The girls were huddled in a circle, all of their hair in a messy bun wearing their signature matching pajamas.
"Is it just me or has Kay become bigger?" Blaire tilted her head to the side, squinting to properly place her best friend's face.
"What on earth are you talking about!?" She asked staring at Blaire like she had two heads.
Spring had rolled by and by June, summer would officially begin. It was quick, Kayla noted. Both with being with Ollie, working on the new security system, finding companies willing to hire her as a hacker, and her final showcase in the early days of May that led up to their graduation.
They would no longer be seniors in college but full-fledged adults. She had been nervous about it but Ollie was there for her, every step of the way. They would go through everything together, he had promised.
July and she would end it all. Less than three months since April had ten more days to end. She sighed heavily before turning her attention back to the girls who agreed with Blaire for some absurd reason.
"Her cheeks have become puffier and her hips. God those hips make me envious to death! Like what the fuck do I have to snatch those hips!? They are even wider than Rory's!" Blaire huffed, shaking her head.
"Keep yelling and they might just kick us out of here for waking the goddamn neighbors!" Loui admonished.
"What has gotten into you? Did you just cuss?" Rory's jaw dropped. Kay narrowed her eyes at the girl whose blue hair was fading. Why hadn't she gotten it touched up? They rarely saw each other, unless she had classes at the university but they video-called every day.
"I can fucking cuss if I want!" She turned her head away from the probing eyes.
"Right." The other three girls looked at one another.
"Is this about the book, Loui? Are you nervous about the publishing? You know you are like the greatest writer out there, right?" Kay said matter-of-factly making Loui frown before biting her nails.
This habit made them conclude that she was nervous.
"It's okay to be nervous, Loui. When Nate and I put out our first serum, I wanted to die of nerves! Dani was so afraid of breathing beside him for fear that I might go off on him, which still happens now that we are this close to launching the next one." Rory took a deep breath before continuing, Loui's attention on her now, "So it's okay to be nervous but don't start second-guessing yourself or your work. Not everyone is going to like what you write and that's okay too, but the ones that do will rave about it, so focus on that. Don't doubt yourself because we don't doubt. We could never!"
Loui's eyelids twitched, a thousand emotions swirling in her eyes as she stared at Rory. "What would I do without you guys?" Her lips trembled before the group pulled her into a hug.
"What would we do without each other? We complete each other, you know that?" Blaire said when they pulled apart. "I don't think I've ever thanked you, Kay."
"For what?"
"For always being there for all of us. No matter how busy you are you always make time for us. We call and you're there!"
Kay's breathing was painfully labored. It hurt. There was a part of her breaking apart every second. A part that whispered that she would survive. She would get her happy ending with Ollie when she woke up and saw him sleeping peacefully beside her.
She took away his demons and he helped scare hers away. One day, while watching H.P. she had asked what his patronus would be and he said her. A patronus spell that scared away dementors that sucked away happiness and replaced it with terror. To cast a powerful one you had to think of the happiest memory and he chose her.
Not a specific moment in time but her existence. "Awww, Blaire. You don't have to thank me for doing what any of you would have done."
"But it's true. Remember that one time that Blaire got arrested for allegedly walking naked on the beach?" Loui sniffed and asked with an amused smile.
"I didn't walk naked! My bikini was destroyed so I had to take it off and those idiots called the cops on me!" Her nostrils flared. "I had to call Kay at 3 in the morning to bail me out! If my dad had found out I would have been killed. Oh! Thinking about me makes me wanna throw up!" She held her head in her hands.
"Stop being dramatic. But she is right though. Kayla has become bigger, and so has Rory! Kay, are you pregnant?"
"I am not pregnant, Loui. Stop thinking nonsense you monkey!" Being pregnant was a possibility because she and Ollie were never careful about it. They had never discussed having a child so she didn't know why they subconsciously never used protection. She couldn't have a child. The child would not even be born.
Rory stayed silent at the question and the girl's eyes widened. "Aurora Antonia Marcez Froster, are you fucking pregnant!?" Blaire exclaimed and Rory chewed on her lower lip.
"I…. I haven't told Dani yet. I…. I'm scared." She admitted and they understood. Her last child was aborted thanks to the evil Jordan. They were all there when Rory cried in pain begging Dani to save their child. It was the loss of the baby that made the couple almost get a divorce. Rory more so than Daniel.
"Oh, Rory. We are here for you! Always and forever! I can't believe I'm going to have a little niece!"
"Or nephew, Blaire." Loui reminded her before all of them squealed. "So who is the godmother!? Me? It has to be me!? Or is it Samantha?"
"Why in the world would you think that Loui? And I thought you were the most logical out of all of us!" Blaire clicked her tongue but Loui glared at her.
"I was thinking of making Kay the godmother." Kay gasped.
"Me? Isn't Loui the better option? Daniel hates me!"
"Well, he has to deal with my decision. You can't say no! You've always been good with kids and I know that if anything happens…" she choked on her words and Kay put her hand atop hers. "Happens to me, I know that you will do everything for my child. I trust you, Kay." Rory held Kay's hand and placed it on her belly.
The other girls looked at her encouragingly. They weren't jealous at all. Deep down they all knew Kay loved them to death. If any of them had children she would be the godmother. It was something the three had decided when they were still in high school.
Her eyes grew watery as she felt the life in Rory's belly. A life. Yet she was losing hers. A soft sob broke free from her. "Thank you, Aurora…. You don't know what this means to me." She hugged her best friend and the two other girls joined in.
"Guys I want to say something to you," Blaire informed seriously as they all wiped their tears. This was Blaire's family. She couldn't imagine them incomplete. When she had her on and off with David she moved in with Kay and Loui and Kay was a blessing.
She cooked for her, helped her shower when she was too weak to do so, and most importantly when she had her tantrums, Kay was patient with her. Most people said Kay had a whacky personality and was squeamish but with the ones she loved, Kay could endure everything.
Rory was the leader of the group. She was reasonable, the smartest and she had been through hell and back but had a smile on her face. Encouraging the girls and helping them at every turn.
Loui, the quietest and the most reasonable had a side to her that they brought out. After everything she had been through, they held her tight so she would not break, especially Kay.
Blaire, the odd one, the one who was louder than even Kay. The brightest and funniest of them all. Her toxic relationship with David almost ruined the light she carried around her but her friends were there for her.
"What is it?"
"I'm moving to London. I might get a law degree there if I pass their bar exam. The process is complicated but…" Before she could finish, the girls pounced on her, squealing.
"Oh my god, Blaire! Finally! You've always wanted to go! We are so happy for you!" They were all going to get their happy endings.
Rory was pregnant, Loui had just started her writing career, Kay was about to graduate and Blaire would finally move to the country of her dreams.
Kay stood up, "I think it's time for us to celebrate! We have to have a dance party but Rory can't dance too much because of the baby!"
They all shared a knowing look. This was why she would be an amazing godmother.
"Anti-fragile" started playing and the girls began their dance party. Hundreds of many more to come, together.
'Even in the darkness,' Kayla thought to herself, watching her friends giggle, laugh scream at each other, scream the words in each other's faces, being carefree and happy, 'light can be found.'