Tweetie

51

"-I need to go pick up my ukulele."

"Your what now? I thought you already had three..."

The group sat in the open field, unbothered by any of the passing life as the sun continued to shine down on them, giving them a break in the mess of their lives.

"I do, this is my white one. It needed new strings and I don't trust myself to restring it so I got Matty to take it to a shop like a few days ago. I need to go pick it up," Oscar explained as the day drifted by and the sounds of teenagers making their way home rang louder and louder, indicating the end of the day was nearing closer. "Could someone come with me?"

"I will," Joel nodded, already gathering his things and throwing his sketchbook into his bag, "I need to go get some more watercolours for my palette anyway."

"I need a new book."

"And I need to go back to school to speak to the coach."

"Well," Leo turned, glancing over everyone until his gaze met Hazel's own as she remained unspoken, not announcing anything that she needed to do which, honestly, was a first. "Should we go to the cafe?"

She nodded, a little sleepy after being under the sun for so long, but gathered enough energy to pick herself up as the others did and shuffled to Leo's side.

"We'll meet you guys there," Ryan announced, patting Hazel's head on his way past before throwing his bag onto his shoulder and wandered away with the group, leaving the pair to finish gathering their belongings.

They began to walk, their minds a little clearer after a day of relaxing and worrying over nothing but the grass staining their clothes. Cars drove past filled with students and parents too tired to be out of their houses, their car wheels whirred against the roads the pair now walked beside, hearing all of the sounds fill their ears at once. Cars, laughing, talking, footsteps, birds and the subtle sound of the river not too far from the school.

Was this how students usually felt when they walked home from school? Or was this ease from something else?

Did they all feel the sense of ease, knowing they would soon be able to go home and do what they want, whether it be talk to their friends online or complete homework they were behind on? In reality, Hazel doubted she would ever be able to get used to the feeling, partly because she knew she would only go home to do more work, but also because she knew that her feeling of being a student was nothing more than a cruel lie to herself and the people around her. She wouldn't be one forever and soon she would have to go back to the usual life of solving the mysteries of murders and kidnappings.

"You alright?"

She turned, her eyes snapping to Leo's blue ones as he pulled her from her thoughts.

"Mhmm," she hummed, nodding a little too quickly, "just thinking."

He looked at her for a moment, acknowledging the tired eyes that were heavier than usual thanks to the relaxing warm day but bad to begin with because of a bad lifestyle.

"Hey, actually, listen... I've been thinking..." He hesitated, realising his words sounded as though he was going to give her bad news. She watched him as he recoiled at his own tone. "I mean, the guys have all been talking to you about stuff at home. It's really good, I'm glad, especially with Ryan and how much help it's been to him. But, I'm just a little worried, you know? You're not overwhelmed by it, are you?"

"Not at all," she smiled. She had been a sort of therapist for many, especially victims she met during cases. Of course, they didn't know she was Hazel White and instead thought she was someone else going by another name, but because of these situations, she had experience handling the heavy topics of trauma and fear. "I'm just glad you guys trust me enough to talk to me about this stuff..."