â yeah, i wouldn't. â that's probably the main reason she hasn't bothered to draw the five of them yetâ because trini doesn't want to draw herself, even in armor. â zack would make himself taller and buffer than everyone else. especially jason. â she sounds confident for someone who's only really known him for a few weeks, but she thinks she's right. trini only glares at her in response, but it's just for show, not out of genuine annoyance.
the question makes her uncomfortable, because she's spent most of her time trying not to think about what happened with rita at all. it's not just the attack that bothers her, but the complete invasion of privacyâ her room was her only escape in this house, the only place where she felt like she could breathe, but rita tainted that, too, making her feel unsafe, watched. that, and some of the things she said to her still linger in her mind, no matter how hard she tries to tell herself rita was only trying to get in her head. â she's the one who got bitch slapped into space, not me, â she shrugs, avoiding the actual question, trying to maintain her usual stoic composure, like nothing could touch her.
kim's suggestion catches her off guard, panic briefly flickering across her face, but it only lasts for half a second before she gets a hold of herself, jaw clenching. they're friends, she reminds herself. that's what friends do. trini just has to ignore the fluttering feeling in her chest she gets whenever kimberly is around, to shove that all downâ she can't like her, not like that. â do people even have sleepovers past middle school? â it's half invading the suggestion, half genuine, because trini wouldn't knowâ she's not used to having friends.
kimberly smiles in amusement, because she knows triniâs right.  âgood point,â she agrees, though kimberly likes his excitementâ it makes it easier for her to accept all of this, too, seeing how much pride he has in it. Â
her brows furrow for a moment, because she can tell that trini is deflecting, no matter how cool and unbothered she seemsâ but maybe thatâs just because kimberly knows she would be shaken if it had happened to her. âyeah, well, that couldnât have happened without you,â she reminds.  âi get it. itâs cool. you donât have to talk about it, but itâs just, like, you know you canâ with me. if you want.â it doesnât have to be now, itâs just important to kimberly that trini hears it and keeps it in mind. kimberlyâs had many friends before, but nothing like this. this feels genuine, and itâs not out of convenience, like her other friends, who she likely never would have kept in touch with after high school, anyway. she cares about trini â like she cares about all of them â but sheâs still different.
she rolls her eyes, but she starts to smile anyway. âsleepovers areât, likeâ just for kids.  so, yeah,â she says with a scoff. âand itâs not like that or whatever, anyway. iâm just saying. my house is big, and itâsâ i donât know,â she mumbles, trying to avoid the word âlonely.â âeverything weâve been through is just really overwhelming. so iâm sayingâ we donât have to be alone to deal with it.â




















