The Babysitter

Alive

Rose's PoV:

None of the other children knew yet. About Teal and the balcony.

So, I guess that's why they weren't as completely shocked as I was when we saw her sat down with one of the NASA employees.

Black was explaining what had happened, and someone came over to ask Lime a few questions, leaving us to just sit around chatting and all that. Chocolate ran over to Lime, but the rest didn't seem to mind the absence of adults.

"Rose, are you okay?" Peach asked, and from the tone of panic in her voice I could tell that this wasn't the first time she'd asked the question.

"Uh, Sorry. Mind was on other things" I muttered.

"It's okay to be upset" she declared, giving me a small smile.

It's okay to be upset? "Well you never act that way" I bluntly pointed out. She considered this for a second, before sighing.

"Sure, it's a little hypocritical. Guess it just means I understand why you don't want to express your emotions..."

Most of the others considered me slightly emotionless, as the adult crew did with my father. Sure, I didn't care much for any of them, but it didn't exactly mean I wanted to see them upset, either. I'm not cold-hearted, just rather apathetic.

"Still. You're doing better than me" I murmur, "you can talk to Emerald about it. And Scarlet understands you, too. But nobody really gets me, ya know?"

"I.... I'd like to think that I do-"

I shake my head quickly.

"You're hiding something, I can tell" she says softly, "it's okay if you don't wanna talk... but if you do, I'm always here. Remember that."

That's the thing... I would tell her about my problems, but it would hurt her if I did. It's not that I don't trust her... I'm trying to protect her. And the others. They can't find out about what happened. They don't deserve that.

I avert my gaze from Peach, looking for something else to change the subject, anything really. And that's when I saw her... and when she saw me.

A girl around my age, long blonde hair with a single strip of cyan, sat down on a chair under the watch if one of the NASA security guards.
Cyan spacesuit, no helmet.

She turned and saw me, staring into my face with her crystal blue eyes.

No... no this is impossible... you must be seeing things, you're going crazy....

But at the same time, I knew it was real.

"H-Hey g-guys?" I stuttered, pointing over at Teal, the child  who should be dead right now.

"TEALLLL!" Scarlet exclaimed, and Teal raced towards her, wrapping her arms around Scarlet and trapping her in a tight hug. Despite wincing a bit, Scarlet smiled.

"I... I'm so sorry.... I should never have hurt you... and then I... I...." Teal explained through her sobs

"I missed you" Scarlet murmured into Teal's shoulder.

"Me too" she whispered, "and I'm never going to hurt anyone again..." Teal muttered something else after, although I couldn't quite hear it.

HOW IS SHE ALIVE?!

Teal's PoV:

The balcony was good for getting rid of dangerous things...