Firefly

A New Day

Every player has a story. Some of them are even true. Every player is hiding something. Secret selves... secret habits... secret shame. We're all afraid of something. But they're never the things we say out loud. As long as you keep moving, your fear always stays behind you.

☀︎☀︎

When Heather woke up, it was to a quiet trailer. It had been a week since Initiation, and tensions were high. Natalie refused to talk to them. Bishop was bouncing in-between friends, not wanting to choose sides. And Ember... well, she went back to work early hoping the extra hours would help them meet rent for the month. In the meantime, they were to avoid being seen by Lorne, the landlord, who was currently approaching the front door of the trailer. Heather cursed, rushing to grab her stuff when Lily appeared behind her fully dressed.

"Can you braid my hair?"

"Later," Heather rushed out. "Lorne's here. We got to go, okay?" Their landlord began banging on the door, yelling, "Ms. Nill! Rent's due!"

"Wait," Lily reminded her, "my library books." Heather rushed to check the other side of the trailer as Lily packed her stuff.

"I know you're in there! Open up!" They hurried out the back door and rounded the back of the trailer, hiding behind the wall when they noticed Lorne's large figure headed their way. Heather pulled Lily the other way, making a break for it across the yard. Weaving between trailers and parked cars alike, not stopping until they reached the road where Bishop's car sat parked, waiting for them.

They walked up to Bishop's car, Heather sliding in the passenger seat after making sure Lily was buckled up in the back.

"Rent's due again, huh," Bishop asked, pulling out onto the road.

"Yep."

☀︎☀︎

The trio made their way into the library, Heather grabbing onto Lily's shoulder before she could bounce away. "Okay, bug, I will see you back here at 4:00 with Ember," she reminded the younger sister, "but Bo is gonna pick us up after his shift."

Lily shrugged, unbothered by the news, and adjusted the small backpack on her shoulders. "Bye," she waved to the two teens, skipping her way down the book aisles. Heather turned in the opposite direction, gunning for the printer with Bishop following close behind the blonde.

"So, Bo and your mom are back together again?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," Heather scoffed, "this week they are." The duo came to a stop in front of the printer. Heather handed Bishop her extra copies so she could man the printer to make more. "After I make some more copies of my resume, do you think you can drop me off at Link's?" she asked, referring to their local grocery store. "I heard that they might be hiring."

"Sure," he agreed. Bishop paused, seeming unsure if he should ask his next question, "Hey, have you, um, talked to Nat at all?"

"No," Heather muttered, informing him, "She hasn't really answered any of our calls. It's been a week." It really hurt the twins when Natalie began ignoring them after Initiation. She wouldn't return either of their calls or respond to any of their texts. It's not like Natalie to be angry with them for so long.

"Look, it's Nat okay? I mean, you know how she gets. This will all blow over soon," he responded. The two came to a standstill as tension lingered in the air.

"Neither of us meant to lie," Heather spoke. "It's not like I even played, and Ember... she didn't even know she was going to jump. But, with everything going on, she felt like she had to do it."

"But she didn't," he insisted.

"Do you think she should quit?" Heather asked his opinion.

"Yeah. I mean, players do it all the time," Bishop answered. "Look, Panic is bullshit, Heather. It's-it's bullshit and it's-it's dangerous," he stuttered out, "a-and two kids died last year, so-so what's the point. I mean, you know she's just gonna get sidelined. She can't win."