All Roses Have Thorns

Sierra XIX

She floated in the corner, watching the others play around in the water. Reese and Jake kept having freestyle races across the pool, and Maggie was watching her from underwater without goggles like some weird mermaid. Sierra reached down to poke her in the face, summoning the water demon to the surface.

"Why are you poking me?!" Maggie demanded.

She shrugged in response.

"Such a nuisance," she shook her head and sank back down into the water.

After watching Maggie swim away for a moment, Sierra pulled herself out of the pool and slid into the hot tub like a dying salamander, letting herself sink until the water reached her nose.

She didn't belong here.

She had stopped pretending, she knew that all of Erin's friends weren't quite hers and that she and Erin might not even be considered friends. Still, she wanted to be here. She didn't know if the others wanted her to be there, but she had tried to look past the doubt creeping up in her mind.

The hot water soothed her terrible thoughts and she closed her eyes in an attempt to relax.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting in the water, but she decided to get out when her fingers resembled very old raisins.

She bid goodbye to the others and started walking back to their room.

»» — ⋆❀⋆ — ««

Sierra was sitting on the couch near the window, scribbling away in her notebook. She bit her lip, her brows furrowed as she concentrated.

She couldn't just say that the villain was bad. She had to find something more... eloquent.

Evil?

Villainous?

Sick?

No, the word she was looking for was... cruel.

She hummed in satisfaction and kept writing.

"Erra!"

She looked up to see Maggie staring past her in fascination. A towel was wrapped around her shoulders, her dark hair hanging wet and tangled over it. A smile formed on her face, making her look younger... more innocent and child-like.

"It's snowing!"

Sierra turned to look out the window, and yes, it was snowing.

Not even a minute later, Maggie's phone dinged. "Oh, Erin says they're on their way back! Apparently, it's supposed to snow a few more inches so Sebastian's gonna take us to a good sledding hill." She skipped back to the bathroom. "We better get ready then!"

Sierra looked sadly at her own phone. Erin hadn't texted her.

»» — ⋆❀⋆ — ««

Somehow, they had enough snow gear. Except for Erin. Sebastian gave her a spare pair of snow pants, but they didn't have a jacket for her. She said she would live with the consequences and donned a slightly thicker sweater.

Now the ten stood at the top of the hill. "Are the rules clear?" Erin asked, eyes sweeping over her slightly confused, but eager friends. They all nodded. "Good. The teams are as follows: Sebastian and Safiya, Ryan and Matt, Zach and Maggie, Jake and Reese, and me and Sierra. Any questions?" No one responded, so she continued. "Feel free to make up team names."

All the pairs turned to each other to discuss the important topic of team names.

Erin smiled at Sierra. "I was thinking that we could be the diamonds."

"Sounds good to me," she smiled back.

She clapped her hands. "Alright, what are the team names?" Erin smirked, "We're the Diamonds. Unbreakable and beautiful!"

Sierra blinked in surprise. Erin had made a motto and... she thought Sierra was beautiful? A small blush bloomed on her freckled cheeks.

"We're Team Rocket!" Zach and Maggie yelled.

"Prepare for trouble!" The first one posed.

"And make it double!" The other followed.

The rest of them laughed.

"We're the Star Sapphires!" Safiya posed dramatically. Sebastian smiled.

Reese cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "What team?!"

"WILDCATS!" Everyone yelled.

Jake looked at Erin, "I thought you said you hadn't seen it?"

"I haven't."

Sierra and Safiya gasped.

"That's crazy!"

"How could you?!"

Erin just shrugged. "Alright, final team, what's your name?"

Matt smirked at this, while Ryan just facepalmed and sighed. "Please don't..."

"Team Valor!" Matt stuck his tongue out.

Erin shook her head, clicking her tongue. "I'm disappointed. I don't even play, but I know that Team Mystic is better." Sierra and Maggie nodded in agreement. She laughed, "Well, no matter." She smiled like the tall antagonist of an anime. "Are you ready?"