Hss CA - fanfic
Looking at the same sky - p.2
(Pairing = Skye x f!mc)
There was a discussion. Something about the griddle not earning enough money. Something about a better opportunity. Pros and cons laid out to help Bailey and Casey to understand the decision that their parents had come to. The voices all sounded like static, white noise; even when Casey had spoke up to stress the importance of their developing relationships and their extracurriculars.
At some point, in hopes of moving away from the heated discussion between her brother and her parents, Bailey found herself moving slowly towards the stairs that led to her bedroom. The bedroom door clicked softly behind her as the tears that pricked her eyes finally spilled over and ran hot down her cheeks. Silently she scanned her room, unsure of what to do. Rory's light was on, she could see it shining through on to the hardwood floor of her room. Pulling her phone from her pocket, remembering how filled with excitement she was the last time it was in her hand, she opened a chat with Rory. After typing and deleting a few different messages, she simply sent 'Hey'.
Rory text back almost instantly with a simple request, 'Window?'
Having done it many times before, Bailey's legs carried her thoughtlessly to the window. She opened it and waited a minute for Rory to arrive at hers.
"Hey Bailey..." Rory sighed with a contented smile. "...Why is your room so dark? I wouldn't have known you were home if I hadn't seen you out front."
"Were you looking out for me?" Bailey jested, earning her a full, embarrassed blush from Rory.
"No" she said, tucking her hair back. "I was just bored so I thought I'd people watch." She tucked her hair back again. Bailey had known her for long enough to know that it was a clear sign she was lying. "So, why the dark room?"
"I guess I forgot to turn on my light." It came out in a half hearted laugh.
"Oh yeah, I'm always forgetting to do that" Rory smirked.
"Really?"
"No!" She laughed. "Somethings on your mind, right?" Rory's look turned from amused to mildly concerned. Bailey went on to explain the bare facts that she had just learned. Rory was already asking a follow up question when she cut her off and told her that she left the discussion before she got the details.
"So..." Rory began, now sounding more filled with a sad kind of pity. "What are you going to tell Skye?"
The question hit Bailey harder than the news. Rory had always been the first person she could tell her problems to, but Skye, how could she possibly tell her that she wouldn't be around anymore. Long distance was the obvious option, but video calls, constant texts and even cute hand written sentiments wouldn't be able to make sure Skye feels safe and loved.
Bailey and Rory talked for a while longer. Bailey trying to keep the subjects light, battling with Rory asking more and more questions to try and make sense of the situation. As their conversation drew to a close, they said their 'goodbyes' and 'good nights' and came away from their windows with a promise to catch up tomorrow.
Bailey threw herself down on to her bed and stared at the ceiling, her phone growing warm in her hand as she thought about how to open up a conversation that would break her heart and the heart of the one person outside of her family that she truly cherishes. With a decent amount of willpower, she unlocked her phone and began typing.
---------
The Crandall's house was quiet as usual. Sometimes it sounded as though a war was brewing, but most of the time, each member of the family resigned themselves to their chosen rooms. Mrs. Crandall could be found in the (ironically named) family room. Mr. Crandall would be in his study doing who-knows-what. Brian would either be in his bedroom, or strutting around acting his usual arrogant self. Skye, as always, confined herself in her bedroom. Though it was far from her taste, the bedroom was a place that even her intrusive family understood was a place of solitude.
Skye sat at her desk, doodling tribal symbols emblazoned with skulls and low hanging wings, surrounded by roses on all sides that bore thorns to mark them as dangerous as much as they were beautiful. Lost in her own thoughts, pencil slowly stroking the paper in front of her, she almost jumped as her phone chimed. Unlike her girlfriend, Skye wasn't quite sentimental enough to assign ringtones to all of her friends, so she ignored the message to carry on as she was. As though the universe didn't want her to have any peace, her mother's voice carried through the almost bare halls of the house.
"Skye! Downstairs, please."
With a long, drawn out sigh she pushed her chair back from the desk, deliberately scraping it across the floor as she stood. She slowly walked down the marble stairs, her bare feet padding with each step until she reached the plush carpet of the family room. Her mother sat on the armchair nearest the bookcase, not that she ever bothered to open a book, as usual. Her eyes looked heavy, which lead Skye to guess that the glass of wine in her hand wasn't her first.
"Skye..." She began, slurring slightly. "...Your brother tells me he saw something outside."
"Wow" Skye gasped sarcastically, turning to her brother stood in the far doorway. "You noticed something outside? The lessons must really be paying off."
"Not now, Skye." Her mother groaned. "He says you were with that... Bailey child, again."
"Yes?"
"You told us you were going for a walk. Are we supposed to believe you simply happened upon her?"
"No. I went to meet her at work, and she walked me home. I walked there and back. Is that not a walk?"
Mrs. Crandall sighed loudly enough to turn Skye's stomach at the thought that they have the habit in common. It was clear to her already that they weren't Bailey's biggest fans. It had been made apparent with all of the slight jabs at the company Skye keeps, the ideas of this girl and her 'alternative lifestyle' affecting their darling daughter and of course, the fact that she was noticeably below their station.
"You know how we feel about you being friends with her, Skye."
"Well lucky for you we're not friends, she's my gir.." Before Skye could finish, her mother raised her hand in a familiar 'Stop' gesture.
"Enough of that, Skye. I have no idea what she or any of those degenerates in your theatre club have filled your head with; but you're not... that way."
"Who the hell are you to tell me..." Skye screeched. The bile of her stomach rising to meet her tongue while her blood reached a feverish temperature. She almost choked on her words, feeling hate reaching its way through her veins, ready to burst from her. Her balled fists unclenched and she took in a cool, calming breath, ready to say more, but thought better of it. She turned on her heel and quietly walked away with the image of Brian and her mother's smug faces burning in her mind. She passed her father's study on the way back to her room, glancing at the door.
'He heard us. I know he did.' She thought to herself, dismissing the idea that he would have been any help anyway. As the door to her room closed behind her, Skye let out a shaking breath. She looked around the room and started to list things she could hear, things she could smell, things she could see. A trick Bailey had taught her for when she feels overwhelmed. Among the things she listed was the blinking light on her phone that had been forgotten on her desk. The screen lit under her touch, showing her screensaver of herself pulling a sour face while Bailey, who took the picture, kissed her cheek. There were a few notifications, built up from her ignoring her phone while she drew, most of them dismissed straight away, except the one from her girlfriend.
'Can I call? We need to talk about something 🖤'