my seven for your three.

the finale. (sign of the times)

Bianca's mind was a whirlwind of memories and emotions as she sat in her bedroom, the weight of what had happened pressing down on her chest like a physical burden. The events of the past few days played over and over in her mind, each replay more painful than the last. She couldn't escape the images—the flash of the knife, the look of horror on May's face, and the final, desperate moments as she cradled May's lifeless body. The blood that had soaked through her clothes was long gone, but she still felt it on her skin, a ghostly reminder of what she'd lost.

She tried to focus on something else, anything else, but her thoughts always circled back to May and Lainey. May had been the shy, quiet one, the one who always seemed so fragile. But in those final moments, when May had screamed at Eleanor, something inside her had snapped. Bianca had never seen that side of her before—a fierce, raw anger that had shocked even Lainey. And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone, replaced by a terrible stillness as May's life slipped away.

She remembered how it all started, the moment that had changed everything. The night May kissed her, drunken and sloppy, but with a passion that Bianca hadn't known existed between them. She'd kissed back, her heart pounding in her chest, but when May had slipped her hand underneath Bianca's dress strap—Bianca had panicked. She'd taken May home, tucked her into bed, and then spent the rest of the night wrestling with the realization that she felt the same way. But when May had woken up with no memory of the confession, Bianca had breathed a sigh of relief and buried those feelings deep inside.

Now, as she sat alone in her room, the silence pressing in on her, she couldn't escape the guilt. She'd let fear guide her, and in doing so, she'd lost everything. May was gone, and Bianca couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if she had just been honest.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she realized she would never know how May truly felt about her.

She forced her thoughts to turn to Lainey, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips. Lainey had always been the wild one, the one who pushed boundaries, who didn't care what others thought. Bianca had admired her for that, but she'd never realized how deep Lainey's pain ran.

Bianca took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She had to stay focused. There was something she needed to do, something that had been weighing on her ever since she watched Lainey being taken away by the police. Lainey had been smiling, tears streaming down her face, as she murmured, "I did it. I got revenge. The seven are complete."

Those words had stuck with Bianca, gnawing at her, until she finally understood. Lainey had been on a mission, driven by her own pain and anger, and Bianca had been too wrapped up in her own grief to see it. But now, everything was clear.

She reached for the phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed the number to the juvenile detention center. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before a voice answered.

"Hello?" Lainey's voice was soft, tentative.

Bianca closed her eyes, letting the sound of Lainey's voice wash over her. It was so familiar, yet so distant now. "Lainey, listen to me. We always said we'd stick together, right?"

"Bianca, what are you talking about?" Lainey sounded confused, her voice tinged with fear.

"I'm talking about finishing what you started," Bianca said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "I know what you've been doing. I know about the sins."

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end. "What... what do you mean?"

Bianca's voice was calm, almost soothing as she continued. "You didn't think I knew, did you? Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. You went after them all, didn't you? One by one."