𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋, 𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙣𝙖𝙥

eight.

AS SHE STARED at her ceiling, Archer Holmes realised she felt more alone than she ever had. She had so much, but now that the band had split, her day-to-day was now just a long stretch of "what do should I do?" instead.

She had too much, in her opinion, but she still felt empty.

How can you possibly tell someone that you're scared when you should be happy?

Archie's future was so uncertain now. Before Gray got diagnosed, the girls had sworn that they would keep going as long as they could still stand, and they would have, but now that the singer looked back at it she realised that she couldn't remember when she'd last felt truly at home in her life.

Now sobbing, not even realising she'd started, she called the only person who even slightly understood.

"Hello?"

The sweet voice of her mum was music to her ears.

"Hi mummy - how are you?" the raven-haired girl sniffled.

The mother and daughter were more like sisters. Samira had given birth to Archer in her junior year of high school. She was seventeen and her parents had disowned her for it.

Samira was a baby when her parents and uncle immigrated to the USA from Morocco, and although her parents felt a culture shock, Uncle Ula adjusted easily.

He was a hands on uncle, while his sister and her husband treated their children more like slaves.

They lived with Ula, who Archie would grow to call her grandfather.

When her daughter was five months old, Samira met Alexander Holmes. He swept her off her feet and Bowie popped into the picture. They got married when Archie turned four and welcomed Artemis into their little family.

When Archie was five she met her biological grandparents - they'd tried to take her away from Samira to raise her themselves. It didn't work, and Archie never spoke to them again.

Needless to say, with only seventeen years in between them, the mother and daughter were thick as thieves.

So when Samira heard her daughter's voice her heart thumped at the tone.

"Hi, my girl. What's happening?" The mother cooed soothingly.

Archer sniffled.

"I'm lonely, Mama. I think I'm spiralling - what do I do? I don't have my girls anymore - God, I don't even have a label anymore! I'm losing it. Can I move home for a while? I can't be here" the young adult blurted in between sniffles and snotty sobs.

Samira would normally say yes.

"No."

Archie's breath faltered.

"Wh-"

"You are going to stay exactly where you are, you hear me? You worked so hard to be here, hayati. You are going to face this head on and own your shit. You are strong - you are loved, and you are never alone. If you don't feel better in a month or two, your room here is free, but until then you will work your ass off" The mother stated sternly, her voice still warm.

The two stayed on the phone for a couple of hours, and then they hung up.

Archer had given herself a timeline now - to prove to herself that she could do this.

Whatever "this" was.

✰彡CONFESSIONAL!
i'm abt to get tmi with you guys so apologies in advance. on monday i had a miscarriage and honestly i haven't been doing very swag cash money. my partner is in the army and i don't really know how to tell him so i'm ✨spiralling✨

ANYWAY!

vote and comment or i will burn your fingerprints off xx