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Sometimes, Alioth wonders if the universe is watching her.
Of course, it isn’t a thought she shares with other people – she’s plenty aware of how obnoxious that would sound, thank you very much – but she doesn’t mean it that way. It’s just an idea that crosses her mind whenever there’s a song she’s been thinking of suddenly playing on the radio the same morning, when stray cats accepting cuddles and head pats would appear on the way home on a horrible day. She vividly remembers crouching down on the sidewalk to pet a ginger kitten once, slightly crying out in relief as her stress melts away and laughing at herself for it. It was a pretty laughable sight – but still. The point is even if it was just coincidence or luck, it felt as if the universe sort of noticed her that time, and that felt like a comforting thing.
She thinks about it now, walking down the same path with Qiu and Tamarack chatting beside her, the dim glow of the afternoon sun casting soft shadows ahead of them. The clouds have been a light gray since earlier today, looking like it might rain. Alioth has to admit, it’s surprising how the three of them still manage to keep this routine going until now. There were changes, of course – sometimes one of them would be at band practice or ballet class or journalism club, and sometimes Ren and the others would join them, which was always welcomed – but days where it was just them felt different. Like they were ten-year-olds again. Or maybe she’s just being sentimental.
Alioth tunes back in to their conversation, seeing Qiu’s furrowed expression.
“I don’t think Vianca likes me.” They sigh, kicking off a stray pebble. “I mean it’s not that I care. But she keeps staring at me with daggers in her eyes, like I just cursed her entire family.”
Tamarack hums. “Maybe she sees you as competition?”
“She does? I don’t know. I think she likes you a lot more though.”
“Ah,” Now the other girl looks embarrassed, reaching up to fidget with the red ribbon in her ginger hair. “I’m not sure… She’s kind of scary.”
“Vianca isn’t all that bad.” Alioth chimes in. “She probably just wants to be your friend or something. Maybe she thinks you’re cool.”
Tamarack shakes her head, bashful. “No way. I’m not like Qiu.”
“You think I’m cool?“
Everyone does.” Alioth gestures off-handedly. “That’s like, part of the whole persona you’ve got going on.” The other girl nods in agreement, but there’s a familiar, cold look on Qiu’s face, trying to kick another pebble off. “Yeah well, I wish they didn’t.”
Alioth pipes up.
“If it makes you feel better, we still think you’re a scatterbrain.”
Tamarack bursts out giggling, a bright, pleasant sound that echoes through the street, lighting up her features while Qiu gasps in mock offense.
“Hey! I don’t drop papers anymore.”
“That’s because your notebook’s the only thing keeping them together.” Tamarack adds on, teasing.
“See! She gets it!” The two of them laugh again, and Alioth can tell Qiu’s trying their best to look betrayed, but they’re grinning too. “You guys are horrible.”
“Seriously though, Vianca seems lovely.” She nudges Tamarack. “Tell you what, you can try talking to her this autumn break if you want. I’ll back you up.” She can practically sense the gears in her mind turning, considering the idea. Alioth knows that meeting new people is one of the things the other girl’s been growing self-conscious about – if her shyness is anything to go by – and she knows that it is terrifying, but sometimes all you need is a little push forward to take the risk.
“Hmm…” Tamarack frowns, brows furrowed in hesitance and worrying her lip. It takes a moment, but then she lets out a deep breath, shoulders relaxing with her features smoothing over again. “…Okay. Maybe I’ll try.”
“Yes!”
“But when does autumn break start again?”
Qiu turns to her. “Isn’t it next week?”
“I forgot. Wait, I think I wrote it down somewhere-” Alioth stops walking, moving her backpack forward to look through her things. She remembers feeling too lazy to write it down properly on her notebook earlier, instead just deciding to note the dates on a piece of paper and slip it inside an old novel she brought to reread. She pulls out the book as carefully as possible – it hasn’t been damaged in four years; it shouldn’t get damaged now – flipping through the pages. Above them, the cloudy sky slowly starts to darken.
Alioth takes out the small slip, showing it to the other two.
“Here, I think ours is this Friday-”
But neither of them are looking at her, instead staring at another piece of paper that slipped out and fell on the ground. A very familiar, plane-shaped, folded piece of paper.
Right. Old book, old things.
Crap.
It’s Tamarack who speaks first. “Is that-”
“No it’s not.” Alioth tries to get it immediately, but the other teen – curse them and their dancer reflexes – snatches it off the sidewalk first.
“Yes it is.” Qiu holds the paper out of reach – screw their height difference too – turning it around to get a better look, a strange, warm expression briefly crossing their features. “This was from my notepad. From the first day we met.” They raise a brow, teasing with a sly grin, sharp, ink-dark eyes meeting her own. “You kept it all this time?”
“She did!” Tamarack pipes up, soft, currant red eyes just as bright as her smile. “It looks exactly how I folded it. I think it’s sweet.”
Alioth has never wanted the ground to swallow her whole more.
“…Thank you.” She mumbles, trying to ignore the heat rising up her cheeks. “Can you give it back now?”
She doesn’t know if it’s possible for someone’s gaze to turn even more smug, but somehow Qiu manages to do just that. “Actually, this is technically still mine-”
“Autumn!” Alioth tries to tug their shoulder down, trying to grab the plane back while they keep holding it off, Tamarack hurriedly stepping out of the way.
“What? It’s true- why are you getting shy?” Qiu laughs, and she’s never hated and loved the sound more.
“Just give it back!”
Alioth hops up without thinking, effectively knocking the both of them down on the sidewalk, the paper falling out of their grasp. Tamarack picks it up, and before Alioth can even react Qiu’s immediately holding out an arm to keep her from getting up, calling out to the other girl that’s halfway to handing it over. “Wait no no – Tam throw it!”
“Don’t you dare!”
“Do it!”
“No!”
“I’m sorry!” Tamarack laughs in a tone that is not at all sorry, and then she’s launching the paper plane downhill, her sparkly braid swaying with the movement, a faint blush on her cheeks with more joy in her expression than Alioth has seen in weeks. It’s like seeing all her timidness physically melt away, a butterfly fluttering its wings after being frozen in time. But Alioth only gives herself half-seconds to process the sight, and then she’s pushing Qiu off again, racing down the fortunately empty street – and the unfortunate neighbors who can probably hear all their scuffle. She can feel the air growing colder, the soft, faint droplets of water starting to fall on her head.
She keeps running anyway, uncaring.
Thankfully, the plane didn’t drop very far, and Alioth manages to skid to a stop just in time to grab it before the downpour fully came, clutching it to her chest to keep the paper dry as her brain finally registers two pairs of footfalls catching up to her. Then there’s an arm wrapping firmly around her shoulder, Qiu pulling her closer to their chest as they duck under Tamarack’s pink umbrella. “Lio, you’re going to get yourself soaked.”
“Wow. I wonder whose fault that is.” She’s pointedly ignoring their closeness and the very, very dumb way her heart is beating, stuffing the paper plane back in her bag. “Just so you know, if I catch a cold, I’m blaming the both of you.”
“I’m really sorry. I just thought it was funny.” Tamarack apologizes, sounding so genuine it’s almost overwhelmingly sweet. Alioth shakes her head. “Oh no not you anymore Tam, you’re always excused.” Her eyes widen in surprise at that, mumbling a soft “thank you.”
Qiu frowns. “Why does she get to be excused and I’m not?”
“Because she didn’t make me run in the rain.”
“She threw the paper plane!”
“You told her to, you’re a bad influence!”
“I’m a very good influence-”
The loud rumble of thunder shuts them up, all three of them flinching at the sudden noise. Tamarack gestures at the both of them placatingly. “Alright alright! Enough fighting, we should go home already.” She reaches a hand out the umbrella, brows furrowing in concern at the increasing downpour. Alioth suppresses a shiver, gazing up at the sky.
“You know…” She starts. “We can just run. If you guys are up for it. Ma’s already gonna kill me for not getting home before the rain, and I’m getting soaked enough as it is.”
“Now who’s the bad influence.” Qiu murmurs teasingly, already pulling the hood of their coat on, dark fringes falling over their face as they turn to Tamarack. “What do you think?”
She hesitates, unsure. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea-” There’s a louder clap of thunder making all of them wince, and her hand immediately flies up to cover her ear, eyes squeezing shut. “Okay nevermind we should go!”
So they run again, shoes stepping on shallow puddles lining the street, trying to keep each other close. Alioth’s tucked between the other two, one hand along with Tamarack’s holding the umbrella, hearing the hard pitter-patter bounce off the cotton pink canopy, Qiu on the opposite side with their arm wrapped around her shoulder once more. The sky is as dim as ever, a patch of muddy gray clouds rumbling with thunder ringing in their ears, and they’re drenched in rain with the cold biting like a freezing blanket. But like this – with all of them laughing in half-panicked amusement every time they almost slip, grinning at each other’s shivers and sniffles while they race downhill with adrenaline rushing through their veins, always pulling each other close like the very thought of letting go is absurd – Alioth has never felt warmer.
Sometimes, Alioth wonders if the universe is watching her.
Now, seeing Tamarack’s smiles and hearing Qiu’s laughs again, she hopes that maybe, just maybe – that the universe is watching over them too.