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I looked in the mirror, my hand on my hip, as I admire the new dress, which looked like a comic book dress, the comics was of Quake. "What're you doing?" I hear my brother ask amused as he stood at the doorway, a tray of salsa and chips in his hands.
"Totally not modeling my dress or anything like that." I answer as he began to laugh. I smirk at him and use my telekinesis to make his tray go up and spill his food on him, his salsa all over his shirt, neck, and part of his chin. I laugh while Justin grinned and moved over to me.
"You're right, this is funny, so funny. But you know what's funnier?" Justin began, still grinning, "How much I love my sister!" He quickly wrapped his arms around me and spun me around in a hug while I complain, "Justin! Stop! Let me down!" Justin put me back down on the floor, pumping his fist in the air, and then moonwalked out of the room in satisfaction while watching me look down at the salsa stain on my dress.
I pout a little, grab my wand, and magically change my outfit; I was now wearing dark skinny denim jeans, a crimson red shirt with my black leather jacket, and black combat boots, my shoulder-length brown hair left down. I tuck my wand into my boot and teleport to the Moore home, cleaning out some of my stuff and flashed back inside of the penthouse, a cardboard box inside of my arms.
"Hey, Des, what's inside of the box?" Skylar asked.
"Some stuff back at our old home. I was cleaning somewhat." I answer, pulling out a folded scooter and looked at my brother, "Justin, here's your scooter. Weren't you looking for it?"
Justin looked at me, slightly annoyed as he took the scooter from me, and replied, "Yeah, when you hid it from me when I was eight."
"Yeah." I laugh a little, placing the box on top of the counter and smiled cheekily.
He held a magazine in his hand now and looked back at me and commented, "I realize now why I felt so weird about being away and you being gone. It's because cleaning up other people's messes and then being able to silently judge them afterwards is what makes my life complete."
I look at him in amusement and remark, "Did you just say I make your life complete?" He looked away for a few seconds and glanced back at me before replying, "No."
"Oh, my gosh. You miss me!" I grinned, pointing at him lightly as he looked at me fully again and answered in denial, "No, I don't miss you! Pfft. Here, take your magazine. It's the only reason I came here." He handed me the magazine and started walking towards the door as he replied quickly, "Bye!"
"I miss you too!" I call out to him, still smiling while laughing a little.
Justin stopped and faced me again, also with a small smile on his face, and replied, "You're a punk."
My grin grew even bigger and reply to him automatically, "And you're a jerk."
"Alright, this what we're gonna do. First of all, take out five dollars." I start, stepping over to my brother as he pulled out a five dollar bill and looked at me curiously and asked, "Why?"
I take the money and answer simply, "I need five bucks. Second... Do you have five ones for this five?" Justin searched his front left pocket and pulled out five one dollar bills and held it up just as I took that money also and grinned, "Great, because my five was lonely." I walk away in satisfaction.
I step into the training room and pick up a bo staff just as my brother followed me and moved into the room also; I start to twirl the staff around me slowly as Justin chuckled a little and picked up one also, clumsily twirling it around at first and began to spin it around better but slow.
I smirk and twirl the staff in my hand gracefully and professionally, swinging it around in one hand very quick-like and ninja-like, stopping and snuck a glance at my brother as he watched in amazement and with wide eyes.
Justin put his bo staff up and moved over to the door. "Yeah, I quit." He said as I laugh and place my staff up also and run up behind him and hop onto his back, both of us moving down the hallway and back into the main part of the penthouse.
I then recalled a memory of the two of us.
I moved over to my brother who was standing at his locker and fold my arms across my chest, a curious expression on my face. "What's up, brother?" I speak up as Justin glanced over at me after spinning the dial on his lock, "What's wrong?"
"I, uh, forgot my locker combination-" Justin started as I scoff, "You're lying-" He stopped me and continued, "It could happen."
I give him a pointed look and tell him, "You made up a locker combination song." I start to sing the short song, "Right to clear it, come on, let's hear it, twenty-three." Justin also joined in singing as we both rock from side to side to the tune, "Left eight digits but don't fidget, thirty-one. Now for the last, don't go too fast. Six, and you're off to class. Whoo!"
"Okay, you got me. I didn't forget my combination. I, uh, wanted to wait and tell all of you together, but I'm getting a superhero award for citizenship." Justin admitted.
I grin, "That's awesome, J! I guess you're not such a jerk after all."
Justin laughed and shook his head, his hands over his hips, as he replied, "You're still a punk." We laugh and start walking to our next classes.
I hop down and skip over to the couch and plop down on it just as someone knocked on the door; Chase moved over to the door and opened it to reveal Adam and Leo standing outside. "Leo, Adam, good seeing you guys again!" Bree said, moving over to them and hugging both of her brothers.
"Yeah, because it's not like you don't see them almost everyday back at your house." I sarcastically remark with an innocent grin. Bree stuck her tongue out at me as I do too.
Justin moved over to the couch and plopped onto it also, resting his head over my lap and added with big grin towards me, "You know you miss them too." I push my brother off of the couch as he rolled off and fell onto the floor as I laugh.
I stand up, stepping over Justin, and also moved over to my best friends and hug the two of them. "Hey, Adam, I've got a great prank and have been waiting to use it. You and Leo in?"
The two of them grinned and both replied in unison happily, "Definitely." I nod and whisper in their ears quietly, letting them know what I had planned.
The three of us ran down the hallway and part separately, gathering the stuff for the prank and regrouped after we gathered everything; We slid on roller skates over our feet and wore helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads, and each had two pies in each of our hands. (Six pies in total for the team. Reece isn't here right now, so no seventh pie).
The three of us laughed, skating across the floor and hitting our friends in their faces with pie; I move over to Justin and smiled big. "Des, no-" Justin started as I correct him, "Uh, Des, yes." I splatter my last pie in his face and high-five Leo and Adam while the three of us was laughing.
***
Chase and I was walking through the garden at Aerofexus, passing several Inhumans along the way as they played with their powers and was just happy. "Where are we going?" Chase inquired curiously, glancing over at me while the two of us continue to walk.
I simply glance at him with a small smile while walking a little ahead of him, now walking backwards facing him, and then turn back around and now walked beside him again. We then stop in front of a red gateway and notice the view of the mountains beside the land.
"This is it, best view of the house. Good place to clear your head, think a little, or whatever." I comment, "But today, we're here to figure out you. Tell me about your powers that you got from the Arcturian Space Rock."
"Is that why you brought me here?" Chase asked in slight amusement and confusion.
I simply nod as he sighed a little and continued, "Take my hand-" I look at him with one raised eyebrow as he replied, "Come on, you're more of a curious than afraid type."
I smile a little and move my hand in his slightly outstretched hand just as electricity moved between our interlocked hands. "Wow." I chuckle, kind of impressed. "Are you doing that?"
"When I gained these superpowers from that rock, every cell in my body had a different electrical charge, felt like I was burning from the inside out, but I learned to manipulate them, concentrate them, even transfer them onto something else, like static electricity. Thanks for helping me control all of this and learn how to use my new powers. It took a while for me control this, but now... sky's the limit."
I felt myself being lifted into the air as electricity danced beneath my feet and pushed me off of the ground, my hand still holding his. I softly laugh as Chase moved me around slightly and lowered me back onto the ground.
"See? Our gifts don't have to be terrifying. They're part of us." I tell him as he glanced down at the ground and back at me, "We're part of something extraordinary. You're not alone."
Chase smiled and moved an arm around me, pulling me close to him, and kissed my forehead. "I love you."
I look up at him and smile also, kissing him on the lips, pulled back some, and replied, "And I love you."
***
I was dressed in a guard uniform for S.P.A as I take out two batons and twirl them around in my hands just as two guards moved on opposite sides from me; I swing them to one man's face and knock him out, bringing the batons to my other side and slammed them into the other guard's face and twirled around, landing in a crouched position after hitting both of them in their guts.
The two of them were unconscious on the floor as I look up, my hair flying back while I smirk a little. I stand back up and activate my watch, a quick tornado surrounding me as I was now changed in my black super suit. I run down the hall and notice two guards running at me.
I swiftly kick one of the men in their ribs as they hunched over, holding his ribs and tried to catch his breath; I place two hands on his back and slide over him, bringing my legs over me and wrapped them around the neck of the next guard, spinning us around quickly, and landed back on my feet as he collided into the wall and fell to the floor with a thud.
I blast the first man back with my earth ability as he fell to the floor also and then move onto the next hallway, running inside of the area where all of the cells were at. The rest of the Inhumans were locked up in here, and I'm here to bust them all out and bring them home- to Aerofexus.
I send out a telepathic message to every prisoner in here, letting them know that they're safe now and is going home. I move both of my hands forward and spread them out to my sides, opening up several portals in each of their cells. "Step forth inside of the portals, my brothers and sisters. We're going home. You'll be safe there and can trust me."
Every one of the Inhumans entered inside of the portals as each portal closed behind them. "Quake! I knew you were trouble the first time you appeared on the news." Agent Williams began once he ran into the large room before I could teleport away, "I knew I was right. Who are you, Quake? Who are you really?"
I slide off my hood and look at him fully, no mask or hood hiding my identity now. (I still wear my hood and mask, even if my identity has been exposed to the world. But now, I just don't care anymore.) "I'm a hero. And this- this is my story."
"Ooh, someone's a little bit more cocky and confident since the last time that we met in these situations." Agent Williams commented in amusement but his tone then changed back to seriousness, "But that's where you're wrong, Miss Moore. You're no hero. You just cause destruction and death all around you."
"No, I don't. I'm no destroyer. I've had my fair share of bad, more than I'd like to admit. But that doesn't make me a bad person. That doesn't make me some destroyer or some person that death follows around. I'm just me." I reply, flicking my wrist and making a portal appear beside me, "And I am a hero and I will continue to be a hero until my very last day in the end. No matter what you do or anyone does, I will always fight for the people. I will always fight the good fight."
With that said, I jump through the portal and close it on his side before the man could follow me inside. I land in Aerofexus and look at all of the new Inhumans and speak up, "Welcome to Aerofexus, everyone. My name is Destiny Moore. This is a place, a sanctuary, for people like us. It's a home where everyone can feel safe and not be afraid anymore. We are all one big family now. We stick together. You're not alone anymore and don't have to do anything alone. You're home."
I give them a tour of the place and show them their rooms and explain even more in what all of this is about and how everything here is possible and such. A pain crossed my mind then as I gasp a little, sensing my family back on Earth in danger.
I open a portal and jump through it, landing on the other side and threw my hand out making another portal open up as my uncle flew in just after he had leapt in the air towards Chase who was on the floor and then I swiftly move over to Chase. "Chase, Chase, come on, you need to get up."
Chase groaned a little and stood back up, shaking his head quickly and now stood by my side just as my uncle approached us. "Allow my daughter to do the honor, Hive." Rodissius spoke up, stepping out of the shadows along with Riker and Roman. "Reece, reveal your true self to them."
My eyebrows furrow and jaw flexed some as Reece stepped forward and moved over to the two of us. "No... You're being forced to do this by your father. This isn't you, Reece." I start, trying to not feel betrayed by my best friend.
"But it is. It's always been me. I knew you would forgive me and trust me again. So, I took that to an advantage and exploited it." Reece began with a satisfied smirk on her face, "And this? This is the end of your precious team and your family. You've lost, Des, face it."
"Good will always win-" I comment as Chase moved an arm in front of me protectively. "You used my loyalty against me? What's your big plan here, huh? Destroy the penthouse, mission command? That won't make us stop fighting. It'd- It would only make us fight even harder."
"You're gonna be a little busy when you're saving your father figures' lives and fighting against your own family to fight us." Roman spoke up just as the rest of the team, including Adam, Leo, Donald, and Douglas, ran into mission command, "And look, everyone is now here."
Reece then blasted Donald and Douglas, both of the men's eyes, noses, and mouth lighting up as both of them collapsed onto the floor. "No!" I super speed over to their side, taking both of their hands in each of mine, and look back up at a smirking Reece.
"You can either heal one of them and still live after using that much power or you can heal both of them and possibly die from it and be really weak." Reece simply commented with a careless shrug, "Either way, there's a cost that you'll have to pay. If you live through healing both of them, you'll feel the effects of it everyday."
The villains then teleported away from mission command while the team gathered around us, watching Douglas and Donald as the two men were in pain and dying. "We- We'll be okay, Des. Don't- Don't heal us and do what she- she says." Donald muttered out, grunting in agony.
My veins began to darken as I start to take away their pain. "I have to. I'm not letting you two die. Reece is my fault... I- I shouldn't have forgave her. I'm so sorry." I reply while grunting in pain as I continue to take away their pain.
"Des, you heard what she said. If you do this, you could die-" Leo started, taking a step forward.
"And, if I don't, they will. It's an obvious choice to make and I'm making it." I finish, my hands starting to glow red as our interlocked hands began to glow brightly also. Donald's and Douglas's bodies began to glow also while the team squinted their eyes shut tightly as the light grew even brighter.
The blackness inside of my veins swam up on my arm and moved onto my neck and crept onto my cheek as the pain intensified it seemed; The room began to tremble slightly with small tremors until the glowing slowly stopped.
The room stopped shaking as I let go of their hands and fall back, letting out a sharp gasp as all of my memories instantly played in my head, my life playing out before my eyes.
"Des, come on, come back..." Justin softly started, one of his hands now on my shoulder as his other hand moved on the back of my head, helping me sit back up. "Come on, little sister." Douglas and Donald was sitting on the floor beside us, both hands on each of my arms, watching me in concern.
"I- She- I'm so sorry..." I stammer out quietly, a single tear sliding down my face as I fully come back to consciousness.
A familiar, evil female's voice spoke up, "Take her now. She can't fight back right now."
All of our heads turned to look at Riker and Roman, Reece, Hive, Rodissius, and Death herself in mission command again. "You're not taking her anywhere." Adam spoke up before using his blastwave on the villains as they flew backwards but stood back up.
I try to focus my still slightly blurry vision and blink a couple of times, slowly standing back up with the help of Douglas and Donald while the team fought the villains.
Reece grabbed Bree by her arm and teleported the two of them away from mission command. "Stop. I- I'll go with you. Just- Just bring Bree back here." I state, taking a shaky step forward and moved closer to the villains.
"Oh, how sweet. There's that selfless Des I was counting on." Reece commented, appearing behind me but now without Bree. "Don't worry, you'll see Bree soon. Tell me, how does it feel to be betrayed by me again? To know that you're part to blame for their downfall?"
"Was everything that you said a lie? Did you mean any of our friendship at all? From that very first day that the two of us met, was any of it true?" I start, facing the girl behind me now and took a deep breath, "No matter what you do, good will always win... even if all of you kills me and somehow manages to get rid of my family."
Hive approached my side and grabbed my arm in his hand tightly, teleporting the two of us away from the group as the rest of the villains followed after us.
"We have to help Des and Bree, Big D." Leo started.
"We will-" Donald started just as Douglas spoke up at a cyberdesk, "This place is about to explode. We need to evacuate the building and get out as quick as we can." Douglas showed the timer that was counting down which showed a minute left.
Skylar super speeded throughout the building and gathered the people out of the building as Kaz and Oliver flew some of the people out while Justin teleported some out also; Leo, Adam, Chase, Donald, and Douglas also exited the building just as Justin ran the last civilian out of the building just as it exploded in flames, including mission command below the building.
"Now what? Without mission command, we have nothing." Oliver started as they watched the flames continue to burn their home.
"Now, we find Bree and Des. Then we finish this war once and for all." Chase spoke up, "Des is right. No matter what they do to us, we'll continue to fight and will continue to stand as a team, as a family. Let's end this fight."
"Yeah, let's go punch some bad guys!" Adam replied in slight excitement.
***
I wake up with a gasp, moving a little to find that I'm tied to a chair; Bree was also tied in a chair beside mine, her head looking towards the floor and was still unconscious. "Bree, girly, hey, hey, wake up." I desperately say to her breathlessly. The cuts on my face from Reece punching me earlier then healed completely.
"We meet in this situation again, my dear niece. It must be fate." Hive spoke up, stepping into the room and moved over to us.
"Yeah, it's fate for me to destroy you all." I remark, an innocent smile on my face and phase through the ropes restraining me in the chair. I stand back up and look at him. "I know you want to see me break, but dear uncle, you vastly underestimate me."
"Do it now." Philip simply stated just as Roman revealed himself and pressed a button on a remote in his hand. Bree woke up and stood up, the ropes falling onto the floor.
"Bree? You alright, girly?" I warily ask my best friend, taking a step towards her as she looked at me and answered, "I can't move. They're controlling me. They- They hacked into my chip."
"I'm so sorry-" Bree started, her eyes watery just as she super speeded towards me and swung her arm to me as I grab her outstretched arm super fast and move my other hand on the back of her arm, holding her there. Bree moved her foot behind me and tripped me as I quickly stand back up and get punched in the face and then the stomach while I hold onto her arm.
I deflect her punches and block her kicks as Bree continued to swing her fists and legs towards me super fast; She then grabbed my arm and flipped me over her as my back hit the floor. I look up at her while still on the floor, breathless, and watch her then super speed out of the room and came back in with a different attire on.
Bree was wearing a black suit with green glowing in some parts of the suit and was also holding a glowing green sword in her left hand. It made me really weak and I knew what it was. I slowly stand back up onto my feet, letting out a small gasp.
She spun the sword around in her hand and began to swing it towards me just as I grab a hold of it and struggle to push it away from myself.
"Bree, come on, fight this-" I grunt, looking at her in desperation and pleadingly.
Bree continued to push the sword even closer to me while I struggle to push it back and answered, "I'm trying-"
I spin around and duck just as she swung the sword over my head, missing me barely. Bree swung the sword straight just as she had super speeded behind me and stabbed me through the back, the sword cutting through cleanly and on the other side as she withdrew the sword.
Memories between Bree and I floated in my head as I push them through Bree's mind as well, helping her gain back control of her own body.
I start to fall to the ground just as a pair of arms caught me, both of us now on the floor. I was now in my sister's arms as tears came to her eyes. "Des, just- just hold on, okay? I'm so, so sorry..."
I hold onto her arm, my eyes halfway closed, and murmur, trying to hold on for as long as I could, letting out, "It- It's okay... It wasn't your- your fault..." Bree kissed the top of my head as tears fell down her cheeks.
The team, including Donald, Douglas, Adam, and Leo, ran inside of the abandoned building and noticed the two of us and immediately moved over to us.
Chase ran over to us and slid on his knees beside his sister and me, moving me into his arms and also held Bree's hand in reassurance. They noticed the sword and suit and knew what happened. "Hang on, hang on, okay? Just hold on. Don't leave me, alright?" Chase murmured close to tears, cupping one side of my face.
"It- It's okay... Don't blame you- yourself- not your fault..." I weakly start, "I- I love you guys, I'm- I'm proud of you, proud of- of us..." I feel myself slip and watch my life flash before my eyes again, memories of Chase, my brother, of everyone right in front of me. My eyes droop and close, my heart stopping finally.
Justin watched his little sister's life slip away and was now gone; Tears clouded his vision as he shook his head and murmured, "No- no..." He fell down on his knees and cried out, "No! No, no! No!" Kaz and Oliver held each of his shoulders as they stood beside him and bowed their heads.
Chase kissed his girlfriend's forehead, his hand still cupped against her face, as tears dropped down. They watched as Destiny's hand fell to the floor as if in slow motion. The team remembered the villains were still standing in the room also and started to fight them while Chase continued to hold his girlfriend in his arms.
Des had told me that, in her realm, true love is the most powerful magic of all other kinds of power. You just have to really love that person and really believe in that. Chase found himself thinking, And I know that I believe in Des over anything.
Chase murmured to her, "I love you." He then kissed her on the lips and parted after two long seconds, a colorful rainbow-like gust of wind parted from their lips and into the room, knocking everyone back a little.
"True love isn't easy, but it must be fought for. Because once you find it, it can never be replaced." He heard inside of his head and knew that it belonged to Destiny's father, David.
They looked over at Destiny who opened her eyes and gasped out and smiled at Chase, letting out, "I love you, too."
He grinned and helped her to her feet, cupping both sides of her face as their foreheads touched as Chase kissed her again.
Bree who had tears in her eyes again and quickly moved over to me, burying me in a hug as she wrapped her arms around my neck and held me there for a good minute or so. I look over at my uncle and blast him back with my earth ability as he flew to the wall and fell on the floor with a thud.
I continue to use my earth ability on him as the others joined in on him, making him collapse into gray dust after a pained scream. I move over to Reece and clench my fists. "This is for betraying my family-" I start, making her hit the wall with my earth ability, "This is for trying to kill me all those years ago on that cliff-" A spike pricked out onto my arm as I sling my arm, the spike flying through the air and hitting her in the arm and pinned her on the wall. "And this is for betraying me over and over again." I shot my power at her and absorb her own power, taking all of her abilities away from her.
"Now, you have no power like your father since you want to be like him." I remark just as Riker and Roman was fixing to try and escape. I hold them still with my telekinesis and nod at Kaz, Oliver, and Skylar. "They get the honor of defeating you two for what you did to Mighty Med."
I notice Donald then punched Rodissius in his face as he told the villain, "That's for hurting my family."
Leo stepped over to them and looked at his stepfather, high-fiving him, and commented, "Way to go, Big D."
I come face to face with the white haired woman known as Death; The team started to step over to us as I hold up a hand to stop them. "No. This is between the two of us." I tell them, not removing my eyes off of the woman. "You killed my family. You controlled my mother to make her kill them. I know everything that happened in the past."
Justin's eyebrows shot up as he looked over at the white haired woman after hearing her being the one to kill our family.
"And I would do it all over again." Death sneered, "You cannot kill death, death is always around."
"You're not Death. You're just someone with the power to take lives or give lives. Why don't you tell them who you really are... Aunt?" I comment as she scoffed a little and answered, "So, you discovered that I was your father's disowned sister, hmm? That I'm the rightful ruler, but then, they kicked me out because I made one mistake by killing our parents, your grandparents."
"You wanted revenge, so you tried to ruin my life being that I was your brother's daughter and the next heir to the throne." I add.
"It was so easy to. Elizabeth was already keeping an eye on you and Philip was already keeping an eye on her." My aunt commented, "You can't kill me. Like you, I heal and get right back up when I'm knocked down. Besides that little team over there, you're all alone."
"See, that's where you're wrong." I start and smirked, throwing my palms out and opened up two portals on each sides of me. "I'm never alone." Inhumans on horses jumped out of the portals and hopped off of the horses, moving over to me and my family. The people with wings as their powers flew out of the portals and also landed beside me. I look at each of them and nod a little. "Stand your ground. Do what you guys do best."
They each moved over to me and we now stood in a line across from my aunt as my family also joined in the line, me being right in the center between my brother and Chase. One Inhuman made his skin change to an indestructible metal as he stepped at one end of the line.
"I see that you made some friends, my little niece." Death smirked, not backing down from the fight still.
"No, I gained an even bigger family." I correct her, blasting her with my light magic as another black haired lady, Ronnie, joined in by blasting her with her red lasers. Everyone else joined in by combining their powers and shot at her until she finally collapsed into dust like my uncle did.
I move over to the pile of dust and hover my hand over it, taking the radiating energy coming from it away. I stand back up and look at each and every one of them. "We did it! We defeated them for good!" I hug my family and then hug my second family also. "You guys did great, thank you for helping me today."
"Hey, that's what families do. You stick together. You taught us that, Des." A blonde haired, blue eyed boy, Joshua Jameson, commented.
I nod, still smiling a little, and then open up the portals again. "I'll see you guys later." They waved goodbye and exited Earth through the portals and was back in Aerofexus.
I look at my family again as they hugged me again, relieved that I wasn't dead- and not dying again.
"Des, I'm sorry-" Bree started as I look at her fully and cut her off with a small shake of my head, "Speaking on behalf of the team, you have nothing to apologize for." She smiled and nod a little.
"Hey, those Inhuman over there- Good work. You're doing excellent with them. They really look up to you. I'm proud of you, Des." Donald commented.
I look at him, nod, and replied, smiling, "I am, aren't I?"
"Back to the start for us, huh? Living in our first home. I actually miss the place kind of." Bree commented.
"I actually won't be living there. I'll be living in Aerofexus, continuing my work with the Inhumans and leading my people like the rightful ruler of Aerofexus should." I point out.
"Just visit us, okay?" Leo spoke up.
"Obviously. I'd never truly leave my family behind. And I'll know if you guys get in trouble." I reply and tap my temple with one finger. The group and I headed back to the Davenport-Dooley house and just hung out for the rest of the day.
***
Bree was watching television on the couch, a blanket around her legs and a box of pizza on the coffee table; I move down the stairs and plop down on the couch beside her, moving the blanket also over my legs.
The two of us both picked up slices of pizza and leaned back on the couch. We clanked the two slices together and took the first bites.
"Everything's different now, huh?" Bree started.
"No. We're just different. We grew up." I finish as both of us drew in a breath, sighed, and took another bite of our slices of cheese pizza, content.
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