p dir="ltr" /p
p dir="ltr"A emlocal /empark of piercing green as a chill stirs in the air on a Saturday is exactly what Midnight needs. So, she found herself on a bleacher of the baseball field, connecting to an orange dirt track to run laps emoverlooking /emit. Clear blue skies, highlighted by the gold rays of the sun strongput /stronghappiness in her heart. She wore her black leather jacket, managing to sneak over to her house to get it. She cleaned it up, sneaking off in the process./p
p dir="ltr""If it isn't emour /emsavior!" Barbie chirps, walking onto the field./p
p dir="ltr""We heard Birdie got arrested." Sasha adds, plopping down beside Midnight. She pulls a cigar from her pocket, lighting it up./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight wrinkles her nose. She didn't strongchide /strongthe other girl for doing her own thing. "Yeah, she, uh...she's dangerous. Why did you guys hang with her?"/p
p dir="ltr""Why do you think?" Barbie asks, strongtaking /stronga drag from the cigar. She hands it over to Sasha. She goes on to address the short lived topic, "Our parents wanted us to get along. Truthfully, we're complete opposites."/p
p dir="ltr""Is Barbie your actual name?" Midnight grows curious, lifting an eyebrow. She had been busy sketching on a sheet of sleek plain drawing paper. She stashes her sketchbook into a small, pink duffle bag./p
p dir="ltr""I wish. My actual name is Celeste. Erica gave me the nickname of Barbie, because she's always dressing me her way." Barbie heaves a sad sigh, placing her head on her knees of the hands there./p
p dir="ltr""You should come to a sleepover to my house once my step-parents return. We can give you your own look. Sasha too, if you want." Midnight offers, earning kind smiles from the girls./p
p dir="ltr""You can do that?" Sasha asks, adding as an afterthought once Midnight nods in confirmation, "Wicked!"/p
p dir="ltr""What's wicked?" The voice of Baby interrupts, snapping them from their conversation. She is wearing a snug fitting red baseball jersey, white leggings, pleats, and a red baseball cap to match. Her hair is in a ponytail in the hat while she carries a baseball bat./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight strongtook /strongin the entire picture of the Douglas family, dawning orange-white baseball uniforms aside from a certain blonde boy who kept his gaze averted to the dirt./p
p dir="ltr""Midnight can create her own outfits, emapparently/em!" Sasha calls, growing less frightened of hanging around other people. She still didn't want to shake hands with anybody for fear of germs, but she'd acknowledge people with a nod if they spoke to her./p
p dir="ltr""You can?" Colt asks, stunned./p
p dir="ltr""She's writing, directing, and creating costumes for the upcoming school play!" Baby answers, stepping onto a white diamond to batter up./p
p dir="ltr"Colt and Tum Tum follow her lead, lining up to play a game of odd baseball./p
p dir="ltr"Rocky heard every word, strongholding /strongdown the desire to meet the grey eyes of Midnight. He might not refrain from giving her a compliment. He didn't want to like her nor did he want to show affection strongtowards /strongthe girl. He was growing emquite /emattached to her being around so he did his best to keep a distance. He couldn't find Emily anywhere, strongputting/strong a strain on his mood- needing someone to talk to about it./p
p dir="ltr""How much strongtalent /strongcan one have in their brain?" The father addresses Jessica and Mori./p
p dir="ltr""A lot, if you allow your creative eye to flow. You have to have the passion, burning deep in your soul or it won't fit." Midnight had gone back to her sketching, impulsively responding to the father./p
p dir="ltr"The emparents/emem were /emdropping off the boys and Baby, considering Midnight had emlet /emJessica know where she was going first thing. They stronghad /strongto drive the grandpa somewhere, but wouldn't say./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight got the sense of it being a health issue, grimacing at the darkness inside./p
p dir="ltr""How about you girls come join us?!" Colt calls to the three on the bleachers./p
p dir="ltr""Oh, and miss my chance of being a pink emcheerleader/emem? Don't /emthink so pal!" Midnight cups her mouth, shouting in turn so the boy hears her./p
p dir="ltr"Rocky slowly makes his way over to the bleachers./p
p dir="ltr"Sasha had long stomped the cigar into the dirt. She slowly gets up, unzipping her leather jacket. She hands it over to Barbie, revealing a black long sleeve shirt. "If they want a game, they'll get a game. I play strongdirty/strong!"/p
p dir="ltr""Oh, fracking no." Barbie shields her face as if embarrassed by her friend./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight smirks, "Give a girl with a crazy glint in her eye a bat; you're doomed. This should be fun."/p
p dir="ltr"Rocky lifts an eyebrow, finally gazing at Midnight who is invested on watching the game./p
p dir="ltr"As is Barbie who notices the looks Rocky keeps gifting Midnight with. A smirk strongsat /strongon her facial features as a plan came to mind./p
p dir="ltr"•••/p
p dir="ltr"Baby swings, hitting homerun. She barely makes it when she is tackled. Her foot doesn't even slap the baseball plate. "Shoot!"/p
p dir="ltr""I'm sorry. I warned you, I play dirty!" Sasha speaks loudly in her ear./p
p dir="ltr"Baby squirms, shoving Sasha off of her. She dusts what she can off her uniform, biting her bottom lip in a frown. "I know, but next time-"/p
p dir="ltr""-watch it, I get it." Sasha nods, dusting herself off. For the first time, she is enjoying herself./p
p dir="ltr""Here. We have one strongmore play /strongthen whoever loses deems the other team a winner." Colt jogs over. His tired tone gives away the real strongreason /stronghe wants the game over with. He hands the baseball bat to Sasha who nods in agreement./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie has her hands in her palms, squeezing her cheeks. She too is strongready /strongfor the game to be done. "This is aggravating."/p
p dir="ltr""It's nearly over." Rocky informs the girl who nods./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight emsneaks /ema brief glance of the blonde, staring out at the field. A sigh hangs on her lips. She keeps it in, frowning as she strongputs /strongher sketchbook into her bag. She stands up, yawning while noting her knees had grown stiff./p
p dir="ltr""I'm going. I'll see y'all once you return." Midnight grows strongdead, tired /stronginside. Her excitement of the day was well worn./p
p dir="ltr""emBallerina?/em" Rocky accidentally calls to her in a soft undertone. He gets her attention, having lightly gripped the hem of her leather jacket. He forgot Barbie was strongaround/strong./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight swore her breath hitched in her throat. She rose an eyebrow, "emKitten?/em"/p
p dir="ltr""Be careful." Rocky barely chokes over his words. His cheeks were painted a rosy pink, due to the nickname. His eyes were strongdead /strongset serious while he watched her exit through the gate./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie silently giggles, growing gleeful as the two got her attention with their small interaction./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight only gave him a slight nod. She kept her pink duffle bag, snuggled into her chest. She was halfway home emuntil /emEmily got her attention./p
p dir="ltr""Midnight, I-" Emily caught the girl on a strongrandom /strongstreet, gently tugging on her arm. A shyness overcame the blonde female, seeing her blush as her green eyes went to the ground. "I think, I, uh like girls."/p
p dir="ltr"Midnight remains standing in her spot evidently stunned. She watches the blonde girl strongdebating /strongin her head. "Ems, you don't like girls. You have a strongboyfriend/strong."/p
p dir="ltr"To prove her point, Emily quickly cupped Midnight's face. She emsoftly /empresses her pale pink lips into the darker pink of Midnight's./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight is emstunned /emat first. Two girls emopted/em to steal her first and second kiss from her. She soon empulls /emEmily closer, deepening the kiss. She's enjoying the strongwarm/strong, flowing, rushing sensation of the bubblegum girl in her embrace. Her eyes flutter closed, tempted to take Emily home until she gasps with a start./p
p dir="ltr"She pries herself from the blonde girl, gasping for oxygen. She holds the girl, firmly from arms length./p
p dir="ltr""I'm emfairly /emcertain I like girls, Midnight. I didn't know I could. You showed me anything is possible." Emily softly smiles, staring strongdreamily /strongat Midnight as she spoke. She chose to stroke her cheek, wanting to continue the makeout session until a new voice came into the mix./p
p dir="ltr""Emily? Midnight? What are you girls doing?" Rocky called, causing Midnight to tense up with remorse, and guilt./p
p dir="ltr"Emily took a step from Midnight. Her eyes grew a fraction, emstruggling /emfor an answer./p
p dir="ltr""Rehearsing lines for the play?" Midnight questions herself as the blonde boy comes into view./p
p dir="ltr"The others aren't far behind./p
p dir="ltr""You and Emily hate each other!" Colt calls, passing them by. He is walking with Baby, Tum Tum and Sasha./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie watches the scene unravel behind Midnight, Rocky, and Emily./p
p dir="ltr""This is my way of making it up to her for excluding her. I don't hate anybody empersay/em." Midnight chirps, tossing an arm around Emily's shoulder./p
p dir="ltr"Rocky didn't buy the lie for a split second. He could tell Midnight strongdidn't /strongget on with Emily. He knew for the fact they were so different. "Emily, is this true or did she threaten you again?"/p
p dir="ltr"A look of hurt emplacated /emMidnight's caramel features. emThreatened? /em"Hello, I'm a pacifist! How dumb do you have to act to be blonde around here?"/p
p dir="ltr"Rocky sent strongdaggers, /strongpiercing into her soul. He opened his mouth to speak when Barbie cut in, bumping him harshly on her way to walk Midnight home./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie whispers in Midnight's ear, "He's an idiot. Come on."/p
p dir="ltr"Midnight frowns, allowing the girl to drag her to the home of the Douglas family. All girls want fun, so why did it have to be so complicated to comprehend?/p
p dir="ltr" /p
p dir="ltr"A emlocal /empark of piercing green as a chill stirs in the air on a Saturday is exactly what Midnight needs. So, she found herself on a bleacher of the baseball field, connecting to an orange dirt track to run laps emoverlooking /emit. Clear blue skies, highlighted by the gold rays of the sun strongput /stronghappiness in her heart. She wore her black leather jacket, managing to sneak over to her house to get it. She cleaned it up, sneaking off in the process./p
p dir="ltr""If it isn't emour /emsavior!" Barbie chirps, walking onto the field./p
p dir="ltr""We heard Birdie got arrested." Sasha adds, plopping down beside Midnight. She pulls a cigar from her pocket, lighting it up./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight wrinkles her nose. She didn't strongchide /strongthe other girl for doing her own thing. "Yeah, she, uh...she's dangerous. Why did you guys hang with her?"/p
p dir="ltr""Why do you think?" Barbie asks, strongtaking /stronga drag from the cigar. She hands it over to Sasha. She goes on to address the short lived topic, "Our parents wanted us to get along. Truthfully, we're complete opposites."/p
p dir="ltr""Is Barbie your actual name?" Midnight grows curious, lifting an eyebrow. She had been busy sketching on a sheet of sleek plain drawing paper. She stashes her sketchbook into a small, pink duffle bag./p
p dir="ltr""I wish. My actual name is Celeste. Erica gave me the nickname of Barbie, because she's always dressing me her way." Barbie heaves a sad sigh, placing her head on her knees of the hands there./p
p dir="ltr""You should come to a sleepover to my house once my step-parents return. We can give you your own look. Sasha too, if you want." Midnight offers, earning kind smiles from the girls./p
p dir="ltr""You can do that?" Sasha asks, adding as an afterthought once Midnight nods in confirmation, "Wicked!"/p
p dir="ltr""What's wicked?" The voice of Baby interrupts, snapping them from their conversation. She is wearing a snug fitting red baseball jersey, white leggings, pleats, and a red baseball cap to match. Her hair is in a ponytail in the hat while she carries a baseball bat./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight strongtook /strongin the entire picture of the Douglas family, dawning orange-white baseball uniforms aside from a certain blonde boy who kept his gaze averted to the dirt./p
p dir="ltr""Midnight can create her own outfits, emapparently/em!" Sasha calls, growing less frightened of hanging around other people. She still didn't want to shake hands with anybody for fear of germs, but she'd acknowledge people with a nod if they spoke to her./p
p dir="ltr""You can?" Colt asks, stunned./p
p dir="ltr""She's writing, directing, and creating costumes for the upcoming school play!" Baby answers, stepping onto a white diamond to batter up./p
p dir="ltr"Colt and Tum Tum follow her lead, lining up to play a game of odd baseball./p
p dir="ltr"Rocky heard every word, strongholding /strongdown the desire to meet the grey eyes of Midnight. He might not refrain from giving her a compliment. He didn't want to like her nor did he want to show affection strongtowards /strongthe girl. He was growing emquite /emattached to her being around so he did his best to keep a distance. He couldn't find Emily anywhere, strongputting/strong a strain on his mood- needing someone to talk to about it./p
p dir="ltr""How much strongtalent /strongcan one have in their brain?" The father addresses Jessica and Mori./p
p dir="ltr""A lot, if you allow your creative eye to flow. You have to have the passion, burning deep in your soul or it won't fit." Midnight had gone back to her sketching, impulsively responding to the father./p
p dir="ltr"The emparents/emem were /emdropping off the boys and Baby, considering Midnight had emlet /emJessica know where she was going first thing. They stronghad /strongto drive the grandpa somewhere, but wouldn't say./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight got the sense of it being a health issue, grimacing at the darkness inside./p
p dir="ltr""How about you girls come join us?!" Colt calls to the three on the bleachers./p
p dir="ltr""Oh, and miss my chance of being a pink emcheerleader/emem? Don't /emthink so pal!" Midnight cups her mouth, shouting in turn so the boy hears her./p
p dir="ltr"Rocky slowly makes his way over to the bleachers./p
p dir="ltr"Sasha had long stomped the cigar into the dirt. She slowly gets up, unzipping her leather jacket. She hands it over to Barbie, revealing a black long sleeve shirt. "If they want a game, they'll get a game. I play strongdirty/strong!"/p
p dir="ltr""Oh, fracking no." Barbie shields her face as if embarrassed by her friend./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight smirks, "Give a girl with a crazy glint in her eye a bat; you're doomed. This should be fun."/p
p dir="ltr"Rocky lifts an eyebrow, finally gazing at Midnight who is invested on watching the game./p
p dir="ltr"As is Barbie who notices the looks Rocky keeps gifting Midnight with. A smirk strongsat /strongon her facial features as a plan came to mind./p
p dir="ltr"•••/p
p dir="ltr"Baby swings, hitting homerun. She barely makes it when she is tackled. Her foot doesn't even slap the baseball plate. "Shoot!"/p
p dir="ltr""I'm sorry. I warned you, I play dirty!" Sasha speaks loudly in her ear./p
p dir="ltr"Baby squirms, shoving Sasha off of her. She dusts what she can off her uniform, biting her bottom lip in a frown. "I know, but next time-"/p
p dir="ltr""-watch it, I get it." Sasha nods, dusting herself off. For the first time, she is enjoying herself./p
p dir="ltr""Here. We have one strongmore play /strongthen whoever loses deems the other team a winner." Colt jogs over. His tired tone gives away the real strongreason /stronghe wants the game over with. He hands the baseball bat to Sasha who nods in agreement./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie has her hands in her palms, squeezing her cheeks. She too is strongready /strongfor the game to be done. "This is aggravating."/p
p dir="ltr""It's nearly over." Rocky informs the girl who nods./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight emsneaks /ema brief glance of the blonde, staring out at the field. A sigh hangs on her lips. She keeps it in, frowning as she strongputs /strongher sketchbook into her bag. She stands up, yawning while noting her knees had grown stiff./p
p dir="ltr""I'm going. I'll see y'all once you return." Midnight grows strongdead, tired /stronginside. Her excitement of the day was well worn./p
p dir="ltr""emBallerina?/em" Rocky accidentally calls to her in a soft undertone. He gets her attention, having lightly gripped the hem of her leather jacket. He forgot Barbie was strongaround/strong./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight swore her breath hitched in her throat. She rose an eyebrow, "emKitten?/em"/p
p dir="ltr""Be careful." Rocky barely chokes over his words. His cheeks were painted a rosy pink, due to the nickname. His eyes were strongdead /strongset serious while he watched her exit through the gate./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie silently giggles, growing gleeful as the two got her attention with their small interaction./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight only gave him a slight nod. She kept her pink duffle bag, snuggled into her chest. She was halfway home emuntil /emEmily got her attention./p
p dir="ltr""Midnight, I-" Emily caught the girl on a strongrandom /strongstreet, gently tugging on her arm. A shyness overcame the blonde female, seeing her blush as her green eyes went to the ground. "I think, I, uh like girls."/p
p dir="ltr"Midnight remains standing in her spot evidently stunned. She watches the blonde girl strongdebating /strongin her head. "Ems, you don't like girls. You have a strongboyfriend/strong."/p
p dir="ltr"To prove her point, Emily quickly cupped Midnight's face. She emsoftly /empresses her pale pink lips into the darker pink of Midnight's./p
p dir="ltr"Midnight is emstunned /emat first. Two girls emopted/em to steal her first and second kiss from her. She soon empulls /emEmily closer, deepening the kiss. She's enjoying the strongwarm/strong, flowing, rushing sensation of the bubblegum girl in her embrace. Her eyes flutter closed, tempted to take Emily home until she gasps with a start./p
p dir="ltr"She pries herself from the blonde girl, gasping for oxygen. She holds the girl, firmly from arms length./p
p dir="ltr""I'm emfairly /emcertain I like girls, Midnight. I didn't know I could. You showed me anything is possible." Emily softly smiles, staring strongdreamily /strongat Midnight as she spoke. She chose to stroke her cheek, wanting to continue the makeout session until a new voice came into the mix./p
p dir="ltr""Emily? Midnight? What are you girls doing?" Rocky called, causing Midnight to tense up with remorse, and guilt./p
p dir="ltr"Emily took a step from Midnight. Her eyes grew a fraction, emstruggling /emfor an answer./p
p dir="ltr""Rehearsing lines for the play?" Midnight questions herself as the blonde boy comes into view./p
p dir="ltr"The others aren't far behind./p
p dir="ltr""You and Emily hate each other!" Colt calls, passing them by. He is walking with Baby, Tum Tum and Sasha./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie watches the scene unravel behind Midnight, Rocky, and Emily./p
p dir="ltr""This is my way of making it up to her for excluding her. I don't hate anybody empersay/em." Midnight chirps, tossing an arm around Emily's shoulder./p
p dir="ltr"Rocky didn't buy the lie for a split second. He could tell Midnight strongdidn't /strongget on with Emily. He knew for the fact they were so different. "Emily, is this true or did she threaten you again?"/p
p dir="ltr"A look of hurt emplacated /emMidnight's caramel features. emThreatened? /em"Hello, I'm a pacifist! How dumb do you have to act to be blonde around here?"/p
p dir="ltr"Rocky sent strongdaggers, /strongpiercing into her soul. He opened his mouth to speak when Barbie cut in, bumping him harshly on her way to walk Midnight home./p
p dir="ltr"Barbie whispers in Midnight's ear, "He's an idiot. Come on."/p
p dir="ltr"Midnight frowns, allowing the girl to drag her to the home of the Douglas family. All girls want fun, so why did it have to be so complicated to comprehend?/p
p dir="ltr" /p