chapter one:
remembrance

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"pink or blue?" betty asked happily, holding up each shirt. "which colour do you think archie will like the best!"

"i think you should choose your favorite, because that will help you feel like your best self" posie assured betty, who seemed to be fretting about every little thing.

betty smiled picking the pink tank top and tucking the blue sweater back into her closet. she glanced at the clock on her wall quickly. "oh! kev is gonna be here soon to help with everything else. i can't believe today is the day" she fell onto her bed next to posie, daydreaming.

"i'm so happy for you betts, i bet he'll say yes. why wouldn't he?" posie grinned at the girl she's seen as a little sister since forever. "it's nice to have you back, but i'm glad you had a good time at your internship, you're definitely going more places than i am"

"says the girl who's first in the state for track, even though she ran pregnant" betty admired.

mariposa had always been one of betty's role models. ever since she'd become best friends with polly. mariposa was pretty, and smart, and talented. she had a golden girl reputation and the mindset of a hard worker. she was a good mother to her baby, and she survived such great losses at such a young age. to betty, mariposa was perfect.

and the funny thing is that posie would say all the same for betty.

"that being said, are you sure you won't be coming to school tomorrow? get back on the track team, tryout for the vixens! show off your new hair?" the blonde smirked.

posie looked at betty sadly. "i would love to, but i'm just not ready yet. but don't fret. i'll be at tryouts, and by next week i'll be eating lunch with you, kev and archie." she gave her "little sister" a reassuring grin.

a knock on the door coming from downstairs caused the two girls to snap up.

"that must be kevin" posie said, moving towards the door.

then a cry came from just down the hall.

betty giggled, "and that must be AJ"

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posie laid down onto her neatly made bed, AJ finally having gone down to sleep. betty was out with archie by now, and alice was fixing a dinner for her adopted daughter and her husband.

mariposa got up and walked around the room. she remembered the day she first moved in, how alice had helped her set up a space for adelaine. she remembered how sad she'd been, at the tragedy, and at her mother's decision. but look at her now, happy with her best friend's family, but empty without her best friend.

she picked up a picture that had been collecting dust since they day she moved in her belongings. a photo of her and polly at age ten, at posie's first track meet. they two blondes smiling big together, mariposa holding a first place ribbon.

posie longed for her beautiful blonde hair again. but the brunette was necessary. it helped her develop a new identity, once she felt she desperately needed after all that happened. and she rocked the darker hair anyway. it made her blue eyes more vibrant than they were before, and she felt like she'd been given a new chance. it seemed silly, but change was needed, and it happened accordingly.

"mariposa! dinner!" mrs cooper called from the bottom of the stairs.

posie smiled, putting the picture down, and walking down the hall and downstairs to the dining room.

"thank you alice" posie told her second mom.

"of course dear, now come sit, eat" she waved her.

"how was the register?" she asked her the couple, putting salad and a roll of bread on her plate.

"it's booming with this blossom case. more and more people seem to buy papers when we write about it" alice grinned, "right hal?"

"yes, a lot of people want to know, including you i assume, posie?". hal agreed.

mariposa faked a little smile, "yeah, i think we all just want some answers"

she hated the way alice talked about jason. she loved the woman, but she wished that she could sometimes keep things to herself. mariposa never heard the end of it. what jason "did to her". how he treated her.

really, she meant AJ as what jason had done. the brunette hadn't seen a baby as a bad thing at all, but alas, alice had her own opinion on everything. mariposa was surprised that alice had even let them live there. but she supposed taking in some lost kids really polished their do good, perfect, family image.

"i was thinking, maybe i could go for the track team again this year. i've been training all summer since after adelaine was born. and maybe the cheer team again if you're okay with that?" mariposa inquired to her adopted parents.

alice frowned, "cheryl's cheer team? the vixens? after what jason did to you? maybe that's not the best idea" she told posie.

mariposa knew she would say that.

"but, alice, the track team sounds like it could be good for mariposa, right?" hal suggested, finishing off his dinner.

"oh of course. i hope you'll be aiming high again. first in the state." alice smirked at the brunette.

"i won't settle for anything less"

alice grinned wider, "that's the spirit mariposa. once you go back to school, i hope you'll be focusing on your studies as well. i want both my girls at the top of honor roll this semester"

mariposa smiled when alice called her one of her girls.

"i'll try my hardest"

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posie lie awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. she'd just heard all the news about the new girl that intruded on betty's plans for tonight. after reassurance and advice, betty finally left posie alone, and went to bed.

but there wouldn't be any sleep for posie. there wasn't any ever, really. coping with the accident had always been hard in mariposa. but night was when it hit the hardest.

all she could think about was laying in bed with jason on the nights she'd snuck out. how there'd always be room for her in his bed, even when he'd already been asleep before she got there.

she remembered how many nights they'd just spent driving around talking. telling their past. gossiping their present. imagining their future. just discussing life.

time always slipped when she was with him.

she missed him.

and she always would.

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welcome 💘
this chapter just sort of introduces mari and AJ and a little about who they are and who they were.

chapter two coming soon