The school bell rang and the sound of everyone closing their books and folders caused the teacher to raise her voice as she assigned their homework. Being the last lesson before lunch, Alex had only been paying attention to the first few minutes of the lesson, so, when the teacher shouted about the structural composition of atoms, the brunette screwed her sleepy face up a little. She had deduced from a young age that science was never going to be her forté, she just didn’t understand all the long words and the stupid amount of maths that was required for just about every experiment. 

As she slid her pencil case off the desk into her back with a small yawn, Alex felt the eyes of Mrs. Delberry on her and rolled her eyes. The student stood up and dropped her backpack onto one shoulder, giving the teacher a sarcastic smile. 

“Alex, you know if you actually paid attention in class you might get somewhere with this work,” The teacher said as the other students were making their way out of the classroom. 

“What’s the point? I’ve got to resit the year anyway,” Alex scoffed, walking down between the tables towards the door. 

“You can still pull it back you know, finals haven’t started yet and there is still time to get coursework finished,” 

“Miss-- I’m fine... Okay? It’s not just Chem I’m behind in, it’s everything so thanks for the words and shi-- and everything-- but there’s no way I’m getting into Senior Year this time around,” The brunette shrugged, hoisting her backpack up further onto her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” 

“If you need any help outside of class, Alex--” Alex nodded to cut Mrs. Delberry off before walking out of the classroom and down the corridor towards the caféteria. She dug her hands into her jacket pockets and pulled out a pair of earbuds, but before she had a chance to put them in, she heard her name being called out. Glancing behind, Alex smiled. “Hey, Melissa-- you going to lunch?” She asked, slowing her pace down to allow the other to catch up. 

“Yeah,” Melissa smiled jogging a few steps before she was side by side with Alex. “How are you doing?” The braided brunette inquired as she fiddled with her ring on her left index finger.

“I’m beat-- and starving,” Alex laughed as she stretched her arms out in front of her for a moment and then let them fall down either side of her body. “How about you? Did you manage to find Astronomy the other day?” 

“Starving as well,” Melissa agreed having smelled the aroma and spices coming from the kitchen. “Yeah, I did but only two other people actually turned up to the meeting,” She laughed, shaking her head slightly as they turned the corner and joined the end of the queue. 

“Yeah, from what I’ve seen that isn’t exactly the most popular extracurricular-- then again, I really wouldn’t know because aside from band I don’t do shit,” Alex joked. She was signed on to the track and field team, but she never actually went to any meets; hell she could barely run a meter with her smokers lungs. 

“It was quite nice though, to be honest-- there’s a night expedition this Friday and with the quality of the telescopes this school has it should be, as long as it’s not cloudy, amazing,” Melissa smiled as she picked up a tray and placed it on the metal railings. Alex did the same, grabbing two sets of cutlery and handing one to Mel. 

“Here,” 

“Oh, thanks-- I always miss them and have to come back up,” She chuckled, taking the metal knife and fork and placing them on her tray. 

“I think my roomie, Kaya is in that society-- so-- What exactly do you even do in astronomy? Just-- talk about the stars and shit?” Alex asked, furrowing her eyebrows a little as they pushed their trays down the lunch options. The smaller brunette took a bottle of Glacier Gatorade, a packet of Mike ‘n’ Ikes and a cookie.

Melissa opted for the healthy option of a salad and Vitamin Water option, of course. She chuckled and shook her head as they lifted their trays up and turned to look for seats in the hall. Spotting a table across the room, they began making their way through the busy area. “Well, I mean, I guess that’s kind of the jist of it, but we do look at other things as well-- research, current projects, NASA stuff... But the looking up at space is the main part-- it’s fascinating,” Melissa explained as they sat down at the table. “Your dentist is going to hate you,” She teased, nodding towards Alex’s ‘nutrious lunch’. 

“Jokes on you, I don’t have a dentist,” Alex smirked back, causing them both to laugh. “I don’t know about all that, I mean-- yeah the night sky is great and everything but looking at it through telescopes? Doesn’t that just make you feel really-- insignificant?” She questioned, shrugging her shoulders a little as she undid the lid of her energy drink and took a long swig. 

“Not really, I mean-- it puts it into perspective how small a part we play in the grand scheme of things... You should come on Friday-- if you’ve not got any plans, of course,” Melissa offered as she began tucking into her salad. 

“I er--” Alex thought back to her conversation with Marnie on the beach for a moment before nodding her head with a smile. “That sounds great-- I’ll bring the blankets,” She chuckled as she tore a part of her cookie and ate it with a small smirk. 

“You don’t have to you know,” Melissa smiled, raising her eyebrows a little.

“No, no-- I- I want to... Where is it?” 

“Down in lakehouse, 8pm,” 

“It’s a date,” 

-------- Old yellow bricks.

An hindrance she osculated with snoopy fingers. Interminable to her faint human view. The carcass of a shunned architecture. Debris consisting of an ancient residence, an habitation that didn't survive to six years of remaining a fugitive. Cassie was morose from the somber form now kissing the ground passionately. Neighbors she'd yearn to reunify in their obsolete domicile. Oh so vintage, démodé, and tasteless. She adored it.

Parenchyma under febrile phalanges, it almost reminded her of an hurricane. Those who blows the zephyr so nimbly that it separate roofs, and lives from corpses. So amazing. Destruction was a full time activity, it was an elongated essence, to resurrect from dry ashes, and form something fresh. Cassie loved to think she was the embodiment of a majestic phoenix. Whom revives from flames, and returns to seconds after birth. As if she didn't experience a sole existence. As if she were sage and well fed. Magical.

And the crave of joining her friendly ruins nudged her to kneel and consequently lay on the dust of her souvenirs. A sigh of exaltation humidifying her sore lips. The sun was transforming her view, from eyelids sealed she could discern colors, some of distinct reaction from her moves, other flashes she couldn't fully discern. Cassie missed Arnold and Chérie. They were memorable, so fat in saturated merriness. They loved china products. She loved that. They let her touch them, and talk a lot, and they listened. They didn't wait for their turn to speak. They actually listened. 

------------- And now they were gone.