The Breakaways

Chapter 2

A few stops later, Crescent Star rolled around and I exited the bus, still chewing on that thought. 

A choice in all this? When have we ever, ever had a choice? That's a foreign topic. There have never even been revolts. Everyone has always just agreed this is the way things are and that's that. ...So why is he suddenly different?

I got the feeling that maybe he wasn't actually a side character.

At least, not in the story of our world.

"LIZ!!!"

"Aah!" I yelped as I was tipped sideways by a hug. As I tried to suck in air, I wheezed, "You know I don't like- hugs- Lilly-"

Lilly had been my best friend since 5th grade. Since the government was nice enough to put people with close birthdays-very close birthdays-together in classes, so you'd all leave around the same time, her birthday was only a day before mine. I hadn't been able to see her since before she got her story, but I had heard the reason why she hadn't left for it this morning. Hers had been pushed back from opening until tomorrow.

The blondie with the crazy curly hair let me go and beamed. "I know! But I totally got you this time. What'd you get? DON'T tell me it was horror. Just give me a comforting lie. But maybe make it kind of obvious if it is, because I still wanna know if my best friend is okay or not." She talked in rapid succession, while I attempted to get air back inside my body.

"Don't worry, Lilly. I didn't get horror." 

"OH, THANK GOODNESS," she let out a huge breath of relief. Then realized something. "Wait, that's not comforting lie talking, is it? IS IT??? OH IT IS!! Liz, you will be alright!! You have to be!!" She was shaking my shoulders now, and I grabbed her forearms and pulled her off of me.

"Lilly, LILLY. Listen, it's not a lie. I didn't get horror. I got fantasy. And chances are, I'll be safe, because I'm just a background character."

"Oh, thank goodness. Wait. BUT BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO BACKGROUND CHARACTERS TOO!!" Believe me, after hearing Ferret's story I know for a fact the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows for  lesser characters, as if I didn't before. "What if you become rich and someone robs you? WHAT IF THE VILLAIN AND HIS WARRIORS BURN YOUR CITY DOWN???"

I laughed. "Okay, first off, knowing me, you don't have to worry about the first because I'll never become rich. And I'm sure the villain will have puny minions that the main character will take care of. Even if that does happen, I'll make it out and survive. There will be other places for shelter there. It can't be just one big city. Anyway-"

"But what if you change there?"

I smiled. "Don't worry, I won't change enough to get rich, or enough to leave you when I get out."

"That brings up another question, though," she whispered. "What if you can't get out? For years?"

I knew that was a possibility, but I also knew something else.

"Side characters usually get to go home every week. And background characters typically get to go home and out of their story almost every night. It's the main characters and deuteragonist characters you gotta worry about. I'll be fine. Don't worry. Anyway, what'd you get yesterday?"

"Romance. Which would be nice, if I was important in the story. But I'm a side character."

The way she phrased her disappointment kind of hit a spot somewhere in my chest with a point, because both my parents were side characters, and I was even "less important"-a background character. But these characters supported the plot. Maybe they weren't main, but they served a purpose, and an important one. I wanted to tell Lilly this, but I knew then she would realize I had been offended and then I'd have to stand through her entire apologizing process, which I really didn't feel like doing. 

So instead, I let the topic drop. 

"Anyway, I have a present for you. I know it's kind of odd, but you know the rules: No "Trinkets" while getting your genre sorted. So..." I untied the white and black flannel hoodie around my waist, and handed it to her.

"Your favorite hoodie? Ooo!!" she squealed, then gave me another hug, this one quick. "Thank you!"

"Yep."

"Oh! I have a thing for you." She pulled a black container with silver cursive writing on it so fancy I couldn't read it out of her pocket. Opening it revealed two earrings.

"I know you don't wear earrings," Lilly started, "but they have magnets on the back so that shouldn't be a problem. One is snowflake obsidian and the other is..."

"Rainbow obsidian, volcanic glass...ooo..." I whispered, staring at them. Obsidian was my favorite, and although I didn't really like jewelry, I put them on my ears immediately. A weird sensation came over me, like a wave coming over me and blurring out the sound of the world for a moment before it came back even sharper.

"Like 'em?" she asked. "Anyway, since you're right, I probably will see you again soon, I'll say goodbye now." She reached over my shoulders and gave me a tight hug. "See you this week? Under the oak tree?"

I nodded. "Only place I would be." Lilly's mother began calling for her a few houses down, and Lilly began running down that way. Her mother was very strict. "Bye!! See you this week!!" she turned around and quickly waved goodbye before she turned into her house.

Little did I know, that's the last goodbye wave I'd be getting from her for a long time.