The Butterfly Girl: A Star is Born

#20 Up to You

[Sophia]

My eyes blink open to see sunlight hitting the cave floor like a spotlight just beyond where I lay. I stare at it for a while, making sure it really was the light of day and not my sleepy eyes tricking me. The ground is cold and hard as my body was curled into a ball with my jacket over my shoulders as a blanket. I've just about had enough with sleeping on an uncomfortable floor and I sit up quietly. My back aches and I thought I heard something pop as I stretched my arms quietly. I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted to and I still felt tired. I would fall back asleep for another hour, but I forced my body to be patient and wait for a more comfortable place to pass out on.
I pull my arms through the sleeves of my purple jacket and looked over to see the Twins sleeping on the ground close together. It didn't seem like they noticed me get up.

Well, I guess if you sleep on the ground your whole life, you eventually get used to it. I can't imagine sleeping that way for the rest of your life though...

I felt awkward just sitting next to them as they slept, but I didn't want to bother them. I waited a while to see if they would get up so I could say goodbye to them and be on my way, but it didn't seem like they were gonna be up for a while. I looked away from them and stared at the sunlight on the ground where the entrance to the surface was. I grabbed my bag and pulled it over my shoulders. I got up as quietly as possible and made my way over to the bottom of the hole and slowly unfolded my wings from my back, looking upwards at the tiny spotlight above me. I waited to move, hoping the Twins would wake up at the last second so I could say goodbye. But they continued to snooze away. For some reason, I just didn't have the heart to wake them up, but it also felt bad to just leave without another word. I did say that I could show them what the surface was like, but they seemed rather hesitant about it. I kinda understood it, but I guess I didn't need them to make a decision right away. Besides, now that I know they're here, I can always come back and visit them. And maybe someday soon, I could help them replant their Moonflowers.
But right now, I just wanted to go home so I could actually sleep in a bed with a pile of blankets on top of me. After another moment of hesitation, I beat my wings in a rhythmic motion and I lifted myself up through the tunnel.

Ugh, this is gonna be a long flight. I don't know what to say to Apollo when I get back...