[✔︎] 𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 ✫ POST-DESCENDANTS ONE ³

THIRTY TWO

Gigi caught sight of Gino walking in the hallway and excused herself from her friends who watched her carefully as she walked away, each one of them making sure she remained safe.

"Hey Gino!" Gigi said, bumping him in the shoulder.

"Hey Gigi." Gino said, bumping her fist.

"Whatcha doing?" Gigi asked, sounding upbeat even though she didn't feel that way.

"Nothing much sister." Gino said. "Wow sister has a nice ring to it."

"I think brother does too." Gigi giggled.

"They do don't they?" Gino asked, his voice trailing as his focus seemed to be elsewhere.

"What are you looking at?" Gigi said as Gino blocked her path.

"Come on Gino." Gigi said, trying to look past him. Gino stepped again, blocking her line of vision.

"Just because you're taller than me doesn't mean you can use it to your advantage." Gigi grumbled, before successfully looking past him.

The blonde daughter of Kristoff and Anna, stood laughing at something her cousin Elisa had said. She pushed her hair over her shoulder, shouldering her backpack and slowly making her way down the hall.

"Gino has a crush." Gigi cooed, as Gino clamped a hand over her mouth.

"She's coming this way." Gino said. "What should I do?"

"Talk to her." Gigi said, flatly.

"I can't do that." Gino said.

"Yes you can." Gigi said as Annalina walked past them.

"Hey Anna!" Gigi called. Annalina turned on her heel, bouncing toward them.

"Hey Gigi!" Annalina said. "I'm glad you're okay." Her eyes flickered to Gino. "Hi Gino."

"Hi." Gino managed to choke out after Gigi hit him in the back.

Annalina's eyes flickered to the assortment of flowers behind them and at Mal and Ben who were being berated by reporters.

"Aww he asked her to Cotillion." Annalina said, picking up her camera and taking a picture. "This'll go great for the newspaper."

Gigi nodded her head in agreement.

"Wish someone asked me to Cotillion." Annalina said. "It'd be a nice change of things."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Gigi asked, as she pretended not to see that Annalina's gaze had flickered to Gino when she asked.

"I guess." Annalina said. "Not that anyone will ever ask me. I'll see you later Gigi."

Annalina hadn't made it very far when Gino called her back over after a silent argument with Gigi.

"Yeah Gino?" Annalina said, turning to look back at him.

"Will you go to Cotillion with me?" Gino asked.

"Of course." Annalina said with a grin. "I'll see you later Gino."

Gigi grinned at her brother, nudging him in the side.

"See Gino." Gigi said. "I knew you had it in you."

"Well I got inspiration from you little sis." Gino said. "Just asking for what you want."

"It doesn't always have to be the guy asking the girl." Gigi said. "Anyway I'll see you later Gino. I'm really tired."

"Are you?" Gino asked. "You were asleep for nearly eight hours."

"Yes Gino." Gigi said. "I'm tired."

Gigi skipped to her dorm, finding Maddie with her arms crossed over her chest when she entered.

"I'll be back before curfew." Maddie mocked. "What were you thinking Gigi?"

"I wasn't." Gigi said.

"And CJ, Freddie and Zevon let it happen." Maddie said. "They got a stern talking to grin Crystal. But I'm not good at those so I'll say you're off the hook this time. But if you ever pull anything like that again-."

"I know." Gigi said. "It won't happen again."

Gigi was saved from further thoughts from Maddie when Evie came into their dorm unannounced. She held up what she had been working on before.

"Okay Gigi." Evie said. "I'm looking for your honest opinion here. Is this jacket amazing or what?"

"It is." Gigi said, running her hand over the jewels that encrusted it. "Who's it for?"

Evie's smile faltered and Gigi had wished she'd never asked.

"She's not going to want it." Evie said. "She doesn't want to talk to me."

"Who is she?" Maddie asked before it dawned on her. "Oh you saw her?"

"We more than saw her." Gigi said. "She helped us. Sam's got a good heart but she doesn't know how to use it."

"Did you happen to see..." Maddie stopped herself. "No I don't need to know."

"We did." Gigi said. "We saw Quinn. She's out for blood."

"I thought she'd be." Maddie said as Gigi's phone rang.

"Who is it?" Evie asked, leaning over Gigi's shoulder.

"My parents." Gigi said with a smile. "They have this thing about calling me every night and making sure I'm still here."

"That's called paranoia." Maddie said. "But I see where they're coming from."

"I'll call them back." Gigi said.

"What'd I tell you Gigi?" Evie said. "I told you you'd find them. You're persistent and have a good heart, a big heart. You were like a ray of sunshine in a world full of darkness. You shine brighter than any star."

Gigi smiled at Evie, giving her a hug and bidding her goodbye.

She flopped on her bed, beaming for no reason and calling her parents back. Talking to them longer than she should have. But it didn't matter. She was glad she had them back. She was happy to have a brother. She was happy to know who her family was after months of searching when they'd been right in front of her.

She thought of all she had gone through to find them and how it had all worked in the end.

She picked up the picture Sam had taken of her and parents, placing it on her nightstand next to the picture of her and Gil.

She'd see him again, she could feel it. Maybe it'd be because Mal and Uma's battle was far from over. But she loved him anyway. They might have been on two different sides of the battle. But that would never stop them.

They were two flowers in a sea of uncertainty but they'd bloom anyway.

THE END