"Best sleepover EVER…"

Melanie nodded in agreement, grabbing another Twinkie, as Jenny hoarded the Twix.

Tonya checked her bedroom door, making sure her controlling mother and OCD father didn't make an entrance, before grinning.

Her younger sister, Katharine, had a fever, and both mother and father were fussing over her.

Having cared for her sibling most of her first official day of summer, she'd been freed of duty once they returned from work.

Her grandmother, an exuberant seventy-six year old and mother to her own mother, had noted how Tonya was more responsible than her own parents.

"Ready for the trip?" Steph wondered, biting into a cupcake and licking the frosting off her nose.

"I can't wait!" TJ replied, licking the frosting off her own little cake.

"You're sure your grandmother is alright with taking us to the cabin?" Meg wondered, finishing off a glazed doughnut.

"She's excited, trust me."

Lizzy lifted her eyes from her ever-present laptop, smiling.

"W-Well, I'm alright as long as I can connect to the internet."

"I don't think that'll be a problem." Mel assured, reaching across the circle to pat the younger girl's shoulder.

"Yeah, you have so many gadgets and gizmos I wouldn't be surprised if you made a light saber!"

Jenny giggled, stuffing a Twix and Milky Way into her mouth.

"I-I couldn't do that…"

"Aw, come on! Don't be modest!" Tonya insisted, putting an arm around her shy friend's shoulders.

"Everyone knows you're the smartest person in school!"

"Don't let Missy get you down." Meg added, brow furrowing slightly in anger at the name.

Missy, besides being an overall teacher's pet and 'perfect' fashion icon, was a cheerleader and bully to those younger than herself.

Unfortunately, because of her high grades and low self-esteem, Lizzy was often picked on.

Of course, this had her friends moving into a defensive formation in an instant.

Though normally laidback and fun-loving, they could sting you with words just as well as Missy, and often shooed her off.

"I can't wait to go in the lake!" Mel stated, hoping to redirect the conversation.

"Me, either!" Jenny agreed, unwrapping another candy bar.

"You two LIVE in the water." Steph noted, sipping the rest of her soda.

"It's the best thing EVER. Add water to any prank, and it'll never fail!"

"…Nice to know, Jenny…Nice to know…"

"It's ridiculous. Pranks aren't everything."

"BLASPHEMY!"

Meg rolled her eyes at the finger pointing towards her, picking up another doughnut.

"Take that back!"

"I don't take back the truth."

"TREASON!"

TJ just blinked at the two, finishing off her cupcake before picking up another.

"Don't start something you won't finish." Steph warned boredly, eyes half-lidded at the common sight.

TACKLE!!!

BAM!!!

ROLL!!!

"Watch out for the Twizzlers!" Mel warned, jumping to defend the candy.

"CUPCAKES!"

Steph lifted the cans of soda easily as they rolled by, still drinking her own as they hit the dresser.

"Watch out for-!"

BANG!

"OW…"

"Ow…"

"…My bags…"

Tonya smiled sheepishly as both glared at her, and she backed towards the door.

"I'll just…get more soda!"

Bolting out of the room as everything continued, heading through the dark apartment to the kitchen.

Grabbing a six-pack of Pepsi from the cooler beneath the counter, she paused, blinking at her grandmother making tea.

"Hi, granny."

"Hello, dear."

She smiled, bright blue eyes making her wrinkled face seem younger, and she embraced her granddaughter.

"How are you feeling?"

"Excited."

Tonya grinned, swinging the soda cans in her hands.

"We can't wait for the trip."

Studying the twinkle of sadness in those bright eyes, the redhead turned concerned.

"Granny?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, dear. It's just past my bedtime. Go on back to your friends."

Nodding hesitantly, the redhead walked back to her room.

Grandmother Beverly sighed, looking into her tea cup as the microwave numbers flickered…

'I'm so sorry, dear…So sorry…'