Feels like a Dream...

'*~<-EIGHT-:-UNSPOKEN:RIPPLES->~*'

a/n sorry this chapter is a bit late in the night <3 enjoyy

Daily's POV

The Friday afternoon air clung with a sense of tension, though it was easier to ignore in the cozy, familiar setting of Avery's living room. Daily sat cross-legged on one of the plush chairs, her gaze flicking between her friends, all gathered close. Despite the warmth of the blankets and snacks scattered about, the weight of everything that had happened with Kali and Alice lingered in the background.

Avery had been quiet, though she tried to mask it with the usual ease in her interactions. Kasey's laugh echoed loudly from the corner where she sat, but Daily couldn't shake the unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach since the confrontation earlier that day. It wasn't like her to be weighed down by drama, but this situation felt... different.

"Alright," Eve said, breaking the silence with her signature bluntness. "Are we just not going to talk about the fact that Kali and Alice showed up like that earlier? That was ridiculous."

"Yeah," Kasey chimed in, her usual cheeriness slightly forced. "They were acting like we were the ones who did something wrong."

Daily nodded, her fingers fidgeting with the sleeve of her hoodie. She wanted to say something, to push the conversation forward, but there was a heaviness in her chest, a feeling that words couldn't quite shake off. Avery, sitting beside her, hadn't said much about the encounter either, and Daily couldn't help but wonder if she was holding something back.

"Can we just not focus on them tonight?" Akrian asked quietly, her voice soft but with an edge of frustration. "I'm tired of giving them space in my head."

Daily bit her lip, torn between agreeing and knowing that ignoring it wouldn't make it disappear. "I get that," she finally said, her voice steadier than she felt. "But, like, they're not going to just stop. This thing with them... it's not over."

Avery's eyes flickered toward her, a brief moment of recognition passing between them. Daily knew her best friend all too well. Beneath that quiet, composed exterior, Avery was still rattled. The encounter had left its mark, and though she didn't say it, Daily could feel the ripples of it under the surface.

"I don't think they know what they want," Avery finally spoke up, her voice low. "It's like... they're trying to drag us down because they're unhappy or something. I don't get it."

Daily nodded, but her thoughts drifted. She hated this feeling. The tension, the uncertainty, the way things were shifting in their friend group. Sure, they had a solid circle—she loved Akrian, Kasey, Eve, and of course, Avery. But the echoes of the past friendship with Kali and Alice still lingered, hanging over them like an unspoken ghost.

"I just wish they'd own up to what they did," Daily muttered under her breath, barely realizing she had said it aloud until Eve shot her a knowing glance.

"Same," Eve added, her arms crossed. "But I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon."

There was a moment of silence, the weight of everything sinking in. Daily could feel the frustration simmering in the room. It wasn't just about the Halloween contest anymore—it was about the way Kali and Alice had twisted everything, made them feel like the villains in their own story.