Once Upon A Time ✓

08 | smile; sleep

^ above is Fight Song by Rachel Platten

okay, y'all really need snacks this time. this chapter is accidentally and exceptionally long with about 3,100+ words.

hope y'all are happy though, i've been writing from 9pm to nearly 12am (cos my motivation only ever comes at night) and i got this out within one day since the last update!

just a warning; the starting's a bit rough because i wrote it earlier today when i had no motivation (cry cry why must my motivation only ever come at night) but i'll polish it when i edit it :)

enjoy x

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ONCE AGAIN, I had awoken in my dreams, but something was different this time. This time, I had a smile plastered on my face. Gabriel had been right; the time at the beach had been me feel lighter and more optimistic.

I practically floated through my morning routine, in such a blissful haze that I had unconsciously performed my tasks.

However, the temporary bliss was shattered the moment I strolled down into the living room, entering to the sight of my parents clasping their hands together and swaying their hips along to heartfelt beats as they giggled and kissed.

I felt my heart clench, watching something that I would never be able to witness again in real life.

And it hurt.

It hurt being reminded of how perfect things used to be between my parents, how they would go out for dates hand in hand every Saturday, how they would kiss each other whenever they could, how they did romantic things that could make anybody swoon.

It also hurt remembering how those slowly came to a stop. How Dad would take longer and more frequent business trips, how he would return later in the night with dishevelled hair and clouded eyes. It hurt remembering how Mum and I had caught him in the bedroom with his lips locked with his assistant's.

Rushing past them, tears blinded my vision as memories continued flowing in. I had made it to the front door when Dad called, "Kaylee! Where are you going? I need to drive you!"

Lifting my hand to rub away the beads of tears, my free hand twisted the door knob as I hollered back hoarsely, "I'll walk to school myself, I had something urgent to attend to. A-and you don't have to pick me up today, I'm going to a friend's house for a project."

Thankfully, Dad had no arguments, letting this slip. "Okay, just call me when you want to pick you up from your friend's house!"

I nodded despite the fact that he couldn't see it, and sprinted out of my house and off towards school.

When I had reached the school compound, I had been panting like a dog, chest heaving heavily as I tried to catch my breath. My body felt fatigued and dots coloured my vision, making my head spin. Bending my body over as I held onto my kneecap, I sucked in big balls of air, filling my lungs with fresh oxygen.

"Kaylee?" Glancing up, my eyes clashed with Amelia's brown ones that were staring down at me.

"Oh, hey Amelia," I gulped, straightening my back and caused a sickening crunch that she reacted towhy cringing.