For the next few weeks, Ellie's life began to shift, not in a sudden, dramatic way, but like the slow turning of a page in a book she'd been stuck on for too long.
Astrid still came to mind more often than she'd like to admit. How could she not? The memories were woven into everything into the hallways of school, the smell of rain, the songs that played when she walked past familiar places. But this time, the pain didn't hit her like a wave. It passed like a shadow acknowledged, but not overwhelming.
And she had her friends to thank for that.
They refused to let her stay in the past. If they noticed her zoning out, someone would immediately throw a snack at her head or pull her into a new plan. From spontaneous karaoke nights to late-night walks just to "feel something poetic," they filled her days with distraction and warmth.
"Are we forcing you to have fun?" Anastasia asked with a teasing grin as they battled each other in a neon-lit arcade.
"Maybe," Ellie replied, breathless from laughter, gripping her controller like her life depended on it.
But even as she said it, she looked around at their faces laughing, cheering, arguing over high scores and felt something unfamiliar but unmistakable.
Hope.
Ellie had started a new habit, one she didn't tell anyone about right away. In the quiet hours of the night, when everything else was still, she began writing.
It wasn't just journaling. She was writing a story her story.
Page after page, she poured herself into the words. Every detail, every tear, every moment with Astrid that had shattered her she wrote it all down. But it wasn't just about the breakup. It was about her the girl who broke, the girl who healed, the one who kept walking even when she didn't know where the path led.
It was like bleeding ink, but it felt good.
It felt like letting go.
And for the first time in months, she wasn't writing to be heard. She was writing to understand herself.
These days, Ellie seemed… okay.
Not pretending. Not masking.
Actually okay.
She laughed louder now. She showed up on time. She ate more. Her eyes had life in them again. And her friends noticed.
"It's been a long time since we saw her like this," Tisha said one afternoon as they watched Ellie joke around with Cassandra near the claw machines.
"Yeah," Cassandra nodded, her voice soft with gratitude. "Thanks to Kyla. Without her... I don't even know. It would've been a lot harder for Ellie to be happy again."
Kyla gave a small, humble smile and shrugged. "I just did what anyone would."
Cassandra placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "No, not anyone. You stayed even when she pushed everyone away. That means something."
Kyla didn't reply, but her eyes lingered on Ellie a little longer than they should have.
"Hey!" Ellie called out from across the room, waving both arms in exaggerated fashion. "Are you three planning a cult meeting or what? Come play with me!"
The group burst into laughter as Tisha tossed Kyla a playful shove and jogged back toward the games. Ellie beamed, cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling. She looked alive again.
They played until their hands hurt from the buttons and their sides ached from laughing too much.
At one point, Kyla excused herself to grab food from a nearby kiosk.
A few minutes passed.
"Tisha, have you seen Angel?" Ellie asked, noticing the familiar absence.
"Yeah," Tisha said, pointing toward the glass doors. "She went to grab food, I think. Somewhere over there."
Without thinking much of it, Ellie made her way outside.
"Kyla!" she called out as she spotted her juggling two paper bags and a drink tray.
Kyla turned around, half-laughing. "I might need a little help oh my god, this tray's about to give up on me."
"I got you," Ellie grinned, quickly closing the distance between them.
Without a second thought, Erica wrapped one arm around Kyla's shoulders, steadying the drinks and pulling her closer in the process.
Neither of them moved right away.
It wasn't awkward just… quiet. Like the noise of the world fell away for a second. Their faces were close, too close. Ellie could see the freckles on Kyla's cheeks, the way her lashes curled just slightly at the ends, the curve of her lips.
Without meaning to, her eyes dropped to Kyla's mouth.
Then she whispered something before she could stop herself.
"Your lips are so beautiful… I want to kiss them."
Kyla blinked. "Huh? What did you just say?"
Ellie's brain short-circuited for a moment. Her eyes widened, and she immediately looked away, panicking slightly inside.
"I said uh—I said let's go. Let's go back in!"
Kyla stared at her for a beat longer, before bursting into laughter. "Smooth. Very smooth, Ellie."
Ellie covered her face. "Kill me now."
They laughed like idiots all the way back to the arcade.
When they got inside, Tisha raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you two? Why do you look like you just witnessed a UFO landing?"
"Nothing!" they both said at the same time, way too quickly.
Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "You're both acting suspicious."
"We just laughed," Ellie mumbled, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Yeah," Kyla said, struggling to keep a straight face. "Totally normal human laughter."
They all sat down on the floor beside the arcade machines, drinks and fries passed around in chaotic fashion. No one really asked further questions. No one needed to.
The joy in that moment was contagious.
They laughed and laughed no jokes required.
Just warmth.
Just each other.
Time passed unnoticed, and for a while, it felt like the world was on pause. Like all the heaviness Ellie had carried for so long had finally started to lift.
Not because she'd forgotten.
Not because she didn't hurt anymore.
But because she was finally living again.
And for the first time in a very, very long while…
She was ready for whatever came next.