Freefall ✓

30 | storm

"It's been so long since the four of us gathered around like this," Tiffany started, towering over us. She was still the tall one from the group, I noticed, with an inward smile. Some things never changed, and that was indisputably one of them, forever.

"Your boyfriend is so hot," Kylie blurted, out of the blue, her dilated pupils and wild smirk on me.

I chuckled awkwardly. How do people react to such comments?

"Ky, you're already drunk," Tiffany seized her bottle, alarmed. Then, rolling her eyes, turned to me. "Don't mind her."

Kylie whined, displeased. "No no no- one last one," she pulled the bottle to her lips, taking a massive swig.

"Okay, that's enough," Tiffany strictly confiscated the bottle from her, placing it on the table. "For today."

I reached to touch the remarkable plaited chignon her coffee-brown hair was in. "This looks amazing, Tiff."

She tilted her head. "You like it? That was three hours at the hairdresser's." Her forefinger underlined her words.

"Three hours? Oh, gawd!" Kylie exclaimed, appalled at the thought. Her expression mirrored Millie's and my own.

"You're crazy. I wouldn't have stood it," I admitted.

"Beauty is pain," Tiffany shrugged.

"Beauty is me," Kylie flipped her styled ringlets, extravagantly. The three of us laughed at her. I didn't think that would be possible, but drunk-Kylie was even crazier than the original Kylie.

Millie gasped, catching our attention. "Girls! Remember this song?" She listened, mouth agape, to the new song that came on. "Remember how Mireya tried to teach us that choreography but there was just no way—"

"Oh my gosh!"

"It's truueeeee," Tiffany and me got it concurrently. "Poor old Mireya," she chuckled thoughtfully.

"She was so annoying," I found myself admitting. All of our coaches were really fun and friendly, but as you know — every rule has its exception. 

"Yeah, maybe a little."

"I still remember the imaginary book," I rolled my eyes. Mireya used to really burn us off with keeping our backs straight at all times — consistently commenting on the imaginary book we were all supposedly balancing on the top of our heads.

"Oh my gosh, the imaginary book!" Kylie chortled, her hands clapping. "Mine was constantly falling!"

"Mine too!"

"Who's wasn't?" Millie asked. We engaged in another round of laughter.

"I missed you girls," I cheeped.

"Me too!" Half-Kylie, half the alcohol in her bloodstream, closed me in to a tight hug. The four of us ended up sharing a Teletubbies Big Hug.

"Why didn't you answer all this time?" Tiffany suddenly asked me, as directly as a dart swoops into the target.

"I. . .I don't know. . .I don't even know what to tell you, girls. . .I'm sorry. I just didn't want anything to do with what happened last time. . .you know, with the rumor—"

"Shh, it's okay. We'll keep in touch from now on, deal?" Millie interrupted, all smiles. She was always smiling, always exuding this sparkling light and warming up everyone around her with it. I hoped nothing would ever change that. 

"Deal," I returned her beam.

"Aud, about that," Tiffany changed her tone, frowning. She looked down to the floor. I searched for her eyes. They were conflicted eyes. They were the eyes of someone holding something in, desperately wanting to divulge it, but hesitating all the same. "I think I know—"