Dying to Breathe

5.3: setting a trap

A/N: yooooo, whats this? We reached 300 votes?! Hell yeah we did!

So, this part is slightly a filler (with the exception of the tiny intro to our new boo[don't read into that 'boo' nickname, it just suits the sweetie baby character]). I'll probably post the next part in a bit since it's really smol.

Chapter 5, Part 3: Setting a Trap

The city was beautiful.

Walking arm in arm with Nina, Haley, and Chloe, the four girls fell into a comfortable chatter that fell on Penelope's deaf ears. Week two, and it was still just as mesmerizing as that first step out of the bus. The towers overhead seemed to stretch on endlessly, reaching for the heavens above.

She wished she could be experiencing it with Millie. Sighing, she let her eyeline fall back to the busy streets.

"I'm just saying, he's been even more distant than usual." Haley clicked her pierced tongue beside her.

Penelope sensed danger as her eyes, on their own account, flashed to Chloe. She was death glaring Haley with her grey, unearthly eyes. Penelope shivered, awaiting the showdown.

"And I'm just saying, shut up." Nina interrupted before Chloe could; her red, thin bows pulled together as her face warmed up angrily. "Elliot doesn't show anyone anything—he's probably going through some bullshit at home."

Penelope watched as Chloe deflated with an eyeroll, "He's not some abused child, Nina. Stop making him sound so pathetic."

Penelope squeezed Nina's arm, willing her to let it go as her nose curled up at the words. "Aren't we going in here?" She gestured to the café they were about to walk past.

It was a cute little place—the same café that Penelope came to almost every morning as part of her daily routine. Snuggled between towering skyscrapers seemingly all around it, it's worn green sign waved in the wind welcomingly at it's vastly diverse costumers. Plants lined the windows, inside and out, and created something like a moment of serenity (as serene as you can get while being in the middle of a bustling city, that is).

Releasing each other's arms, they quickly filed into the small shop—the scent of coffee and baked goods watering Penelope's mouth immediately.

"Hey, Penelope!" a young man working as one of the baristas waved warmly; his smile bright as he recognized her. "The usual?"

"That would be great, Alec." She replied, watching as he began the process for the caramel macchiato.

Haley quirked a pierced brow at her judgingly as the four girls took up a booth near the window, "Just how often do you come here? It's only been a week and Coffee Hottie already knows your name."

Penelope blushed as Nina laughed beside her, "Coffee hottie?" She mumbled, glancing over to Alec—sure, he was cute with his mop of black hair, light brown skin, and soft green eyes.

But she preferred blue eyes.

Shrugging, she adjusted the cropped, mustard-yellow sweater—pulling it down to her high-waisted cargo pants. The weather was already starting to change despite the fact it had only been a week. She already needed to wear more layers—not that she particularly minded, she loved fall. Specifically, October.

"What does everyone want?" Nina smiled, springing from the seat, "It's on me."

Penelope was beginning to learn that Nina's love language was spoiling everyone. Again, another thing she didn't particularly mind.

"How was your morning, new blood?" Chloe asked once Nina had left her to fend for herself.

Penelope sighed, turning anxiously to the grey eyed, pink-haired, possibly-disguised-psychopath. "Cold and wet." She chuckled, watching her closely.

Flicking the light pink hair out of her face, Chloe smoothed down the expensive cropped, long-sleeved, blue shirt. The thick material loose and shimmery on her thin body. "I bet. Did you catch the person who did it?" She purred, putting her sharpened white talons beneath her chin as she tilted her head in wait. It was like she was setting a trap for Penelope, and she had no choice but to go along with it.

Her grey mystical eyes bit into her; refusing to let go as she finally breathed shakily, "It was just some theatre student—they said sorry right after." She bit her bottom lip nervously.

Chloe smiled; the sight sinister on a face that was always glaring.

"Chloe, what are you doing?" Haley interrupted the tense atmosphere with a look on her face that almost exactly matched Penelope's mom's unimpressed expression.

Rolling her eyes, Chloe's lips twitched as she let out a laugh under her breath, "Come on—you want to know, too. You love dirt." With a smile and slight headshake, Penelope watched confusedly as the two silently spoke through their eyes.

Haley shook her head in disagreement folding her arms across her emerald-green mesh-sweater, "No, I just really wish there weren't dirt."

"I'm really lost here." Penelope spoke up, causing the two to look at her amusedly. Glancing between Chloe's grey eyes and Haley's golden brown eyes, she waited with her lips pressed together. "Any time, guys..."

"There's a party at Elliot's Friday—you're coming." Chloe ordered, staring her down with curiosity in her face. "If you make it that long, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Frowning, she opened her mouth to complain—

"Wow, he's hot. I totally lost track of time staring at him." Nina suddenly sat down with a tray of drinks and snacks, giggling as she fanned her red cheeks. Slowly forming a perplexed frown, she looked between the girls' intense stare-downs. "Did I miss something?"

Looking from Nina's concerned face to Chloe's unwavering stare and psychotic smile, Penelope felt like maybe, she had waded too far out into the ocean. Her toes struggled to touch the ground, but it was wasted energy as she realized in a panic, that the ground was far from reach.

"Nothing." The three of them said together; Penelope feeling increasingly breathless as the water threatened to rise over her.

What had she gotten herself into?

End of Chapter 5!

A/N: PARTTYYYYYY 

Who's hyped? Y'all, I havent even pre-written that far into the story yet. So much happens before then, jeezuz. 

I know it was just a tiny lil thing, but what are your thoughts? You had a week to brainstorm, what were your results? ;) 

THANK YOU FOR THE 500 FOLLOWERS and 300 VOTES anddd ALMOST 1000 reads!!!!! SO EXCITING. Love youuu.