☽★𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝑰 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒐 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒔★☾

Untitled Part 9

2019

"You're being weird with me. I AM the king of being weird with people. You don't get to do that too. What did I do wrong? How can I make it right?"

Isla took a deep breath. "I saw you and Mr. Sinclair making out."

This caught Skai off guard. "When?"

"Last night, I left the party and you were in an empty classroom, the door was ajar and you had your tongues down each other's throats. He was kinda lifting you up too. You're way too short, Skai." Isla shook her head. Skai felt her face growing warm. "Have you..." she struggled to collect herself. "Have you told anyone?" Skai pulled out blades of grass (what a lovely shade of green they were) and scattered them over her knees. Her ripped jeans were wonderfully paint stained. Isla raised an eyebrow. "That you're doing it with a teacher? No. I'm still processing it myself."

"I'm not doing it, we're not doing it, we're not having sex. I'm fucking asexual, Isla."

"So, what? He's an older man. He wants sex."

"You don't know him."

"I know men."

"You're not going to believe me but he's really lovely and I'm in love with him. Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't tell anyone but you owe me big, Skai Darling."

"I know." Skai sighed. "Thank you. Also even if he wants sex he's not getting it."

"Isla saw us snogging the other night."

Mike tensed up. "Do you want to describe her so I know who to be extra weird around?"

"She promised not to tell anyone. We can break up if you want to. If this is getting too stressful."

"No", Mike said a little absentmindedly. "It's almost Autumn." Skai frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I want to experience it with you."

"Oh." Skai blinked. "I feel the same. The colours are absolutely lovely. And you." She put her arms around Mike's neck. "Is this okay?" she asked and he nodded. "I might kiss you", she warned and a small smirk played over Mike's lips. He filled the space between their lips.

2022

This building is haunted. I'm sure.

Grace's hands shook as she lit up her cigarette. Her lighter glittered in the afternoon light. The neighbours claim they heard the same thing. Grace walked away from the wind. Blimey, it's freezing. Her left earbud kept falling off. She turned her head. He looked so familiar and foreign at the same time it made Grace's heart ache. "Mind giving me one too?" His voice sounded a little rough like he was recovering from a long cold. She'd be barking mad to give him anything but she placed hers between her lips and handed a cigarette over with her lighter. "That's pretty." He smiled a little and Grace broke into a smile too. She was melting a little. "My lighter?" she asked. He nodded. "The seashells. And the flame... You're burning a part of yourself." His smile died. He had lit the cigarette now. "Fancy sharing earbuds?" Grace blurted out. "I swear my music taste is good. It's mostly Taylor Swift really and who doesn't like Taylor Swift-" Lucas gave her a glance. "We would have to be very close to each other in order to do that the most efficiently."

"I know. I want to be close to you."

"Why?"

I love you. I love you. I love you. But she was his and he wasn't hers. She kissed his cheek. His smile was back. He accepted the earbud and put it in his ear. But Grace was still aching and not done burning herself. He wasn't done burning her. She took a drag of her cigarette and blew out some smoke. Katie watched from afar. This was the girl from earlier. Ruby's friend. Well, she hadn't been Ruby but looked startlingly like her. Before Grace had walked right past her and she had noticed something pinned on the bag slung over her shoulder. A round piece of metal with colours that had reminded Katie of a night sky, well almost midnight sky. Creeping up dark blue, dark pink and purple. She had wondered if the colours had a meaning together like that. Or if they were just art. She had seen the young man before too. Even from afar she could tell his eyes were stormy and silvery. Only softening a little when he looked at the girl. Looked at the girl like he knew everything about her. The cheek kiss made Katie ache a little. She couldn't explain it. She walked away with her boots scraping the freshly frosted grass. She had seen the blood in the sleeve off his hoodie. Her heart beat just a little too loud and the air was just a little too cold in her lungs. She thought the grass was rather like the starry sky. The way the frost formed over the blades of grass... It reminded Katie of constellations. He found you. He found you and this time he'll end you.