Be in the Stars

Her Shadows

Her Shadows:

They sat on damp grass, both secretly squirming, if it weren’t for Mia’s story they would have just stood and begun to walk.

But no one crossed paths with Mia.

She was exaggerating as usual.

Open hands, wide arms, and rosy cheeks.

Each gesture would be bigger than the other, until she reached the climax of the adventure, or rumour, or awkward situation she’d been a part of.

 Then she’d let out a big puff of air - sometimes swirling big clouds of warmth into the winter air – and then go on a tangent.

“That reminds me!” she was saying, oblivious to one of the two other girls texting.

The more patient of the two tried her best to listen and follow the tale of Francine dating Michael, who turned out gay, or was it the other way around?

“Are you even listening to me?” asked Mia straining her voice, and then snapping her fingers in front of the texting girl.  

This occurred every day, and like most, by the end of school they girls would go their separate ways, not really recalling a thing Mia had talked about.

A week after that day Mia didn’t turn up to school.

Relieved the two girls shared their own secrets and scandals, but shared the amount of listening time too. Something Mia could never achieve.

Another week went by, and the lesser patient girl started to become worried, she was curious so, she texted her friend.

She got no reply.

This was odd.

The next day she sat nervously at school thinking Mia wouldn’t be seen again.

But as soon as she thought it, her other friend came by, distracting her, and lifting her mood.

A fortnight past, and the patient one let it slip. “I hate Mia,” it was only a thought, but she said it allowed, turning the other girls head, “pardon?” she asked, pocketing her phone.

“Ok, so maybe I’d never admit it, but don’t you think you’ve been happier since she’s been away?” she questioned, waiting graciously for an answer.

 The other girl tapped her finger to her chin, “I guess so,” but she didn’t need to guess, she just knew.

“She can be a brat can’t she?” they both nodded.

“I hope she never comes back, she just talks and talks,” she added, but deep down inside guilt and gut warnings, tugged at her mind. This was getting ridiculous.  

“Where is she anyway?” she finally asked after a pause, getting as usual impatient.

“Sick maybe,” the other answered.

“Or wagging,” the impatient one said with a low voice.

“Maybe we should text her,”

“Already tried, had no reply,”

“We’re kind of just shadows to her aren’t we?”

They once again agreed, now not missing Mia one bit!

On the weekend, the patient girl went to the impatient girls home, when the impatient girls mother came rushing to the door.

“Oh deer, she’s gone.” The girls exchanged a look.

“Who?” one asked.

The distressed mother sighed, “Mia, missing, ran away, leaving a – a… suicide note.”   

Guilt washed over them.

What was the last thing Mia had talked about?

They both searched their now panicked minds, but came up blank.

If there were signs they didn’t notice, they had stopped years ago, to paying much attention.

After a month of looking for Mia’s body, it was finalised that she was dead, and the two girls grieved for her, wishing they’d spoken up sometime, having very little fond memories to look back on.

It wasn’t as if shadows could talk.