Cadence tucked a loose red strand behind her left ear, which was rapidly reddening. She was pacing back and forth across the clearing, arguing with herself in her head. 'They are going to come, Cadence! Stop worrying!' a part of her said, 'Easy for you to say!! Stop worrying?! Since when do I not worry?!' Back and forth it had been going on for the weeks since she had made the phone calls. She had worried about what to wear and whether this was the right spot or not and whether she needed to provide snacks or not. She slowed her pacing, deciding to reach into the cooler for a bottle of icy cold water. She brought it to her plump, pale pink lips and drank deeply. When she was finished she felt more calm, more cool and collected. She checked her phone for the time. 2:45 pm and they had decided on 3. 'Everyone should be getting here soon then,' she thought then countered herself, 'No one is ever as punctual as you, Cadence.' She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts before pushing a hand through her flaming curls. She leaned against the edge of a picnic table, closing her eyes and roughly rubbing a spot in her neck. [i]'Too much stress,' [/i]she scolded herself. Suddenly, there was a small snap and Cadence jumped up, smoothing her black shorts on her long, pale legs. It was time. They were coming.

Ethan took his time getting to the clearing in the woods. He wasn't lost or anything. He knew these woods like the back of his hand. He had been out there more times than he could count. Most of which he was on some type of substance and he hadn't hesitated to bring supplies. Alcohol, he couldn't remember the last time that he had a drink. He looked down at the bottle and sighed before unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink. It burned his throat, but he didn't have the time to care. He had been all hyped up about the trip back home. He boarded a plane and here he was. Though he still was afraid about what his friends might have to say about his new appearance. He had..changed a lot since high school. "Relax, okay. You can do this. They will love the new you. You're the same guy, just a bit different on the outside is all." He spoke out loud to himself as he sometimes did. He took a deep breath and unbuttoned a few of the top buttons on his button down shirt. He was now rethinking his choice of not changing before coming to the woods. He had literally just finished up a business meeting and then got on the plane. He hadn't even gone to see his grandmother first, he just came straight here. With newly found confidence he strutted his way into the woods until he came up to the clearing and looked around. It was amazing how much it had stayed the same while everyone else had grown up and moved on. That's when he saw her. "Cadence?" He said with a playful smile on his lips.

Ella smoothed down her red skirt with her hands, shifting the bag she held in her left hand up so it rested on her shoulder. The trees around her were starting to thin out, and she knew that she would be coming to the clearing soon. The familiar sight of woods and impending clearing were comforting and a small smile appeared on her face. Ella then opened her purse and pulled out a small mirror, inspecting her appearance, and then applied a coat of pink lip gloss. She wanted to make sure she'd make a good first impression. Well, she thought to herself, Not a first impression, I guess. More like a second first impression. She put her lip gloss and mirror back in her purse and took a deep breath. She was excited of course to see her friends, but who wouldn't be a little nervous after six years. Plus she had barely taken the time to email or call her friends since moving to California and she was a little afraid they'd all be a little mad about her lack of communication with them. But she pushed her fear to the back of her mind and kept walking to the clearing. As she walked into the space in the woods she saw Cadence and Ethan, and a smile made its way onto her face. It was good to see them. It had been a while, too long. She took a few more steps into the clearing before calling out. "Cadence! Ethan!" She waved excitedly as she walked closer to them, a big smile on her face.

A shining smile split across Cadence's face as he entered the clearing. "Ethan," she said in an excited whisper. "You're here! You're actually here!" The tiny redhead exclaimed. She walked walked quickly towards him, her long legs closing the distance in only a few strides. She peeked to her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.She could remember the times they shared together in this very place, though some of them very vague. She was sure that Ethan probably remembered little to none about their summers out here. Sneaking out at 2 a.m. and doing all sorts of things she was sure would make her mother cringe. She lowered to the flats of her feet and cupped his face. "Look at you!" She said, grinning and biting her bottom lip. "You look great!" He had changed, but definitely not in a bad way. He had a gleam in his eye, she noticed, one that used to be dulled by everything else. Now, Cadence looked at his button down and dressy pants. She opened her mouth to question him but was cut off by the voice of none other than Ella Craine. "Cadence! Ethan!" Cadence turned to beam at the lovely blonde. "Ella! I'm so glad that you could make it!" She said happily. Ella had always had this glamorous shine about her, even when she had been at her worse she had still always looked like a movie star to Cadence. Cadence remembered being in awe of Ella upon first meeting her, and now looking at the beautiful blonde starlet, Cadence was once again awed by the star power held by the girl.

I'm getting too old for this. Or maybe it's because my body is giving out on me? Not that it matters much. These old 'friends' of mine won't care how I look or how I show up. But I suppose I could put on a show for them, just one more time.

At least she still had her eyesight and wasn't confined to a wheelchair yet. Until then, she would just continue to do what she always had done, which was help people who were less fortunate than she.

She stumbled a bit and caught her step, slicing open the palm of her right hand. However, she did not take notice of the pain, or even of the fact that she had hurt herself. At least, not until she felt the slick warmth of blood draining down her fingers. Giving it a slight glance, she paused mid-stride, lifting her hand before her face to stare it the liquid.

I miss it ... I miss feeling pain. Who would have thought that someone could miss feeling pain? People weren't supposed to like it ... But I miss it.

With a shrug, she didn't even bother to wrap anything around the wound, but instead continued on her way, her jeans shorts rubbing in a bothersome way against her thighs. She was hot, sweaty, and bored with the small hike that it was taking her to reach the clearing - a hike to her but an easy walk to others.

"Stupid Dysautonomia ..." she muttered, shaking her head with a sigh. "Whatever .."

It was then that she reached the clearing and saw them. Her old friends. Oh, how people could change in little less than a decade.

Shoving her uninjured hand in her pocket, the bleeding of her other palm forgotten, she started forward, her t-shirt clinging to her back in sweat.

"Long time no see," she said quietly in greeting as she approached them from behind, having always been the type to attempt to startle others. She lifted her hand and waved slightly, freeing her other hand to smooth it through her hair. She had changed unnaturally so since eight grade, and didn't deny the fact. Years of treatment had gotten to her, and instead of the hyperactive, laughing, bubbly girl that had said goodbye to her friends on that last day in their town, she was soft-spoken, quiet, and tired; a ghost of the girl that she once was.

"It's been a while, you guys," she sighed out, looking to the side as a slight breeze cooled her overheated body. Having once been the type to hold a person's gaze when she spoke, it was a bit disconcerting even to her that she could have become this way in such a short amount of years. "How have y'all been?"

Ella smiled at Cadence and pulled her old friend in for a hug. Memories of all the good times spent in the clearing with her friends rushed back to her. Cadence had always been one of the kindest people she'd ever known. "It's been too long," she said beaming at the sight of her friend. "It's great to see you." She then turned her attention to Ethan. "Ethan," she said, breathing out his name with a grin on her face. Ella pulled him into a hug. She stepped back and looked at both Ethan and Cadence up and down. "I've missed you guys." She then bit her lip, feeling a twinge of guilt. "Listen you guys, I'm really sorry I haven't called or emailed or anything I've just been so busy." The excuse sounded lame even to her as it came from her mouth. They'd all been busy, but Cadence had somehow found the time to track down everyone and arrange this meeting. Ella felt bad about never contacting any of them, and felt even worse that it had been because she had been caught up in stardom. She should have remembered where she came from. She was about to apologize again, when she heard another familiar voice--Fantine. "Great," Ella said, answering Fantine's question as she pulled her friend in for a hug. After letting go and stepping back she repeated the question to Fantine. "And how about yourself?" She asked her with a friendly smile.

Ethan ran over to Cadence and pulled her into a hug. It was nice, being around her again. He could recount the many times that they had snuck out together and gone to parties and done all sorts of crazy things together, though some of the memories he had about them were foggy. He finally had his partner in crime back and it was starting to feel like old times. He smiled as he heard Ella's high pitched voice saying his name. At first he just watched Cadence as she walked over and hugged her, then he walked over and went in for a hug too. He didn't hold back either, squeezing her tightly. He reluctantly let her go after a few seconds. "I missed you too." He said smiling. It was true. He had missed Ella. In fact, he had missed all of them. He shrugged at the mention of her not having kept in touch. He could understand her there. He had been quite busy himself with work and school, but sometimes he did regret not having picked up the phone to call them. He was about to say something else about where the others were, when he heard another familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Fantine waving at them. "Hey!" He said excitedly. His excitement quickly died out at the sight of her. She didn't look like her old self. She was still as beautiful as ever but she was more frail and sick looking. Then he noticed her hand, it had streaks of blood on it. He thought that it was a bit weird. Maybe she just hurt herself on the way there. He didn't saying anything though, because for one he knew how clumsy she was and for two he didn't want to ruin the moment. Instead he went and took a seat at the old picnic table and took another drink from his bottle.

Cadence laughed loudly as Ella pulled her into a hug. She beamed at her friend and when Ella went to apologize, Cadence started to answer, but she was cut off by another arrival. The smile that had been dancing along Cadence's lips quickly died away at the sight of Fantine. Her beautiful friend looked ghostly and frail, translucent almost. Cadence's heart ached at the sight of the woman, but she quickly recovered. "Fantine!" She exclaimed, raking a hand through her long waves before rushing to her friend. She wrapped her arms gently around the girl and hugged her lightly before pulling away. "It is so good to see you, lovely. I've been okay," She answered, "But what about you, how have you been?" Cadence asked, turning to lead her to the picnic table with Ethan. Cadence leaned down getting two more water bottles out of the coolers for Ella and Fantine. She grabbed her own bottle and took the seat next to Ethan, before taking a large swig of water.

She grimaced a bit as Cadence scampered nearer and wrapped her arms around her. "I still don't enjoy being touched, Cade," she said, and once the girl released her, she relaxed. She followed her to the rickety picnic table, accepted the water gratefully, and removed the scarf that was wrapped around her neck. It took her a few moments to wrap the scarf around her bleeding hand - she figured that it would seem unsightly to her companions - but once done, she removed the cap from her water and took a large gulp of it. She lowered it back to the table and shrugged a bit, leaning her elbows on the wood of the table, her chin dropping onto her hands. "I've better, from what you can undoubtedly see, but I'm still alive, obviously, so I can't complain," she said with another shrug, glancing over at the three. "Where are the other two? Are the dumb-asses going to show up or play hookie?"

Ella sat down on the bench and accepted the water from Cadence. She took a small sip before putting the cap back on it and setting it down on the picnic table. She looked over at Fantine, who looked frail and sickly, than at Ethan who looked successful and smart, and then at Cadence, who looked happy and relieved we had showed up. They had all changed a lot. She laughed as Fantine asked if the others were going to show up, but she wondered the same thing. Ella took a long look around the clearing, comparing it to the image in her mind of how she remembered it. Then, Ella looked at Ethan, who she was sitting next to and asked, "So what do you do for a living now, Ethan?" She had an idea from the way he was dressed, but wanted to know exactly what he did. He looked a lot different from the last time she'd seen him. Different clothes, different haircut, different attitude, but yet he still seemed like the Ethan she knew six years ago. She suddenly wondered how she might appear to the others. To them, had she changed? Or was she still the same girl who said goodbye to them the summer before high school began?

Ethan stayed quiet as the others talked. He did also wonder where the other two were. He wondered if they would even show up at all. It was like them to be late, but would they really miss the opportunity to reunite with the ol' gang? He hoped so because no matter how much he loved his girl friends, he needed the guys there for balance. He took another long sip from his bottle and nearly chocked when he heard Ella's question. He had expected the question to come up sooner or later. Maybe he should have gone to his grandmother's and changed before coming out here He started to feel self-conscious when everyone looked at him, waiting for him to answer. "Well, um, right now I'm uh, running this small company. Its nothing big and I'm still in school." He said nervous for how his friends would react.

To say Sasori was scared was a understatement he was terrified he ran through the woods like he was on fire. The reason was he was invited to hang out with Candence and her friends in the woods. After 20 minutes he finally made it to the spot, "G-gomenasai I-I'm late C-Cadence-san. I-I go-got lost." he said between breaths. He regained his breath and sat on his legs as he fixed his glasses. He then proceeded to removed a pencil from behind his ear, took out yin, and started to draw the scenery around him looking up to make sure he didn't mess up.

Sasori looked up from his drawing when Evan arrived "Kon'nichiwa Evan-san and it's okay I was late as well." he said giving a small smile shaking his head, "But I'll pass I'm content as I am. Arigatoo for offer though." Sasori looked back to his finished drawing and closed his book, toke off his socks and shoes witch he did when he was with his friends, and stood up bowing to Evan before sitting at the table and grabbing a water, "Juunin toiro" he whispered. It was his favorite saying when he was with friends, "So Cadence-san is there any other reason you called us here other than to 'hang out'?" he did air quotes as he said 'hang out' because even though he was born in america he still was of Japanese origin and spoke it at home all the time and a little with his friends, but still the term confused him to no end despite his friends telling him it's meaning many times before.

Ethan looked up when Sasori arrived. "Hey man!" He smiled up at him, but made no move to get up. It had been a few years, though he did remember that the guy wasn't that social and he didn't want to make him uncomfortable. He watched as the male brought out his sketchbook and shook his head smiling. Then another male entered the clearing, Evan, and Ethan was surprised at how much he had grown. A lot can change in a few years. His ears perked up however at the mention of his suit and he once again cursed himself for not changing before coming to meet up with his old pals. Just as he was about to go to give him a hug, he stopped in his tracks at what he said. "No. No one wants you, bro." He said jokingly and made a face at the male. He had a feeling that if he hugged him he would be groped in some way. He shook his head, then went back and took his seat at the table. He didn't know why, but he had a certain feeling that Evan was into guys.

Although throughout their childhood and up until high school he seemed to only date females, though he sometimes borderline, flirted with other guys. It was the way that he looked at him sometimes that made him think twice about whether he was eye fucking him or just looking at him. His mind began wandering off to a night four years ago, the summer before all of them had gone their separate ways. They were in the clearing, everyone was there and they were talking and laughing and having a good time as they sat around the bonfire. He had been drinking of course, but not as much as he usually would have. The two of them had wandered off from the group, Evan and Ethan, and were roaming around the open woods. One minute they were talking, then suddenly they were kissing and touching and other things that he didn't want to remember. His eyes widened as the rest of the memory started to become clearer and clearer. He leaned forward on his elbows and rubbed each of his thumbs against either side his temple. It was funny that out of everything that had happened out here over the years, that was the one thing he could remember from the drunken nights. He cleared his throat and sat up straight in his seat. "Yeah..um, why exactly are we all here today?" He questioned. He knew it was to catch up, though he didn't know if everyone there now wanted to do that. It seemed like everyone had grown up and matured and they were all in their own little worlds, leaving behind their old one.

Cadence grinned at Fan's comment. She hoped the boys would be here soon, then they could really get started on catching up. They all sat around the table and chatted and when Ella asked Ethan what he did, Cade was intrigued. She took in now his presence of business, maybe even power, but with the buttons undone he looked casual for them. She cocked her head to the side as he answered. "What comp-" she started, but was cutoff at the arrival of Sasori. She started to get up and hug him hello, but he was soon caught up in his drawing. She raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. She started to turn back to ask Ethan again, but she heard an all too familiar voice. A smile broke across her face and she jumped up. "Evan!" she squealed, bounding towards him and throwing her arms around him. "I'm so glad you came!" she said quietly, smiling. She took in his appearance as she stepped back. He was certainly no boy anymore. Just like Ethan, he had changed to look almost powerful, though in a completely different way. Ethan looked like a CEO, while Evan looked like a kickboxer or something. "I didn't think you would come."

Cadence frowned slightly at Sasori's question. "Well, I guess that I just missed you guys. I was the only one that had to stay here, and I just...never really had any other friends that I was as close to, ya know? I just, I needed to see you guys. I'm moving soon. To Los Angeles. And I wanted closure, I guess. I just need to see you guys." She shook her head and plopped back down on the bench, staring at her hands. She bit her lip and looked up timidly, "Do you guys understand?" She asked quietly. "I want to remember the good times because these past six years have been the worst times of my life. I--" she shook her head, choking on her words. "I tried to kill myself. And there was a reason I survived. I just know that I need you guys in my life." She wiped away a loose tear hastily and laughed uncomfortably. Her secret was out. At least part of it.

"........" Was all Sasori had to say this was a huge shock to him, "Gomenasai Cadence-san I didn't know please forgive me!" he was on the ground in less then a second sitting on his legs leaning foreword so his torso was really close to the dirt below him and his for arms touched the ground at a 90 degree bend to them with head looking down, to put it simply he was in a traditional Japanese bow for a apology, "Gomenasai gomenasai gomenasai..." was all he was able to say he didn't dare look up or say anything else, 'Kami-sama why are you so cruel?' he thought as he waited to be forgiven.

Ella nodded after Ethan told her what he did for a living. She heard Cadence about to ask a question, but then Sasori arrived. Ella watched as he sat down and pulled out a sketchbook. Ella laughed--he hadn't changed much. Not long after, Evan arrived. He had a changed a lot. Ella's eyes scanned him up and down and then she smiled. He looked like a grown up now, and so did Ethan, and Cadence and... looking around it sunk in that they were all grown up now and that it had been a long, long time since they had all been together. "Evan," she said, "It's good to see you again!" She gave him a hug and then sat back down at the table as Sasori asked Cadence a question. Cadence sat down and talked about how she was happy to see all of them and that she had needed and them and then said that she had tried to kill her self. Ella sat up, her eyes widening in surprise. Cadence had always seemed so happy, she wondered what could have gone wrong for her. "Oh, Cade," she said softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through something like that," she said sadly, putting her arm comfortingly on Cadence's. "I'm glad us being her cheers you up."

Fantine couldn't contain the annoyed grimace that crossed her lips as her question was almost immediately answered with the arrival of the two boys in question. One was a stammering, skinny man with glasses who appeared to be a bit of a geek and was often muttering in Japanese, even in high school. The other was a young, handsome young man, who appeared to have taken on the role of the 'Badass', completely decked out in a biking uniform. He held a cocky air about him now-a-days, causing her to huff a sigh and look away.

It wasn't that these people were annoying her - it was the exact opposite, actually. She enjoyed being around them. Which was good at all, seeing as she was in the midst of dying and had severed all emotional ties to friend and family in order to lessen the pain that they felt when she finally passed.

"I never should have come back ..." Her words were a soft mutter, almost indiscernible even to her own ears, and she leaned forward, her jaw and mouth concealed by her arms. "I should have just stayed home and slept. Damn, I'm tired ..." In fact, it seemed almost as if she didn't realize that she was mumbling aloud, but in fact, thought that she was, well, thinking them.

After a few sluggish moments, Fantine lifted her head slightly in order to look over at Evan.

"You're still as cocky and full-of-yourself as ever, Evan," she said, locking gazes temporarily with him. "I most definitely do not want a hug from you, because I still hate being touched."

"... Tried to kill myself ..."

Fantine jerked and then went still, her joints locking and her muscles tensing. Her entire body took on a ghostly pale look to it, and after several painstaking moments ticked away, she straightened, her head slightly lowered, before she shot up, her hand slapping painfully atop the wood of the picnic table. The sound of the slap echoed in the clearing, and after a moment, she lifted her head to give a stormy, glaring look at the woman.

"How dare you?" she said lowly, her voice nearing a growl as she spoke. More beats passed by, and out of nowhere, a volcano seemed to explode. "How dare you!" she shouted, trembling as she fought the urge to pounce across the table and pummel the girl that sat in front of her.

"You have a living, healthy body, that you can use for anything that you your heart desires, and you decide that you want to kill yourself instead?" she yelled, her hands clenching atop the table. "You aren't sick, you aren't handicapped, you aren't injured, and you aren't dying. You have perfectly good limbs that work for you, and you use them to attempt suicide? What is wrong with you!" she shouted. Her heart was thundering painfully in her chest, and with a small curse, she climbed out of the crevasse between the bench and the table. "Dammit, I knew it was a mistake to come back here," she growled, her hand lifting to clench in the front of her shirt, directly between her chest. Her legs were shaking and a sweat had broken across her brows, and after a few long-lasting, painful seconds, she shoved her hand into the pocket of her pants, removed a bottle, and snapped it open.

It didn't take her long to swallow the pills, and after a few heartbeats, the pain in her chest lessened immensely. She slowly relaxed, and after a grimacing second, she straightened.

"I'm out of here. It was a mistake for me to ever come here, and I would rather not surround myself with people who hold no care for the treasure of the life that they've been given," she said, her feet sinking softly in the grass as she walked and spoke at the same time.

Ethan looked from person to person as they spoke. The next words out of Candences' mouth made him tense up a bit. His best friend had attempted suicide. Why hadn't he known about this? He didn't even know that she was depressed, or mad enough to want to take her own life. All those years that he'd known her she seemed normal to him. Though for a good part of that time he was under the influence of some drug or alcohol. He furrowed his brows as he looked at her and shook his head. He felt like he didn't even know her at all anymore. "Here I thought Ella was the actress.." He muttered under his breath at Fantine's sudden outburst. It was over exaggerated and none the less completely rude. He didn't understand what had just happened. One second they were all happy to be around one another and the next they were talking about dying and being sick. He shook his head as she began walking away. "I understand that you're upset Fantine, but what gives you the right to talk to any of us like that? Especially Cadence. If you didn't want to be here, then why the hell did you even come back? You haven't changed, you know. You're acting like you think you're better than any of us. If you want some sympathy, you sure as hell aren't getting it from me." He was upset about Cadence's news too as well but not to that extent. It was also clear to him and practically everyone else that Fantine was sickly, but he wasn't one to feel sympathy towards those who don't deserve it. Her attitude and her words to them were rude and hateful. There was far too much tension for him to handle. He was starting to regret the idea of coming back at all. It was obvious that everyone had changed and they no longer would get along like they used to. He felt like he didn't know any of them anymore.

"Now wait just a minute!" Ella practically shouted as she jumped up from the picnic table. Her voice took on a strong tone of authority and stubbornness. "I came here to take a break from all the drama in Hollywood and to enjoy a reunion with my five people who used to be my best friends," she said, glancing at each person. "Yeah, remember that? We used to be friends, not the quarreling group of people we are right now." She paused and took a breath before continuing. "So Ethan, apologize to Fantine, and Fantine, apologize to Cadence." Ella's eyes gleamed with determination. "Right. Now." She said sternly.

Sasori stopped speaking and slowly lifted his head to Ella's and Evan's small speech, "Gomenasai" he whispered as he stood back up as a song popped in his head it was one his mother sang to him if he was ever upset, 'Might as well try.' and with that thought as he began to sing.

"Soshite bouya wa nemuri ni tsuita
ikizuku hai no naka no honoo hitotsu futatsu to
ukabu fukurami itoshii yokogao

Daichi ni taruru ikusen no yume yume
Gin no hitomi no yuragu yoru ni
umare-ochita kagayaku omae

Ikuoku no toshitsuki ga
ikutsu inori wo
tsuchi e kaeshitemo

Watashi wa inori tsuzukeru
Douka kono ko ni ai wo
Tsunaida te ni kiss wo

(Translation: Then the boy fell asleep
and one or two ambers in the fading ashes of the fire
flared up in the shape of a beloved face

Dreaming many thousands of dreams
spreading across the land
Your silver gray eyes shine their light
like stars falling down from the night sky

Even though countless of years
turn so many prayers back to earth

I will keep praying
somehow, love for this child please
kissing the joined hands )"

After he finished he smiled, "Ella-san and Evan-san are right we shouldn't fight but Issho ni tatte iru ka, wareware wa, barabara ni narudeshou. Stand together or we'll fall apart."