𝖑𝖊𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘

Chapter Five: The Dreaded Pointlessness of Raking Leaves

The entrance of the autumn season brought mellow gray skies and a lot of wind. With the wind came falling leaves, and for the forest that was the Kappa grounds, that meant lots of yard work. The college did supply groundskeepers, but the members were always expected to chip in. It was a part of the daily ritual. Every day would bring piles and piles of leaves to pick up and throw away in bins that were pretty much filled with just that.

The sky was painted with clouds and broken bits of sunlight, an image that was unlikely to change for at least four months. Everywhere you went smelled like cinnamon and tree bark. It wasn't necessarily as cold as it would be in places that weren't seated between the ocean and the woodlands.

It was humid.

It was almost peaceful.

• • •

Carolyn sat on the edge of her bed, her freckled skin painted a sickly grayish-pink. Her eyes traced the room. The walls were covered in posters, art, and photographs. A table in the corner of the room held a stack of records and a small pot of orchids. She paced across the room to one of the pictures on the wall. A picture of her and Shelby at a party the previous year. Her stomach sank. Yet another painful reminder that she would be utterly alone for the rest of her life. 

Her fingers grazed across the blonde's image, feeling the ghost of her skin. It was always soft and smelled like a mix of peaches and cherry blossoms. Her silky hair smelled of coconut. Shelby was warm, the stark contrast to Carolyn's cold skin. Her breath shook, her hand wrapping around the side of her neck. "Morning Shelbs," she sighed.

Her long fingers tapped against the bag on her hip, staring blankly ahead in contrast to the clacky disruption her heels made against the tile floor. She was getting tired of everyone staring at her whenever she entered her classes. Time and practice made her very good at ignoring people. She dipped into the back row where Avery and her always sat. They looked at each other with the same meek smile.

"Anything important happened yet," the brunette whispered. Avery turned their head. Their slim shoulders shrugged up and bumped their handmade earrings, "Nope, just the old man rambling on about some dead white guy." Carolyn giggled, "Per usual." The pair quietly laughed together. Then they stopped and just looked at each other. A soft, understanding look. Avery's hand rested atop Carolyn's, and a soft smile perked up their lips.

• • •

Crisp afternoons turned into cold evenings, then into frozen nights as soon as the sun sank past the horizon. Despite being situated on the western coastline, California managed to be very cold that year. Perhaps Mother Nature was grieving as well, they thought.

The dinner call rang on the intercoms throughout the house. Groans of girls awoken from post-study naps could also be heard. As they descended the stairs, the smell of lasagne wafted from the kitchen. Meticulously-made meals switched to microwaved and delivered in the previous weeks.

"Hi," Gloria smiled at each sister as they walked in, the bags under her eyes got bigger with each passing day. Her hair hung over her shoulders, the natural curls that she used to constantly straighten had no more energy put into them. Her smiles were returned, the only interactions to occur throughout dinner.