august ❀ Lamina

Chapter 6

The sun had set. It was the middle of the night. I was exhausted, but sleeping felt impossible. It felt like whenever I closed my eyes, I could see those two girls, lying dead on the ground. Peacekeepers had retrieved their bodies by then, but I could still see them in my mind, clear as day. It felt like a glimpse into my inevitable future.

I stared up at the stars. I tried counting them. Sure, it was impossible, but it gave me something to focus on instead of just listening to my own thoughts.

"Are you still awake?"

I glanced in the direction of the whisper. Lamina was looking at me, laying just a few feet away. I wondered how long she'd been there.

"Yeah." I whispered back to her.

She paused for a moment. "What're you thinking about?" She asked me. I looked at her, but quickly looked away when my face started feeling hot again.

"Just about Brandy... and that other girl, the one who was killed." I answered softly, looking up at the stars, counting under my breath.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Counting." I told her.

"Counting what?"

"Stars."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Isn't that impossible?" She asked me.

"A lot of things seem impossible right now." I sighed. "But I'll find a way." I nodded slightly.

She paused for a few moments. "You said that you like flowers, right?" She asked slowly. I glanced at her and nodded. "What kinds of flowers do they have in two?" She asked me hesitantly.

"Boring ones." I answered promptly. "You can hardly find any during most of the year. I think it's the worst thing about the district."

"Oh." Lamina said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"The only nice ones are either white or silver. And you can only find them in the summer." I mumbled bitterly.

She stayed quiet, listening. I liked it, being listened to. Usually I had to be the listener, with Brooke and Kyla. And no one else listened to me when I talked except for maybe Aunt Juni. It was... nice.

So I decided to keep talking while the moment lasted.

"I really love August. It's the only time of the year you'd be able to find any decent flowers in two." I said abruptly. She tore her eyes away from the sky and looked at me. Her gorgeous brown eyes made me feel like I was melting in front of her.

"I'll bring you a flower." She said. "A real pretty one, I promise. From seven, the prettiest flower I can find, I'll bring it to you." She told me. My heart rate picked up significantly. It was beating so loud, I thought that Lamina might hear it. My face was heating up again and I didn't want her to see, even in the dark. I glanced away shyly.

"How?" I asked softly. "We won't both make it out of here." I reminded her.

"I'll find a way." She said, reciting words I'd said moments before.

I was blushing and couldn't explain why. I cleared my throat and looked up at the stars. "You're really sweet, Lamina." I said softly. I was trying to figure out what was going on with me.

"You... you said you have a best friend in two, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, Brooke." I smiled softly. "He's my best friend. And... kind of my only real friend." I added.

"I..." She paused. "I'd, uh... I'd like to maybe consider... us as... friends?" She suggested, clearly very hesitant to say it out loud.

I looked over at Lamina with a soft expression. I smiled slightly. "Yeah." I said. "I'd like to consider us friends too."