Fireflies Of The Dusk | ✓

08

Song attached: Colors by Halsey

Haven't proofread. Beware.

<unedited>

Chapter 08

My footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, casting a dull feeling to the already sombre hue of the rainy evening.

The paper fisted in my hand gave me mixed signals.

Meet me at the ice cream parlour at the end of the park yeah?

— Keira

The note was as simple as that but somehow, my heart seemed to shrink with the words. Maybe it was the sullen clouds and chilly air giving me this foreboding feeling. But something didn't feel right.

Instinct?

The clouds started drizzling as I made my way out of the school grounds. My aunt and Keira wouldn't believe if I admit that somewhere along the lines, I ended up liking this building and it's monotonous student body. They didn't cause the annoying buzz everywhere the 'new boy' went nor heeded me any attention unlike my last school. There were no Ayishas and no Jeremys who screw up things. Just plain Janes and Toms.

A ghost of a smile fleeted on my face as I remembered how imperfect Keira, River and I looked together though we hung out all the time, but when the decision I made slipped into the back of my mind, it went away as quick as it occured.

I read the note three more times as I walked to the ice cream parlour, hiking my bag up now and then. Even though I wasn't drenched with the rain, the wetness made my clothes stick to me uncomfortably, making me wonder why Keira would want us to eat ice cream when it was cold outside.

Maybe another toe feeling, my mind said and I chuckled. Yeah, maybe.

The bell above the door tingled, making the woman behind the counter look up from her newspaper. She smiled at me, the salesman smile. I smiled back before letting my eyes travel around the empty room. Almost empty room as a lone figure was hunched on one corner, facing the window.

I walked towards her but unlike always, Keira didn't notice my presence. Her eyes were cast outside the window, looking at the huge tree on the other side of the road. Two kids were standing underneath it, their bicycles resting on the tree trunk. One extended his cupped hand outside the tree's shade and when it got full, splashed the water onto the other boy's ear making the boy hit the former's head.

"Friendship is a great thing, right?"

My eyes flitted back to her face only to find it still looking at the boys who were full on splashing water droplets from fingers and tree branches onto one another.

I sat down beside her on the couch lookalike seat, letting a decent one feet between us.

"Yeah."

Her eyes darted to the distance between us and a smile painted on her lips. An empty one.

"So less complicated," she mused.

I didn't comment back since she was acting peculiar and so... unlike Keira Wilson. The now familiar brooding sensation washed over me and though the AC was making my wet clothes even colder, I felt like I was sitting on fire.