A Breath of Fresh Air - e.w.

12

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of suicide.

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Ellie volunteered to clean up Lia's room before she returned. After hearing her screams and cries at night, all Ellie wanted to do was help. She asked Joel what she could do, and he suggested cleaning up. Leo was staying with Lia, so it was easiest for both of the twins if someone else cleaned up the mess.

Ellie walked into the room. It wasn't bad, just some blood on the floor and bloody sheets. She grabbed the washcloth and started on the floors. The blood by now had dried, so it was simple to clean. Maria already told the girl to change the sheets and bring the old ones to her. Maria would clean the sheets and place them in a different house since Lia didn't need to sheets as another reminder.

Once Ellie was finished with the floors, she moved to remove the sheets. She brought a bag, for the sheets, and packed them away to bring to Maria. Once the old sheets were off, she put on the new sheets, making the bed to the best of her ability.

Before Ellie left, her eyes stopped on one thing: a picture. Ellie furrowed her eyebrows, walking closer to the photo.

It was one of the only photos in the room, the next one being an identical photo with the same girl. In the first photo, Lia was grinning at the camera as the blonde looked at the camera. Both had their cheeks squished together.

In the next photo, Ellie looked at it curiously. Lips were pressed against Lia's cheeks and the two looked extremely happy. The blonde was pretty, really pretty, and Ellie wondered who she was.

"That's Andy," Ellie jumped as she turned to see Leo at the door, holding a bag, "She was Lia's best friend."

"Didn't realize Lia had friends before," Ellie comments, but she winces at how it came out, "Fuck... I just meant that-"

"I know," Leo nodded understandingly, "We didn't have a school. But when we were younger, boys and girls were separated to be taught what was expected from them from the elders. That's where Lia met Andy.  Although, they snuck around a lot - I actually never got to really talk to Andy."

"What happened to her?"

"Her and Lia got claimed at the same time. Andy got pregnant... I guess so did Lia, but Andy knew about the pregnancy. She took herself out instead of going through with it," Leo said hesitantly, "It was a few days before we left. Lia thought we could all be together, escape together, but Andy took it into her own hands."

"Why would she?" Ellie's voice trailed off.

"Lia would have been the only one who knew. I'm not sure if she does, though," Leo replies, "Andy and Lia always looked for an escape plan once they what was going to happen to them. Maybe Andy did it to protect Lia. Maybe she did it because she just didn't want it. Maybe both... it's hard to say. The two of them cared a lot for each other. Besides me, Andy was the most important person in Lia's life."

Ellie didn't know how to reply, her eyes were just stuck on the photo of Andy. Leo cleared his throat, "Don't bring up Andy unless Lia does. She's a sore subject. The only reason I told you now is so you don't bring it up."

"I won't say anything," Ellie nods, looking over at the photo, "She was pretty, though."

"Yeah," Leo sighs, "Would have been nice to see what she would have grown into."

~~~

Lia found waking up in Cassie's bed strange. Her head hurt thinking about everything while her heart hurt from all the emotions swirling around. She figured by now that she and Andy would have been pregnant around the same time. It made Lia wonder if she would have made the same choice as Andy.