Part 1

orchid and crow have been dating.

they’ve been great. their chemistry is fantastic. even if their relationship started on a shaky emotional foundation, their underlying friendship was undeniable.

penny has been silently brooding in the background. the potential relationship with crow eating at the back of her mind.

eventually, Penny, Anais, and Orchid go out together. Orchid had asked them for help to pick out a gift for Crows birthday. At the store, Anais energetically begins searching, leaving Orchid and Penny to talk.

Orchid tries to ask Penny for advice with crow. after a bit of conversation, penny finally snaps. yelling at orchid, calling her weak, pathetic, she always needs saving. why can’t she just figure it out herself? “this is why everyone treats you like a fucking child.”

before penny could even finish, orchids face has already become wet with tears. the penny that usually dotes on her just lashed out at her. harshly. penny covers her mouth. shocked at herself.

orchid runs out of the store sobbing. Anais shows up after hearing the commotion.

Anais slams the wall next to Penny. “what the fuck did you just do? what was that? you think she’s a child? YOU? do you eve- I can’t deal with you right now. i have to find orchid. But I promise: we are fucking talking once I know she’s okay.”

Anais hurries outside, and doesn’t see orchid. she nearly rips out her own hair from the stress and worry.

inside, pennys face is streaming tears, her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. she leaves the store and runs home.

Part 2

Anais, her own eyes tearing up outside, calls winter. she asks him to come by and pick her up, to help her look for orchid.

penny goes home to deal with herself. cami happens to be freeloading at her house. Penny tells her to leave. cami tries to deflect but Penny tells her, “If you’re just going to continue to pretend to not give a shit, like you always do, then just get out.”

cami is taken aback. penny has never made it seem like she’s seen through her facade before.

Cami, instead of hiding, steps up and gets Penny to talk. she asks what happened, and what’s going on.

Cami helps Penny sit on the couch, and she sits next to her. She and explains how she yelled at orchid. still crying and sniffling.

cami doesn’t know what to say. she just asks why?

penny reveals that she knows everything. she’s known crow had a crush on her a long time ago. she saw the build up of crows and orchids relationship. she knows cami still smokes. she knows cami has been faking her persona for years. she knows cami is in love with her. she knows it all.

cami turns a shade of green she’s never turned before. she normally is so good about preventing her color change. she couldn’t stop it this time.

cami is shocked and confused. “…wh-what?”

penny emotionally raises her voice, hugging herself, looking at the floor. “I’m not stupid. I’m practically burdened with intelligence. so then why do people think im blind? I’ve known everything from the beginning. i just…”

cami hugs her. hushes her sobbing friend, and simply tells her, “life’s hard isn’t it.”

Part 3

from there, penny decides the only thing she can do is apologize. but she’s not sure how. she doesn’t know what to do. she’s practically never done that before.

cami laughs, agreeing. something they have in common. she roughly hugs her from the side, calling her pipsqueak.

after some time just being together, cami goes home, saying she needs to see her brother. but she’ll be back later if she wants to just, fuck around or something

(internally, she’s thinking about how she changed color by accident, and wants to see if maybe leon can help her remove some of the layers of paint she’s been putting on herself. she doesn’t say this out loud. “fuck around or something” may sound like cami is ignoring the drama that’s been happening, because clearly whatever happened was important. but she wasn’t involved in it, she doesn’t know what it is. she doesn’t even know who’s at fault. she just wants to offer penny an opportunity to do anything other than dwell on the drama later, regardless of what actually happened)

penny is still beside herself, but thanks cami quietly, asking her to remember to close the door on the way out.

cami feels bad for leaving, and tells her she promises she’ll come back.

penny spends time on her side on the couch. in her empty house. surrounded by her precious things. Silver and sapphire accolades on the wall. the meticulously organized shelves of coffee and related appliances. The sun is setting, the golden light intruding through a crack in the curtains. its quiet. except for the sounds of stifled sobs.

Part 4

meanwhile, anais has finally found orchid, crying in an alleyway.

winter stays in the car while anais sits with orchid.

orchid can’t speak. anais holds her, resting her head on hers, stroking her hair. she rocks back and forth, feeling every impact of orchids shoulders dig into her as her violent sobs shake her.

anais hushes her, tears falling down into orchids hair.

eventually, orchid calms down enough to speak. she echos penny’s words, she says she’s right. she’s weak. she’s always been. she can’t do anything for herself. how could she possibly think she was ready for a real relationship

anais, lets her say everything she says without interruption. orchid continues. anais listens. orchid becomes frustrate, why wont anais say anything? anais doesn’t respond still. insisting on letting her scream at her.

orchid throws a small tantrum.

anais finally speaks up after orchid calms down. She makes Orchid look her in the eye. “After me, you’re the strongest person I know.”

Orchid cries again.

Part 5

winter takes orchid home, anais finds her own car, and drives it to penny’s

a knock on the door breaks the silence in penny’s house.
the lights are off. penny hasn’t yet gotten up to turn them on.
she is frightened by the knock at first.

anais yells for her to open up
penny ignores her.

anais tries the handle and finds the door unlocked. cami didn’t lock up.

anais enters the dark living room and sees penny curled up on her couch. (this view should be reminiscent of when orchid was sleeping on crows chest)

penny turns her face toward the couch cushion. she doesn’t tell her to leave. she just hides.

anais has had time to cool off. she sits next to penny. sternly, she tells her, “talk.”

penny ignores her, her eyes dead.

anais repeats herself, “i said we’d talk. talk. now.“

penny flinches, her spine shivers.
she sits up slowly and avoids eye contact.

anais looks at her, her face stern, upset.

anais, “do you understand what you did?”

penny, “i… orchid…”

anais, “im not talking about what you did to orchid. do you understand what you did to yourself?”

penny has no response.

anais, impatient, “well?“

again, penny she flinches. she nods slowly.

anais, “do you know what you’re going to do about it?”

penny shakes her head slightly.

anais, “are you going to figure it out?”

penny, doesn’t move.

anais, “are you?“

penny flinches once more, nodding her head a bit more forcefully this time.

anais huffs. straightens her dress, and stands up. “be sure that you do.” she walks to the front door, opens it, and says clearly, “idiot,” before locking and closing the door behind her.