Katherine giggled. The sound of calm waters splashing filled the crisp air as Katherine moved to lean on the edge of the tub. Her dark arm rested against the cool white surface, her cheek lying on her arm, curiously gazing at Deanna with a sense of fondness that most didn't understand could exist within platonic love. A smile adorned her face, white teeth peeking out through faintly parted pomegranate colored lips. Love rested in her heart, sending waves of shuddering warmth from her drumming organ to the surface, while she waited for her friend to respond.

Deanna's green eyes locked with Katherine's lively irises of forest green pools and sunset gold flecks, staring steadily with a knowing smirk. She knew her friend all too well.

Placing an elbow on her knee, and her chin upon the palm of her hand, she leaned on the edge of her seat, drawing closer to Katherine. Their faces inches apart, eyes exchanging silent messages. If someone were to walk in, they might have been taken back with the room illuminated by candles, the rich rose scent of Katherine's bath filling the air, and two girls face to face. To see Katherine, not even hidden in her bubbly water, staring intently at Deanna, who was clad in a creamy robe that barely went past her mid thigh, one might assume that there was romance between the two girls, who did, indeed, love each other quite tenderly.

"Tell me, Katie, about how we'll be together forever," Deanna prompted with a sad smile. Katherine gave Deanna's hand a squeeze before she fell into her bath water, cleansing her hair with the scent of rosemary and mint. Deanna sighed, lounging on the edge of the tub, waiting for her petite friend to resurface. As morbid as Katherine was at times, Deanna knew her friend would never leave her alone in the world. Besides, Deanna figured that drowning herself wasn't Katherine's style anyways.

At the sound of a gasp, Deanna's body twitched as she seemed to perk up. Katherine sputtered slicking her light coffee colored, wet hair back, not liking how it clung to her face. Her nose crinkled and her eyebrows furrowed, making a spitefully angry face at Deanna, as if it were her fault that she, Katherine, hadn't the air to live under the cleansing water a bit longer. Deanna didn't seem bothered by this. They had been friends since they were in elementary school, back when detention was one of the scariest things in the world. Unlike those days, the two girls existed in their own little world, loyal to only themselves. They often forgot that they hadn't always known each other, and that long ago, there was a time when it was just them in their lonely world.

At an all girl's school, it wasn't strange for girls to be joined at the hip. There was a sisterly nature in every single one of the students. It could be seen in the ways that the girl's exchanged smiles, in the way that they assisted each other without a single hesitation most of the time. There was unwritten rules with feminine friendship and compassion in their gated community that they called their school.

Katherine didn't have to look at her face to know Deanna was donning an expression of bittersweet pain as the girl fetched Katherine's robe. Her own dampen locks clinging to the soft fabric of a creamy robe that seemed to rise and fall near her rear. Katherine noticed, yes, but she never stared at Deanna in a way that was beyond sisterly.

"I'd promise, but the universe is cruel with promises and vows. It's kind of like the one where we promised not to indulge in sinful desires," Katherine pointed out. Deanna's creamy cheeks flushed as she remembered how she once had to hide an R-rated movie that showed her favorite actor almost nude under her floorboard when there was a room inspection. At a Catholic school, having seasons upon seasons of a show that holds not only violence but also a profuse amount of nudity, was, without a doubt, a violation of the student handbook. "And I remember some very lemony fanfiction links you had stored on your laptop, Missy. I'm pretty sure you don't want me to make a promise as well kept as that one, huh?" Katherine added with her hands on her hips and an elvish smile upon her lips at the sight of Deanna's muscles tensing.

Before Katherine could react, a heavy and wet towel slapped against her face before falling to the ground. Her jaw was slackened as she stammered for a verbal response to her friend's out of character violence. Though it didn't hurt her much, Katherine's grin curled and twisted maliciously as she proceeded to fling the towel back at her friend. Before not, the two girls were chasing each other around the tub, splashing about and causing a ruckus. When a knock came upon their door, they expected it to be one of the other neighboring girls.

The two girls giggled, shushing each other as they climbed into their beds that they pushed together. Girls were supposed to be in bed by ten, asleep by eleven. The time, in the present, was currently dawning on the next day. So, it was with sweetness and fondness that the two exchanged a "goodnight" and an "I love you" before trying to quickly fall asleep. Legs weaved together, holding each other's hands. Morning was coming, and they would revel in their closeness as much as possible until morning came.

Though they wanted sweet dreams, nothing but dreams of them lounging under their favorite tree in the quad. They wanted to dream of the time when Natalie Kuang had gotten so sick on a field trip that the bus was stranded near a music festival for hours. They wanted to remember all the times when they looked at each other and found their own sun, their center of gravity. It wasn't romantic love. It was pure love. It was compassion. It was empathy. It was the bond that could only exist within two people sharing the same soul. It was friendship.

And when morning came, they'd be ripped apart. Deanna's parents were getting a divorce, and due to the instability of their income, her mother couldn't afford to send Deanna to St. Mary's Academy, so she was sending Deanna to live with her uncle, Charlie. Deanna begged, pleaded, and even fell to her knees trying to get her to stay. She applied for scholarships, scholarships that she should have gotten had St. Mary's not have a prejudice over students that weren't Catholic. And so, the two spirit bound girls were being separated. Katherine swore up and down to fight like hell to keep Deanna at St. Mary's, but Deanna wouldn't let Katherine be convicted for arson. When morning came, they would hold each other tightly until four adults would have to rip them apart, kicking and screaming.

Some called them co-dependent, but both were rather independent women. It was by choice that they be fiercely loyal... But how far could their loyalty last on opposite sides of the country?

"Deanna, how long are you going to continue to give me the silent treatment?" Her mother asked exasperatedly. Katherine's blue eyes continued to look everywhere except for her mother. She was always a stubborn girl. When she was seven, her mother told her that she wouldn't be allowed to eat until she agreed to apologize to the Priest that she called a "fascist asshole." After a day, her mother put a plate in front of her and told her to eat. Deanna just stared her mother in the eyes and continued to stare in silence. The spanking came, and Deanna made her lip bleed to stop herself from screaming. It was alarming when three days passed. The fourth day, Deanna passed out and had to be taken to the hospital. That was when Deanna's mother knew her daughter was different.

Instead of taking her to a psychiatrist, her mother forced her to go to church. Deanna rebelled, but never before, seeing as she now knew that if it wasn't her mother forcing her to do things it would be a legal authority. So, she struck back coldly. She'd scratch the wood on the pews, "accidentally" get sick to avoid duty, and even shriek and throw a fit whenever her mother would force her into extra hours. And all that she got in return was being sent to St. Mary's. Little did Deanna's mother know that Deanna would meet her ultimate partner in crime, the young philosopher in the making, Katherine Marks. And though her rebellion died out, Margot Walsh never looked at Deanna the same.

"Deanna... You can't hate me forever."

Silence.

"Deanna, you're getting on a plane and are going across the country. Please, can't you just forgive me so that if this is the last time that I see you, then I can take comfort that you and I left on loving notes?"

Silence.

"Deanna."

The girl just turned her head away.

"Deanna, please..."

Deanna just pursed her lips and looked down. She wouldn't give in. She never gave in. She was stubborn like that. For the sake of her mother, though, she gave a reluctant hug and nodded the woman goodbye before departing for her plane. The whole time listening to a playlist that Katherine had compiled for her. She couldn't text or call Katherine from a plane. Still, she had that comfort that Katherine's beautiful music was playing in her head. Sure, she had a silver locket of her and Katherine, but it was a whole different experience to hear Katherine's music. Every note was meaningful and significant, specifically chosen in order to create an experience unlike any other. Deanna, in one sitting, could listen to Katherine's love, passion, devastation, and elation because nothing of Katherine's was ever less than moving. By the time her flight was over, Deanna was wiping tears from her eyes as she listened to a song titled "A Dream of Deanna," an epic requiem of the dreams they shared together.

Numbly, when the time came, her legs had sluggishly carried her off the plane, to luggage claim, and to a man with a police uniform on. Though it had been a long time since she last saw Charlie, but he hadn't changed. As soon as she saw him, a wide smile came upon her face, pearly whites flashing as she ran into his welcoming embrace that sent a strong sense of home into her heart. It was that same kind of warmth of an extremely familiar and pleasant memory returning to the heart.

Charlie was a common recipient of her calls from School. There were no phones during school hours, but the land lines were opened on breaks, free periods, etc.

She loved him like the father she never truly had. He was kind, caring, and knew just when to talk and when to leave her be. He didn't push her as hard as her parents, and actually preferred she not lose mental health over a test or quiz from school. And she was his surrogate daughter. Bella, his biological daughter, was a very introverted and loner of a daughter. She never showed much an interest in anyone and was most certainly hated the rainy town of Forks. Not to even mention that the girl never really needed a father as far as anyone could tell. She was so quiet and obedient that no one ever truly had much a problem with raising her. Isabella practically came out of the womb matured.

Deanna wasn't that.

Deanna was introverted and extroverted. She was revolutionary, passionate, and above all, curious. She asked questions, she dared to chase even the wildest of ideas, and she pushed hard for what she wanted. And, like the human she was, she had a tendency to shatter and break on occasion. She was volatile. She was too stubborn for her own good, and she definitely needed someone like Charlie and Katherine to be concerned with her well-being.

"Deanna!" Charlie called with a smile that made her feel at ease. It was that same fatherly smile that grounded a child with familiarity, with security that imaginative young minds needed. At least, it's what Deanna needed.

"Uncle Charlie," she greeted back, a closed lip smile appearing on her pomegranate lips. "Haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Not as much as you have, Kiddo."

She didn't dare deny that she was practically a child. In her eyes, adulthood frightened her. It was filled with stress. Money to earn, bills to pay, responsibilities and expectations to meet...

"Let's just hope that I won't change that much," she smiled. "I rather like the idea of being able to save money on movie tickets. How long do you think I can pass as under twelve? How much longer until you get that senior citizens discount?" she fired cheekily at him. Charlie let out a chuckle, patting her shoulder as he ushered her towards the exit.

Perhaps Forks wouldn't be so bad.

It was either Forks or the blistering heat of Texas. Deanna swore up and down that she'd sooner die than return to the Lone Star State. The girl absolutely hated the dry winds, hot sun, and western style of Texas. Deanna hated her hometown in the heart of Texas. She cringed at southern accents, glared at other children that attempted to make nice with her, and snapped at any adult that tried to patronize her. She had no reason to hate the place, but it repulsed her like no other place on earth could. It was a common joke that she was allergic to "The Ol' West."

Forks was a much better option for her. It was green, not a single mesquite tree in sight! No mosquitos, no having to embarrass herself by having to flash pale skin because of a hot winter season. Forks was cool, allowing her to hide away in long sleeves and pants year long. It was cloudy with raindrops to kiss her skin and wash her free of her teen angst. She felt right at home, despite never having, technically, lived in Forks. At the most, she visited for about three days before her mother would drag her away once more.

"So," Charlie began, awkwardly trying to make conversation. Deanna raised an eyebrow expectantly, a smile on her face that encouraged him to continue. Poor Charlie had a bad case of social anxiety. Deanna had it as well, but hers was more on the brink of babbling and chattering nonstop to fill the terrifying silence. "How's you mother?" he asked, desperately wanting some way to connect with the teen he was entrusted with, but not knowing how.

"She's good," Deanna shrugged lamely. In truth, she had no idea or care. There was a fine wall between her and her mother. Deanna chose to force herself to build a wall between her and her mother for one reason: Love. She knew that her mother tried to love her, but would never understand her. Her mother was a shallow pool that lived in simplicity. Deanna was the depths that constantly sought complications and difficult questions. Deanna understood her mother and longed to love her. As good as her mother's intentions were, she never wanted to understand Deanna. She wanted Deanna to be shaped into the same kind of woman she was, but that was precisely something Deanna refused to be. It was a tragic truth that Deanna discovered, but for her own protection, Deanna couldn't let herself love her mother. It was a toxic relationship to love someone who could never truly return the feeling. After all, how can one love what they do not wish to understand?

"Found a good car for you," Charlie uncomfortably said, realizing the subject was executed early. Deanna's eyes perked up when this was said. She never had much a chance to drive, seeing as St. Mary's was a large, yet enclosed school. To step beyond it's gates was to step into the big bad world. Needless to say, she was scared but excited to put her driver's license to use.

When Deanna didn't protest to the subject, Charlie continued, "It's a chevy..."

"Trucks. How badass," Deanna smiled. She flashed a bright smile, but she felt no excitement. She only wanted to ease Charlie's nervousness. She didn't want him to tiptoe around her. She didn't care for being pleased all the time, and often preferred to openly disagree than to beat around the bush. "I got it off a friend from La Push, Billy Black," he clarified. Deanna snorted as she remembered the infamous brotp of Charlie and Billy from their calls.

"We should visit him sometime soon," Deanna offered. She honestly had no interest in going to some reservation, but she supposed that Charlie would. "We'll have to thank him for giving you a good deal," she added with a light laugh. She inwardly called herself a hypocrite. She desired honesty, but she was a liar at times. At least she wouldn't lie about being a liar. That she was, that she was.

"You want to?" He asked, genuinely surprised. Deanna didn't have the heart to tell him no.

"Of course!" She added, a roll of her eyes to add to the informality of her tone. Charlie let out a breath, his shoulders slouching as he drove on. After some guiding and some poor puns, they arrived home. By then, he was relaxing some. The walls were coming down.

There it was. That famed two-bedroom house. It was pleasantly painted white with grey trimming. It seemed to be nested besides thick green trees that made it seem even more so bright. The house read one word: Home. Deanna smiled at it, feeling excitement for the first time. Though she hated St. Mary's, it had become familiar in that it held the one person in her life that she couldn't live without. She still couldn't live without Katie, but in this house, it would be easier to breathe when she was miles away.

There, parked awkwardly, was a faded red colored, clunky truck She cringed when Charlie wasn't looking, but she scolded herself for his thoughtfulness. Free or no, he did seem to care for her enough to give it to her. She gave a light thanks and scrounged together what little luggage she had. She never had much. St. Mary's allowed only a few decorations, ones that had to be checked and approved. She lived in a baggy, unflattering uniform paired with hideous women's loafers. She never needed much clothes because she seldom left the campus.

She had two suitcases to tug upstairs into a bedroom that looked out over the yard. There was unharmed wooden floor that complimented the pale blue-green walls, the peaked ceiling had low lamps strung across it. It was quickly noticed how many small light sources there were, but she didn't mind. What she did mind was the lace curtains around the window that were drawn open, letting a stream of northern sunlight light the room by a window seat that Deanna chose to drop her bags just to sit upon it. She always wanted one...

A small desk was placed near the bed, and she was quite thankful for a small workspace. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of trying her luck out on decorating. No rules. No Mrs. Ward to confiscate drawings and paintings. Soon, Deanna would have a wall purely for art. Drawings, paintings, sketches would begin to cloak the wall. She'd even place music sheets that Katie had given her on the wall. She couldn't play to save her life, but Katie's art deserved to be on her wall of cherished art.

Then came unpacking time.

Deanna sheepishly blushed when Charlie saw that most of her luggage held books, journals, and supplies than clothes. She shrugged lamely, giving a half hearted smile before he rested a hand on her shoulder and promised that he'd take her shopping. Deanna didn't dare protest. She knew she was desparate need of clothes. Five shirts and three pants weren't enough.

"Hungry?" Charlie asked, not knowing how to deal with such a short unpacking. Deanna shook her head, and opted for just getting shopping over with. Charlie had asked if she wanted to go to name branded stores, but she insisted on a simple dressing for less store. It took one quick trip to Port Angeles again, two hours of shopping. One hundred dollars later, they were returning home with twenty-seven new clothes and three pairs of footwear. Deanna was a thrifty girl. For one reason, she enjoyed having up to date tech.

By the time they got home a second time, they parted ways. Her to her room, and him to his. She supposed it was a first for the both of them. Charlie for having someone living with him, and her for not having someone to share her room with. Despite the aesthetically pleasing room, she felt a pang of emptiness when she returned from her shower. There was no Katherine to greet her. There was no one to smile at her and share silent space with. No. This silence was empty, with only Deanna to fill. Deanna would have to wait until the next day at lunch and afterschool to hear from Katie.

This night, Deanna Walsh would endure the loneliness and begin to learn how to begin to fill the emptiness on her own.