𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓎 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎

Five.

Alice had just disappeared after letting after getting Emily to take a photograph of her. Emily put her camera down on her desk and picked up a few pins while there. She walked across her room to her cork board where photos of celebrities sat among beautiful wedding photos, photos of Emily and her family and images of local and foreign landscapes. With a slight smile on her face, Emily put Alice's photo into her collection of photos she had taken.

Emily took a few steps back, standing on something in the process. With a slightly tilted head, she looked at Alice's photo, a blush crept upon her face.

As she moved her foot, Emily picked up what she had been standing on. It had been a piece of folded paper. Cautiously, Emily unfolded the paper.

It was what seemed to be a suicide note but it seemed like they were trying too hard. Emily skimmed through until she saw the signature at the bottom.

"Who the hell signs their own suicide note? 'I'm going to end it all next week.'?" Emily muttered. "What kind of person carries a suicide note around with them?"

Emily didn't get that much sleep when night time fell. She spent every second thinking about the note that Alice had signed, analysing it. 

By the time the morning came, Emily had dark circles around her eyes and came to the conclusion that she should act as though it was real and she had never read it.

For some strange reason she felt compelled to make sure the other girl stayed alive, she was so bright and happy. She could make anyone happy. 

Emily changed into a plain dark grey pocket tee, combat trousers and boots then headed outside. She stood at the end of her path doing something on her phone until Alice began to walk away. At that point she ran up behind Alice and enveloped her in a hug once the blonde girl had stopped walking.

"Stay away-" Alice's voice wavered.

"Never. I will always be here for you."

"No you won't. Stay away."

Emily spun the other girl around then was very harshly shoved into a wall. Alice's arms wound around Emily's waist as she buried her face in the crook of the younger girls neck. She began crying.

"Everyone always leaves. That's just how it is."

"No. Everyone would include me. I am not going anywhere. I refuse to leave you."

"What about school? We don't have any classes together today."

"Screw today. Come on, lets head back to your place and just enjoy each others company."

Alice nodded and clasped her hand with Emily's then lead the way to her house. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red so when they got in Alice went to clean herself up in the bathroom.

Emily sat on the couch, looking around at the room she was in. She saw a small kitchen and got an idea. The dark haired girl began to search around the kitchen for ingredients and utensils. She gathered it all on the side and began to make cookies whilst Alice was elsewhere.

Alice entered the room quietly to see that Emily was no longer sat on the couch and sighed. She then saw Emily was happily baking in the kitchen. Alice watched in awe before approaching as Emily turned to have her back facing Alice.

The blonde sat atop the counter in a clear space, knowing the other girl now knew that she was there and retrieved a piece of paper and a pen. Emily stood against the side after she put the cookies in the oven. Her forearms rested on the white counter and her head was leant back slightly, she was smiling slightly and had her eyes closed in thought.

Emily could feel Alice watching her and stayed still as she heard a pen drawing up lines across a sheet of paper from Alice's direction. She stood like that for a while as Alice stared intently at her, drawing every minor detail on her face like the small scar on her right cheek.

The timer dinged and with that Alice finished the drawing. Emily became animated once more and retrieved the cookies from the oven then set them on a pale green plate. The pair smiled at one another as Emily sat the cookies on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Why don't we watch a few movies? We've got all day together."

"Sure, I don't want to waste a minute with you." Alice responded, sliding over the counter to where Emily was.

They decided to watch movies all day, it was dark by the time Emily had checked the time. Somehow during the day, they had finished all the cookies and Alice had gone from being at the other side of the sofa to being huddled up in Emily's arms. Their legs were intertwined and an episode of a police show played in the background.

Emily stared down at the girl in her arms. Mentally she noted to herself every reason that Alice that beautiful, inside and out. Alice slept peacefully as Emily watched with the faint trace of a smile on her face.

She lifted Alice into her arms bridal style and carried her into the bedroom which she had some trouble finding. Emily smiled as she placed the girl down in her bed and gently covered her with the duvet before switching everything off, putting Alice's phone on charge and leaving.

Emily walked home, the night had a soft breeze. Starlight shone through the leafless trees and the pavement glittered like the night sky - like Alice's dangerously beautiful eyes.

Alice awoke in the middle of the night, sleepily, blindly, she wandered around her home to find her phone charging on the kitchen side. Emily had cleaned up and left. She checked her phone to see a message from a nameless number.

'I know what you're struggling with - let me help'

'Who is this?' Alice responded

'It's Emily, glad to see you're finally awake.'

'Oh. Sorry for literally falling asleep on you. I don't know what you want to help me with'

'I don't want you to die' Emily sent that before Alice had even finished typing.

'Some things you just can't stop, I'm very... problematic'

'Let's be problematic together then'

'was that you asking me out owo' Alice typed, smiling

'No. no way, I just want you to know that I'm here for you'

'Why?'

'Because I care about you - a lot'

Alice bit her lip as she stared at the message Emily had just sent her.

'I care about you too, a lot'