𝒜 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝐸𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉

6 - 𝒲𝑒𝓁𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒯𝑜 𝑀𝓎 𝒩𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓇𝑒

Most of that day is spent keeping herself busy and distracted with various things; reading, sketching, and scrolling through YouTube with the hope that she'll unveil something of entertainment. Even over the course of several hours, her message to the ambiguous number has yet to be answered, but she never really anticipated it would be. Plus, there's always the chance that it wasn't ever meant for her; perhaps they were trying to reach another 'Y/n'.

It would be a big coincidence, but not one totally unbelievable. In all likelihood, it's some kid pulling a cheap prank, anyhow. And she chooses to chalk it up to that exact thing. At around four-thirty in the evening, she decides to go downstairs and scavenge for something to eat, while also conversing a bit with her grandparents in an attempt to get rid of some of the invisible tension between the three of them.

The news that Darcy and Marvin were murdered and that her cousin is missing, presumably dead and decaying in the woods somewhere, is still sinking in, and she assumes it will for quite a while yet. Something like that can't just be brushed aside like it's meaningless—at least, that's what Y/n would have initially thought. But her careless father managed to do it. Impressive or incredibly insensitive? Perhaps both.

She sees her grandmother in the kitchen, pulling a pan of something out of the oven; its sweet, enticing aroma travels through the air and drifts up to her nose, hooking her interest. She catches herself wandering into the room, recognizing the scent vaguely although doesn't wish to outright assume. Nana turns, noticing Y/n's appearance and looks almost surprised as she tugs the oven mitt off of her hand.

"Hi, dear," she says, keeping her voice mellow and pointing at the stovetop. "I made cookies." Ah, cookies. The first thing that's sounded appetizing since breakfast, which is a meal that took place hours prior. Her stomach rumbles from within the confines of her torso, and only now does she realize how hungry that she's becoming. Perhaps a couple of cookies can ease that for a bit longer until she feels like eating something more filling.

"Oh." She steps closer to get a better view, tilting her head to the side curiously. "What kind?"

"Oatmeal chocolate chip. Your old favorite, remember?" Recalling the distant memories of a seven-year-old Y/n stuffing her face with the delightful treat without a care in the world makes her laugh, despite the constant nagging in her gut and the aching in her chest. Gosh, I was so naive.

"Yeah, I remember," she replies, the shadow of a smile sweeping over her face for the smallest of moments before being replaced with an eager expression as she takes another whiff of the cookies. "They smell so good." Nana releases a small chuckle and shakes her head.

"I'm glad! Dig in, I made them for you."

"Ah, you didn't have to do that." She meets the woman's gaze with a sincere one of her own, knowing in the back of her mind that she only made them as an act of comfort food for Y/n, and though she's immensely appreciative, the idea of being pitied doesn't sit well with her. Still, she doesn't say anything about it. Nana did it solely out of compassion and love for her, and she isn't going to reject that.

"Of course I did." Her hand finds its way to the girl's shoulder and squeezes it affectionately. "You're only here for a few weeks. I have to make sure you know how much we love you."

"I already do know, Nana." Her voice is uncharacteristically soft as she looks at Farrah, touched by what the lady's saying and trying to figure out how her father could have straight-up abandoned her without blinking an eye. "I don't need cookies to realize that."

"Come here, baby," she says, reaching her arms out and wrapping them around Y/n's b/s frame in a gentle, caring embrace. The h/c leans into her, snaking her own arms around her and squeezing a bit more softly, relishing the warmth of her grandmother's hug. She knows that this is a temporary comfort; once her parents come back and she leaves, she won't be returning until after she's eighteen. That's too long for her to wait. What if something terrible happens while she's gone, like what went down at her cousin's house just a couple of years ago?