

That's all

-I'm all

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Next update: Monday
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE SPOILER:

Sky returns to her dorm, high off the firework event.

She enjoyed her time with her friends.

But will she learn that love never fades?

And how will she respond to this?

Most importantly, can any mystery be solved?