Friends (HUMAN)

The sky had turned that soft, in-between color-purple at the edges, gold near the horizon-and the air felt like it was holding its breath. That was when Zoey and Wren found each other by the little patch of trees outside the neighborhood, where the fireflies usually came out in their own slow, sparkly way.

Zoey arrived first, red braids bouncing when she walked, blue eyes bright with the kind of excitement she couldn't quite keep inside. She'd been rehearsing what she wanted to say all afternoon, the words lining up in her head like they were afraid to get lost.

Wren came in a few minutes later, copper hair falling past her shoulders in loose waves, green eyes scanning the path as if she'd been looking for Mara's laugh more than the person herself. When she saw her, her expression softened immediately-like she'd been hoping for this exact moment.

"Okay," Zoey said, trying to sound casual and failing. She pointed at the ground between them, like the answer to everything might be right there. "I need to tell you something. But you have to promise you won't-"

"I won't what?" Wren asked, stepping closer. Her voice was steady, patient. She didn't interrupt the worry, didn't rush it. She just let Mara look at her and breathe.

Zoey swallowed. "Promise you won't think I'm trying to be dramatic."

Wren smiled, small but certain. "I'm not going to think that. Tell me."

So Zoey did. She told her about the thing she'd heard-about how someone had said something that didn't sound true, about how it had followed her around since then like an annoying song you can't stop humming. She told Wren how she'd almost pretended it didn't matter, even though it did.

Wren listened the whole time, eyes not wandering, hands twisting together once and then stilling. When Zoey finished, the fireflies drifted past them like tiny lights being carried from one thought to another.

"I get why you were scared," Wren said finally. "But you don't have to carry it alone. And you shouldn't