𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿

33. a maroon date

It's the same day for Thèrèse and Teresa, rain pouring down hard as people worked in the building. Thèrèse was in her lab room, adjusting some paperwork as she listened to music, headphones on her head. She did a little dance as she organized her lab after a long work, wiping the tables, and save the samples of her work securely in her box.

The door to her lab opened, revealing Teresa, "Hey, Thèrèse." She asked, Thèrèse turns around gently, putting down her headphone to face the girl. Thèrèse had changed for these past three months, her skills in combat has changed, her attitude changed, even her appearance changed. Well, she did a little changes with her hair, but the rest stay the same. "Hey, Teresa, what'd you need?"

Walking over to the girl before the desk, she watched as Thèrèse organise her supplies, "Since the storm will passed by, Ava thought we can have a day off." Teresa said. Thèrèse froze, "We?" Teresa nodded. "Just the two of us." She hold her hands. Thèrèse nodded, wiping her hands after cleaning the lab. "Sure, so what'd you wanna do?"

"How about we have a girls day?" Thèrèse eyes lit up, "Just the two of us?" Teresa nodded happily as Thèrèse silently squeals, "Alright! Yes! Uh, girls day.. where?" Teresa shrugs, "It can be around the building. We can go to the library, or play something in our room. Or if you want to hangout in the Jewels Tower, then we can go there too."

Thèrèse' eyes brightened, nodding softly, "Yeah, sure. I've got some homeworks to do so why don't we hang in our rooms first?" Thèrèse said, linking her arms with Teresa as Thèrèse turned off the light, closing the door as they stepped out.

Thèrèse and Teresa walked through the hallway and up on the elevator, to their dorm rooms. Arriving to their level, Teresa opened the door for the both of them. Thèrèse thanks her before grabbing her towel, "I'm going to shower, you can do whatever you wanted to do for our activities next." Teresa nodded as response, watching Thèrèse disappeared behind the door.

After 10 minutes, Thèrèse and Teresa were silently layed down in their room, the sound of the rain splashing against their window, allowing them to see the cloudy, gloomy sky. Thèrèse was doing her homework as Teresa does her paintings. Music plays in the background as both girls sat silently.

"What are you painting?" Thèrèse asked, stopping her writing. "I'm... painting, a butterfly!" Teresa showed Thèrèse most of her masterpiece as she cheered 'Taadaa'

"Want to go to the library after lunch?" Thèrèse asked, slipping her papers inside her files, securing them. "Sure." Teresa nodded as she stands up walking over to where she usually dried her paintings. "I like your painting." Teresa froze. "You do?" Thèrèse nodded, still not looking at her. Thèrèse stands up to placing her headphones on their desk. "It's beautiful." Thèrèse said.

"You want to go to the photo booth? I've saw them at the library last week." Teresa grinned. Thèrèse nodded, laughing at how excited Teresa can be. "Alright." Thèrèse said, serene.

Teresa glance over the clock, "Let's go. Lunch already starting." She said, grabbing Thèrèse hands. Thèrèse adore the warmth in Teresa's embrace, so she didn't complaint.

After eating for lunch, the girls prepared to go to the library. Pressing the button to level 13, they waited until the reached the level ground. Creating some conversation, Thèrèse and Teresa walked towards the library, sitting down on a desk. Thèrèse excuses herself before climbing on one of the ladders, grabbing three books with her.

"If We Were Villains" by M.L Rio
"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy
"The Secret History" by Donna Tart

"There! There's the photo booth I've been meaning to show you." Teresa pointed, the photo booth was near the counter. Thèrèse nodded, turning her attention back to Teresa and the books. After five whole hours, Thèrèse and Teresa just sat there, enjoying the silence in the library while listening to the rain outside. The candle hanging around the library lits up the dimmed room.

Thèrèse yawned, following by Teresa who was stretching her muscles. "I'm tired. Wanna go to the photo booth now?" Thèrèse nodded to the direction, Teresa nodded as they picked their books. Walking over the counter, Thèrèse asked for the permission to borrow those books. While the librarian do her works, Thèrèse and Teresa dragged themselves in the photo booth, laughing quietly.

Thèrèse and Teresa both laughs as the camera captured them. Six clicks as they made silly faces, smiling, doing poses, laughing. This is probably the longest time Thèrèse had ever spent with Teresa.

Teresa and Thèrèse chuckles as the both grabbed their photos, taking out their phone, well it's more of an 80s phone Ava and Carter gifted them. Thèrèse and Teresa pressed their sticker on the back of their phone. Thèrèse scoffs, "How come you look so pretty in these photos?" Teresa laughs, "You look pretty whatever you do." Thèrèse froze. Teresa grinned, laughing at Thèrèse state. "I think my heart just stopped." Both girls laughter filled the booth.

Day passed and it's already dark, after they finished their dinner, and a little talk between Thèrèse and Carter. Thèrèse suggested for them to hangout in her Jewels Tower. Arriving to her tower, Teresa glanced up in awe. Thèrèse did mentioned her tower to Teresa, but she never seen it before.

"This is amazing!" Teresa said, examining the beauty of the tower. Thèrèse hummed in satisfied, "I know. Come, I want to show you something." She said, grabbing her hand, leading her to her mother's room. "This is my mother's."

Teresa walked across the room, inspecting everything just like how Thèrèse was. "It's beautiful." She walked over the stairs. "It is." Thèrèse grinned, besides the window. "Well, tonight, why don't we star gazing? I have a telescope." She said, pointing at the object besides her.

Teresa nodded, "Sure." The next thing they know is both of them were laying on their stomachs, Thèrèse' radio playing some music on the background. Thèrèse dangled her feet up and down, Teresa glance back, mimicking the girl's move. Thèrèse noticed and smiled, examining the telescope and some books. "It's beautiful up here when it's dark." Thèrèse said, she'd been up there multiple times, but she never had the chance to show it to Teresa.

"I can tell," Teresa hummed softly, reading the book Thèrèse was reading as she observed the stars together. "So beautiful." Thèrèse heard Teresa said, she looks towards her seeing Teresa already stared at her. "Really." They snorts and laughs.

"Ah, I could stay up here all night." Thèrèse moaned, stretching her limbs out as Teresa nodded, mimicking her. "Wanna hear a song?" Thèrèse suggested and Teresa nodded, agreeing with her.

Thèrèse rolled over, tapping the radio as it switched channel, playing, "Linger" by the Cranberries. "This is really good. A night off, with just resting and sleeping. No work." Thèrèse sighs, resting on her back as her arms rest under her head.

She stayed silent, listening to the song. "This is Vicky's favourite song. She constantly played it." Thèrèse said, there's a tone of guilt in her voice.

"You missed her?" Teresa moves to sit next to Thèrèse. Thèrèse considered the question. Of course she does. "Yeah, of course I do. I missed them all." She paused to chuckle. "Even the Gladers."

Teresa stared at Thèrèse, "Do you think they actually accept us as their friends? I mean, we're just there. They hardly talk to us." The statement silenced Thèrèse. "I'm sure.. they actually liked us somehow." Thèrèse said, chuckling nervously. "We're their friends- used to. I don't think they would call us that." Thèrèse' words alone had them both agreed.

(on-work :: updating)