(Summer 2033)
Nine months later, Ellie and Enid grew even closer. They were inseparable, spending every moment together until the seventh month. It was like they had never been apart at all. However, on month seven, they had a heated argument before Enid disappeared without a word to Ellie.
There was a reason Enid had been away, and she was planning to meet Ellie that night to explain. She couldn't deny feeling nervous about seeing her best friend after two months of absence.
Needless to say, it broke Ellie's heart into a million Pieces.
The 15-year-old girl had on a deep maroon t-shirt paired with a grey fleece overshirt featuring camo green sleeves and a black hood. She sported black converse shoes that reached her ankles, along with black jeans with ripped knees. Topping it off, she wore a black beanie over her dark hair.
Enid discovered Ellie peacefully dozing off in her dorm room. Ellie was dressed in a reddish pink tank top and blue shorts. As Enid swung open the door, a flood of light poured into the room, but it failed to rouse Ellie from her slumber.
A grin spread across Enid's face as she laid eyes on Ellie. She was eager to spend some quality time with her and couldn't wait to wake her up. Sneaking over to the sleeping Ellie, Enid carefully climbed onto the bed, causing the mattress to sink slightly. With a mischievous giggle, Enid playfully nibbled on Ellie's neck.
Startled by the unexpected sensation, Ellie jolted awake and promptly pushed Enid off the bed, sending her tumbling to the floor. Letting out a startled cry, Ellie swiftly reached for her switchblade and flicked it open, prepared to defend herself against the intruder.
Stepping out of bed, Ellie faced Enid, who was still on the floor, laughing at Ellie's reaction.
Ellie couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Enid on the floor, laughing. "No way, Enid?!" she exclaimed, frozen in shock with her knife still in hand.
"Ouch, that really hurt. Thanks for busting my ass, El," Enid replied, rubbing her backside as she stood up. "The fuck? I thought I was bit," Ellie said, rubbing her neck where Enid had playfully bitten her.
"I know, it's good to see you too," Enid said, partly joking. After an awkward silence, Enid glanced at Ellie's knife, which was still pointed at her.
"So... are you planning to stab me or something?" she asked, pointing at the blade. Ellie had been so lost in staring at Enid that she hadn't even realized she was still holding the knife.
She looked down at it, closed it, and put it back under her pillow. "Enid, do I need to remind you how long it's been since I last saw you?" she asked, reluctantly.
"I think it's been about two months. Curious why I disappeared?" Enid smirked and shrugged, confusing Ellie. However, Ellie didn't return the smile. Instead, her expression showed that Enid had hurt her by leaving.
"All this time, I believed you were dead, Enid," Ellie said, shaking her head. Enid felt guilty for causing Ellie pain. She knew that leaving did hurt her just the same.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. But... here. This is the reason I've been away for so long," Enid explained, taking something off her neck. She handed it to Ellie to examine.
It was a Firefly Pendant - a symbol worn by members of that group. Ellie looked down at the pendant before smiling at Enid. "No way. You're a Firefly," she exclaimed, inspecting the back of the pendant.
Engraved on the back was "Enid Johnson 000818." Enid nodded shyly, glancing around Ellie's room for anything new. "I guess I followed in my mom's footsteps," she replied.
Enid strolled past Ellie and noticed that the bed on the opposite side of the room was empty. "You're still flying solo in here, El? I can't believe I never ended up being your roommate," she remarked, glancing back at the other wall.
Ellie struggled to find the right words. Enid had left to join that rebellion group. If it weren't for that, she might have been Ellie's roommate.
There was a photo on the wall that caught Enid's eye. She instantly grinned. It was a picture of her and Ellie, arms draped over each other's shoulders, cheeks pressed together in smiles. In the photo, Enid was winking and flashing a peace sign.
Enid had taken it a few weeks after their initial reunion. She adored that picture. She took it down from the wall above Ellie's bed.
"Holy shit, you still have this?" Enid exclaimed, holding it in her hands. Ellie didn't respond and headed towards her door.
Enid placed the photo on the bed and gazed at Ellie, who was peeking outside the room. "What the hell are you doing?" she inquired.
"Excuse me, but I really don't want a Firefly flying around in my room," Ellie responded, shutting the door once again before returning to Enid. "Just relax, nobody was following me. I didn't see any soldiers on this floor," Enid reassured, walking towards Ellie.
Ellie gave her friend a piercing look, feeling betrayed. "Here. Congratulations," she said sternly, forcefully placing Enid's Firefly Pendant into her hands, only for Enid to grab her hand.
"Hey!" Enid exclaimed, still holding onto Ellie's cold hand. "Are we okay?" she asked hopefully. Ellie jerked her hand back forcefully and scowled, "Are we okay? Are you kidding me right now?"
"I know you're angry that I left," Enid said with a sigh. "No shit," Ellie replied with an eye roll. "Which means I owe you an explanation. Let me tell you about it while I give you the best night of your life," Enid said as she picked up Ellie's jeans from the edge of her bed.
Ellie's eyes widened as Enid mentioned something. "It's almost morning, I have military drills. You know, where we learn to kill fireflies," Ellie informed her.
"Aw, that's adorable. Put these on and let's get moving. Or do you prefer to stay here?" Enid remarked, throwing Ellie her jeans, which she caught. Ellie let out a sigh and began putting on her jeans.
"I feel so stupid..." she muttered. "Come on, when was the last time we actually got into trouble?" Enid said before leaving Ellie's room to give her some privacy