Bright Blue Skies [P. Parker] [complete]

Six - Panic

Briar found safety curled in an empty classroom.

She hugged her knees to her chest as she shook, her body racked with sobs.

"Briar? Bri, you good?"

"N-No." she murmured. "I- I want to be alone."

"I don't think that's a good idea, sis." Milo floated through the locked door.

Briar took a shaking breath. "Mi, I want to be alone."

"No you don't," he said quietly, floating down to sit beside her.

She shook her head. "No, I don't. God, I don't want to be alone. It's all my fault. If I'd just packed up faster-"

"Hey. Hey, stop." Milo cut in. "Listen, Bri. It wasn't, and never will be, your fault. Do you understand?"

"I just want to hug you." she sobbed. "I want to hug you so damn bad."

Milo sat awkwardly as Briar broke down in sobs.

He wished he could help her.

-☼-

Briar had missed first period, sitting in that cold, empty classroom with the ghost of her dead brother at her side. When she was late to second, Margot Kennedy thought the worst.

"Miss, Briar's not here. I don't know where she is and I'm worried," she told her teacher, wheeling up to her.

"I'm sure she's fine, Margot. She'll be here soon, I'm sure." the woman replied, waving her off.

So Margot went back to her desk and doodled in her notebook. Every few minutes, she glanced up at the clock and checked her phone to see whether her friend had texted back, but nothing came.

"Margot, I'm sorry," Ned said as he walked over to her from a few desks away.

"What for?" she asked, setting her pen down.

"I asked Briar about the crash. I thought she was okay. I didn't think. I'm sorry." he looked down. "I feel so bad."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know it was as bad as it is." Margot patted his arm.

"Yeah, but she's not in class, and I'm worried she might be hurt or worse and it'll be because of me." he groaned. "I just feel so guilty."

Peter walked up beside him. "I'm sure she'll be okay, Ned. She's strong. She's gotten this far. She's probably just somewhere calming down."

"For an hour and a half?" his friend whined miserably.

"Maybe." Margot shrugged. "Everyone deals with things differently. She was always alone before. Maybe it's gotten too much and she needs a break. Maybe she got picked up by her dad. Maybe she-"

"She just texted you." Peter pointed out as her phone buzzed on the table.

The two boys crowded around her wheelchair as they read the text Briar had sent.

Bri: Sorry abt leaving you hanging there. I'm just trying to calm down. Been drawing and reading. Will be in class soon.

The three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well-"

"Mr Parker, Mr Leeds. What is so interesting on Margot's phone that you have to be beside her?" their teacher snapped, walking over. "And Miss Kennedy, what are you three looking at?"