A/N: Hi again my lovely readers, it's been a while, but I'm back!💜 Did you miss me?
So, I know I've warned about angsty chapters before, but uh... *nervous laughter*... this one takes the cake. So, grab your tissue boxes and furry friend (if you have one), get comfortable, and brace yourselves for this rollercoaster.🦋
💙Votes and comments are welcome!
"And I'll be waiting for you, until we meet again." -Dodie Clark (from her song "Dear Happy")
Kenzie's POV (2011)
"Lyla?"
I couldn't remember a time when I had seen her so tired, yet alert at the same time. Not even this morning when she was getting ready to go to the lacrosse game. Her golden hair was pulled back in a ponytail held together by a hairbow with a few small braids woven throughout, but it was slightly frizzy like she had been running her fingers through it. Her uniform was rumpled, the bold "03" half-hidden behind her bomber jacket, which she had clutched in her arms. I could hear her panting and saw Aunt Marie taking deep breaths, trying to recover from what, I wasn't sure.
"Come on in, you two. Take a seat and catch your breath," Mom said, smiling fondly and gesturing to the empty seats left.
Lyla nodded and came over to me and Dad, sitting on the stool Ray left next to my chair, still holding onto her jacket with one hand, while the other was cradling mine. Aunt Marie hesitated, sighing and shaking her head before finally settling at Mom's side, all too used to her stubborn nature.
Aunt Marie told me that being stubborn was a family trait, though I'm not really sure what "stubborn" means. I think it's when you don't want to agree with someone, or at least that's how Ray put it when I asked him.
"How are you feeling, Christy?"
"Mm, almost like the time we were playing in the garden with Veronica. Do you remember that, Mari?"
"Yeah, I remember you seeing a bumblebee, trying to get away from it, and falling in the rose bushes," she chuckled, brushing loose strands of Mom's hair away from her eyes.
"I was quite the scaredy-cat, wasn't I?" Mom said with a smile, staring off into space. Seeing the light in her eyes, I could almost imagine the memory playing in them.
"You were, though I loved you all the same. I always will, no if and/or buts about it," Aunt Marie said.
"Language," Ray joked, and we all snickered. I sighed and leaned against Lyla, still keeping a hold of both her and Dad's hands.
As our laughter quieted down, it felt like a warm blanket fell over the room. Any discomfort melted away, and outside the windows, night was falling across the city. There was a crescent moon rising in the sky, the stars glowing brightly around it. The room was filled with soft chatter, Lyla and I had switched places with Aunt Marie, so we were chatting with Mom, and Aunt Marie and Ray were on the other side of the room with Dad. Flynn, Julie, and I were showing Mom our bracelets and talking about our costumes from earlier. Rose had gone into the hallway to answer a call, and when she came back, she told us Tía Victoria and Carlos were at the house.
"Are you girls hungry? There's a cafeteria upstairs and a few vending machines down the hall if you want a snack or something to drink," Rose offered, and at the mention of food, my stomach growled.
YOU ARE READING
The Faded Star
Fanfiction"You guys, this is amazing! I can't even count how many people have played the Orpheum and become famous! We're going to be legends!" Twenty-five years later, sophomores Julie Molina and Mackenzie Mercer are barely holding on to their former love o...
