The Faded Star

Chapter 12: Mirror of Memories

A/N: I didn't expect to be away for so long, but here we are, reunited at last! I hope you've been doing well, and are ready to jump back into this adventure!

Now, I'm sure you know the drill already; have tissues, a furry friend or two, and your chosen snacks/food & hydrating beverage of choice with you! Alright, got it? Good? Amazing!👌

Alright, alright, I know you're ready to jump in, and so am I!

Without further ado, my lovely readers, enjoy Mirror of Memories!😊💖💜💖💜

"As much as it seems like you own my heart. It's astronomy, we're two worlds apart." -Conan Gray (from his song, "Astronomy")

Reggie's POV

Okay, so when I told Luke and Alex that I wanted to go in the house, find Calliope, and hang out, that might've not been the full truth. Yes, I did want to see Calliope, and Chess, for that matter, though it wasn't the only reason I had for wanting to explore the house.

Kenzie said we could go in her room, and I mean, I was curious. We saw Julie's room already, and I was curious about what Kenzie's was like. And, on top of that, I wanted to see if she had noticed my present. Did she open it? Did she read it?... Did she like it?

Anyway, we poofed into the living room, and sure enough, there was Calliope curled up on the couch, happily chewing on a rope toy, and Chess was milling around the room, her tail flicking around in lazy circles. When Calliope saw us, she dropped her toy and jumped off the couch, trotting right over, and barking excitedly. I knelt down and grinned at the energetic goldie, gliding my fingers through her fur like the other night. "Hi, Calliope! Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl? You are, yes you are!"

Laughing, I stood back up, and she padded over to the staircase, looked up it, turned back and barked at us, then ran up it and out of sight. I turned to the boys, slightly confused. Alex looked puzzled too, though Luke just looked excited. "I think she wants us to follow her," he explained, bouncing a little in place.

"Yeah, well, I think we all figured that out, Sherlock. I'm more concerned about which room Calliope went to. What if she went for one of the closed rooms Kenzie mentioned?" Alex retorted.

"Well, we won't know unless we follow her!" I nodded, before dashing up the stairs, respectfully ignoring the protests from 'Lex and Luke. When I reached the 2nd-floor landing, I looked down the hallway and saw Calliope sitting outside an open doorway, panting with her tail wagging. Hearing footsteps, I turned around and saw Luke and Alex behind me.

Calliope got our attention again with a bark, and seeing our eyes on her, she walked into the room and curled up on a patchwork cushion. Before we followed, I already knew whose room it was.

Kenzie's.

Walking in, we all drifted to different things; Luke walked over to the towering bookcases, filled with everything from books & knick-knacks to notebooks & jars of paintbrushes; Alex was looking at the vanity mirror, which had photos tucked along the edges; and I wandered over to the dresser, where a few jewelry stands and a small wooden box were, along with a framed photo, with the butterfly origami leaning against it.

I sighed, not being able to tell if Kenzie had even opened my butterfly note, and shifted my attention to the picture behind it. If I had to guess, it was taken around Halloween, and not too long ago either. There were a few faces I immediately recognized; Kenzie, Julie, Kenzie and Julie's friend, (I think her name is Flynn), Julie's (and Kenzie's?) dad, and the little dude from the studio, who is probably Julie's brother. Though he said, "sisters", so maybe also Kenzie's brother? I'm not sure, though. Luke and I were both hesitant to ask Alex for details about his conversation with Kenzie. I didn't recognize anyone else in the photo, though the lady in the top hat with the cards and the guy with the slicked-back hair gave me a weird sense of déjà vu.