text: Ella G Save Yourself. 
   
   
   ♔Alice♔ 
   
   LET'S JUST SAY I'M SO BORED, I'D RUN THROUGH THE WOODS JUST FOR FUN. 
   
     
   And with that, I quickly got ready, wrote a note for my parents, and got an apple to eat on the way. 
   I first checked the weather, and it was at least 28 degrees, and I didn't really care if it was Fahrenheit 
   or Celsius. I just wanted it to be good day, not too cold for winter, but just warm enough for me 
   not to get my ears numb and cold. This time, I wore my black jacket, black jeans, a black pullover that had white bold lettering saying, "REBELLIOUS OR NAH," and my socks. I gathered my blonde hair into a side ponytail, and sat down to read a book. I was thinking if Kat wanted to come, but I think she's still asleep. 
     
   After a while, my bored self let loose, and I almost texted her...But I didn't. 
   Not yet, anyway. After the 438th page in  "War and Peace" , I put the book down, and went to watch T.V instead. 
   I played Netflix, and found a decent movie to waste my time on. Oh Netflix. You saved my life. And by that, I meant from boredom. I was watching  "The Interview"  and I was kinda grossed out at the weird parts and the part where Aaron's fingers were bitten off, though. I shuddered, but got through with the movie. Turns out, it had a good ending. But, I wasted an hour watching it, and I'm still deciding about texting her. 
   "Desperate Alice. Oh, desperate Alice,"  my mind sang. "Shut up," I thought. As I killed time, I walked around the house, and the neighborhood, and realized it was snowing. I pursed my lips in frustration, but I didn't want to cancel my plans. So, I let it be. By then, I saw my parents' car pulling out the driveway, and I waved.  
   I sighed, and a puff of white air came out of my mouth. 
     
   After the snow got a bit heavier, I ran back inside and sat down and thought for a moment. 
   About random things....like goats in wedding dresses and leprechauns as British philosophers. 
   Active imaginations and their steady stream of dreams and things that might never happen at all. 
   But, I pushed my wandering brain's dreams and imaginations off and watched another movie. 
   Soon enough, I got bored as usual and listened to music. 
     
     
     
   
   
   
   ☾Kat☽ 
   
   I WOKE UP, AND MY HEADPHONES WERE ALL TANGLED IN MY FINGERS, ALONG WITH MY HAIR. 
   
     
   As I untangled them, I changed and stuff. 
   Socks, leggings, and a pullover. 
   I went the bathroom and did my morning routine. 
   As usual. I stared at my reflection, and added my thick, black eyeliner. It adds a bit of effect, anyway. 
   I knew my parents weren't home because I didn't see their car, and they said they'd be at a soccer game yesterday. I checked my phone, and not so much of notifications came. I shrugged, and went to look outside and day dream. If I could.  "Hmm. Kat as a famous metalcore singer? OR MAYBE KAT AS A FAMOUS LAWYER?!"  Metalcore. Or law. I don't know. I mean, I love metalcore, but I've broken some laws. Some stealing, jaywalking, and yeah. Bad influence alert, I guess. 
     
   I went out in the cold, no jacket, and just stood there in the cold and snow. 
    At first, I thought I was crazy. But, I saw the sky, gray and white; and I couldn't even tell if the houses' roofs and the sky were one or not. After a while, I walked back home, and fixed myself a cup of hot chocolate and a palmier. 
    I checked my phone again, still thinking she would text me some time. 
   But, I knew she would. I mean, I was obsessing over the fact that I finally met her, and I know she was too.  
   I mean, yeah. Right? 
     
     
   I got my headphones, and plugged in into my phone, and listened to music. 
   I went to my room, and flopped onto the bed, and closed my eyes.  
   I was about check the weather, but when I looked outside, the trees were frosted, and the sky completely covered with snow. I checked the weather, though. Looks like it was going to snow, but it'll snow and snow, until 2:12. It was 1:30. 
     
     
   
   
   
   ♔Alice♔ 
   
   I TEXTED KAT REALLY QUICKLY, BUT I DON'T CARE. I WANTED TO TEXT HER. 
   
     
   After 15 or 18 minutes, she responded. I'm guessing she was either taking a shower, still asleep, ignoring, or busy. 
   I bit the inside of my cheek, and pushed the thoughts away. 
     
   
   
   Wanna go outside? I'm bored out of my mind. 
   
   
     
   
   
   Sure. But not until 2:12. It's still snowing. :/ 
   
   
     
   
   
   Mkay. I'll be waiting outside near the forest. 
   
   
     
   
   
   Gotcha. 
   
   
     
     
   Aha. I waited until 2:12, and I ran outside near the forest. Kat was there, looking pretty as ever.  
   "Let's go." She said. I nodded, and we walked into the frost forest. 
   The sky was as gray as ever, and the snow was littered with brown, crunchy leaves and some bottle caps here and there. After a while, Kat was looking around, and would look at some robins, and they would fly away once they were looked at. She frowned, and we walked away from the robins that were in the branches.  
   Then, a branch snagged my jacket, and as I was trying to let it loose, Kat stifled a laugh.  
   I scoffed, and she laughed a melodious laugh. 
     
   I smiled, and I finally got it loose. I pushed the branch away, leaving me and Kat in silence. 
   "So. Pretty forest, huh?" She finally said. "Yeah, I guess." I replied. "You don't talk much." She glanced at me.  
   2 minutes passed, and silence settled in. I exhaled, and said, "What's there to talk about?"  
   "How we can get rid of this. We can talk about freaking society and their suckish theories and useless information and gossip. Or about funny moments," Kat said, "or about ourselves and stories." I laughed, and we started talking about random things instead. "Umm, Oh! I remember when I didn't have this...thing, my sister, Vale, she ran to the mailman, and scared the shit outta him by screaming right in his face. The poor, pudgy guy fell backwards onto the grass, but there was dog shit!" we laughed out loud, the frost falling off the branches. "You're pretty fun to be around," I told her. She looked at me, and said, "You too."  
     
   
   
   
   ☾Kat☽ 
   
   I GOT A TEXT FROM ALICE, FINALLY, AND CHECKED IT AFTER A WHILE. 
   
     
   I didn't hear the chime, since sometimes I put notifications and shit on silence. 
   She texted me about going outside, and I replied if we should go at 2:12, when the snow storm stopped. I changed already into a pair of soft, red Aztec patterned leggings, socks, an black PTV oversize sweater, and a jacket. 
   We agreed, and when 2:12 arrived, I jogged outside, and met her at Elm Forest. She looked pretty, her white blonde hair camouflaged, but beautiful with the snow. She looked a bit misplaced, her clothes all black, like mine, but her white hair on the side; but I still thought she was beautiful. Her eyes were outlined with black, her brown eyes shining. 
     
   "Let's go." I finally managed to say. She nodded, and we walked into the forest, sometimes following the trail, or sometimes going to other areas, away from the trail. I mean, Elm Forest is HUGE. Like, BIG huge. Ginormous! 
   Alice and I were mostly silent, and I finally talked. "Pretty forest?" I know, I know. Stupid question. But, I wasn't going to waste my time here without talking, something I never got to do. "Yeah." She said. "You don't talk much, do you?" I asked. "What's there to talk about?" She replied, after the horrible silence left. I thought for a short moment, and responded. After a moment, we talked about funny things, and moments, and random little bits and pieces. 
     
   "You're fun to be around." I told her. "You too." She said, looking at me. I looped my arm through hers, and we laughed and talked all the way to the little lake. I grabbed a handful of little rocks, and tried skipping them.  
   Alice was pretty good, her aim was a bit off, though. I stifled a giggle, and she scoffed, "Excuse you." She said, pursing her lips, her smile held tight. I burst out laughing, and she laughed along. It finally felt like the disease or thing wasn't there at all. 
   
   
   
   ♔Alice♔ 
   
   IT WAS PRETTY FUN, BEING WITH KAT. 
   
     
   But then, something happened. I knew Kat sensed it too. 
   I held her arm tighter, and I looked around, being careful not to lose my balance on the dock's rails. Kat stepped down slowly and carefully, with grace, and she helped me down too. The snow fluttered slowly around us, lazy and careless. I saw a shadow dart across the forest, and Kat's eyes widened.  The shadow stopped in front of us, and it spoke in a hoarse, raspy whisper. " You shouldn't have met!"  Kat stepped forward, and the shadow backed away a bit. 
   "And why is that, exactly?" She asked, her chin pointed a bit up, in a prideful way.  
     
   "It wasn't meant to be, of course!"  The shadow laughed in a hoarse whisper. "Who acres? Why don't you leave?" I  managed to say, my voice wavering a bit. "Well, that isn't really going to happen, dear Alice."   My hands almost made me want to punch the freaking bastard, and Kat loosened my grip on her arm, and held my hand tight in her hand. "Go. Away. We don't care. I'll literally kill you if I could. And, I would, anyway. What're you going to die from? Light? Or humans?" Kat said bravely. The shadow hissed, it's purple slitted eyes narrowing, and it disappeared, leaving Kat angry, and myself comforting her. 
     
   "THAT LITTLE BASTARD! Why the hell did it leave?! Was it freaking scared? God!" Kat rambled on, walking fast ahead of me, and I caught up to her, and held her fist. "Let go," I told her. "Just open your fist, I fell like you're going to punch the shit out of a tree, saying if they had shit." She pursed her lips, and opened her fist, and we held hands until the weather became a bit too cold, and we put our hands in our pockets. I walked home with her, and she asked me if I wanted to come over. "Sure, why not?" I said.  
   
   
   
   ☾Kat☽ 
   
   THAT SHADOW OR GHOST, OR WHATEVER MADE ME ANGRY. 
   
     
   Alice calmed me down a bit, and she ended up coming home with me. We watched a few movies together, played Truth or Dare, had staring contests, watched YouTube videos of people failing and stuff, and well, it was fun.  
   We exchanged different songs while playing cards, and she had really good ones. "Heard Green Day? Or Asking Alexandria?" I asked. "Mm...I only heard one Green Day song, and six Asking Alexandria's," she responded, pursing her lips. "You sawk," I told her in a phony, ghetto voice. She scoffed, and put down a spade. I put down a diamond, but we didn't care who won. We were only bored, so we put down random cards and shit, and saw who got the most sum, and stuff. 
     
   "Bored of cards yet?" I asked her. She nodded, and I put the cards back into the box. "Truth or Dare again?" She offered. "Yeah." I said. "Truth or Dare?" She asked. "Dare." I responded. "Uh..I dare you to get me a soda." She told me. I narrowed my eyes at her, and she laughed, while I got a soda. I playfully punched her arm, and we went on playing the stupid game. Until I asked her to express her feelings..about me. And let me say, it was fascinating and exciting. ;] 
     
   Alice stared at me, punched my arm playfully, and said, "O-kay. Um...I like you..a lot...uh..I think you're pretty hot...uh-" "I'm not that much of a lesbo." I laughed out loud, while she punched me again, scoffed, and started again. "Okay. Um, you have GREAT music taste. And beautiful hair. And a pretty nose.." We both started laughing at that one, and our stomachs pretty much hurt after. It finally felt like that ghost wasn't even there, anyway. 
     
     
   
   
   Publication Date: May 30th 2020 https://www.bookrix.com/-sedfc4e6728a225