The Pearl

Stage 23: Going Back

Important author's note so please read that at the end.

"We're going now!" Stina shouts. I cringe. If she yells as loud as that, her dad might even hear. I stand up and wipe my eyes clean of its salty tears.

I then open the door.

The first thing I see is Thalia staring sheepishly at the ground. What, what is going o-

"Stina," Thalia says, "I want to stay."

It's dead silent. This is going to be bad.

"WHAT?" Stina exclaims. "YOU'RE LEAVING ME?" Thalia walks over and embraces Stina in a hug.

"This is going to be cheesy, but I'll never leave you."

"Yeah you are. You just said so."

Ryder laughs. "You'll miss m - us too much?" Thalia mocks him jokingly.

"I just like y - it here," she says calmly. Smooth Thalia, real smooth. Stina notices her slip-up and wiggles her eyebrows at Thalia. Thalia stiffly shakes her head left to right, and the rest of us just look on in confusion.

"Allllright then," Stina says with a smirk, "you stay here and get...comfy while you're at it." Miles holds his hand up, and Stina slaps it with a mischievous giggle.

"I'll miss beating your ass in COD Stina." Miles gives her a devilish grin.

"Language!" the rest of us shout. We all laugh.

"Are you serious? The only beating you ever did was the time it took for you to die." Stina's comeback was followed with "oo's" from everyone watching.

"Hey I-"

"Sucked major a-"

"Stina!" Thalia shouts. "You're supposed to be the good one!" In response, Stina sticks her tongue out. Then she turns to Miles.

"Fine, I'm going to say goodbye to you like a big girl. Bye-bye Miles, the time I've spent with you was great," she coughs, "horrific," she coughs again, "and I can't wait to play games with you again!" She ends her goodbye with a cute (though I think she did it to just disgust Miles) hug to Miles. She then begins to let go, but then Miles puts his own arms around her.

These kids got more game then I have right now. Hell, they got more game than most people in this room.

Everyone stares at the two's interaction. Lynn was the only one not staring in surprise; she looked like she'd been anticipating this moment since the beginning of time. Or when they met, who knows.

And then, as if nothing ever happened, Stina bounds out of the door with a bright smile on her face. Lynn walks out after her. I see Amanda come out of a room, so I follow the two sisters.

It's gonna be a long walk.

::::::::::

"Heeyyyy Kei," Jett says awkwardly. I almost cuss from surprise, since Jett Carver is never awkward. That's my job. "So. Amanda is right here," he prods, pulling Amanda over by her arm.

"Jett, what the f-"

"And Amanda, Keilani's here. NOW MAKE UP YOU TWO." Then Jett dashes to the two sisters, talking to them so quickly that Stina used her powers to make him shut up.

"Hello," I say uncomfortably.

"I have nothing to say, so yeah." Amanda looks at her hands. Then she looks up, and we meet eyes.

"Fine, I'm sorry," we say simultaneously. I giggle while Manda scoffs.

"You stole my thunder, Kei," she drawls out.