#I'm scared that it's not gonna work and that a permanent goodbye is in our future. I'm scared that you won't want me around after all

[heyitslapis]

Ok

[hymemena]

The Quarry Sentence Starters

Feel free to change pronouns as necessary, and remember to specify muse for multimuse blogs.

CW: Swearing, violence, injury, animal attack mention, suggestive

—

"Swarm of bears?"

"Fine… Okay. Once again, -muse- puts themself in mortal danger for the sake of their 'work friends.'"

"Just… How can you be so certain?"

"If I let my conscience slow me down, now, everything gets a lot worse for everyone. Believe me."

"Ah-ah, you'll have it when I say you'll have it."

"Alright, huddle up boys, this is how we're gonna do this."

"There's a half naked girl/boy waiting for you back there, -name-, what are you doing?"

"It was… It was okay."

"They seemed pretty insistent we stay in the lodge."

"I'm just desperate to stay afloat in a world where everyone wants to be different."

"Sometimes things just don't make sense."

"Fuck!"

"Son of a binky-bonky!"

"Well, at least I don't look and smell like a butt."

"Podcast, huh?"

"Family is very important."

"Does this look like the Goddamn Harbinger Motel to you?!"

"Maybe they don't check their voicemail."

"How was I supposed to know that?"

"I saw it online."

"I don't know! This was my first cop!"

"You're a horrible person."

"You shot me?! I'm telling mom!"

"You stabbed me. That really hurt."

"Goodbye, cruel world! The final curtain is calling and there's no time for an encore…"

"Who should we call?"

"Ninety-one one."

"You mean nine-one-one? Who says ninety-one-one?"

"Okay, well, just because you're using 'logic' to 'make sense' doesn't mean that I'm totally into it."

"Hey, you're singing off-key."

"We are being hunted by literal monsters and this is what scares you?!"

"Oh my God. You are so childish."

"Yeah, if they made a podcast called 'How To Look And Smell Like A Butt.'"

"-Muse-, what's your position?"

"Uhm… Standing?"

"I just can't wait to see who they choose to play me. In the movie about how brave I am."

"Maybe you should have asked them out on a date?"

"Damn it! I missed my shot!"

"P-A-R-T… Why the fuck not?"

"Check out my huge melons!"

"There's been a horrible accident--Attack. Some stuff's bad here."

"I'm not gonna fuck a bear."

"Sorry!"

"Why didn't you tell me there was something out there?!"

"I don't know what I saw!"

"Oh my God, -Muse-, you won't believe this! It's… Nothing."

"Yeah, well… Worse things have happened this summer."

"You beefed it."

"Ah, not this time, motherfucker!"

"And what? Risk another run-in with Captain Deliverance?"

"Well, that bodes ill!"

"Whoa, watch your step!"

"Why'd you do that?"

"You told me to!"

"That was a bad idea."

"Huh. Rude."

"They get kinda hot when they're bossy, huh?"

"I'm always hot, pencil dick."

"It's my beer-dar. Helps me dar for beers."

"It's not a secret room! It's just hidden… By stuff…"

"Yeah, that's what a secret is!"

"I haven't ever been stabbed before."

"Why is there what I can only hope is strawberry jelly on your face?"

"Oh, yeah, no. I'm pretty sure it's blood."

"You can't hide from me in my own house, fucker!"

"You're a fucker!"

""Oh, so now I'm blind, too, you motherfucker!"

"Why does everyone blame everything on bears?"

"Okay, so for the sake of argument, what if that 'bear' that cut our phone line and just cut out all the power-- What if that bear is waiting for us out in the hallway?"

"What's wrong with this thing? It's just closing!"

"Sorry, bro!"

"Double skill!"

"Ow! Mother… Hubbard!"

"No… They're funny!"

"Moment's gone."

"…But not forgotten."

"No… -Muse-… Don't do it… Stop…"

"Herd of bears."

"Yeah, I've heard of bears."

"I can try to encourage them."

"Go for it! You guys can do it! --it's not working."

"You know that's kind of a movie-only thing, right?"

"I mean, you bang someone on the head you're more likely to kill them or leave them with permanent brain damage… Not just 'knock 'em out.'"

[guigz1-coldwar]

"'First' day" : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

"'First' day"

Chapter Summary : Yirina is now officialy an MI6 agent working with Park and they both planning their moves for their new mission.....

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +3100

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I couldn't believe it with all my might but today.....I was given a new chance in my life, a new chance to be able to redeem myself further and all of that was thanks to Park herself, the one I'm loving so much right now. Now, I was no longer acting as an simple ex-Perseus agent, helping the CIA & the MI6 in their fight against Perseus like a free-lance mercenary but now, I was Yirina Grigoriev, an MI6 agent specialized in cryptography & on the Special Operations along with Park. I was now an full member of her Majesty's Secret Service......I never thought that would be happening but here were are....the KGB, Perseus and now.....the MI6.

When I left the meeting room, having met in person the two directors of the two british organizations and literally the Prime Minister herself, I was so relieved, so happy, so amazed by the events that I was feeling indebted with the MI6. If they gave me that chance, I have to give my best to not deceive them....to not deceive Park herself. I'm owing my entire life to her and she owes her life to me, it's time for me to do my best.

Once we were out, we returned back to her office where I could sit back on that chair and my body was still chilled by the news I just had in me. While Park was putting her box back in the drawer she found it, I looked outside, observing the view of the city.

"Thank you, Park." I breathed, lost in my thoughts. "Thank you for giving me an chance."

"You know that I had to do it." She affirmed, closing the drawer, looking at me with her left eye. "By giving you an job in the MI6, I'm protecting you from any attempts the CIA can do on you."

"They can try now, I'm waiting." I scoffed about it, putting my arm on the chair armrest.

"I'm pretty sure that Hudson would be so pissed off by hearing that." She exclaimed before she got sit back on her desk chair.  "Guy maybe want your head but he know that he will have the whole MI6 against him if he do a thing."

"So, everyone in here knows of my identity ?" I asked as I was looking a bit curious when miss Thatcher said that I had a troubled past.

"Well, for an part." She started, putting her arms on the desk. "It was better than we didn't mention the brainwashing part." She continued, having her eyes trying to look away.

"You had your reasons, I don't want to put an scare to those I will be working on with." I admitted, it's already for me difficult to deal with my past, I don't want to make it harder if everyone is knowing on my brainwashing. "I guess that now, you're my superior ?" I joked.

"Oh, Yiri...." She whispered as we both joined hands together on the desk. "We're on the same level and we're taking our decisions as a group." She looked at me, her eyes moved.

"You're looking so lovely." I said, focused on her eyes.

"And you too, I love your redhead hair...." She confessed, looking at it, even the part with my scar on it.

"My god, if there weren't that ban on people like us here, I would have jumped on you on that desk." I expressed, resisting the urge to really do it actually.

"Mmhm....seems a little bit cliché, darling." She smirked at me as we slowly start to get closer above the desk. "Cliché but sounding very exciting." She added before we share a kiss on the lips, my first as an MI6 agent.

"We are going to do this, aren't we ?" I asked her and she nodded at me after we broke the kiss.

"Pretty sure we're gonna do this." She affirmed before we decide to go back on our respectives seats, now trying to refocus back on the actual situation. "So at first, we need to return back to West-Berlin to get the remaining of our stuff at the safehouse."

"And once we got it, where do we install ourselves ?" I asked and she rolled her eyes, making me think and I know that the place was already chosen by her "We're staying at West-Berlin, right ?" She nodded, biting her lips.

"It will be in a MI6 safehouse that isn't some sort of warehouse with an dorm but more like an house with bedrooms....like in the New Orleans." She replied, reassuring me a little.....even if we had to return in that city. "It's sure that we ain't going to stay permanently there."

"Of course, if Stone do this moves somewhere else, we're moving..." I guessed, making me have hope about our mission. "About the team we will have ?" I questioned her

"I will call them once we're fully set in that new safehouse but we will be only 4." She responded and I was reassured, I don't want to have too many people around me in that safehouse. "It will be mainly 2 of my friends.....including Greta." She showed me the group picture of her desk "The other would be him." She pointed the man with a small beard, looking at the same age of ours.

"What's this name ?"

"Garrett Donovan, I'm sure that you will like him." She replied, winking at me.

"I can say that your friends can become mine, then." I suggested and she was happy to hear that.

"Excuse me ?" It was the voice of a man that knocked at the opened door of her office. By looking at him, he was an member of the MI5. "Miss Grigoriev ?" He asked for me.

"Yes ?"

"We learned that you had some skills in cryptography and we wanted you to have a look at this." He walked next to me to give me an piece of paper that was encrypted as hell.....but it was my code I created in Perseus. "We received this in the morning from our usual mysterious source."

"Do you have a pen and a empty paper ?" I said, causing Park to find me quickly what I needed before I decided to get myself to work on that message.

I took a deep breath at looking at the encrypted message and I launched myself. Thanks to my knowledge on cryptography and to the fact that this system was the one I created, I could be able to decrypt it in no time and during the decryption, I was feeling observed by Park and this man but it wasn't troubling me at all as I was focused on having this message fully readable for someone who don't know anything on cryptography.

"Done." I breathed as I was finally finished with that message, I took only 5 minutes to have it done.

"Wow, that's very fast." The man exclaimed, amazed by the time I took. "What does the message is saying ?" He asked me.

"Apparently, Stone has been seen in an Perseus warehouse.....in West-Berlin." I looked at Park, rolling my eyes at talking about another Perseus warehouse. "The message mentioned exactly what is this warehouse usefulness and where it is." I then looked at the man "Who is this R. ?"

"It's the initial our mysterious source is using." He replied.

"You said that this mysterious person is someone that came often, does this person is sending you willingly these messages ?" I asked him, mentioning what he said earlier, he nodded at me.

"Yes but we don't know why they're doing this." He was looking as someone trying to look in his mind but nothing could help him to clear his mind. "I can't help you with that."

"It's okay, you just gave us a perfect start." I told him with an smile.

"I'm glad to have helped." He then start to walk away before looking at us "Goodbye, ladies." He closed the door behind him, leaving us with Park.

"I'm already loving to work in the MI6." I confessed to her who make a discreet laugh to me.

"Told you !" She affirmed before taking her dial phone in hand, a secured one. "I'm going to ask for our safehouse to be ready." She winked at me. "It's time for your first day within the MI6."

After that, she picked up the phone to call her contact that will set up our safehouse in West-Berlin and honestly, I was quite nervous to return back to this city. I thought that we will just go there to take back the remaining stuff we left there and then, maybe fly back here with an new safehouse but now, with our new piece of intel we got thanks to this MI5 agent, our first mission is of course located in West-Berlin and again, it was an warehouse that we are going to strike, like in my first days one month ago....all over again.

Once Park was done with her call, I helped her packed up some things in a new bag, especially things about Stone and our recents moves against Perseus, and after that, we took our respectives bags and we decided to left Century House in her car to return back to the airport where we could take the same private plane before leaving London behind us to go back to West-Berlin.

During the flight, I wasn't going to take a rest since the travel will not last long, making us arrived in the german city in 2 hours at the middle of the afternoon. Instead, Park took with us some old messages about that mysterious R who started to sent the MI5 encrypted message a year ago in February 1983 and what Park told me about them, each time, it was always correct. This mysterious person inside Perseus group is helping the british secret services for a year now, explaining the success the MI5 & the MI6 had on these operations, explained by Park.

I was wondering of something : my system is still used by Perseus...so is Perseus has been able to train someone to take the lead after my supposed death...or one of my friends has took the lead...it's impossible, all of my friends wanted to flee Perseus, no one would have ever wanted to stay with that guy and it couldn't be Freya at all, she wasn't an expert on it and cryptography need a lot of training.

There weren't anything else for to see except for the message I have decrypted in Park's office, leading us to another Perseus warehouse and finally, we arrived in West-Berlin at 4 PM, landing at the Tempelholf Airport, the one I almost got breathless with Freya and saved Park. We didn't stay any longer in here before getting on our way to the E9 safehouse for the last time in my life, I really hope to be the last time.

"Last time, Yiri....Last time...." I whispered to myself once we were arrived at the safehouse as Park let me drive to get here, after I insisted to do it and she helped me with the direction.

"Woods & Mason must be there." Park exclaimed as we could see the garage door of the safehouse open with an car in front of it backwards, its trunk opened. "Come on, let's get inside." She added, closing the door of her side before we start to walk inside.

"Look who is there." It was Woods standing next to Adler's old desk, having finished to talk to a man before he moved to get to us. "How was London ?" He asked to both of us.

"Pretty good." I replied with an smile, shooking hands with him.

"Where's Mason & Sims ?" Park questioned him as she was looking around inside to find them.

"Mason is already settled in the safehouse we're having in Ukraine as Hudson told us that he had a lead for us." He shook hand with her. "Enough for all of us."

"Uhm....we need to tell you that we're not coming." Park said to him, making him confused at hearing this. "MI6 has given me the order to form a team to track Stone."

"Shit, I almost forgot about that guy." He breathed, thinkful.

"I'm taking Yirina along the way, away from the CIA." She then looked at me with an grin "Show him." I knew what she wanted me to show and I took my credentials in hand, showcasing it to him.

"Say hello to the MI6 agent Yirina Grigoriev !" I scoffed as he looked at me with wide eyes, surprised by that.

"Damnit...." He looked away for an second. "It's an big occasion you got here."

"All thanks to me." Park proclaimed, proud of herself as I was proud of her. "Should avoid Hudson to do something against her or he will have the whole MI6 against him."

"He already have pissed off some CIA guys like me..." He joked, making us laugh about it. "So, how things will happen ?" He questioned Park.

"Well, since your team will be focused on having Adler back and ours to neutralize Stone, we can cross intels with one another if for example, we found something on Adler." She explained to him who nodded. "By the way, do you have anything new on that lead Hudson told you ?"

"Said that the CIA was able to maybe track down an agent that was there in that mall, couldn't tell more." He replied, not sure of Hudson infos about it. "Guess you're staying here at West-Berlin ?" We nodded to him slowly. "At least, it's not here you're staying, we're abandoning the place once you got your things back."

"Yes and anyway, I hate that place....bring too many bad memories." I whispered before I looked over his shoulder to see Sims, sit at his old desk, not looking happy and Woods saw me.

"Sims is still mad over yesterday." Woods exclaimed to us, taking a quick glare on him. "Better to leave him quietly for the moment."

"Okay, we will get our things and we will be out of here." Park said before she start to walk to her old desk with me.

We started to take a look for the last time around the safehouse before we worked on getting Park's belongings in some boxes and put it into our car. In fact, we came only for her own belongings as I didn't have one when I came back here, it was her who gave me everything. During the multiples travel we had to do between her desk, the dorm for her clothes and the car, I was thinking about a lot of things that happened here...mostly bad things on me and the only good things I had was with Park & Lazar.

"Finished." I was putting the last box inside the car after spending more than 30 minutes to have everything in it, she did have a lot of things in her possession.

"I'm gonna talk about some details with Woods, you can stay in the car or take a last look inside if you want." Park exclaimed before she walked back inside to get to Woods as I closed the car trunk.

I didn't know what to do apart from staying near the car to do nothing so I decided to go back inside, the place was looking more empty now : the dashboard was no longer there anymore, the Dark Room was closed down and all the desk hads nothing on them. As Park was discussing with Woods, I could see Sims, still alone at his desk and even Woods told us to not talk to him, I decided to get to him.

"Sims ?" I said in a low voice, getting next to him, seeing him holding an old picture of him & Adler.

"I heard that you got promoted into the MI6, congratulations." He told me in a passive voice, not sounding happy I can say.

"Listen, I'm...."

"You what ?" He started, cutting me straight "You're sorry ?" He added, looking at me with an raised eyebrow

"Yes." I whispered suddenly ashamed to have maybe put him into that state.

"I can't believe that you let that agent go away and allowing Stitch to get his hands on Adler." He complained, the story about me letting Freya free was inadvertently told by Bulldozer after we came back at Fort Dix and now everyone was aware of it.

"Hey, it's not my fault that Adler has gone berseck against him." I spoke up, almost raising my voice but keeping it down, not wanting to get angry for real. "He should have evaluate the risk of it."

"And ?" He looked at me, almost angry.

"And what ? What do I need to tell you more, Sims ?" I asked him, confused. "Adler nearly got everyone killed."

"Maybe...." He pronounced, sounding like if Adler's life was suddenly more important "You could have save him but you didn't do a thing." He removed his eyes off me back to that picture he was holding in his hands. "You preferred instead to have a talk about your 'old best friend'." He said, mimicking like Bulldozer.

"She was not my old best friend...." I took a deep breath. "She was my old fiancee." At hearing this, he looked at me slowly, almost troubled at this but still keeping his anger towards me.

"Even with that, that doesn't change a thing : Adler is in Perseus hand." He affirmed at my face.

"Listen, we will save him, Sims." I admitted, not even believing that I was going to say that.

"Pfff...." He muttered "We both know that you don't give an fuck about Adler and what happened yesterday was a proof of it."

"For an part, you're right !" I raised my voice, finally getting my thoughts out. "I don't give an fuck about Adler like he did the same for me." I pointed to myself. "He treated me like shit and you did nothing to counter him." I sniffed as Sims nearly stand up from his chair to face me. "I'm doing the big part of the work but what I got is 'you could do better' or 'is this it ?' as a reward."

"Yirina." I could hear Park voice coming behind me, calling me out.

"You need to know that I'm not happy to have to go save Adler's ass but we have no choice so act like everyone will did : save your friend like I'm trying to do with my own !" I confessed to him before I looked around, holding back my tears as I didn't want to get angry with Sims, to look at Park.

"I'm finished with Woods, we can go now." She affirmed, gesturing at me to follow her outside.

"I'm coming." I told her before I gave a last look to Sims. "I'm trying to save my own life aswell as Adler's one, think about it." I finished with him, looking away from him as I got next to Park, holding my anger inside of me as I don't want to be angered now...

"Let's get out of here, this place is making me sick !"

[artificialqueens]

But I'm A Cheerleader! - Chapter 7 (Aja x Farrah) - Millie

At some point later that day, Farrah texted Aja some updates about the case, and it came to both of their surprises that there was progress: James and Chuck had been questioned at the police station, and footage from CCTV cameras outside the store that night concluded that it was them. They both let out a mental and physical sigh of relief at the revelation.

And as if things weren’t looking up already, Shea and Sasha were now officially a “thing”, and Aja was pretty sure that Sasha now had a permanent smile on her face. For the rest of the day, the two were practically inseparable, but somehow never revealed that they were together. It gave Aja a warm sensation in her heart, and she suddenly longed for something of the sort.

The three were now walking home together, and the atmosphere was as awkward as expected; Aja was third wheeling the happy couple, vaguely listening to their conversations. She wasn’t as close with Shea as she was with Sasha, so she didn’t really know how to include herself. With Sasha, the two could talk about the most random things, but Shea was one of those girls that was so seemingly perfect and flawless that those thoughts wouldn’t even cross her mind. Aja and Nina both found that they were terrified of her judging them.

Eventually, Shea parted from them, softly kissing Sasha on the lips and waving goodbye to Aja before turning left to go back home. Sasha smiled to herself and touched her lips in disbelief.

“Someone’s happy,” Aja teased.

Sasha giggled. “I can’t put it into words,” she said. “But happy is such an understatement.”

“Are you gonna tell the others?”

She hesitated, and her smile faded. “Uh, I don’t know. Probably at some point.”

“You should. They’ll be really happy for you.” That got Aja thinking: she should come out. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. She’d kept it locked away and hidden for so long, and it’d feel strange to now have it out in the open. Every time it came to confessing, she stopped herself like a coward. She didn’t want to hesitate any longer.

“Alexis will make a big thing about it, like she’s done with every relationship I’ve had,” Sasha replied. “She’ll parade us around the school like we’re some sort of fairground attraction. I know she’s our friend, but she needs to chill sometimes.”

“The others will be fine with it. Don’t worry about Alexis,” Aja assured.

Sasha shrugged. “I’ll talk to Shea about it,” she said. “I don’t know if she’s ready to come out.” Aja slowly came to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk, causing Sasha to turn around and raise one eyebrow. “What’s up?” she asked.

“Speaking of coming out… Can I tell you something?” Aja could feel her heartbeat resounding in her chest, her hands becoming clammy. She couldn’t back down now.

“Sure.” Sasha’s expression softened. She looked as if she knew exactly what Aja was going to say, but she encouraged her to continue, anyway.

“I’m, err… I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while now, and something in me said that now was the right time." Come on, Aja, hurry the fuck up. Her heartbeat became louder and louder, and she could feel the blood rushing in her ears. "I’m gay.” She closed her eyes immediately in regret, and jumped out of her skin when Sasha embraced her in one of her power-grip hugs. She exhaled, and the emotional weight was lifted off her shoulders.

“I’m so proud of you,” she told her, hugging her even tighter. Aja hugged her back, unable to speak. She was so utterly grateful for her best friend, and wondered what she’d do without her. It was times like this where she was reminded of how truly amazing Sasha was.

Aja pulled away. “Thank you, Sasha,” she responded, getting her breath back. “That feels so much better.”

“Girl, you should’ve told me sooner!” she exclaimed. “We could’ve talked about girls and gayness and everything.”

“I… I was too scared,” she admitted. “Now, I don’t know why I was.”

“Well, good times await,” Sasha said. “And… can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead,” Aja said. She still hasn’t quite caught her breath.

“Have you had a girlfriend before?”

“Uh, not really.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. She hadn’t had a girlfriend before, but there was one girl who had shattered her heart, despite them never being together - she’d never forget Dahlia. Even the mention of the name brought back a lifetime supply of bad memories.

The two sophomores were sitting on Aja’s bed, legs crossed and surrounded by their schoolwork, but it wasn’t like they were doing any. Catching up every few weeks or so was always enjoyable, and every time they’d leave their heaps of work at their sides. It had been a whole year since they’d last gone to school together, but the one thing that had changed only recently was Aja’s feelings towards Dahlia. Normally after a year or so apart, friends weren’t that close anymore, but that was completely different for the girl. She wanted to see Dahlia every day, hang out with her, kiss her and hold her hand. Feel her touch against her bare skin, her breath on her neck late at night. Dahlia didn’t think about that. She never had. While Aja’s gigantic crush manifested itself over the past few months, Dahlia purely saw friendship.

“So,” Aja began. “What’s sophomore year like for you? Anything new?”

Dahlia broke out into a smile. “Well, there’s this new guy in our grade. God, Aja, he’s so hot! I sit next to him in English.”

Aja’s mood instantly dropped, but she didn’t let her fake smile falter. She had to be happy for her friend.

“Have you talked to him at all?” she questioned.

“No, not yet,” Dahlia replied, her smile fading. “Our English teacher is so strict, so we can never talk in class, and I don’t see him outside of class that much, anyway. So, this one time she caught us talking…” And she was off talking about a new subject, much to Aja’s delight.

She was so desperately in like. Dahlia spoke so eloquently that she couldn’t help but watch her lips as she talked, and thoughts of kissing the girl crossed her mind. She imagined the feeling of Dahlia’s lips on her own, the way her eyes would flutter shut as they both leaned in and closed the small gap between them. It was so, so wrong, but it felt so right.

“Aja, hello?!” Dahlia said, waving her hand in front of Aja’s face. Aja snapped out of her daydream and laughed nonchalantly.

“Sorry, zoned out,” she said.

“So rude.” She laughed and lightly pushed Aja back with a slap to her shoulder. Even the smallest gesture made her skin tingle and butterflies swarm in her stomach. “Is something up? You’re never normally this quiet.”

Aja looked down, digging her nails into her palms. Her not-so-little crush was eating her up inside more than ever, and she didn’t know how to answer. On one hand, she could tell Dahlia and get it over with. On the other, she could make up some half-assed excuse and keep it to herself. Neither option sounded that appealing, but she had to pick one.

“It’s, uh… There is something, actually.” She didn’t know where she was going with this, or why she’d decided that this was the best decision, but she had to go with it now.

Dahlia cocked her head to the left, raising her eyebrows. “What is it?”

Aja bit her bottom lip so hard that she thought it would bleed. When she didn’t respond, Dahlia took her hand in her own, and instantly Aja’s became clammy. She reluctantly tore it away before Dahlia noticed. Instead, she placed it on her cheek, and quickly leaned in to press a kiss to her soft lips before Dahlia could even speak up. The kiss was forceful, not with aggression, but with passion - but Dahlia didn’t kiss back. Instead, she pulled away, wiping off Aja’s lipstick from her lips and looking her up and down with wide eyes. Their friendship had completely changed within a matter of seconds.

“Dahlia, I’m sorry, I-”

“Don’t worry about it ,” she cut her off, smiling insincerely. “Maybe we should just do some homework, or something. I… have to meet Kandy and Momo soon.”

“S-sure,” Aja stuttered. She’d probably tell Kandy and Momo everything. Dahlia’s reaction had taken her heart and smashed it with a sledgehammer. Melancholy filled the room as they both pulled out their homework in silence, and they began to work. Aja still felt her lips tingling, and her eyes stung with tears.

But she couldn’t hate Dahlia. It was nowhere near the girl’s fault for what she did, and she’d just have to accept that she couldn’t return the feelings. She couldn’t imagine hating her best friend. But somehow, that anger still resided within her.

“Oh,” Sasha replied, bringing Aja back from her much-relived memory. “You’ll find someone, I just know it.”

“I hope so, Sash,” Aja said.

The two automatically began to walk again, but Aja just couldn’t shake Dahlia from her mind. They were still close friends, but it had been a while since they’d last seen each other, and there was always tension when they did. Aja didn’t like Dahlia like that anymore, but the hurt had never left.

A few moments later, Sasha left to go home and Aja walked the last few streets by herself. Unable to shake Dahlia from her mind, she pulled her phone out of her pocket - she needed a distraction, and it didn’t matter too much who or what it was. At first she didn’t know who to text, but soon enough, just the right person came to mind.

Aja Come over so we can practise for Wednesday. I need some help.

Cheerleading was always her sweet escape, and it was just the right thing to keep her mind busy. But the person she’d invited to help her? That may have been a whole different matter.