ＳＴＡＹ ••• 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙 💌

1.

time travel exists. you just don't know it yet.

slamming the locker door in, darlene mckennan adjusted the bag on her shoulder, pulling the other strap onto her left shoulder. her naturally rosy cheeks caught up with her cocoa brown complexion, and she had nicer skin than her mother does now.

suddenly, a boy almost as small as darlene sped by, and she caught a whiff of eucalyptus and cypress. "adam." she groaned, throwing her head back before running after the two boys who chased the blonde down the hall and stairs. "reed ! get your ass back here." darlene threw her backpack into her hands and down the flight of stairs, sitting on the railing before quickly sliding down. she jumped off at the bottom and swiftly picked up her bag on her way to the boys.

she watched ray punch adam across the face, holding him up to the wall. "huh? no more jokes?" "let him go, ray." darlene said, hanging her backpack on her left arm. "shut it, mckennan. oh, i'm gonna enjoy this." "who talks like that?" adam and darlene chorused. "did you order, like, a 'bully starter kit' on amazon or somethin'? i mean, do you even hear yourself? chuck, we talked about this." adam said, his nose bleeding. "i didn't say anything." chuck mumbled. "shut up, chuck." they chorused again. ray kneed adam in the stomach, and chuck reached for darlene. she put out a hand, "get away from me or i will punch you so hard it makes an indent in that wall." he retracted himself.

"that's what i'm talkin' about." ray laughed, starting to walk past her. she kicked her foot onto ray's lower back as he walked away, and he ran into the wall. he turned around to look at her and say something, but she glared at him, and he hesitated, begrudgingly walked away.

darlene turned around, and joined her friend, sliding down the wall. adam started to wheeze, reaching into his pocket and inhaling into his inhaler. wordlessly, he leaned his head onto her shoulder, and she rested her head on his.

___

"there will be an assembly on the gymnasium now. please proceed to the gymnasium." a man over the PA spoke.

adam and darlene sat outside the office door, waiting for adam reed's mother to arrive. her parents were busy. they always were, especially since her older sister died last year in a drunk driving accident. her name was claudia. her parents were good people, they just had a lot going on.

"i still can't believe ray isn't being called to the office." darlene let out an angry breath. adam didn't respond. she exhaled a small sigh and started to play with the ends of her oversized black hoodie. it used to be claudia's.

soon, a woman figure walked down the hall, a woman darlene recognized as ellie reed. "not a word." she told the both of them, tilting both of their chins up as she knocked on the door. adam's nose was starting to stop bleeding. darlene was spotless.

without waiting for the 'welcome in', ellie walked in and started scolding the man in the office. whenever they got in trouble, no matter what, mrs. reed was always sure to give them a mouthful. darlene turned her head to adam, who looked towards the office door. "hey," she mumbled, her voice a little rough. he slightly turned his head to her, and with her sleeve, she leaned over and gently wiped the semi-dry blood off from his face. "you okay?" she asked. "yeah, you?" she finished, and leaned back into her chair. "yeah." he gave her a slight smile. he knew it was hard for her too, since her sister had died, especially with her parents barely visible in her life. he sometimes had to remind himself that she was suffering just as much as he was. she lost someone too.