A/N: I'd like to thank my beta readers, Lmere19, SweetSpark22, and Repenned, for all of their assistance with this story.

The sky was grey with clouds, heavy with the promise of rain, as two girls made their way down the dirt path that ran through the small forest bordering their school. Multicolored packs were slung low on their backs, laden with homework for the coming weekend. Despite this, math and English were far from their minds for this was the weekend they both would be attending the most prestigious of events; the birthday of one Sarah O'Brien, who reigned over the school as the most popular eighth grade girl that had ever graced its halls.

"I still can't believe you were able to get us invited!" squealed Alexandria, skipping a few steps while grinning at her best friend.

"I know, right?" Cassie gushed. "Tomorrow we'll be at a thirteenth birthday party! Just imagine what it's going to be like. The kind of stuff we'll see!" Her eyes closed briefly, picturing an elegant white cake topped with beautiful frosted flowers, free of insulting caricatures of clowns and princesses. Expensive foil balloons would float lazily in tasteful bundles, not subjected to abuse by the party goers. It would be a sea of frilly dresses, styled hair and painted nails amidst conversations bursting with the latest gossip.

"Sarah won't have any of that stupid baby stuff. She's a teenager now, an adult. And that will make us adults too." Cassie flipped her red curls over her shoulder and strutted ahead with her chin held high.

Alexandria couldn't help but shove her playfully. "You wish!" she laughed. "Just 'cause we go to her birthday doesn't mean we're going to change or nothing. I mean, I don't think I'll feel older just because of a party. I know I definitely won't look older." Her Converse scuffed against the ground, dislodging a random stone from its warm bed within the dirt. "It'd be nice though, not being treated like little kids anymore. Nobody ever listens to us."

"Pfft, who cares about that?" Cassie scoffed. "The whole point about being older is that we get to do what we want when we want." A giddy look crossed her face. "Well, that and we'd get boyfriends, of course."

Alexandria's face scrunched up. "Yeah, I still don't think a party is going to make all that stuff happen."

Cassie tossed an arm over Alexandria's shoulders. "You aren't thinking the right way about it. You need to think positive." She tapped her temple. "That, and we're going to change how we look, which will help."

"I guess so," Alexandria muttered, still not entirely convinced.

"Also, I'll be doing your makeup and you're going to borrow some of my clothes." Cassie tugged at the sleeve of Alexandria's oversized t-shirt before pulling away to walk out in front again.

Alexandria glanced down at her front. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"It won't do us any good to go to Sarah's with you looking like your mom still dresses you," she teased before bolting down the path.

"Shut up!" Alexandria lunged after her, fully intent on repaying Cassie with a few sharp pokes to the side that always made the redhead collapse in a pile of wheezes and giggles.

A sudden gust of wind sent the trees and bushes around them into a brief frenzy and Alexandria dodged the wayward branches. She glanced at the sky as she felt light drops of rain begin to pelt against the top of her head.

"Hey, Cass, wait up!"

"Nuh-uh!" Cassie hollered over her shoulder. "You're going to be mean to me!"

Alexandria stopped running, bending over to catch her breath, a nasty stitch running across her right side. "Truce, then!" She managed to call between gasps.

Cassie wandered back down the path, eyeing Alexandria with caution. "Promise?"

"Yeah, cross my heart." Alexandria smiled and straightened up, the sharp pain slowly fading away.

"You need to run more in gym; you totally suck at it."

Alexandria blew a wayward strand of blonde hair out of her face. "I'm stronger than you, that's all that matters."

Cassie stuck her tongue out in reply.

"Now who looks immature?" Alexandria giggled, joined in by her friend.

A sharp crack of thunder startled the girls and both looked upward this time. The air around them had grown cooler and had an almost electrical quality about it.

"We'd better hurry up, my hair is going to be ruined if we get caught in a downpour." Cassie laced her hands protectively over her head.

Alexandria nodded in agreement.

The path became less defined as they made their way alongside an area set up for a housing development. Reddish-brown dirt stained the bottom of their shoes, crumbling as they made their way along a slippery shallow embankment around the perimeter.

"So… are you sure your brother will be there?" Alexandria started to worry. Sarah wasn't a good person to disappoint and she was positive if Andrew didn't make his appearance, it would be trouble for the both of them.

"Um, duh?" Cassie rolled her eyes. "I've already promised him half my allowance."

"But what if he doesn't end up doing what she wants?"

It had all been part of the agreement to let the two girls into the party. Sarah was well known for having a massive crush on Cassie's older brother and had told Cassie if she and Alexandria wanted an invitation then Andrew would have to show up as well and give her a birthday kiss.

An evil grin showed up on Cassie's face. "Well, that's why I'm holding onto his dirty little secret. He won't dare back down if he doesn't want our parents to see it."

"I still can't believe you took his magazine from him," Alexandria laughed then grew thoughtful. "Have you… looked at it?"

"Oh, gross." Cassie made gagging sounds. "There's naked girls in it! He's such a perv." She eyed Alexandria suspiciously. "Why? Would you have looked at it?"

Alexandria's face grew red. "No, of course not. I was just asking, that's all."

"Right, you pervert."

"Cassie!"

Cassie continued in a singing voice. "You and my brother would be great together, two perverts looking at dirty magazines!"

Alexandria shuddered. "As if. You're brother is way too old, that'd be super weird."

"Fifteen isn't old."

"It is for me," she replied.

"Ugh, I wonder if all guys get like him when they're that age." Cassie grimaced. The magazine she had wasn't the only one she'd found. She'd uncovered his stash in a case under his bed when she'd been searching for the television remote. Upon its discovery, Cassie had promptly shrieked and kicked it halfway across the room. It was only after she had gotten over her initial disgust that the idea to blackmail Andrew popped into her head. Apparently, the issue she had slid into a plastic bag with her shoe and then hidden in the basement had been one of his favourites.

"It won't matter if they do. We'll still have each other." Alexandria gave Cassie an awkward hug that was returned in earnest. They both giggled again as they slipped and slid on the uneven terrain, holding onto each other as best as possible.

"Best friends forever!" Alexandria called out.

"Besties for life!" Cassie replied.

Another thunder clap with a streak of lightning made them both shriek.

"C'mon, we need to get to my house already!" Cassie took off again.

Alexandria went to follow when a sudden glimmer caught her eye. She paused and peered across the construction lot, seeking its source.

The area was desolate, given the approaching storm. Large machines sat silently amidst mounds of dirt and piles of lumber. It was eerily quiet, except for the occasional pitter-patter of the drizzling rain. Alexandria shivered as another cold breeze swept across the open area and it was almost enough to make her forget the random light entirely. Another bolt lit up the sky, illuminating her surroundings, and she was able to make out the sharp edge of an object half-buried in the large embankment across from her.

Her curiosity piqued, she slid down the bank to the leveled terrain, made her way across a small, open expanse, and around various construction equipment to the wall of red clay.

The object was difficult to distinguish from its place of rest, so she tentatively scooped away the dirt until she was able to get a good grasp on it. A sharp yank had her stumbling back as it came loose suddenly, bringing part of the embankment with it.

Alexandria yelped and jumped out of the way as dirt and stones tumbled down, chasing after her retreating sneakers. Her foot caught on a piece of lumber, sending her sprawling and eliciting a sharp gasp of pain as she connected with the wet ground. The object remained clutched tightly to her chest as she scooted backward to avoid being buried under the weight of the falling wall. Fortunately, the debris soon lost its momentum and settled just short of her position.

Alexandria heaved a sigh of relief and tried to calm her racing heart as she clambered to her feet. She looked at her prize, wiping away the clinging red soil, and discovered it was a shard of grey metal with a blue tint when turned to the light. An odd consolation for a stupid idea that had left her muddy and shivering from the cold. The shard felt cool in her palm and was heavier than expected given its size. She turned it this way and that, inspecting its oddly textured surface which was covered in strange etchings. Her thumb stroked over them one at a time as she tried to figure out where it could have come from.

"Alexandria, what are you doing?"

The shout startled her out of her thoughts and she glanced up to see Cassie standing on the path with her hands on her hips.

Cassie fixed her with a glare. "It's like you want us to be caught in the storm. If my hair gets wet, you are going to be the one I blame," she warned.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Alexandria muttered, starting back towards the treeline. She broke away from the surrounding equipment and came into full view of her friend, bringing her hand up high and displaying the shard. "Wait 'til you see what I found. "

The sky crackled. Blue-gray metal and pink flesh were outlined by the brilliant white flashes above.

"It's pretty weird looki—"

Every muscle in Alexandria's body violently spasmed into excruciating tight coils as the lightning strike surged through her. Electricity snapped in the air in erratic arcs accompanied by blinding light that obscured the surroundings. Time stilled as a searing fire ignited within, stealing her breath and leaving silent agony in its wake. There came the loud booming clap of thunder following its electric sibling and then, finally, just the soothing shower of rain.

It wasn't until the distorted sounds of screaming reached her ears that Alexandria realized she was lying on the ground. She tried to reply to the screams, recognizing Cassie's voice, but her lips refused to move and her chest was in a vice grip that made it difficult to breathe. She wanted to tell her friend she was alright. She needed to reassure her, to comfort her.

The screams grew distant. A brief glimpse of red was seen along a green backdrop as Cassie retreated into the forest. Alexandria couldn't move to follow, only lie in the muck, as motionless and silent as the machines around her. Her vision began to cloud over as a gentle haze whispered its way across her eyes and enveloped her mind. Thoughts slowed and slurred together into a thick, welcoming black tar that cooled everything it touched.

As she surrendered to the oncoming darkness, Alexandria's eyes settled on the hand where the metal shard had been, her fingers twitching sporadically, clutching at the empty space that remained.