CHERRY BOMB ~ yellow jackets (van palmer)

part eight.

-1996-

all of the girls had gone to sleep by now, except cheryl. she didn't know how the rest of them could sleep so peacefully considering they where just in a fucking plane crash! so cheryl laid, trying not to move too much and wake up van. who couldn't be closer even if she tried, she was practically on top of cheryl. snoring, incredibly loudly. she watched the stars closely, soon interrupted as natalie turned over in her half conscious state. 'hey.' cheryl whispered trying not to wake anyone around them, 'you awake?'

'yeah,' she muttered, eyeing the sleeping readhead on her friends chest. now beginning to stand and head towards the other side of the plane. 'you coming?' she finally asked, holding up joint and a pink lighter.

'sure, hold on.' slowly, she puts her arm under vans head. lowering it onto one of their jerseys being used as a pillow, making sure not to wake her. before standing up and catching up with Natalie. ' you know... i hid some grass in my bag, if you want that?' natalie giggled and just as she was about to speak, misty ran out in front of them, making the teens flinch and stumble back. 'jesus christ, misty!' cheryl whisper-yelled. 'you scared the shit outta me!'

'sorry!' the skatty girl said.

'what are you even doing out here?' natalie interrogated misty. 'it's freezing!' while holding her arms close to her abdomen.

'peeing..?' misty answered. 'what are you two doing?'

'talking?' cheryl told the small girl before them.

'good.' misty finalise, before walking back to the others quickly.  nat and cheryl shrugged it off, scoffed, and kept walking far enough away so nobody would bother them. one they found a suitable log to sit on, natalie lit the roll up. taking a puff before passing it to cheryl.

'what's up her ass?' she began. 'she's sneaking around here like she cut off a guys leg- Oh wait, she did.' cheryl snorted out smoke before hitting nat on the shoulder, talking a deep breath from laughing.

'i actually think cutting off coaches leg with an axe was the smartest things she's done all year. but i get what you mean, she's acting weird. guilty almost.' cheryl muttered the last part, taking one more toke. handing it bad to nat.

'so..' nat began. 'what's the deal with you and van?' she abruptly asked, making cheryl choke on smoke.

'i'm sorry?'

'you and van.' natalie repeated. 'i'm not blind you know!'

'i don't know what your talking about.' cheryl recalled confidently.

'whatever you say.' natalie said reluctantly. 'we should probably head back.' flicking the butt to one side, standing up. holding her hand out to help cheryl off the log.

'we probably should.' she agreed. when they got back everyone was still asleep, cheryl took that as an opportunity to get some rest herself.

natalie watched as cheryl slid down next to van, her arm going over vans side and face in the crease of her neck. yet she claimed they weren't dating. i few hours had passed by now and most of the girls had woken up, a few still sleeping. cheryl was one of them. van had woken up a while ago, but she decided to wait for cheryl to wake up too before getting up. which would be in a few seconds, as some of the girls where loading all of the bodies out of the plane. to give them a proper burial.

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all of the girls had stood in a circle, holding each other's hands. laura lee ask asked the girls if they had anything to say. 'i saw rachel carry a flute case once..' van said, voice wobbling. cheryl, who was on her left, squeezed her hand tighter while still looking ahead at the graves. laura lee continued with her prayer as taissa stormed away from the circle, wandering into the woods that surrounded them.