"You look pretty, Rue." Lydia found her in the crowd as she finally showed up, Rue saving her the seat for nearly thirty minutes.

"So do you." she gave her a flushed smile as she sat down. "I think it's about to start."

"Sorry i'm late." Lydia apologized, taking her jacket off to lay across her lap. "I was-"

Rue adjusted as she gave a curious look. "What?"

"I brought my clothes to the dry cleaners." Lydia admitted with a small smile. "Well, I brought them there but I decided to burn them."

"I would have gone with you." Rue turned fo her with a serious look.

"I think I needed to do it on my own." Lydia said honestly as Rue watched her. "It felt nice."

Rue smiled. "I'm happy for you."

"You too." Lydia agreed. "I told you, those eye bags would go away."

The lights started to dim as they looked to the stage, Rues hand nudged Lydias.

Rue gave a snort as the curtain drew back, a scene playing out of Lexi reading to a girl who had just lost her father and turned to drugs as the answers.

"What is it like, such intensity of pain? If the drink is bitter, turn yourself into wine. In this uncontainable night, be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses. The meaning discovered there. And if the world testis to hear you, say to the silent earth I flow. To the rushing water, speak I am." Lexi stood up, holding her book as she walked toward the sleeping Jade, blowing crushed up pills off a hard book, stealing a few bottles of medicine, and leaving the fake door. "I knew Jade had been doing drugs, but it wasn't until that day, at her dads memorial, that I realized they were a greater comfort then I ever could be. Maybe that's a silly observation, but I was only thirteen. It was the summer before I started ninth grade, back when we thought we'd all be friends forever."

Lydias hand nudged Rues as the lights flickered, drums rolling in the background as Ethan hurried onto the stage with a camera.

"There were five of us. There was me, Grace. My sister, Hallie. Her best friend, Marta. Martas best friend, Luna. And my best friend, Jade." Lexi spoke as all five girls got their fake photos snapped, large letters appearing, Lexi running to look through the O. "And this is life. Not everyone's life. But, our life!"

The boy dropped the R as a few people clapped. "Oh, that's fucking cool."

"Rue." Lydia blinked. "This is your friends play...right?"

Rue gapped in minor realization. "Yeah.•

"Okay, this might kinda be a weird and embarrassing thing to admit, but I think the most defining moment of my adolescents was when my sister went through puberty." Lexi walked onto the stage again, staring out at the crowd.

"Ugh, I look disgusting!" Hallie cried out as she was lowered down on a large circle, angel wings behind her.

"Hey, Hallie, i'm in the middle of somethin." Lexi said back, rocking on her heels.

"It's just, this dress is so not flattering." Hallie looked down at the white dress she wore.

"Hallie, i'm kinda putting on a play right now." Lexi said back through a tight lipped smile.

"What?" the blonde blinked.

"There's an entire audience waiting for me to continue talking."

"Where?"

"Right here." Lexi whispered, motioning toward the rows of people.

"Oh, hi." Hallie laughed as she waved to everyone, blowing a kiss.

"Whatever. The point is, I couldn't wait to go through puberty." Lexi explained before the light flipped off her, focusing on the door as it busted open. Rues hand locked with Lydias as they both hid a smile in the dark theater

"Well, woah, woah, woah." the actor of Sue busted in, the Howard sisters mom screaming from the crowd. "Look at you."

"Oh my god!" Lydia couldn't hold back the loud laugh as Rue laughed at her reaction. "Go, Ethan!"

"I feel like a big baby." Hallie spoke with a stomp of her foot.

"Hallie, I have been on this planet for 38 goddamn years and I have never seen a baby with knockers like yours." Sue said back, holding her wine in one hand. The audience laughed, Lydia was starting to cry from his performance.

"Mom, that was the grossest thing i've ever heard you say." Hallie said in return.

"Okay." Suz laughed, waving her off and downing her wine.

The lights changed to Lexi, sat on her bed in the other room. "Look, I know being born smart, hard working, and curious are all very important qualities. But, imagine having all those qualities and also being hot. So, if Hallie was 433 days older then me, then all I had to do is wait 433 days and i'd look just like her."

The audience laughed again as the stage went black, everyone clapping. Rue and Lydia shared a gentle grin, letting their hands go for a second to cheer for Lexi.

•

kylie speaks

this made me miss
ethan and alma