When Dreams Start To Fade

chapter 8 - a.k.a HQ

Brain Chicken: “BUT WHAT IF IT’S JUST A DRAFT AND WE RUIN EVERYTHING AND DAISY HATES US AND WE DIE ALONE AND—”

Brain Detective: “Pull yourself together. We have evidence. We need backup. Tell Lily and Rose.”

Brain Chicken: “What if they think we’re overreacting?! What if it’s just glitter allergies and coincidence?!”

I blinked three times and realized I was chewing my eraser.

Main Character Moment Activated

I looked out the window dramatically, like a girl in a sad music video.

The clouds were dark. The wind rustled the trees. A crow cawed in the distance. Or maybe someone just sneezed really loudly.

Still, I felt it. The weight. The tension. The spotlight of destiny shining on me.

I wasn’t just a girl in a classroom anymore.

I was the main character, baby.

And the plot was THICKENING.

The Final Thought Before Bell Rings

Should I tell Lily and Rose? Should I wait and collect more clues? Should I first buy a new pencil?

One thing was clear: I couldn’t pretend forever. Because the glitter was peeling. And underneath it? Was something real. Maybe even something ugly.

I took a deep breath and marched across the canteen like I was about to drop the hottest gossip of the decade.

There they were. Lily and Rose. My chaos crew. My emotional support bears.

I plopped down next to them and whispered dramatically,

“Hey, my wild bears…”

They both looked up from their lunch trays, chewing in unbothered harmony. Lily had three fries sticking out of her mouth like walrus tusks.

Rose blinked. “What happened? Bee sting? Honey bee? Tell me it’s not your mom with another math attack.”

I laughed awkwardly and lowered my voice. “Okay, no insects involved. But I do have something important to tell you both.”

Rose gasped and leaned forward like we were in an episode of koffee of karan.

“Wait—did someone propose to you?!”

Lily choked on her juice.

“Relax, Rose. No one's proposing to Ava unless it’s a pizza delivery guy by mistake.”

“Excuse me,” I said, clutching my imaginary pearls. “That was unnecessary emotional damage. I may be single, yes—but that’s not the point!”

I gave them my most serious I-am-not-joking look and continued,

“I found something. Like… something something. It’s big. Huge. Possibly conspiracy level. And no, it’s not about crushes or failed math tests. It’s real.”

Rose raised an eyebrow. “Then spill the beans, Sherlock.”

I leaned in closer and whispered, “Not here. This place has too many ears and too few brain cells.”

Lily snorted. “So…?”

I stood up dramatically, grabbed my tray like I was holding top-secret files, and said:

“Headquarters. Five minutes.”

They both nodded, instantly understanding. Because headquarters? Was our secret code name for… The girls’ washroom. (Where all serious business happens, obviously.)

To Be Continued... after lunch. If I survive this next period without yelling “OBJECTION!” like a courtroom lawyer.

I stood inside the girls’ washroom, pacing like a CEO waiting for her unpaid interns. The mirror caught my reflection—messy hair, nervous eyes, and the kind of dramatic tension you only see in suspense movies where the main character is about to reveal government secrets.

“Where are those two wild bears?” I muttered. “Did they lose their brain cells in the canteen or fall asleep under a lunch table like actual hibernating animals?”

And just as I was about to dramatically text WHERE are u bears, the door creaked open.

Lily and Rose walked in like they owned the place. One chewing gum. The other adjusting her hair like this was a spa, not our spy HQ.

“Finally!” I hissed. “Welcome, agents. The case awaits.”

Rose raised an eyebrow. “Okay Miss Secret Agent. What’s so urgent? Did someone finally admit to stealing your blue gel pen?”

Lily leaned against the wall. “Or did you dream another dramatic monologue and need us to rate it out of 10?”

I pulled The Paper out of my bag with the flair of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

“No jokes now. Look at this.”

They leaned in.

Silence.

Then Lily blinked. “What is this?”

I rolled my eyes so hard I saw last week.

“Lily, my sweet confused coconut, God gave you eyes—use them kindly.”

Rose giggled. “You two are too much.”

I pointed to the page like I was unveiling a crime scene clue on a detective show.

“I found this in the art room yesterday. Crumpled. Forgotten. Buried under canvases. And guess what? My name is right there. Not Daisy’s. It’s the real result sheet. I think.”

Their jaws dropped so fast it was practically a health hazard.

“WHAT?” Rose gasped. “No. No way. Someone pinch me!”

I, being the supportive friend that I am, happily pinched her right on the arm.

“OUCH!” she yelped.

“Believe it now?” I smirked. “You’re not dreaming. This is real tea.”

Lily stared at the paper like it was a cursed scroll. “This… this changes everything.”

She went full serious mode, pushing her hair back like she was about to deliver a TED Talk.

“Girls, this is not just glitter and gossip. This is a serious matter. We need to go deeper.”

Rose blinked. “Like… how deep?”

Lily’s eyes narrowed.

“Detective-deep. Maybe even conspiracy-deep. There are layers to this—like an onion. Or a really dramatic cake.”

I nodded, holding the paper like a sacred document.

“Exactly. Something's off. Too perfect. Too polished. And now we’ve got proof that something’s being hidden.”

“So… what’s the next move?” Rose asked.

I looked at them both, dead serious.

“Now? Now we observe. We collect clues. We keep this between us. Because Daisy might be smiling in the posters, but there’s something she’s not telling us.”

The bell rang outside like it was cueing the next scene.

We all looked at each other.

Mission: Started.
Friendship: Stronger.
Mystery: Thickening like school canteen pudding.

To be continued...