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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE—
"transient beauty"

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"I FEEL LIKE DEATH," Bella's face was pale and drawn, her eyes bloodshot and her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. Her words came out in a weary mumble, her lips barely moving as she spoke. It was comical, to say the least because those were the first things Bella spluttered immediately the video call connected.

Jess chuckled as she nodded. "You look like it too."

"And why is that, Bel?" I asked, voice soft and gentle, a stark contrast to Bella's weary monotone as I placed my laptop on the bed so the girls could see me properly.

"My little brothers are driving me crazy." She burried her face in her palms, elbows resting on her desk. I, on the other hand, laid against my headboard before leaning over and slipping out of the camera to grab a comb form the top of my drawer that stood besides my bed.

Once I grabbed the comb, I positioned myself in front of my laptop screen again, running the comb through my unruly strands. "What did they do now?"

In a swift movement, her head lifted from her palms, eyes trained on the screen, only to let out a groan. "They spray painted me, and it took me hours to wash off!"

"Oh my God." My face twisted in pure amusement as I bit my inner cheek to stop myself from laughing just as Jess spoke, "Are you for real?"

"Yes! And my parents even took pics."

"Can you tell them to send me one?" Jess let out a laugh that was warm and bubbly, like a fizzy drink overflowing from a glass. It made me smile, and before I knew it, I was laughing too; the cacophony of our voices filling the air.

Bella's left eyebrow had lifted up, signalling that she didn't find any of it funny, but she waved it off regardless. "Just forget that, Carla have you heard from Valen."

"Not this morning, but, we talked a bit last night." I replied as I returned the comb and reached for a fluffy pillow, putting it behind my back on the headboard to make myself more comfortable.

Bella nodded, and whilst tucking her long hair behind her ears, she placed her chin on her palm before smirking, "What did you guys talk about?"

My cheeks immediately flared up as I figured out what she wanted to hear. "Nothing out of the ordinary, that's what."

Giving me a knowing look, she hummed, fingers pointing at the screen. "Your cheeks are on fire. Jess do you smell something burning?"

"Relax Carabella," Jess paused momentarily once to blow on her polished nails before focusing on the screen, "It's just your future diploma."

"Fuck you." It came out as an attack—comically.

With arms crossing over her chest, Jess playfully scoffed. "Oh please, I think Walter should have the pleasure of hearing that."

Bella blushed at that, the pink tinging her cheeks slightly and earning a laugh from Jess. I disregarded the laugh that echoed from Jess and instead, focused my eyes on Bella. "Speaking of Walter, how are things going with you guys?"

Bella didn't recover from her blushing marathon, closing her eyes for a second before meeting her screen again. "The same, there's no day he didn't call me. He's so sweet."

The smirk on my face was one of mischief and mirth, a mischievous glint in my eyes; I could feel the corners of my mouth tugging upward, the smile playing on my lips. Across the screen, I could see Jess's smirk mirroring mine, the expression on her face the perfect reflection of my own. "Of course."

"However, my dad hasn't stopped interrogating me about Walter ever since I told him that he dropped me off at the airport," she sighed out, stretching her arms above her head before rubbing her temples, "It's a nightmare!"

"Likewise." I sighed out, pinching the skin between my eyebrows, "Turns out my uncle is a fan of Valen, however, my mom doesn't feel too happy about me being with guys."

"Typical parents." Bella and Jess chorused.

"She has her reasons though." I said. "Jess what about you, how's your thanksgiving going?"

"The usual, you know there are no guys in my life," Jess allowed a sigh to escape her lips, hands lifting up to adjust the band she used to hold her curls. "But, hanging out with my mom and sister is really nice and comforting."

"Do you want me to set you up with a guy? I know some few guys." Bella suggested smugly, eyebrows wiggling in a suggestive manner and to that Jess shook her head.

"Uh—no." She declined, faking a gag, "I'm good, please. I will find a guy on the universe's own accord."

Bella and I laughed, the sound resonating through the entirety of my room. The laughter was like a ripple on a still pond, the waves spreading out from the epicenter of our shared amusement, but just as it reached its crescendo, the ripple was cut short by the sound of a knock on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I said and the girls quietened as Allison stepped into my room, leaning on the doorframe with a grin on her face.

"Aunt wants you to be ready in five minutes, we're heading out." She said before adding with a smirk on her face, "Also, who are you talking to? Valen?"

It took everything in me to resist the groan building inside my throat as I rolled my eyes, watching her approach my bed whilst the girls snickered from behind the screen.

Soon enough, Allison was on my bed, her face filling the screen as she leaned over my legs to stare at my laptop screen, "Oh, it's not Valen," she chuckled before waving at the screen. "Hi! I'm Allison."

"Hi! I'm Carabella," Bella smiled warmly, giving a wave of her own, "but I'm guessing you already know that since we've met before."

"And I'm Jess." Jess waved.

"Wow, I love your hair." Allison said with great admiration, reaching out to the screen as if she could touch the curls that belonged to Jess.

"Really?" Jess beamed.

Allison nodded, before adding a dreamy sigh. "Sometimes I wished I was African-American, I have a thing for curly hair, but I was blessed with—you know, my hair instead."

I laughed softly at that. Jess, on the other hand seemed stunned, perhaps because she wasn't used to receive such compliments and it made my heart warm a bit. Jess snapped out of her reverie and put on a smile, "I think your hair is quite amazing and as for my curls, it's a real war sometimes," she added with a chuckle.

Allison giggled in return. "Well, it's very nice to meet you both and I hope I get to meet you
two in person." Then with a sly smile, added, "Alongside Carla's boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!"

Both Bella and Jess laughed, muttering how they'd get along with Allison just fine.

"Keep telling yourself that, Cousin," Allison chuckled, lifting herself up from my bed and walking out of my room, but not before adding, "Also, Carla your five minutes is over."

I rolled my eyes with a laugh before turning back to my laptop screen. "Later girls."

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CENTRAL PARK DURING MID-DAY was beautiful; the air was warm and crisp, beams of sunlight glowing on my sun-kissed skin. The sun's rays created dappled shadows across the ground, the gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of wildflowers and freshly mown grass.

I sat on a bench, palms placed on it to support my weight as I leaned back on it and observed my environment: The kids in the park played, parents too engrossed in their discussions to care; couples walked hand in hand, oblivious to the sound of leaves crunching beneath their feet. There was a girl at the other end with a jump rope each handle in her hands; tilting her head, she kept her gaze ahead as she jumped, her hands providing momentum for the rope.

Exhaling slowly, I took in the beautiful scenery before me. I was indeed lucky to have had the opportunity to witness such breathtaking sight; vibrant green grass, glistening water fountain and cloudless sunshine casting a luminescent glow. Those little things weren't meant to be taken for granted and so, I was thankful.

All we really had to do was take few minutes from our day just to appreciate nature; the way the trees swayed gently in the breeze; the way the air was touched with lazy fragrance of flowers; and the way we feel exhilarated when fresh air fills our lungs.

"Hey."

A voice pulled me out of my daze, startling me back to the present and I recognised it as Allison's. I turned to look at her and saw her settling down on the bench next to me, holding two steaming cups in her hands.

I grabbed one of the cups she handed to me, the warmth seeping into my palms. "Thank you."

"What are you doing here all by yourself? The park is giving out thanksgiving gratitude game."

Lifting the cup to my lips, I took a sip, the velvety and creamy taste of the drink hugging my tastebuds and as the rich taste of the cappuccino lingered on my tongue, I exhaled slowly. "I'm just thankful, you know, even with the losses, I'm starting to feel a lot happier."

A warm smile found it's way to her face, curling around the edges, "You have us and added to it are your friends, they have a huge impact in your happiness."

"They really do."

"Come on," she ushered and I stood up with her, walking towards where our individual parent sat. We walked past the incessant rows of flowers, the smell overpowering my senses. "Carla look at these," Ally pointed at the pink Ranunculus before taking her phone out, capturing pictures of the flowers—pristine and multi-colored; breathtaking to the moon.

As we reached our parents, I paused, only to admire the flowers, to sense their aroma, to be in the moment with their transient beauty. With blankets spread out over the vibrant green grass, Mom and Uncle sat contentedly on blankets.

Allison and I joined them on the blankets, Uncle handing both of us a pen each and a card with the words; Thanksgiving Gratitude Game written in bold. Allison wasted no time in filling out the information required on the card, the sound of pens scribbling on cards resonating around me. I flipped the card over, eyes skimming over the questions with a smile on my face.

1. Name a person you are grateful for.

Staring down at the question, I let my mind think for a few second because; the people I was thankful for were sitting around me, tripling smiles on their faces as they scribbled down on their cards—however, if I was to be grateful to one of them, it was the one who brought me into this world. Mom.

2. Name something you are grateful for.

I took a breath in content as I wrote down the one answer that nothing could beat. Life.

3. Name a memory you are grateful for.

There were a lot of memories I was grateful for—from the moment we escaped from the clutches of the monster I once called dad to a certain blue-eyed boy that stained my white top. It was comical now, however, it wasn't then. But if I was to write down any of these memories it would be when I escaped from that certain man because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have come in contact with the wonderful people in my life at the moment.

4. Name a place you are grateful for.

One place, just one place I was grateful for. The gym. I was grateful for the gym, it had helped me fight the storm that threatened to emerge within me on a daily basis.

5. Name a skill you are grateful for.

Comically, I wrote down fighting, afterall it seemed to be the major skill I was grateful for. Sure, I could play sports and all, but being able to fight was a skill I was most grateful for, especially in a society like ours where females were being belittled.

6. Name anything you are grateful for.

My family, my friends, life, the creator, beautiful memories, fun.

We ended up passing our cards amongst ourselves, smiling in content at the answers we all gave, and there was one thing common—we were thankful to have one another.

"You know, we've come really far in life. Even with the ups and downs, and the unexpected things life throws at us, we're still strong. Do you know why? It's because we have each other. We're stronger together." My uncle had said.

At those words a smile crawled it's way up to my features as I stared at the people in front of me, my people, my family. My family was like a tapestry woven together with threads of love and memories; the colours were bright and vibrant, reflecting the joy and laughter of shared experiences. The patterns were intricate and detailed, the texture soft and comforting, a reminder of the strength that came from being part of something greater than myself.

From my peripheral I caught sight of a figure approaching us and I turned to see a girl running to us, all giddy and excited. When she stopped in front of us, her words were coated with glee excitement all before she was off and running again.

"The park is hosting a game of touch football."

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AS THE SUN diminished below the horizon, the brilliant shades of blue serenely morphed into exquisite shades of muted pink. The air was cool and crisp, the world bathed in peaceful stillness and as clouds drifted into various directions at the horizon, we four sat circled around the picnic basket, exhausted from all the games we'd played.

The trees around us were silhouetted against the horizon, their branches reaching up like fingers to the sky. The branches swayed gently in the breeze, the leaves rustling like paper in the wind and in the midst of it all, we sat and ate, enjoying the simple pleasure of being together.

We had just finished eating and were now sitting down on the mat, satisfied. I turned to Allison, suddenly having a fun question in mind. "Hey Ally, out of all the electronic devices you own, which one are you most grateful for, and why?"

"My phone, duh!" she rolled her eyes. "It gave me a social life."

"No wonder you couldn't even last on the field." I chuckled as I began to tease her again as always. "You spend the time you'd use to get fit on your phone, pig face."

"Hey, touch football isn't my thing," she defended, "besides, you're sporty and I'm not."

"Sure, sure," I laughed, before turning my head to look around. My eyes caught on an ice cream vendor at the entrance of the park, his cart overflowing with sweet treats and my mouth craved for some. A small crowd had occupied the old cart and the plump man behind it looked exhausted, to say the least. I didn't blame him, it was evening and the park was still filled with kids who didn't mind taking ice cream in the evening.

I turned to look at my family and it seemed like we had been thinking the same thing because in a matter of seconds, we were standing in front of the cart. My eyes twinkled whilst reading the vast available options; too many to choose from, the array of flavours like a rainbow, each one a delicious temptation. I was overwhelmed by the choices, but I knew I had to pick one. Ally and the rest of them had already chosen theirs, so I went with vanilla.

We took our ice cream cones and sat back down on the mat, sinking into the soft grass. The warm evening breeze blew around us, and we could hear the laughter of other people enjoying the park. I took a bite of my ice cream, and the creamy sweetness filled my mouth, the coldness of the ice cream a welcome relief from the warm evening air.

Allison lay sprawled out on the mat, her head propped up on her palms, the weight supported my her elbows that were on the mat. She looked over at me with a curious expression, her eyebrows raised slightly. "Carla, you're back to school tomorrow right?"

"Yes, I'll be back again for Christmas."

"Will your friends be able to come visit for Christmas?" As Allison asked me about my friends visiting, her face lit up with a smile, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Her whole body seemed to lean forward slightly, as if she were ready to hear the answer.

"I'm not quite sure, Bella lives in Washington and Jess lives in Georgia. You know they have to be with their families," I smiled, "but I can get them to come visit one of these days when we don't have classes—if that's okay with mom."

"I don't mind meeting your friends, you can bring them over, it'd be nice to have them over for lunch or dinner," my mom said, a smile on her face.

"I certainly don't mind you bringing Valen home either," My uncle added, causing my lips to curl up into a wide ass grin.

"Wow, I can't believe you are such a huge fan of Valen," I said, mentally face palming as I let out a groan at the realisation of what telling Valen might lead to, "ugh, his ego is going to inflate!"

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

surprise! :-]

I just want to say tysm for 75K+ reads although this was more of a filler chapter; it's rushed and unedited, perhaps have mistakes, but pls look past that, hehe.

also, is fighting a skill, though?. . .if it's not pls look past that too, hehe ;)

Thank you for reading and please let me know what your thoughts are so far! <3

we'll be seeing Valen again soon ;)