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Two girls sat in the middle of a flower field, a disk playing on repeat in the background.

“Hey, Allia?” Ruby watched as the sun started to set, hands playing with a white carnation.

(Allia hummed, not taking her eyes away from the setting sun. In her hands was a poppy, the red contrasting the many white carnations around her.)

“Are you happy?” Ruby finally looked away, eyes watering from staring too long. She looked down towards her hands playing with the petals that turned brown the more she picked at it.

(Allia didn’t look away from the sun as she gave her answer. “Not really.” She leans back onto a rock.)

Ruby stayed quiet. The white carnation fell apart.

“I hate you.” She finally spoke, voice shaking with anger. (Hunching over herself, Allia laughed. “Ruby,” her voice filled with glee, “didn’t your mother ever tell you hate was a strong word? At least tell me why you hate me” Her eyes settled back on the burning hot star on the horizon, a grin adorning her face. The poppy in her hand seemed to glow.)

“You’re a liar,” Ruby seethes, shoulders shaking. Her hands grab a fistful of flowers around her.

(Allia gasps, dramatically putting a hand on her chest. She let go of the poppy. “I, Allia Sakugawa, would never lie.”)

Finally losing her composure, Ruby screams.

She abruptly stands up, grabbing fistfuls of those stupid bright flowers and pulls. Grabs until the roots aren’t connected to the ground, never to be attached again.

And she throws them

She repeats this until her hands are red with tiny gashes peppering her skin.

(Allia watches, smile slipping, not intervening with her friend’s tantrum.)

Ruby heaves, glaring at the semi destroyed flower field now littered with bald patches.

“Why?” she mumbles. “Why were you so selfish?” (Allia shrugs.) “Why?”

The damn breaks, and Ruby lets her tears and sobs out, “Why were you smiling?”

Her knees buckle, hands gripping the dirt. With all her might, she cries, “ALLIA, WHY DID YOU SMILE WHEN YOU DIED?”

(Allia grins, dried blood cracking. “Why wouldn’t I be happy that I got to protect my best friend?”)

The music kept playing as the sun set on a ruined flower field of white carnations, and the lonely red poppy.