Noelle groggily blinked her eyes open as she stifled a yawn. She slowly sat up on the bed, stretching her arms, as she looked across the room where Lolita was still asleep.

They had booked the night in a small inn near the hospital, and Dyson had to pull some strings for them to be able to sleep alone without a guardian.

She tiptoed out of bed, taking care not to make too much noise as she crept along the hard wooden floor. As Noelle reached Lolita's bed, she poked the sleeping girl gently to stir her awake.

"What?" Lolita muttered, not even bothering to open her eyes.

"It's your birthday..." Noelle sang, a wide smile on her face. Lolita reacted quickly, jumping up with a beam plastered on her face.

"I'm fifteen!" Lolita happily shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

"Happy birthday! Quick, let's get dressed and go to Roland," Noelle said, and the girls put on their dresses and coats and left the inn, thanking the innkeeper on the way.

They walked the short journey to the hospital, knocking twice before entering. Dyson did not come to the door, so Noelle and Lolita made their way to Roland's room.

"What if he's asleep?" Lolita asked, as they walked up the stairs.

"Then I suppose we'll just wake him up. This is an important day, after all," Noelle replied.

Luckily for them, Roland was already awake. He was propped up on some pillows, and in his hand was an open book he was reading. He looked up, and when he saw his friends he smiled.

"Hey Lolita, hi Noelle," he greeted them. Noelle suspected that while she was gone yesterday and Lolita had stayed with Roland, something had happened. The way they were behaving was so strange and different to see. Maybe a near death experience happened to solve things, Noelle thought in amusement.

"How are you feeling?" Lolita asked tenderly before Noelle even had a chance to open her mouth.

"Much better. My leg only has this dull ache, so it's not that bad," Roland said. "Dr Dyson told me that I'll be up on my feet in the next few days!"

"That's awesome to hear! Thank God the injury wasn't that bad," Noelle said, relieved. "Anyway, did you know we have a birthday?"

"Lolita's? I know, she said," Roland smiled. "Happy birthday!"

Lolita blushed bright pink as the two sang her an over exaggerated version of happy birthday. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and laughed as Roland sang a really deep melody, while Noelle put on an animated voice.

"Thanks," she giggled. "You guys are awesome."

Noelle told Roland the plan of sneaking him out of the hospital to visit the village and do something fun for Lolita's birthday, and he enthusiastically agreed. Lolita stood outside the door while Noelle helped Roland stand up, tightening the bandages on his leg to ensure he was safe.

"It's clear," Lolita called, and the three snuck out of the hospital through the back door and into the alleyway behind. They were slow, mainly because only Noelle was supporting Roland, but Lolita took his other arm to help so they were able to move faster.

They entered the bushy street, which was filled with people doing their morning shopping. The group had to take great care not to be stood on or knocked over by a passerby.

And with her friends, Noelle was happy to spend the day.

. . .

Think of your biggest achievement.

For some, it may be overcoming your biggest fear, or doing something really daring.

For others, it may be a promotion at work or a notable event they had taken part in.

For Noelle, it was receiving the second highest grade in her maths class. To no surprise, Ivan had the highest, beating her by only three marks.

"Well done! You did really good," Melanie praised, beaming at Noelle.

"Thanks, you did too," Noelle said, gratefully.

She was excited to return home and tell her parents about her score, to finally present them with an opportunity to be proud of her.

For the whole day, Noelle was bouncing on the soles of her feet with excitement. In all of her lessons, she quickly finished her work, then spent her remaining time staring at the slow clock and willing it to go faster.

By the time the final lesson had rounded the corner, Noelle was restless. As somebody who typically enjoyed school, finding it her safe place, she could not wait to get home.

She left school with a rush, waiting outside for her father's black car to pop into her view. As soon as it stopped before her, Noelle opened the door, trying to contain her excitement.

"Hello dad," she greeted.

"Hello. How was your day?" Richard asked. The generic question; one she received every day.

"It was brilliant! I got the second highest score in a test in maths!" Noelle gushed, staring at her dad to see his reaction. His face barely showed a change of emotion at her news.

Noelle never knew what Richard Park was feeling. Was he angry? Sad? Happy? His face was a book, one that she had not mastered the language of and was unable to read.

"Second highest? What did you get?" He finally inquired, as he started the car and they began their journey home.

"Thirty five," Noelle replied. Richard was silent, and while her father did not reply, her smile only slightly faltered.

"Out of?"

"Forty."

Who had the highest?"

"Ivan."

"Of course." Richard rolled his eyes. "Noelle, this is not good enough. What did your mother and I tell you about revising at home? Did you listen?"

At his words, Noelle's smile completely dropped, to be replaced by a frown.

"I thought you would be proud," she said, looking away from Richard and instead focusing on the pretty houses outside.

"Well, take this as a lesson. You can't always get what you want in life."

. . .

One day, after school, Noelle was invited to a party hosted by her classmate, Yvonne. She was a stereotypical popular girl, with her face plastered in makeup and an attitude that was a natural repellant. The only people who enjoyed her presence were her friends, one of which happened to be Donna.

Which is why Noelle was surprised when she was invited to her party.

"So yeah, you should come... like everyone is going," drawled Yvonne, staring at her nails instead of at Noelle. "It's going to be lit."

"Okay? Are my friends invited?" Noelle asked, still sceptical about the random proposition.

"Who? Them? Oh yeah, sure," Yvonne replied, and proceeded to walk away after handing Noelle her number and address.

And so, Noelle went, along with her friend group. As this was her first party, she had no idea what one would typically wear to a high school party. In the end, Zuzanna helped her pick her outfit, which consisted of a neat blue blouse and a plaid black skirt, paired with ripped tights.

The group got themselves a bus, and arrived at Yvonne's house just in time. The girl had said that her parents weren't home, and that she was left in the care of her older brother, who was of age.

Already, Noelle could hear music blasting from inside the house, and as soon as Ivan knocked on the door, the friends were pulled inside by the hostess.

"Hey, Yvonne," Noelle greeted, and the girl waved in return.

She felt so out of place at the party, and before Noelle even had time to consider her surroundings, she was pulled into a certain game involving a glass bottle.

"Everyone knows the rules, right?" Donna asked, holding the bottle in the air. "Someone spins the bottle, and whoever it lands on they have to kiss!"

"I might skip out on this one... I feel a bit sick," Rupert whispered, stepping out of the bathroom and rushing upstairs.

"Who should go first... Noelle, how about you?" Donna said, a malicious smile on her face. Feeling everyone's eyes on her and unwilling to let down her classmates, Noelle tentatively reached for the bottle and spun.

It went around the circle one... twice... three times... Noelle felt dizzy from just looking at it. Eventually, it came to a halt, its tip pointing at none other than the hostess, Yvonne.

She looked disgusted as she stared at Noelle, yet by now everyone was cheering the girls on to kiss.

The two were shoved into the middle of the circle, and stood facing each other. Their faces were bright red as they both puckered up, closing their eyes.

Their kiss was barely a peck, only a brush of the lips. As soon as it had happened, the room erupted into whoops and laughter as the two girls jumped away from each other, furiously wiping at their mouths to get rid of the strange sensation.

It seemed like something so taboo, yet Noelle wanted to do it again.

. . .

Their day has passed by smoothly. The trio had visited the circus, which was visiting the village, and had even managed to get themselves front row seats. They marvelled at how flawless the different tricks were executed, and Noelle found herself being reminded of Valerie. She shook the memories that now seemed so distant to her away, reluctant to ruin Lolita's birthday with her melancholy mood.

"What are you guys gonna get?" Roland asked, looking at the many appetising treats laid out on the counter. The more Noelle looked at the baked goods, the louder she found her stomach rumbling, and she gave an embarrassed laugh when Lolita and Roland both looked at her.

"Okay, calm down!" Lolita joked. "We're getting some food now!"

"Do you have any birthday cake?" Roland asked the lady behind the counter. Her long hair was pinned back in a sleek bun, complementing her sharp features and jaw. Her face held a bored expression as she stared at the three, almost rolling her eyes at Roland's question.

"Yes, we do," she deadpanned, not moving from her position.

"Can we get some?" Noelle asked politely, giving the woman a smile. "It's our friend's birthday. What flavour, Lolita?"

Lolita tapped her chin in thought as she took the menu that the woman handed to her. She stared at it, and Noelle imagined she could see the thoughts flying through her head.

"Strawberry and vanilla?" Lolita finally decided. "Please!"

"Eat in or take out?"

"Let's eat here," Roland suggested, and the girls agreed with him. The lady carefully cut the pink cake into three, and handed each of them their plates.

It was a generous portion of cake, and Noelle had to admit it looked breathtaking. The outside layer was a pale shade of pink, and the vanilla sponge was filled with fluffy white buttercream. The top of the cake was styled with split strawberries and colourful sprinkles, as well as intricate mandala patterns created with silver icing. It looked so appetising Noelle felt slightly reluctant to eat it.

The three chose their table at the far end of the bakery, where they would be furthest away from the busy street outside. This way, they could talk as loudly as they wanted and not fear to be overheard.

"You know, my grandma once told me a story about her old colleague at work. She used to be a saxophone player in a grand orchestra, but the conductor was really bad," Lolita said, recalling a fond past memory as she spooned the cake into her mouth.

"The conductor was bad? Then why was he conducting in the first place?" Roland asked indignantly.

"Because he owned the orchestra, and paid really well so no one actually wanted to quit," Lolita explained, before continuing on with her story. "So anyway, this man was really confident in his abilities and would constantly put on performances, only for the audience to boo him and walk out of the theatre. Eventually all of the musicians got sick of him, and my grandma decided to teach him a lesson."

"I'm not surprised they were sick of him, that must have been awful!" Noelle shuddered, imagining the humiliation of being booed during a performance you never wanted to take part in.

"It was," Lolita agreed. "But you'll never believe what my dear grandma did! During her saxophone solo, she began playing horribly out of tune and pace, and eventually, mid performance, the conductor told her to stop. She quit on stage, as did the other members! It was the first time that their performance had ever been applauded."

For some reason, Noelle found the idea of frail little Willow rebelling in front of an audience of thousands in her youth oddly hilarious. It proved that everyone had secrets, some that were just waiting to be revealed.

"That conductor was certainly a trebled man," Roland noted, before snickering at his own joke. "Get it?"

"That was so bad!" Lolita laughed, gently punching his shoulder.

"Hey! Who doesn't love a good pun?"

Noelle found herself smiling as she looked happily at her two friends, so at ease with one another. To think that at the beginning of their journey they had named each other sworn enemies, yet now were closer than twins. In the weeks that they had been together, Noelle realised that they all had to mature so quickly that they had not even had time to enjoy carefree moments together like this. With Roland's injury and the constant paranoia of being found, Noelle had not had a moment to relax and feel like a child in what seemed like forever.

As they left the bakery and returned to the streets, Noelle heard a sudden, pricing scream. Then, a stampede of people came bounding down the streets, everyone eager to get away from the hidden source of danger.

Noelle managed to stop a young man who tried to hide in the bakery, and ask him what was wrong.

"It's Adron's soldiers! They're searching the village and killing anyone who refuses!" The man yelled, before leaving Noelle alone and hiding away.

"Oh God, they found us," Roland cried, his face paling. "How?!"

"I don't know, but we have to get Noelle to safety," Lolita said urgently, pushing Noelle towards the outskirts of the village where the circus stood. "Go! Roland and I will try to mislead them!"

"When you get to safety just wait and we'll find you," Roland added.

Lolita and Roland took off in the direction where the people were coming from, and Noelle watched them struggle upstream before she turned on her heel and fled.

She ran towards the circus, running along the side of it until she was hidden from view. It was on the edge of a small wood. Luckily for Noelle, Dacnella was a world heavily infested with forests.

She ducked into the trees, running straight ahead until she could no longer hear the shouts from the village. Noelle leaned over, placing her hands behind her head to help regulate her breathing as she considered her next actions.

How had Adron even found her? Had her face been recognised from the poster and someone tipped him off? The only ones who seemed to recognise her were the three women.

Before Noelle forgot where she came from, an idea came to her head. She plucked a branch from a nearby tree and arranged it on the floor in the shape of an arrow, so she would know which direction the village was located.

Then, she climbed up the tree until she was hidden in the leaves and waited for somebody to come and find her.

. . .

"Noelle! It's us, where are you!"

Noelle perked up at the sound of Roland's voice calling her name. She had been in the tree for hours, sitting tensely as she did not dare make a noise in fear of giving away her location.

She slowly got down from the tree safely as she called to her friends, who were at her side within moments.

"Thank God we found you, we've been looking for hours!" Lolita cried in relief, throwing her arms around Noelle's neck.

"The soldiers questioned us, and we told them we saw you go North. I'm not sure if they bought it, because one of them was staring at me," Roland explained. "I think he knew I was Adron's servant."

"We managed to get them off our tails though, so we're safe for a while," Lolita said, trying to find the silver lining in their predicament.

"We need to change our location quickly though... if they found us so easily then who knows if they will find us again!"

As the three resumed their journey, Noelle felt saddened by how their journey had ended. After a day filled with so much joy, the sudden decrease in their crescendo had damaged them. Nobody spoke to each other, and inside, Noelle felt awful for how Lolita's birthday ended as much as she tried to convince herself that it was not her fault. Then again, if she had never selfishly escaped from the castle... Lolita would be at home celebrating with Willow and Roland never would have been injured.

It was all her fault.