School Spirits | I Don't Do Friends

25- Godlight

Someone said there would be hella drama on the way. Eat up!

This wasn't her first time crashing group with a newcomer. She got a bit of nostalgia from when Steven joined the group. It always felt like dragging a stray cat in from the cold by the scruff of it's neck. But she felt odd when she did it, because she worried that she was dragging them into more cold. She shook it off.

"It's like AA, accept everyone's dead and no one's anonymous." She told her as they walked down the main hall. School was out but the rehearsal should begin soon.

"You talk a lot of shit about this group thing." Maddie pointed out.

"Mr. Savior Complex should wash his dirty laundry if he doesn't want me to air it out." She responded.

Maddie nodded. She knew that Caroline must have her reasons. No matter how shady. At least someone gets it to an extent. Caroline was okay with keeping her at arms length.

"You know my friend totally believes you're real, I thought you were a story. You know, the whole Split River Bitch thing." She said nonchalant.

"Really? I have that much of a reputation after all these years?" Caroline smirked.

"Yeah, he's always in the library trying to figure out who you are. Oh! It's like that meme with the guy and the board!" She pointed at her.

"Whats a meme?" Caroline wasn't very involved with students. She hasn't snooped around in their personal lives for a few years.

"Never mind."

She stood outside the door for a couple seconds. She'd never came to group on a regular basis. But all the people she's ghosted are in there. She felt Maddie's stare. She entered.

She cringed as the door banged open. These gym doors have always been so loud. Now everyone was looking at her.

"We got a live one." She repeated her infamous phrase. It didn't feel the same.

Most of them looked at Maddie, a new death doesn't come everyday. Wally was still staring at her. She returned it. His eyes didn't say much, but the way his whole body turned in his seat did. The way he almost stood up.

She looked away to speak to Maddie, who threatened to curl in on herself. "They'll answer any questions you have. Maybe you'll remember what happened." She said softly, not just so no one would hear her. But a soft echo of an old feeling came back and tried to be comforting. Maybe it was empathy?

"You're leaving?" She asked.

Caroline looked back at everyone in the room, their eyes asked the same question. She looked back at Maddie.

"Yeah, I am." She patted her shoulder and slipped out the door. She had a rehearsal to get to.

Before the rehearsal started she went outside and plucked some flowers out of the bed outside. It was about time Mina felt appreciated. Caroline didn't really condone being in a loop. But unlike Mr. "Dead Kids Anonymous" she wanted to ease her out. She'd remember the important stuff at her own pace.

She busted in through the theater's door. Heads turned but doors slamming open were a regular occurrence at Split River High.