Melodrama

Misty and Crystal were sitting on their usual bench playing a game. It was sort of like 21 questions, but truthfully they were out of bounds about it, basically just switching questions back and forth trying to get to know each other more. It was Crystal's idea.

It's not that Misty has been like- super secretive or anything, it's just that she had only been sharing the little things, Crystal just wanted to dig deeper. She simply needed to know more.

“Okay, okay, your turn.” She suggested, “Um, which three famous people would you have at your slumber party?” Crystal asked eagerly, she had to start out small. Asking her the big questions randomly would come off as suspicious. 

Maybe she could find a way to make Misty spill naturally. Like, if she could make her feel comfortable enough in her presence, or get her to trust her even more, perhaps she wouldn't have to do much work at all.

“Uh, let me think,” Misty trailed,

“Uh... Plato.”

“Duh.” they said in unison, giggling. 

Their voices sounded so good together, Crystal had yet to hear Misty sing, but she could only imagine the potential they had.

It was insane to think how similar they were. How common is it that you meet someone with the same obsessions as you? Plato was a rarity, every time Crystal spoke of him people just looked at her as if she were crazy.

No one ever understood her the way Misty does. And she liked musical theater! Of course she didn't really see the appeal until Crystal introduced her to it– but still.

Misty paused for a moment, contemplating, “Uh, Eric Nies just 'cause I'd want him to teach me how to dance.” 

“The Grind. Obsessed. And?”

“I... no, I can't. I can't,” Misty hesitated,

“Oh, come on. I pinky swear I won't tell.” Crystal reassured, holding out her pinky finger, to which Misty latched on with her own before kissing it, as did Crystal. 

It was a thing they did.

“ Okay.” The blonde sighed,

“Jack Kevorkian just because I feel like what he does is so brave…”

Crystal knew who he was, she had a paper magazine cut out on her desk back home. Several, actually.

“We had to put down our beagle Whimsy last year.” She sympathized, “It's like, why should humans have to suffer more than beagles?”

Crystal paused for a moment, reflecting, 

“Also, young Kevorkian was kind of hot.”

“I know right?” Misty agreed.

The two fell into another fit of giggles, Crystal was beginning to decipher her friend more and more everyday.

One thing she noticed in particular was that  they both had a similar sense of humor, she suspects it was one of the reasons they got along so well. That along with the crippling loneliness that came with being alienated by your team and classmates. The rest of the world as well.

“What are you two dorks dorking out about?” Mari interrupted, holding a collection of playing cards.

“Uh... Actually, don't answer that, just pick your chore.” She added, holding them out.

Crystal reached out, picking a card. Great, she had to dump the shit bucket out.. again.

“Again!?” She sighed in defeat, causing Mari to laugh.

“It's okay! I'll help you carry the bucket.” Misty offered,

“Really?” 

Misty hummed cheerfully in response,

“Thanks, bestie!” Crystal commended.

__

The two were headed to the cliff's edge to dump the excrement, exchanging mindless facts about each other. The more she got to know Misty the more she thought of them as like two sides of the same coin. Crystal knew exactly who she was, and it seemed that Misty knew only what she was not. 

Crystal had always been so sure of herself, confident in her opinions and her place in the world. She had her future set on tunnel vision. She wanted to be more than a star. She wanted the whole damn galaxy in the palm of her hands. 

The longer she spent with Misty, she realized that her friend's lack of self-awareness was not even a weakness, but a strength. Crystal knew that she had a few wires crossed, several even, but it's what originally allured Crystal to her. Misty was like a clean slate, widespread, unwavering, and receptive to everything around her. Something she regretfully lacked.

It was beyond her how everyone just overlooked these things about her and only perceived them as another reason to exclude Misty.

But most of all, she admired Misty's ability to live in the moment without worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Crystal was undeniably lost in time. She had this childlike nature to her that often got her in trouble, especially with her parents, but they didn't understand just how much she was so fixated on her future.

Sure, she may see the world through rose colored glasses, and surely she had a habit of sugarcoating most things, but it's partial to who she is.

Why would she ever consider changing that? Especially if it was one of the reasons she got along so well with her new bestie.

Although, currently, she could feel herself growing unhealthily attached to Misty. Obsessed even.

And she wasn’t opposed to it.

“Okay, okay, rapid-fire secrets. Ready?” she challenged,

“Mm-hmm.” Misty nodded eagerly.

“Sometimes I don't take the poop all the way to the toilet. I just dump it around here.” Crystal uttered instantaneously.

“Oh, I don't blame you.” The shorter one of the two chuckled,

“I hate deodorant.” she added, “Wh-When the plane crashed, I pretended that I ran out, but really I just lied.” Misty expressed, giggling youthfully.

Crystal walked ahead, stopping in front of Misty before turning around.

“I let Justin Lee finger me backstage for the dress rehearsal of Bye Bye Birdie.”

Misty gasped,  “One time I walked in on my parents having sеx, and I wasn't completely grossed out.”

Well that was a bit odd. She had to let that sink in for a moment and ended up nearly tripping on a frozen chunk of snow.

“Oh, you good? You good?” Misty quickly aided, helping her restore her balance

“Well, Einstein says that curiosity is a sign of intelligence.” Crystal admitted factually,

“Well, maybe I'm a genius, then.” Misty replied sarcastically, but the thing is that Crystal actually believed that, and thinks Misty secretly does too. 

Crystal made her way to the precipice, emptying out the bucket, then comically blowing a raspberry. 

“Flush.” She announced, imitating her hand into a thumbs down. “Okay, now grab some sticks so we can scrape the rest of it out.” 

Misty obliged, walking over to the bush and snapping a twig off then handing it over to Crystal.

“Okay, here's one you got to pinky swear you won't tell anybody.” Crystal declared seriously, holding out her pinky. Misty quickly followed, wrapping hers around as well.

“My name isn't Crystal. It's Kristen. Everyone got it wrong on the first day of practice and I never corrected them.”

A look of pure astonishment flushed over Misty’s face, 

“Why not?”

“ 'Cause they started calling me "Crystal the Pistol," and no one had given me a nickname before, so I-I was afraid that if I told them the truth, they wouldn't like me as much.” She revealed.

“I didn't think that people liked me very much either before the plane crashed.” Misty followed, “And all the sudden people started actually listening to me.” 

It was game time. This was the perfect moment to gouge out at least some interesting information that she can store in the coziest crooks of her mind.

Crystal placed her hands on Misty's shoulders, “Do you get how lucky we are? Some people never find someone they trust enough to share their deepest secrets..” 

She was gonna get something big out of her. Crystal had to know more. It was driving her mad, Misty was this conundrum and she simply needed to know.

“I have another secret.” Misty announced. Finally.  “A ginormous one, okay? But you have to swear on your mom’s life that you will not tell anyone.”

“I-I swear on Carole’s life!” Crystal swore, once more holding out her pinky and latching it on to Misty’s. They both bowed to kiss each other's thumbs, the suspense was killing her. At last, her friend continued with her confession.

“The night after the plane crashed.. when everyone was asking for my help and- and treating me like I was actually useful..” Misty paused for a moment, looking into Crystal's eyes with vulnerability and trust in her own, “I found the plane's emergency transmitter..” 

Wait, what? She gazed at Misty, confusion evident in her features,

“And I.. I destroyed it.." Misty finally revealed.

Crystal could feel her heart sink into her stomach.

“You're the reason we never got rescued?” Crystal asked, utterly dejected.

Misty looked at her, and by the look on her face Crystal could tell she knew she had fucked up, and was trying to seek a solution on what to do.

“Oh, my gosh, you should see your face. I, I totally got you!” She muttered, desperation clear in her tone.

“You're not that good of an actress.” Crystal’s voice rang, barely above a whisper and completely despondent.

“Come on, bestie, you don't actually think I-, I would do something like that, do you?” Misty questioned, searching Crystal for any hint that she actually believed her, which absolutely did not. 

Crystal’s mind was currently reeling with a maelstrom of emotions. She wanted to know more about Misty, but she hadn't expected this. She had no clue what to think. Crystal cared for Misty deeply, and could only fear what she was capable of, but the way she said it jarred her.

And she treasured that feeling. Was she really afraid? Or was she enticed?

“I mean.., yeah.” Crystal replied, unsure of how to go about this.

Misty froze, looking entirely rejected.

“Crystal? Okay, you can't tell anyone. I mean it, okay?”

Crystal felt disoriented, she felt betrayed, somehow.

Betrayed in a way that she didn't understand why Misty hadn't told her before. Which made absolutely no sense,

Why would she?

“I-I'll do whatever you want. I will flush the toilet for you, and I'll do all your chores, okay? You just, you cannot tell anybody. Please!” Misty begged, clinging onto Crystal’s torso.

“Jesus Christ, Misty!” She exclaimed, “Calm down for a second and breathe, I need to think.”

Misty listened, experiencing a shame that rocked her to the core. Crystal took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. She couldn't deny that Misty's plea had shaken something within her. She had always seen Misty as a bit of a wildcard, exceptionally impulsive, but didn’t predict this.

Crystal expected her to say something like

“Oh, I steal strands of Mari’s hair when she’s sleeping”

Nothing along the lines of intentionally eradicating their only hope for rescue. 

She just couldn't wrap her head around why she would do something like this. What went through her mind? She destroyed their only chance of getting rescued just because she was receiving validation? Crystal gazed down at Misty, searching for nonexistent clues, looking into her eyes seeking god knows what. 

“Do you feel guilty?” She wondered aloud, not quite sure if she wanted to know, or if she hoped that she didn't feel remorse, which petrified her to the point where she wanted to reverse time and bite her damn tongue, like she should have done in the first place.

Misty hesitated, “I mean, it’s the only reason we ever would have met, we never would have even spoken each other had I not-”

“Do you even realize how messed up that is?” She interjected, “What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t! Please, I don't know why I did it, but if the others find out they will literally kill me!” Misty shrieked.

“I’m not going to tell anyone Misty, it’s already done, telling them wouldn't do any good.” Crystal sighed, defeated.

“Please don't hate me,” Misty pleaded frantically. The worst part is, Crystal doesn't think anything Misty would do could ever make her hate the blonde. Once she’d properly met her, there was a part of her deep down that recognized that there was no running from this. 

It wasn't like any other normal friendship. It came off that way of course, but they both knew what they felt. It was indescribable, it was intense, and it made them feel alive, even in their current condition. They were sulking around so much death and darkness, and Misty her light.

“Jeez, I don't hate you. I don't even think I could force myself to, honestly.” She finally answered, holding onto Misty tightly in a mere attempt at comfort.

“You are the only real friend I've ever had too, you know.” She added feeling a strange sort of ambivalence. She was just being real. No one was willing to take a chance to get to know her better.  No one but Misty.

She had friends in her drama class, sure, but none of them quite knew what to think of her. They all perceived her as eccentric and wacky, both in the theatrical sense and an unconventional way. At least in class, she had an excuse. 

In the outside world she had no escape from others' malicious judgment. Even though people ostracized and alienated her, she wouldn't change for anyone, and she knew her friend felt the same way, so she had no choice but to sympathize with that.

“I’m sorry, I thought that you-”

The wind picked up abruptly, causing flurries of snow to circle around them.

“.. I think we should head back, the snow is picking up.” Crystal cut in, standing up and offering her hand out to Misty. She grabbed it and lifted herself up, following Crystal back into the cabin.

They were both shivering and clinging to each other for warmth. It was below freezing, it had to be. Misty was hunched over beside her, trembling. She was like a baby bird that had fallen from the nest, terrified and hungry for comfort. If Crystal could, she’d gather up every last bit of warmth she had and give it to her without a doubt. She’d do it in a heartbeat.

Crystal didn't know if she had a savior complex, she knew damn well if the others were to drop dead in the blink of an eye she wouldn’t really care. As long as she had Misty at her side, nothing else mattered to her.

Surely it was messed up. The fact that she would still follow Misty blindly despite her recent confession was questionable, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Cliché as it may be, when she looked at her friend, all she was able to see was years of hurt, built up residue from people using her like she was some disposable tool, and an open wound that was rapidly bleeding out.

Crystal had been the one to stop the bleeding. Who knows what would have happened if she weren't around.

The wind grew in strength and decreased in degrees, all of the sudden a strong flash of wind tore them apart, knocking Crystal to the ground. There was snow everywhere, it was impossible to see anything. She reached out trying to pull herself up when she felt Misty’s glasses, which likely fell off of her face when the gust of wind hit. 

“Misty?!” Crystal cried out, squinting her eyes in an attempt to search for her, but she heard nothing back. She anxiously pulled herself up and continued to shout for Misty while she tried her best to keep a medium pace. For one, she needed to get warm fast, and two, she didn't want to miss it if she saw Misty in the distance.

She was fearful that something had happened. Crystal didn't know how they were even separated. She was right there beside her. It didn't add up.

Time passed with brutality, she could hear everyone back at the cabin shouting for Taissa and Shauna, but no Misty. 

Hopefully she already made it back. 

She knew how to sugarcoat things alright. Perhaps it was for her own good.

As she got closer she could see them as they yelled out for them. Crystal made her way to the porch and busted the door open and trailed off inside the cabin. “Is Misty here? I lost her!” she panted worryingly, looking around for any trace of blonde hair.

“No, and Shauna and Tai ain't back yet either.” Mari replied nonchalantly.

“That’s not what I asked.” She snapped back, making her way to where they kept the magazines. If no one was gonna cry for Misty, she was gonna go out there and find her.

“What are you doing?!” Coach demanded as she rifled through the papers, stuffing them inside her clothes.

“I’m going to find Misty.” she stated, pulling out Misty’s glasses, “She lost these, probably has no idea where she is.” she spoke urgently, buttoning up her cardigan.

Coach grabbed her arm “Be careful.” he said sternly. Crystal nodded and made her way out the door, passing Shauna and Taissa. 

Shauna who was currently in labor. 

This never would have happened if Misty never laid a finger on that box. Goddamn her.

“Where the fuck is Misty?!” Taissa demanded anxiously, looking around as Crystal had been doing before.

“She’s lost, doesn’t have her glasses, I'll find her.” She urged before opening the door and setting out. 

Ignoring everyone behind her, she ran in the direction she came from, desperately yelling out Misty’s name. If she was still freezing with all the paper “armor” she equipped herself with she couldn't even imagine how cold her friend was.

Crystal passed by trees, rocks, and bushes. Her shoes were irrevocably soaked.

She was terrified. Misty could be dead and she was the one who lost her in the first place. Crystal didn't hold her tight enough, it was all her fault. She was shuffling through the snow as fast as she could in her condition, her face and body was practically numb.

Crystal’s heart was pounding in her chest as she continued to cry out. Her voice was hoarse, and she was starting to fear the worst. 

As she stumbled through the snow, she felt cold tears streaming down her face, unable to stop them as she once could before. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Misty, her best friend, her only friend, the only reason she hasn't lost her mind out here, the person she cared more about than anyone else in the world. She would not be able to live with herself if something bad were to happen.

She pushed through the towering trees, the wind picking up, sending a flurry of snowflakes into her face, numbing it even more. She wiped them away furiously, refusing to let it defeat her.

The woods were loud, for the first time she didn't feel eerie silence. Crystal loathed it. She could barely hear the sound of her own panicked breathing and the crunching of ice under her feet.

It seemed like the only response she could get was the echo of her own voice. The sun was beginning to set, casting shadows across the forest. Crystal knew that time was running out.

As she feared the worst, she tried to distract herself by ignoring her anxiety and instead focusing on how different her life could have been if she had met her friend before the plane crashed.

Misty was just so easy to love, but difficult to hate. Nobody seemed to see that, no one but her. It amazed her how even though they treated her like dirt at the bottom of their shoes, she would still always be there for them. She was so desperate for that love, basically feigned for it, and they had the audacity to treat her like some freak.

She would always be there for them, even if it meant being a doormat. Things certainly were going to change, if they weren't going to treat her like she deserved to be treated, Crystal would.

“Misty?!” She screamed out as loud as she could, looking into the distance for any sight of her.

“Crystal!?” She heard Misty cry back, relieved she hollered at Misty to keep screaming so she could follow her voice. When she finally caught sight of her, she found Misty shivering harder as she had before against a tree.

“I can't see anything, I lost my glasses!” She revealed, “It’s okay I have them!” Crystal voiced loud enough so Misty could hear over the winds brazing there ears. She handed Misty the glasses. “Shauna is in labor, we have to get back right now!”

“She’s what!?” 

“Come on, we have to run.” 

And so they took off. The wind hitting them head on, nearly slowing them down. Crystal was freezing her ass off, but never felt more relief in her life. Misty was okay and that’s all that mattered to her.

When they reached the cabin, Shauna was on the floor, laying on her back with her legs spread. All the girls surrounded her, trying to help ease her pain with words and sweet nothings, but she was wailing. 

“Shauna?” Misty uttered shakily, still freezing from the storm. She made her way over to the group and settled in front of Shauna. 

Crystal always yearned for a mind like Misty’s. She always seemed to be prepared for whatever situation or outcome at any given moment. Sometimes when she caught a glimpse of Misty, the real her, not the one she put up to appease others, she saw nothing but unwavering dedication and loyalty. How could anyone ever underestimate her? 

“Take deep breaths!” She ordered encouragingly. 

Shauna’s screams only grew louder in volume.

She made a promise to herself and Misty that no matter what she would always be there to lift her as high as she could before she even gets the chance to fall.

She just hoped Misty could handle this.