As the day wound down the girls got ready for bed, tired from their random shenanigans. Quinn and Stratus claimed the master bedroom while the other three girls shared the guest room. Quinn yawned and stripped her pants off, climbing into bed wearing only a long t-shirt. Nothing Stratus wasn’t used to after a couple of years full of sleepovers with Quinn. Stratus changed into a cotton pajama set and let her hair down, her strawberry locks still slightly wet from her previous shower.

“Night,” Quinn said.

“Night.” Stratus picked up her phone to inspect social media while she laid in bed.

Quinn simply rolled over and closed her eyes to sleep.

In the other room, the girls were very much still awake. Neveah was on her phone, Harley was on her back staring at the ceiling, and Izzy was laying in the middle trying to actually sleep.

“What do you think Quinn and Stratus are doing?” Harley finally asked.

“Who knows with those two. Maybe they’re making out.” Neveah snorted in amusement.

“You really think those two will hook up?” Harley turned in the bed to look at her.

“Please they are so into each other it’s nauseating.”

“Ew, what if they do get together?” Izzy rolled over obviously not going to get any sleep.

“I don’t know, I don’t really think Stratus is into Quinn like that. Quinn, on the other hand, is definitely into her.” Harley said.

“How can you tell?” Izzy asked.

“She’s so obvious.” Neveah turned in bed to face the other two, putting her phone down.

“Really?”

“She’s always hanging all over her, and Stratus is the only one she opens up around. Come on you’d have to be blind.”

“Yeah but Stratus is the reason she got burned, also Stratus lost all her friends because of Quinn. Not to mention Quinn is an asshole.”

The three girls snickered.

“Still I wouldn’t put it past them,” Neveah said.

“But they are so…different.”

“Opposites attract.”

“I think you’re seeing something that’s not there,” Harley said.

Izzy hummed in agreement.

“Mark my words.”

                                                               ***

Quinn’s family wasn’t exactly functional, even before all the death. Her parents could never have a decent conversation that didn’t result in an argument. That didn’t stop them from trying to keep up appearances. It was why they always spent the summer at the cabin. To seem like one big happy family, even though more times than not their shouting rang off the walls.

A ten-year-old Quinn watched her parents scream in each other’s faces, her icy eyes darting from one parent to the other as the argument escalated. She rolled her eyes and turned to her sister. Quinn’ sister was like a clone of her, though the girl was a year younger people often thought they could be twins.

“Come on let’s go play.” Quinn grabbed her by the hand and yanked her out the back of the cabin.

“I don’t want to play hide and seek.” Her sister complained.

“How do you know that’s what I was going to say?”

“Because we always play hide and seek.”

“Because it’s my favorite,” Quinn smirked.

“You cheat.” Her sister pouted.

“Do not.” Quinn defended herself.

It was no secret that Quinn was the queen of hide and seek. No matter who she played with she always won. She would hide and never be found. When she was the seeker, she would find her target in mere seconds. She knew how to read a scene her icy eyes scanning for signs that someone passed by, crushed leaves, something slightly moved, an obvious path. She was the master of hide and seek, which is why she enjoyed playing it so much.

People tried to get her to lose, even just once. But never, they never got her.

“Fine, if we play new rule, I am only going to count to 10.” Her sister crossed her arms.

“That’s not enough time.” Quinn glared at her.

“Afraid you are going to lose?” She smirked at her.

The two shared a look of challenge, her sister knew Quinn wasn’t one to back away from a challenge.

“Fine, have it your way. I don’t want to hear you crying when I win.” She smirked back.

“Deal.”

So her sister leaned against a tree and closed her eyes, her back to Quinn. Quinn’s young little eyes scanned the woods for her optimal path and when her sister started counting she took off into the woods, wanting to put as much distance between her and her sister as possible.

“10! Ready or not here I come!” her sister called.

Quinn ran faster, she hadn’t even found a hiding spot yet. She turned to see how far her sister was when her little foot stepped back and fell into something. The ground gave out from under her and with a yelp, she fell through the floor.

She groaned in pain as she sat up, dirt rained down on her. She looked around and found herself in some secret underground bunker. It was perfect for hiding. She got up and ran up the cement steps and looked at the opening. An old door disguised as part of a tree had opened up. Amazed, she examined the doors before she heard the approaching steps of her sister. She quickly shut the door.

Which was a mistake because now she was stuck in pitch blackness. She turned and felt the wall, looking for a switch or something. Her hand touched something smooth and round. Her tiny fingers inspected it only to be pricked.

“Ow.” Quinn hissed.

As the first drop of blood left her hand the entire room lit with candles everywhere bursting into a blue flame.

                                                                 ***

Quinn shot forward in bed as her eyes snapped open. She sighed as she saw the sun barely coming up, the sky still mostly dark. She ran her hands down her face before turning to Stratus. Stratus herself shot forward from a nightmare, a scream caught in her throat.

She gasped for air as if she found it hard to breathe.

The two made eye contact.

“Bad dream?” Quinn asked.

Stratus nodded.

“Me too.” She slowly laid back down.

“What about?” Stratus laid back down and turned to her.

“Nothing.” Quinn stared at the ceiling.

“Quinn, what is up with you? You’ve been acting weird.”

Quinn turned to face her, a soft smile on her lips.

“You worried about me?” she teased.

“Can’t you ever be serious? I’m trying to be a good friend here.”

“A good friend huh? Well, a good friend would kiss it better.” She purred.

“You are such an ass---” Stratus’s words were cut short as Quinn leaned in to kiss her.

She didn't stop her and their lips pressed softly against each other.

Her eyes went wide, and her cheeks went red. Quinn pulled back and looked her in the eyes. Stratus could feel her heart pounding against her rib cage. Quinn lost all playfulness in her face, her eyes pierced right through Stratus, then just like that she was smiling again.

“I’m going back to sleep.” She turned over.

“Asshole.” Stratus finished. Turning over as well.

Later in the morning, the two were rudely awakened to loud snickering. Stratus groaned in annoyance and tried to turn over, but someone was wrapped around her. Her eyes shot open and she realized the Quinn was spooning her.

“Got ya, say cheese,” Neveah said.

Then a flash went off and the three girls burst into laughter.

“Hey, delete that!” Stratus sat up, forcing Quinn off her.

“I got proof, I got proof.” Neveah teased.

“The hell?” Quinn grumbled, sitting up.

“Morning little witch and how was your night.” Harley giggled.

“That wasn’t what it looked like.” Stratus felt her face getting red.

“What’s this about?” Quinn yawned.

“Behold, the evidence.” Neveah showed her the picture.

Quinn smirked at it and then smiled a genuine smile. The girls grew silent.

“Okay, you look so creepy when you smile.” Harley shuddered.

“Whatever.” Quinn rolled her eyes before getting out of the bed.

“You guys suck.” Stratus huffed also getting out of the bed.

“Why you so red for, did something happen last night?” Neveah teased.

“You wish.” Stratus pushed her playfully.

“Maybe something did.” Quinn teased coming up from behind Stratus and wrapping her arms around her waist.

“Stop it, don’t give her fuel.” Stratus smacked at her arms.

“You two need a room?” Izzy giggled.

“I don’t know do we?” Quinn kissed Stratus on the neck softly.

“You’re the worst,” Stratus complained yanking herself free from Quinn’s grip.

Quinn laughed at Stratus’s bright red face before sauntering into the kitchen.

“She’s totally into you,” Harley said to Stratus once Quinn was out of the room.

“Get off it.” She huffed before stomping out of the room.

“Told you, mark my words,” Neveah smirked.

It was obvious that Quinn was in a better mood, which meant that everyone else was in one as well. Quinn made breakfast for everyone, letting the boom box play music as she danced around the kitchen.

“Someone’s glowing. Are you sure you two didn’t hook up?” Neveah asked.

“Say one more thing and I swear to god.” Stratus hissed.

The girls laughed again.

Quinn placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of them, topping it off with toast. Then she poured everyone their preferred beverage. For Izzy it was milk. Harley got coffee and Stratus got apple juice while Neveah got orange juice. Quinn herself drank grape juice.

After breakfast the girls goofed around and chased each other around the cabin, acting like a bunch of kids. They were running around the couch when a loud bang hit the window. The girls flinched and Quinn went to investigate.

Laying on the floor was a large crow, flipping around with a dislocated wing.

“Ew, what is it?” Harley hid behind Izzy.

“It’s a poor bird.” Izzy frowned.

“Don’t touch it!” Stratus hissed as Quinn picked it up.

“Not uh.” Neveah lingered in the back, making a sour face at the bird.

“Hey there girl, you hurt yourself?” Quinn talked to it.

It let out a loud gurgled crow and the four girls jumped back.

“I got it, don’t worry,” Quinn said.

They watched as Quinn squeezed the wing, the bird flopping around in her hand obviously in pain. Then with a small pop, the wing was back in place.

“See, not so bad.” She smiled.

Then she threw her hand in the air and the bird flew away.

“I can’t believe you just did that.” Stratus frowned.

“Well, what else was I supposed to do? I had to put it out of its misery.”

“Still what if it has a disease or something.”

Quinn ignored her and walked inside to wash her hands and then hopped up and sat on the counter.

“You guys are a bunch of sissies.” Quinn rolled her eyes.

“Maybe if you weren’t such an animal you could finally get laid.” Nevaeh snorted in amusement.

“What makes you think I haven’t?”

“Have you?” Izzy raised an eyebrow.

“As if I’d tell you losers.” Quinn laughed and hopped down from the counter.

“No, you can’t tease us like that then bail. Spill, have you?” Neveah pushed.

“Maybe.” Quinn smiled.

“What? Who, when?” Stratus chased after Quinn following her to the couch.

“Jealous?” She teased.

Neveah giggled.

“As if, just tell us, have you?”

“Yes, I have.” She smiled.

“What!” all four girls said in unison.

Quinn laughed.

“Who?”

“When?”

“Where?”

“How?” Neveah asked.

“Nope, I never kiss and tell.” She fell back on the couch.

“How do we know you aren’t just messing with us again?” Neveah crossed her arms.

“You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

“Come on, spill,” Harley begged.

“Yeah what was he like, was it awful? Did he last long?” Izzy asked.

“What makes you think it was a He?”

“Now you have to spill.” Stratus hissed.

“No way, I’m a modest woman.”

“Yeah right.” Stratus rolled her eyes.

“Okay, sit around girls.”

They all crowded around her and leaned in, ready for the juice.

“It was at a party, a one-night stand. It was a college party.”

“When did you get into a college party?” Neveah asked skeptically.

“Well remember when I was volunteering at the library a couple of weeks ago to get extra credit for a class. Well, this girl came up to me and thought I worked there. We flirted and she invited me to a party. So I went.”

“Who was this girl?”

“It’s a secret. I didn’t get drunk or anything, I just sort of enjoyed the ambiance. I walked up to the roof to stare at the stars, she followed me. One thing led to another, next thing I know I’m getting laid on the roof of some random person's house. It was hot, and definitely one of the craziest things I’ve ever done. Afterward, I found out she was just using me to get at her girlfriend, so yeah.”

“How old was she? Did she know how old you are?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.”

“Quinn, you can’t just go sleeping with people on a whim,” Harley warned.

“Says who? Why is there so much pressure for your first to be special? I say do what makes you feel good.” She shrugged.

“So just so we are clear, you’re a lesbian?” Neveah said.

“Don’t act like you guys didn’t know. I make it obvious.”

“Do not.” Stratus snarked.

Quinn raised an eyebrow at her and Stratus went red it the face.

“What was that look, oh my god you guys really have hooked up!” Neveah said.

“No, we haven’t.” Stratus glared at her.

“Then what was that look?”

“We kissed,” Quinn announced.

“Quinn!” Stratus swatted her with a couch pillow.

“I knew it!”

“Do tell.” Izzy wiggled her eyebrows.

“Was there tongue?” Harley asked.

“Shut up! It wasn’t like that.” Stratus buried her face in her hands as she went bright red.

Quinn laughed.

“Then what was it like? oh, Quinn let us share a friendly kiss?” Neveah mocked her.

Harley and Izzy made kissy noises and pretended to make out with themselves.

“Stop!”

“Okay guys that’s enough, it was just a light peck on the lips. Nothing more.” Quinn said.

“But you wanted it to be more?” Nevaeh pushed.

“Meh.” Quinn shrugged.

“Oh get off it.” Stratus smacked her in the back.

Quinn looked back to Stratus a devious smile on her face.

“Don’t look at me like that.” She huffed.

“Like what?” She played dumb and crawled closer to her.

“Stop it, whatever you’re planning just stop.”

“Me? Planning something? Never.”

Stratus stood up just as Quinn tried to lunge at her. The girls broke out in laughter as Quinn grumbled getting a face full of pillow.

“That’s what you get for teasing me.” Stratus stuck up her nose.

“We should probably get going if we want to be back before it’s dark.” Quinn sighed and rolled over on to her back.

“Aw look Stratus you hurt her feelings.” Nevaeh teased.

Stratus sighed and leaned down and kissed Quinn on her forehead. It was Quinn’s turn to go red in the face.

“Oh! Look at her face!” Harley laughed.

“I didn’t know it was possible.” Izzy said amazed.

“Quinn and Stratus sitting in a tree, F.U.C.K.I.N.G.” Neveah sang.

“Whatever.” Quinn huffed standing and stomping away.

“How the tables have turned.” Stratus teased.

“You guys coming or what?” Quinn grabbed the boom box and headed towards the car.

The girls giggled and grabbed their stuff before following Quinn outside.

“Alright losers, you know the drill.” Quinn pulled out her polaroid camera from the car.

They all huddled around in front of the cabin and then Quinn snapped a picture. She waved it in the air letting it dry. When it was dry, they all looked at it. Quinn smiled it was perfect. All their faces smushed together some of them mid laugh. The best one yet.

One last happy moment before going back to reality.