Translucent

Watch

The street light highlighted Jun's flushed face and Rhiannon imagined that her teary eyes shone in refraction.

She had moved this argument to the road, realising that if she began to shout on her porch that she would wake her parents and get in trouble. 

"You knew I liked him, Rhiannon!" Jun was yelling so loudly that Rhiannon was worried that she'd wake up the whole street.

This wasn't going well. Not well at all.

"I know that! I didn't intend for this" She gestured to her wrist, the bespoke gold wristwatch hanging loosely on her wrist.

She didn't even like it, it didn't suit her.

"You didn't have to take it, you could have said no!" she wasn't shouting now but she was still speaking incredibly loudly.

"And look rude? Prudish? A total bitch?" Rhiannon rarely swore but when she did, it was necessary.

"Well, if you weren't a total bitch before, you are now" Jun hissed and Rhiannon felt her chest leaping into her throat. She was ready to hit her best friend and would have felt no remorse.

She was the one who introduced her to Duncan in the first place. She wanted Rhiannon to tell her that he was a good match for her. She wanted help in getting him to fall in love with her. She did all of that. Unfortunately, he decided that he didn't want Jun. 

And now she has a watch that he uses as a display of affection. Like a wedding band to a married couple. Many girls have worn this watch.

"You really want to insult me over some stupid boy, Jun?" Rhiannon hissed back and Jun's hands were bundled into fists "Is that what you want?".

Jun scoffed, head rolling back much like her eyes were.

"What were you even doing tonight?" she asked, her arms crossed over her chest like she was cold and exposed, even in the summer heat. Rhiannon had to swallow down on the lump in her throat.

"We drove out to the lake-"

"You did what?!" Jun was practically screaming but Rhiannon was beyond caring as tears began to stream down her face "You went to the lake? You know what they do at the lake after dark, right?" 

Rhiannon was holding back sobs as she tried to explain herself.

"It wasn't like that-"

"Oh, sure, it wasn't! I bet you two enjoyed yourselves, getting frisky" Rhiannon felt the harsh pang of hurt in her chest.

"I would never do that, Juniper" her tone was deathly serious as she said it.

"He probably only likes you because you could pass for a white girl"

Rhiannon felt a thick glass ceiling smash in her mind as her stomach dropped and her hands began to shake. She looked at her hands, hovering between her two realities and she realised that she was going to leave in front of her best friend.

"No, no, no" she collapsed to her knees and gripped around her stomach, begging in mumbled nothings that her body stopped doing this to her. Not in front of Jun. Not now. No. No. No.

"Anna?" Jun had forgotten about the argument and immediately went to Rhiannon's side "What's happening?"

Rhiannon looked into her eyes but they were scanning over her phasing form. She could already feel the grip that the new air had on her but she mustered all of her strength to point a finger at her friend.

"Don't you forget this" Rhiannon was still angry but her voice was shaking with fear "You hear me?"

"I don't understand, what's happening to you?" Jun's eyes were also streaming with tears of fear and confusion.

Rhiannon fought the feeling harder as she could feel her toes disappearing, her vision lightening to white by the second.   

"Jun, I'm sick" she explained through hitching breaths "Just tell you you'll remember this"

"I will, I will, I promise" Jun was sobbing, holding onto her friend for dear life as she began to disappear in her arm "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"

"I forgive you," Rhiannon said, her voice faint and weary "Please tell my mama".

It was the last thing she sent before it finally engulfed her and she was gone.