Moet’s walking home today.

            Leighton had called her this morning with a congested nose and explained that he had caught the sniffles and wasn’t going to school that day. He’d apologized profusely when he heard Moet utter a disappointed “oh” but Moet reassured him by saying that it was absolutely fine and that it was only a ten-minute walk towards and back from the school. That was an absolute lie—the walk was at least twenty—but what Leighton didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Besides, she was still glowing with happiness from last night’s first kiss that she felt like she could run to the school and back without breaking a sweat. It was completely irrational, but she didn’t care much for rationality at the moment. She just hoped that Leighton would feel better tomorrow.

            In the present, she kicks a stone along the concrete sidewalk as she mulls over today’s events. Looking up, she sees that the sky is its usual winter-gray. The first snow should’ve started already. Frowning at this thought, she continues walking forwards towards her house when all of a sudden an all-too-familiar voice stops her in her tracks.

            “How could you?”

            Standing in front of Moet is none other than Dakota. Outside. In public. Where everyone can see her.

            “Dakota! Why are you out here? Someone might see you!” Moet takes a step forward intending to push Dakota towards her house, but the burning gaze of Dakota’s watery blue eyes froze her right where she stood.

            “How could you tell him? It was supposed to be our secret.” Dakota’s words come out strained and half-choked and Moet swears she can see unshed tears glistening in Dakota’s eyes. “How could you involve him? He doesn’t deserve this. He’ll never forgive me, he’ll never forgive me…” Her words trail off as gut-wrenching sobs take their place. Moet didn’t understand. Dakota never cried. She was strong. She never cared about what anybody thought.

            But then again, Quinn wasn’t just anybody.

            “It’s okay, Dakota. Quinn loves you, I’m sure he’ll forgive you—” Right as Moet reaches out to comfort Dakota, the older sister immediately backs away sending daggers with her eyes at the younger.

            “No, it’s not okay! Moet, I love you, but what the fuck were you thinking?” Dakota was yelling now. Looking around, Moet could see passersby shielding their faces from them and rushing past as if they were crazy. She could see a mother pushing her child and murmuring for her son to “avoid eye contact” as they scuttled by.

            “Dakota, lower your voice, people are staring at us…” Moet murmured.

            “Do I look like I give a shit about what other people think?” Dakota screamed, completely contradicting herself. Tears were freely pouring out from her red-rimmed bloodshot eyes by now. Covering her face with her hands, she sobs for a few moments while Moet stays quiet, observing the scene before her with a weighted heart. After a couple minutes, Dakota removes her head from her hands, takes a deep breath and starts in a subdued voice, “I’m sorry for yelling at you, Moet. It’s just that I love Quinn and I hate how everything I’m doing everything is tearing us apart.”

            Moet stays quiet for a moment. “I can drop out.”

            Dakota looks incredulous for a moment. “What on earth are you talking about, Moet Holmes?”

            “I can drop out. A-and I can get a job and we can live together. You can be my guardian—you’re eighteen! I can get a job and you won’t have to do this to yourself anymore and we can find a nice apartment to live in where it’ll just be the two of us.” Tears were starting to trickle their way down Moet’s own cheeks. Before she even finished, Dakota started sadly shaking her head. “Please, just promise me you’ll stop. You’re going to kill yourself if you keep doing this.”

            Dakota finally moved forward and closed the distance between the two of them. She wrapped her arms lovingly around her sister and stroked Moet’s hair as she cried into Dakota’s shoulder. “I’m too far gone, Moet. Not even you can save me.”

            In a flash, Dakota was gone.

            Moet glanced up just in time to see a dark form slipping into the woods.

            “What’s wrong?” Leighton asks the moment Moet steps through his door. She knew she had practice in an hour, but she didn’t want to go home. Not after what just happened. Right after Dakota left, Moet broke down sobbing and practically ran towards Leighton’s house, desperately seeking his warm, comforting shoulder to lean onto.

            “I… Dakota… gone…” Moet blubbers before Leighton ushers her inside and closes the door. She barely notices that he had cloaked himself in a fuzzy blanket, was shuffling around in animal slippers and held a tissue box in his left hand. He led the two of them up to his bedroom where he quickly picked up the few dirty tissues that were scattered across the floor. Motioning towards his bed, he sits himself down on it as Moet does the same.

            Frowning, he holds one edge of his blanket open and gestures for Moet to share it with him. Moet wordlessly wraps her right arm around his waist and turns her head towards his warm, comforting shoulder while he wraps her arm around her so they were both enveloped in the fuzzy shelter that was his blanket. Stroking her shoulder, he waited for her sobs to turn into hiccups before he asked anything.

            “So… back to my earlier question, what’s wrong?”

            Moet sighs before answering, “It’s Dakota. She’s doing some real stupid dangerous stuff and I told her to quit before she gets hurt but she said that it was too late. That she was too far gone.”

            Leighton really didn’t know the whole deal with Moet and her sister but based on his memories from his past years, Dakota was involved in some illegal stuff on the side. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond. But one thing was for sure—he absolutely hated seeing Moet cry. Pressing his lips to her head for a moment, he took a moment to revel in her clean, slightly fruity scent. He waited for her to go on.

            “I told her I’d drop out. That I’d get a job and we’d live together, just the two of us, and she would quit doing drugs and everything would be fine…” Moet’s sobs were acting up again. “It just scared me, you know? What did she mean by she’s too far gone? Am I too late? I don’t even know where she lives, I’m so scared for her.”

            “Shh,” Leighton murmured as Moet’s sobs started up. “It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay.” He knew statistics proved him wrong. Once a person was involved with drugs, it was extremely difficult to get back. But he just wanted to stop Moet’s crying. He didn’t know why, but it made this unpleasant tugging feeling in his chest occur. He started rubbing her back and pressing another gentle kiss to her delicate cheek in a soothing gesture. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

            Leighton kept on holding her until she finally stood up, wiped her eyes harshly with her hands and left without saying a word.