The Babysitter

Future plans

Peach's PoV:

We'd tried for ages to communicate, however comms was no good. Why did we even think this would help? Oh, I guess it was Chocolate's idea, and he's only four... so it makes sense. Either way, there was still no convincing Lemon that ghosts existed.

"We need that board game!" Emerald suddenly exclaims

"What?!" Lemon asked, "even if ghosts did exist, which they don't, how would a board game help?"

"Oh, that thing!" I finally understand what they were talking about, however I can't remember the name, it's just out of reach.

"Ouija board!" Teal declares, but her face suddenly falls. "but we won't have any here."

"Okay" Lapis grins, "we can keep trying this, but as soon as we get back to Earth, we are going to get an Ouija board! We can talk to our parents again, I know it!"

This fills me with a small sliver of hope, but not for long, as Rose is quick to notice the fault in his plan.

"When are we even going to get back to Earth? And when we do, what happens then? Where do we go?"

Murmurs fill the small room, quietly echoing off the walls.

"Let's face it, guys" Teal sighs, "we probably won't even know each other any more"

"Don't say that!" Indigo squeaks, sadly looking around at us. "We need to be friends still!"

"Yeah, forever!" Chocolate piped up. "You're my only friends"

"Do any of you have plans?" Lapis asks, "for what to do when we go back home?"

I think carefully before making my answer, shakily taking in a deep breath. "I found out that I'm adopted. So, I'm going to find my mother when we get back"

"What?" Emerald gasps, "I'm sorry, Peach..."

"Don't be" I smile, "it's okay. My dad is... well, still my dad, and nothing can possibly change that."

"That's cool" Rose says, "I wanna help you. You're my best friend."

"Thank you" I smile, as the rest of the children figure out their plans.

"Well... I don't know what the future holds, but I'm staying with my little sister no matter what" Lemon determinedly declares.

"Can we stay with Snow, too?" Indigo asks excitedly

"Why can't everyone stay together?" Chocolate questions, clearly upset.

"Because that's not how the world works" Teal frowns. "We can't go back to our homes, our parents are....." she sobbed as she said the last word. "...gone..."

"Lime!" Chocolate reasons, "Lime looks after us?"

"Yeah!" Indigo agrees, "stay with Lime"

"Hmm" Lapis mutters, "he's friends with Black, though. He hurt my mother."

"But Lime is the best!" I protest, making Lapis turn directly to face me.

"He made the others throw your dad off the balcony. If you really loved your father that much, you'd never forgive Black, and therefore Lime, too."

Thinking carefully, I decide to use my own judgment. "No. I love my dad but I forgive Lime. He was scared, he didn't know what was happening. It's your mummy's fault for not saying what the punishment was before they started accusing people."

"Yeah" Rose added, "Blue decided to kill Peach's dad, that makes her a killer, too"

"At least you've GOT a mother!" Emerald hollers, "my dad was the first one to be killed!"

"I'm sorry, I never asked to be the only child with a parent" Lapis sighed, "my mother is strong and good at surviving, that's all. But we're all alive, right? That means we're strong and good at surviving, because we're all alive! We shouldn't be fighting, because there's no use"

"Even me? I'm strong too?" Chocolate excitedly asks, and Lapis nods encouragingly.

"We should go ask Lime!" Lemon exclaims, "see if he will look after us all, so we get to stay together!"

"Yeah, let's find him now!" Lapis declares, leading the way.