Reunited [Legends of Tomorrow]

-5-

"Julia! Nice to see you're finally here!" someone yelled as they made their way to the kitchen. It was probably the boy Julia had been talking about earlier. "Hey, Thomas, this is Sara. Sara this is Thomas" Julia introduced them to each other. Sara nodded friendly, still surprised about everything that was going on in this house. "Feel free to make yourself at home. Just don't go upstairs, okay? The others are outside" Thomas said and disappeared in the crowd. There were more people outside? Sara was surprised to hear that. "Come on" Julia smiled and took Sara's hand. She pulled her outside. The garden was beautiful and had a big pool. A lot of people were dancing and drinking. "What are we supposed to do here?" Sara asked as she frowned. She wished she'd stayed at home. She didn't like it here. With all those people she didn't know. There were at least one hundred people here. "Just have fun" Julia yelled over the loud music and handed Sara a cup. "What's this?"
"The good stuff" Julia drank it in one sip and threw it on the ground. Sara tasted it carefully. It was actually pretty good. Definitely alcohol.

After a couple of drinks Sara loosened up a bit and danced with Julia and a lot of people she didn't know. When she looked at her watch she gasped. It was almost one o'clock. She pulled Julia out of the crowd and away from the music. "It's already past midnight. We need to get home. My dad's gonna kill me" Sara was freaking out. "Relax, you're already late, does it matter how late?"
Sara gazed at her for a second. "Yes!"
Julia shook her head. "Look, this is fun, right? Let's not spoil the party by leaving now"
"It was fun until I looked at my watch" Sara sighed and put a hand on her head. The alcohol was hitting her hard, since she wasn't used to anything. Julia sighed. "Fine, let's go" she said as she threw her cup in a garbage can. She shook her head as they headed inside, to the front door. "Already leaving?" Thomas jumped in their way before they reached it. He was clearly more drunk than them. "Yes, it was fun. See ya at school" Julia said, pushing him out of the way. But Thomas didn't give up that easily. He grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her closer to him. He tried to kiss her. Sara tried to punch him in the face, but he was stronger. Julia jumped in, kicking in his stomach. Then she hit his head. He fell into the wall and almost lost consciousness. Wow, Sara thought, she's very strong. "Let's go" Julia sighed as she pulled Sara through the crowd. After she shut the front door she said: "You shouldn't let those drunk guys get to you"
"Thanks for saving my ass" Sara grimaced. "Of course, thats's what friends are for"

Sara opened the door as quiet as she could. But as she walked into the living room the lights turned on. Her father was sitting on the couch and stood up. He folded his arms and frowned. Then he looked at the clock. It was half past one. "Look, dad, I'm sorry. We lost track of time" Sara apologized. But her dad wasn't a fool. He smelled the alcohol scent all over her daughter. He shook his head disappointed and walked away. Sara heard him on the stairs and close the door of his bedroom. Then it was quiet. Sara sighed. He was going to be very mad in the morning. She kicked out her shoes and threw her jacket on the couch. Then she brushed her teeth and went to bed.

"Did you get in a lot of trouble?" Julia asked on Monday. "I'm grounded for a week" Sara shrugged.
"That sucks. No regrets, right?"
"Right" but there was doubt in Sara's voice. She did like the party. She had fun, which she really needed. She needed to forget her sadness for an evening. But seeing the disappointed look in her father's eyes. It hurt her more than she had been the last week. She had always been a good girl. Now she felt like her dad was always going to be a little mad on her, no matter what she did. Sara and Julia arrived at their history class as Sara noticed Laurel down the hallway. "Wait here, okay?" Sara said as she ran after her sister. "Laurel!" she said as she got close. Laurel turned around. She didn't look like herself. "What?"
"Where have you been?"
"What do you mean?"
"Excuse me? Dad and I have been worried all week. You've barely been home at all!" Sara got a little frustrated. "I've been out"
The school bell rang and Laurel walked to her classroom. Sara sighed and returned to Julia. "That your sister?"
"Yeah" Sara said distant. She was swallowed in her thoughts. What happened to Laurel?

"Haven't seen you around a lot" Sara said as Laurel entered the house later that night. "I guess so"
"Where have you been?"
"Here and there" Laurel dropped her jacket on the couch. "That's not an answer. Laurel, we need you"
"I'm sorry, okay?" Laurel walked upstairs as quiet as possible so she wouldn't wake her father. "Please, Laurel, I need you" Sara had followed her sister to her bedroom. "I just needed time, all right? Mom left all of the sudden and didn't even say goodbye. I just needed some time"
"Dad needed you here"
"I know, okay, and I said I was sorry. I didn't go partying or anything. I just needed time"
"Where did you sleep?"
"At a friend's. She offered it, so"
Sara nodded slowly. She turned around, ready to go to her bedroom when Laurel hugged her. "I miss her" she whispered. "Me too" Sara responded.

Laurel was home more and Quentin started to be happier. That made Sara happier and she forgot her pain sometimes. Her mother didn't know what she was missing. "Here are your eggs" Quentin sang as he put them on Sara's plate in the morning. "Thanks, dad" she smiled. "Wanna watch a movie tonight?" Laurel asked. Quentin whistled. "Which one?"
"Yes! Family night! I agree totally. I'll buy popcorn and crisps" Sara laughed as she noticed Laurel rolling her eyed. For a moment Sara looked sad, they all did. They used to have movie nights at least twice a month. Now their mother wasn't here. "I think it's a great idea" Laurel grimaced as she saw the sadness in her father's eyes. He nodded and made eggs for himself.

"Hellooo" Julia said as she walked up to Sara. "Hey, wanna hang out next weekend? I'm only grounded until Friday" Sara asked. It was Wednesday. "Uh, sorry, not next weekend" Julia doubted.
"Oh, you got other plans?"
"Uh, I have a- a family thing"
It was obvious she was lying. But why? "That's alright. Maybe another time" Sara smiled and they walked to their class.

It was already gettig dark as Julia got home. It was a thirty minute walk, but she had taken a detour today, just to be safe. She lived in a small apartment with her grandma. The Glades were the bad neighborhood of Star City and there were a lot of criminals around. Julia never felt completely safe, even though she had been living here for a while now. She opened the door and witnessed something dreadful. Her entire house was turned upside down. The couch was covered in dirt as a plant had fallen onto it. A lot of things were broken. "Grams?" Julia called out. No one responded. She ran through the house, hoping she would find her grandma. But she wasn't here. She wasn't in the city, because she never went out on Wednesday. Julia felt like screaming, but she knew it was too dangerous. What happened here? She needed answers and she knew she wasn't getting it from the people they call 'cops' here. She shook her head in disbelief. How could this happen to her? Julia walked downstairs and sat down on the one kitchen chair that wasn't broken. Then she noticed a note. She jumped up. She took it from the wall and read it.

You know where to find us.

Julia sighed as she knew she was in a lot of trouble. She had a pretty good idea who wrote it. But why? And she actually didn't know where to find them. She wasn't that old and didn't have the resources she needed, because people saw her as a 'teenager'. Maybe she needed Sara's help, since she was the only person who she trusted. But then she shook her head. No. If she told Sara the truth her friend would surely die. The only way Sara and her family could live, was if she disappeared and never came back. And most importantly, she needed to act like she never met or liked Sara at all. Julia sighed as she sat down again. The note fell out of her hands, onto the broken table. Tears rolled over her face. Why was this happening to her? It wasn't her fault, was it? Again, she shook her head. She loved her grandma so much. They would regret it if they heard her. Julia took a lighter and lit the note on fire. No one could know the truth.