Change is the world's only constant. A change of heart, a change in attitude, a change of schools, change of work, change of environment. No one focuses on the causes of these changes; love, loss, pain, gain, peace or death. The evolutionary world we live in revolves around change, recycling the causes to gift different or similar results, steadily without pause.

Clayview High has experienced that change this morning, coming alive with a singular wave of anticipation that forces everyone to talk about something aside the empty seats around me at lunch.

"Are you coming to the game tonight?" Anto pull me out of the staring match with my mac and cheese. My body is crying out for it but in my head is a steady reminder that eating means eventually drinking. That is the problem.

The game. Football. The reason why Clayview is almost back to normal today. We were all going to go, me, Anto and Dahlia. For Todd and Apollo and the head cheerleader, Daisy Winter.

"I heard the cheerleaders are doing something for Daisy, some sort of tribute." Anto explain further and I open my mouth, not sure of what to say until I see Dahlia, her long hair in a tight pony, seated with some of the people on the track team.

Anto follow my gaze and let out a sigh. It's just the two of us at the table today. Apollo has a meeting with the coach and Jay could be anywhere, he is the sort of student that is chill enough with everyone to be able to slip into any crowd. It's not a rarity for him to be absent from our table.

"She is just trying to avoid the attention that being seen with you brings. When you two are together, it's easier to notice that someone is missing." Anto quietly tell me in her thick voice as I watch my sister throw her head back in laughter.

Dahlia doesn't laugh easily, even when it's just us around. She used to be cheerful when we were younger but when we hit puberty, she became the obvious brooding one of us. Seeing her laugh like that, like she has nothing on her conscience, it weighs on me because I can never have that. Daisy is merely a thought in Ckayview because I drove her off the bridge.

🌼

Anto has Billie Eilish blasting from her speakers as we drive to the game and for once I do not whine about how depressing the lyrics are because some of them actually resonate with me. Daisy said it was emo and we all concurred, though our pale friend was slightly emo too.

My phone ping again and I look down at it, smiling at Apollo's text.

❤💞: Are you sure you are okay to come?
17: 45

He already sent six similar messages earlier and his concern make me feel blessed to not be dating a clueless, insensitive highschool jock.

Me: Already on my way. I'll never miss your game, especially not the final one.
17:45

Anto likes to call me a soccer girlfriend because I always attend every one of Apollo's games, dressed in a replica of his jersey, holding a cute poster and cheering loudly even when he isn't near the ball. I do it for him because he does it for me and it makes me as happy as it does him but today, I do it for Daisy too because the game had also been important to her.

❤💞: Alright, lucky charm but wear a coat.
17:47

Me: yes dad, I have one on.
17:48

❤💞: you mean daddy?😉
17:48

I stuff the phone in my jacket pocket and focus on Anto ruining the whole Eilish vibe with her croaky voice.

    The bleachers are filled, which is expected of finals and we spend fifteen minutes looking for seats. We settle for a space in the middle beside two chatty freshmen who go silent the second we sit. The Clayview eagles file in shortly after, alongside the stallions of unity high from our neighboring town.

I watch them, easily catching Apollo's eye and giving him a reassuring smile before my eyes land on the front man, quarterback and co-captain, Todd Weatherman. He look paler than the last time I saw him and without his charming smile that can be found on several blogs and local paper, Todd barely looks like a shadow of himself.

I wonder if I look that way too but I doubt that I do. Anto came up with this whole taking care of each other thing. We are not to allow each other look like ghosts even if we do it to ourselves.

My retreating eyes fall on a familiar brunette a few seats below. She is looking right at me with soft eyes that I turn away from in guilt. We all rise for the national anthem but I don't think anyone ever meditates in utmost patriotism and as soon as we finish, the stadium erupt in cheers as the mayor's daughter mount the little stage in her cheer uniform.

The heavy lights reflect on Chelsea Akin's bronze skin and she smile widely, revealing perfect white teeth. The pride of Clayview.

"Good evening everyone. This night is obviously important to the Eagles of Clayview and the Stallions of Unity alike and to the rest of us as well but for us, the Clayview falcons, it is more than a game". Her voice suddenly take a sombre tone that makes me shift in my seat.

"It is no news that we lost our leader, Daisy Winter, who brought out the best in us and as a tribute to her, we have been permitted to open this game with a routine that she choreographed. So please, join me to welcome the falcons and our special guest!"

My hands keep clenching and I shut my eyes to steady myself. This is why I came here, I can do this, for Daisy.

A gasp from beside me cause me to open my eyes just as the rest of the stadium let out a collective gasp. Below me, the Clayview falcons make their way onto the field led by their special guest who share a resemblance to me.

I freeze as I watch her in the skimpiest uniform, swaying her curly red hair and when she turn around and smile, it is almost like our lives did not experience a storm, like Clayview did not record a tragedy, like I did not drive us off a bridge and everything is normal, like we planned it and Daisy Winter is just down there, doing what she does best, leaving everyone in awe but it is all an illusion because Daisy is dead and the person standing beside Chelsea Akin is another flower, Dahlia Winter.

        The game go on alright but nobody seem to truly get over the cheerleaders stunt, Dahlia's stunt, especially Todd Weatherman. From up the bleachers with my fingers going numb from Anto's iron grip, I watch him try to focus and get his head in the game but he keeps zoning out and making the wrong passes because Dahlia is still there, in the image of Daisy, taunting us with her catlike moves and smooth flips.

Eventually coach Perkins get him off the field and he walks straight out of the stadium, shaking from either the stares or the apparition of his dead girlfriend, I cannot be sure.

I sit through the whole thing, trying to focus on my boyfriend who like me, appear to have been spooked by the cheerleaders performance but my eyes keep straying to my sister and together with my feet, they follow her after the game to the changing room.

I wait for everyone to leave before going in. Chelsea pause mid laughter to look at me with a sly smile.

"Hi Rose". She alert my sister of my presence.

"Hi". I say as I lock eyes with Dahlia before she go back to tying her shoe laces.

"Great game huh? I mean I know our team could have done better but it's okay, we won".

"Yeah, great game".

"If only Todd had played full time right?" Her smirk forces me to take calm breaths.

I don't want to think about Todd who has spent the entire year getting ready for this game. To solidify his place in the mind of scouts and to catch the eyes of new ones.

"Can I talk to Dahlia?" Her smile expand as she turn to my sister who is now on her feet, looking right at me.

"Sure, I'll just wait at the car. Don't take too long though, the party awaits your presence". She tell Dahlia before moving out, leaving us alone in the dimly lit room.

    Dahlia and I aren't very close. Sure, we spend a lot of time in each other's company, we talk about school and boys and know each other's favorite color but we don't have a lot in common and I am not the one she runs to with her problems but this stunt, it just isn't something I'd have expected from her in a thousand years. Dahlia is focused, practical and the sort that parents call too mature for their age.

"Is it really that shocking?" She stare at me quizzically and I sigh.

"You have no idea. What were you thinking?" The fiery hair make my skin burn by the mere sight of it. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a ghost.

"Nothing".

"You mean to tell me you didn't think before deciding to turn yourself into our dead sister?"

She appear to be taken aback by my words and stare at the floor.

"I was just honoring Daisy". The defiance is half-assed.

"By giving everyone a scare?"

"I just wanted to make her a little real. I didn't mean to hurt anyone".

I look at her naked face, void of any makeup but filled with familiar emotions that I can't name and I feel another stab of guilt for being a terrible sister. Dahlia is grieving the loss of a sister too and I have been so lost in my own pain, I didn't consider how hard it has to be for her as well.

"She is gone, Dahlia". I step a little closer and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't you wish she wasn't? Don't you miss her? Don't you want a feel of her just one more time?"
She place her other hand over the one I have on her shoulder and I feel a tremor run down my body with her words.

This is not Daisy. Daisy is gone.

🌹🌹🌹
Thoughts???!!!
I should probably state now that the length of the chapters are going to be inconsistent. I don't have a word count goal that I'm trying to reach this time, just going with the feel here.
xx