Quietly returning (c)

[Wraith]

Wraith nodded, glanced around, and bit her lip. "She's really nice. She and I used to...um, when we were kids, we used to be...really good friends," she said significantly. Besides her brother, Fire was the only person she'd ever trusted with that information.

[Firecracker]

"She had told me that you were friends," she added. She sighed softly and folded her hands together, lightly resting them on the tabletop. "She also said it had been a long time since she saw you."

She paused and, shrugging casually, lifted her eyes up to look at the other girl. "I didn't ask why, though. I didn't want to pry."

[Wraith]

Wraith was somewhat amazed to realized that she actually wouldn't mind if Firecracker pried. In fact, she would be flattered if this particular friend wanted to know more about her. "Well," she explained hesitantly, "we used to live on the same street, but my brother and I ran away. It was four years before Tara tracked us down again. And by then, we were here."

[Firecracker]

"She must've really missed you, then," Fire remarked thoughtfully as she listened to Wraith continue. "I know that, if I were to spend years searching for someone, they'd probably be very dear to me."

[Wraith]

She bit her lip, feeling rather guilty. "I...I don't think things worked out the way she hoped they would. When she found me, I mean. Because I was...with someone else then," she said, lowering her voice. It seemed hardly necessary to add, The girl who broke my heart and left me such a mess when we first met.

[Firecracker]

"Well, what about now?" She asked, her forehead wrinkling. She wasn't normally one to pry too much but, in this case, Fire wanted to see if she could find where Wraith stood before laying her emotions on the line.

She chewed down on her lower lip, her gaze shifting to her empty soup bowl. Maybe that wasn't such a good question to ask.

[Wraith]

"Now..." She smiled shyly and spoke softly, looking around to be certain no one was listening. "I'm a free agent, I guess. Kennedy ended things months ago, and I haven't seen her since then. I think she might've moved away." She sighed, the sadness in her voice quite evident. "It still hurts, but...I guess I'm moving on." She tilted her head at Fire, nibbling on the last bites of her pie crust. "What about you?" She recalled a sticky situation with a boyfriend--and of course, the Nevada dilemma.

[Firecracker]

"I haven't seen Jonathan in weeks," she replied casually. "I didn't tell him I was leaving and, by the time I came back, I guess he gave up." She gently swept a piece of hair from her eyes, her eyes briefly locking with Wraith's again. "Not that I'm upset about it. We all need to move on, you know?"

Her voice trailed off. Something about what Wraith had said confused her. Kennedy? Who is that?

[Wraith]

"I know," Wraith agreed softly, and then glanced around nervously again before answering the question in Fire's eyes. "Kennedy was from Brooklyn. She used to live with Tristan and Nevada, actually...took care of their kids. But she changed a lot after her grandma died. She got really sad and quiet, and one day she just ran off."

[Firecracker]

Fire looked across the table at Wraith and couldn't help but feel her optimism slipping away. Did this mean that she was still attached to this other girl? If Kennedy were to come back, what would that mean for her? More importantly, she knew Nevada, too? Perhaps letting go of her old friend was going to be even harder than she thought.

Despite the hurricane of feelings swirling around in the pit of her stomach, her face retained a look of calm to the point where she was almost expressionless. "I... I'm sorry to hear that."

[Wraith]

"It's okay," Wraith said with a small smile. "I miss her, but even if she came back, it wouldn't be the same. I think I always liked her more than she liked me, you know?" It hurt even more to admit it out loud, but she'd known it for a long time now. Kennedy was the first girl she ever really loved--Tara was just puppy love--and that had made the attachment extra strong. But looking back, she could see how different they were, how their paths were bound to diverge sooner or later.

[Firecracker]

"Yeah, I know," she agreed quietly. Oh, how she knew that feeling all too well. It seemed like she was only ever capable of finding herself attracted to people that she could never logically obtain. Well, really just one person in particular. "Well..."

She sighed, not entirely sure of what to say. "You'll have your chance." Hey, it was as good of a message of encouragement as any!

[Wraith]

Her cheeks turned pink as she finished off the crust and washed it down with a gulp of water. "I guess," she murmured, and offered Fire a quick smile. "You will too."

[Firecracker]

"Maybe," Fire said with a sigh, not feeling all too confident about it. She didn't seem to have that kind of luck. "But I'm not about to put money on it." She stared at her half-empty glass of water as she chewed on her lower lip. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

[Wraith]

"Sure!" she said way too quickly, then cursed herself for an over-eager puppy dog. Of all the words that might be used to describe Wraith Pearson, 'cool' and 'suave' had never been among them. "I mean, uh...where were you thinking?" She took out some money--enough to cover both their meals--and set it casually on the table, hoping Fire wouldn't notice. And yet half-hoping she would notice, and accept it.