Unraveling the past Ft. Skylar Blue Finished

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────────────────────────────────────────..Speech | #0050b4 xxxSkylar had overslept. Now, though that may sound quite strange, as it is currently well past curfew and she should be in bed, the girl overslept... outside. The weather this afternoon was incredibly nice. Slight breeze, glowing sun, perfect for flying. She had taken her broom out and hoped to practice her skills in the air. She had gotten quite a few runs in before deciding to rest beneath a large willow tree. Her plan was to take a small nap, like an hour or two, then wake up and head back to the castle. Unfortunately, the grass seemed to have been more comfortable than she had thought, because by the time she woke, it was pitch black. The moon was high up in the sky and the torches on Hogwarts's walls were illuminated. She was very, very late. A panicked check of her watch told her that she had slept for a good four hours, and she had not only missed dinner, but curfew as well. Bloodyhell. So here she is now, carefully sneaking through the halls with a broom in her hand. She was by no means stealthy or quiet, given how terrible she is at subtlety, but she has not gotten caught yet. She makes her way up the stairs, but was only able to reach the third floor before she heard footsteps. She had company. Skylar nervously scanned her surroundings for a place to hide, her eyes latching on a open door. Without a second thought, she quickly enters and shuts the door behind her, pressing against the wall until the footsteps fade. Her hands gripped the broom tightly, careful not to make a sound. Once she is positive that the steps are gone, Skylar lets out a sigh of relief. However, her peace was short lived. "Sky?" Skylar lets out a yelp a surprise as she turns towards the sound. Standing before her was... Mika. Confusion immediately washes over the young girl at her best friend's presence. "Mika? What are you doing here?" Mika was one of the most rule-following students Skylar knew, so what was she doing here after curfew? Skylar is also out after curfew, but that is to be expected. She may have high grades but she is notorious for her questionable decisions. But Mika — no. She never would have done something like this... or well, until now. Skylar raises her eyebrows expectantly at the Ravenclaw. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────

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────────────────────────────────────────..Speech | #0050b4 xxx"You... shouldn't be here. You should be asleep." Skylar's eyebrows rose higher at Mika's comment. Something was definitely wrong. Her friend is not only being a hypocrite, but also a little... shifty. Skylar has known Mika long enough to tell when she is hiding something. Her best friend's eyes refuse to meet hers and Mika's whole body appears tense. But before Skylar can speak up about it, her friend already turned to admire the trophies behind her. Strike two. Mika does not like Quidditch. She is more interested in dueling, and it usually takes much convincing on Skylar's part to drag her friend along on her flying practices. Mika told her that she never saw the point of brooms and flying in general. The Gryffindor narrows her eyes at her best friend's back. An unfamiliar feeling slowly settles within her. "So uh... are you hiding or something? Were you planning on leaving the school without me? Rude." Mika says light-heartedly, but Skylar knows better. She knows what the feeling is now. It was dread. Doubt. Betrayal. She is all too used to her parents lying to her. Their empty promises and white lies for her "protection." She is tired of being in the dark, tired of things being kept from her, and tired of having to confront people in order to know what is happening. She confided to Mika, and her best friend should know by now the resentment she harbors towards being lied to. And yet she is doing it right now. The Ravenclaw is hiding something from Skylar, and she would be lying if she was not a little bit hurt. She would rather to be told the truth, no matter how harsh it might have been. But to be lied to? Skylar's eyes darkens as her hands tighten by her sides. She drops her broom on the ground, the wooden handle echoing a loud thunk on the floor. "Mikaela Hendricks. Why are you lying to me?" Skylar asks coldly, her voice harsh in the deathly silent room. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────

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────────────────────────────────────────..Speech | #0050b4 xxx"Technically, I did not say anything that wasn't true, so I never lied." Mikaela states as her hands went behind her back. Skylar feels her right eye twitch. Mikaela was splitting hairs and she knows it. It is not that she was lying, it was because she was hiding something. And that itself already makes Skylar feel lied to. The way the Ravenclaw's hands are now behind her back also raises her suspicion. Mikaela only does that when she needs to explain something or defend herself, but why would she feel the need to if she did not do anything wrong? "I just... wanted to come out for a walk." Skylar narrows her eyes at Mikaela and tilts her head to the side. Her friend does seem to be telling the truth, but that is not what Skylar was after. She is digging for the reason behind the truth. "Then pray tell, Mikaela, why did you want to take a walk so late after curfew? I fell asleep on accident outside, that is why I am here. Why are you out here?" The Gryffindor feels like she was trying to pry open a sealed safe. There is more to this than meets the eye and Skylar feels the incessant need to know. This is her best friend, her sister from another blood. If something is truly happening to Mika, Skylar wants to... what? She could help, but would she do any good? She is twelve, for Merlin's sake. What is she going to do if this situation was out of her control? "Please, Mika. I am not mad. I want to help but I cannot do that if you do not tell me." Skylar finally lets out. The emotion that weighed heavy on her was not anger, nor was it suspicion. It was fear. Fear of something she cannot control. Fear that something is happening that she cannot stop, not because she does not have the capabilities, but because she did not know. She was afraid for her friend, she was afraid for their friendship, she was afraid of the change. Something is different about Mika and she does not know what she could do about it. She does not even know why her friend was different, just that she is. She does not know what it means for them in the future. And Skylar was desperate. She looks towards her friend, her blue eyes conveying more feelings than she could ever describe. Why are you changing? Why can't I help? ──────────────────────────────────────────────────

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──────────────────────────────────────..Speech | #1e4678 xxx"I didn't know that being a normal kid was a bad thing, Sky. I'm sorry." Mikaela spits out, her voice sounding more hostile than Skylar is used to. The Gryffindor feels her chest grow tight at the distance that is growing between them. She feels like she is losing her friend. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me, really. Go to sleep. You must be tired." Mikaela continues on, her voice overly formal and stiff. The young girl cannot help but feel that the sentence was final. A concluding blow. Their conversation was over, and Mikaela is not willing to speak more about it. Skylar did not realize she was crying until her tears hit the wooden floorboards with quiet little taps. One drop, two drops, and more follow as the girl stands there, her breathing shallow and shaky. She could barely make out anything with her clouded vision, and she could hardly think aside from the pounding in her head. Maybe it was the worry that they would get caught, or maybe it was the reality that things are not always what they seem. Maybe it was the sudden reminder of her secluded past, the fact that she was now losing her friend, or maybe it was because no matter how hard Skylar always tries to be honest and caring, she will never get that effort in return. She is tired. She is so, so tired. She is done with being lied to, being treated as if she did not deserve the truth, being looked down upon due to her age, and being called naive just because she is optimistic. Why does it seem impossible for her to hold on to the little hope that the world is not as cruel as they say? She thought she was going to be happy. She thought this year was good. She made friends, she attended events, she got to be a normal kid. So why is everything going downhill now. She needs to breathe. She needs air. She needs to get out. I didn't know that being a normal kid was a bad thing, Mikaela's voice echoes in her head. Skylar cannot help but let out a watery laugh at the absurdity of it all. "We are not normal, Mikaela. We never were. You lost your mom, and I have been lied to all my life. Just how perfect do you think my world is?" The Gryffindor scoffs bitterly as she turns to leave, her tears still falling. "I am not happy, Mikaela. I do not know if I ever was. But acting like it sure made it hurt a lot less, didn't it?" Picking up her room, Skylar attempts to leave. She accidentally knocks into a shelf, a picture frame falling to the ground below. However, she could not care less. Mikaela was right. She was tired. So Skylar left without another word. The Ravenclaw wanted her to leave, so she shall abide by it. All that was left is the picture frame that clattered against the floor, its echo deafening in the quiet room. ────────────────────────────────────────────────

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