They Both Die at the Start

Chapter 3

THE STARS 

"Hey Lidia, is that you?"

Confusion was visible on Lidia's face as she spun around to stare at the three teenagers before her. Her brain struggled to process the sight. It wasn't often you saw two teenagers in full black suits and one in a shockingly yellow dress. She began to get a strange feeling that there was something more to these people.

And then it clicked.

"Aimee! Tagoe! Malcolm!" Lidia yelled back from across the road.
Then, quickly, the decision already made in her mind; Lidia sprinted across the road and practically fell into Aimee's open arms. Barely a moment passed before the other Pluto's joined and enveloped the two girls in a hug which said all of the unspoken words.

A tear dripped down Lidia's cheek and when she looked up, she saw her own pained expression, her own tear-glistened eyes reflected in the other girl's face.

"I can't believe it's really you guys" Lidia whispered into the safety of their arms.

-Later at the bar-

Drinks had been passed around and refilled several times leaving everyone feeling slightly bubbly.

"Thank you so much for inviting me" Lidia said, breathless from all the dancing. 

"As if we were just going to leave you walking home alone" Aimee teased before reaching out to squeeze her hand.

Malcolm looked up and joined in.

"Yeah you were Mateo's number 1 and we all knew what was happening between those two last friends" 

Silence fell again, each of them mourning the person that they knew and the futures they never got to have. Whole lives that never got to be lived, families that wouldn't exist. The unfairness if it all was so overwhelming.

But yet the world still spins. People carried on with their lives, unaware of the tragedy that had shaken these four teenagers. Unaware of the tragedy that had changed their lives.

"I reckon that's what would've happened though" Tagoe said, breaking the quiet. 

A sob escaped from Aimee, " They should have had so much more time to fall in love, make more memories together. Just to be with each other."

"Time was the one thing they didn't have" Lidia replied " Yet they didn't need it. Yes, it would've been amazing to watch them grow as people, together or apart, but they did so much living in that one day; they got everything possible out of their end day. And that's quite an achievement. Everyone should spend every day like our boys spent their end day. Living." Lidia quickly checked her phone before continuing, " It's almost midnight, a new day starts tomorrow, and another one will follow that. There are so many days left to be lived and we have to make the most of every single one."

The three Pluto's were shocked at Lidia's long, meaningful speech; even Lidia herself seemed a little shocked. 

Tagoe spoke first, "If we spent every day like they spend their end day, we'd be broke and in love with like 50 different people."
A laugh was shared around their table and the atmosphere lifted a little.
The noise of their laughter meant that it took a while for them to notice the phone ringing on their table.

The phone ringing with the alert...