"C'mon, SJ!" Hannah encouraged. "Show 'em the dance you made up for this!"
Sarah-Jane Kirke and her group of friends: Hannah, Timothy, Amanda, Tyler and Samuel were secretly watching the TV show "Friends". They were doing it in secret because they knew that their parents wouldn't approve. But, hey, they were teenagers, so it was pretty much their job to rebel.
"Mmm mmm," Sarah-Jane shook her head. "Not unless you do it with me!"
"Oh, alright!" Hannah agreed, pretending to be hesitant. Both girls leapt off the couch as the theme song started playing. The other teens sang along while Sarah-Jane and Hannah danced. Once the theme song, they both plopped back down in unison, giggling. They both reached for some popcorn and shovelled it into their mouths.
"Ew!" Samuel protested. "That's gross."
Just to gross him out even more, Sarah-Jane opened her mouth wide, revealing her half-chewed popcorn.
Kitty Winter smiled at the memory. She used to have so much fun as a little girl. That is, until she'd been exposed to the real world; the world outside of "Friends". Kitty hurriedly wiped a right tear that escaped from her eye. She knew she had to get away, she just didn't know where. If only she'd kept in touch with her friends.
Tap, tap, tap.
Sarah-Jane looked up when she heard three soft knocks on her bedroom door.
"SJ? Can I come in?"
The voice belonged to Tyler.
"I can't have him see me like this!" Kitty thought to herself, thinking of her tear-stained face. Every cell in her body screamed at her to shut people out, to be strong and not let anyone see how vulnerable she was at the moment.
But, at the same time, there was this tiny feeling that she felt. The feeling of wanting to let just one person in. Just one. Just one, so that not everyone would know her suffering, but so that she could share the burden with just one person. She eventually gave into that feeling.
"Yeah," she croaked, internally cursing when her voice cracked. The door opened and she lowered her. She felt Tyler sit down on the bed and place a comforting hand on her back.
"I know I don't know how it feels to have parents split," Tyler said. "But if you need, y'know, someone to talk to, or just someone to hug you when you cry, I'm right here."
Sarah-Jane managed a weak smile before breaking down. Tyler just held her while the tears flowed steadily down both sides of her face. As she was crying, Sarah-Jane heard Tyler softly humming the tune from "Friends". She sung along in her head, letting the words make her feel better. Eventually, she stopped, and was even able to sing the last line.
"I'll be there for you, 'coz you're there for me too."
"Yes, I will," Tyler promised. "Forever."
Now, at this moment, Kitty wished more than ever that she were back in that moment, just in someone's arms for comfort. Kitty remembered that Tyler had said, "forever" when he made that promise. She wondered if he still meant forever. She knew that there was only one way to find out. One terrifying, gut-wrenching, downright petrifying way to find out.
"Yes, I'd like to book a flight to Essex, please."
This didn't get many hits on Tumblr (just 1 note!), so I posted it here. There will be more to come soon, I promise :)