𝐢 𝐝𝐨 ; s.c.

𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚘

elizabeth sat down next to her friend and shrugged, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her them. "not really," she watched melissa tear up the green blades surrounding them one by one. "well, actually, ponyboy's finally twelve."

melissa nodded in response, quiet for a few moments. "you know," she said, breaking into the interrupting the stiff and tense atmosphere, "you haven't exactly told me how you've been."

"i'm okay."

elizabeth looked into her warm brown eyes that only projected warmth and understanding.

love.

she reached into her small backpack and pulled out her notebook, flipping through the pages. she closed it and tentatively handed it to melissa.

the notebook is the key to her brain. she watched her friend slowly unlock it, looking into her memories and thought processes from the months in which she were gone.

elizabeth started to get anxious, fidgeting with her braid.

finally, after what seemed like hours, melissa reached the last page that elizabeth had worked on. so many doodles and words that meant so many things at once. endless entries and poems and drawings that traveled from her best friend's mind to the tips of her fingers, escaping the prison cell through the pencil. the notebook was temporary freedom.

she didn't say anything. she just leaned over and gave elizabeth an affectionate and tender hug.

surprised, elizabeth didn't reciprocate at first, but then she slowly wrapped her arms around her.

"i'm here for you, ellie," melissa whispered, and pulled away, staring deeply into her eyes, as if searching for an answer. "you don't have to grow up so quickly, ya know," she said slowly, looking down at her lap, "i think you just gotta be who you want, and um... try to make yourself happy. if someone says you gotta be a particular way, they don't know nothin'. at least, they don't know you. you're only thirteen, after all, you don't gotta be an adult when you're barely a teenager." ellie began to chew on her lip.

melissa paused and looked over at the lake. "i think it's good that you've been expressing yourself in this here notebook. it prevents you from bottling everything up, and you don't become numb. you can actually feel somethin'."

"but that's the thing, melly," ellie began, "i don't know how to feel. about anything. i don't know if i should be sad, or angry, or frustrated. i just know that every day i wake up with a feelin' of dread."

melissa smiled softly. "and that's okay. we'll figure it out together." she shrugged, "who ever said life made sense anyhow?" ellie smiled back, feeling much more grateful for her friend than ever before.

its what keeps me going.

without melissa, ellie would be lost.

₊⋆☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆☁︎⋆₊

september 12th, 1962.

"all right, class, i want you to get into pairs. but don't you go and start grouping with your friends; i'm picking your partners."

while the class groaned, elizabeth's heart just sank. she had no friends in here, and most of them were socs. she would've preferred to work alone, but this project was a two-person job.

"miss coleman, go sit with elizabeth. miss mathews, raise your hand."

elizabeth raised her hand slowly. she was paired with a soc, how wonderful!

melissa walked over to the lab bench where elizabeth was sitting alone, and sat down. "hi, i'm melissa, nice to meet ya," her voice was friendly and welcoming.