Another 2,000 words could've been added to that last scene to detail the girls' last moments together, and most of that fault rested with Mireh.
Mireh who, once she realized that the person she knew best on Shishiru and who knew her best in return, refused to leave Retta. If she had some rope, she would've tied herself to her. If she had handcuffs, she would've shackled their wrists together. If she had a giant bottle of superglue, she would've glued her to her back. All so that they wouldn't be apart.
But none of those things could've happened. What did happen was Retta forcing Mireh to get into her car before getting into hers so that she could take Temera home, and Mireh sitting there and watching as Retta backed out and turned her steering wheel and pressed her foot on the gas and drove off, only glancing over briefly. No waves. No byes.
No promises.
Just Retta's teeth on her lower lip and her face that of someone who was making the worst mistake of her life.
Mireh didn't move. She didn't start the car or look at her phone or don her headphones or wipe her face or her eyes. Even after Retta was gone and she had finished crying, she sat there.
Thinking. But not really thinking.
More like feeling.
Feeling what it was like to know that your best friend was dying.
Feeling what class would be like without Retta in the seat beside hers.
Feeling that the future was all of a sudden lonely, and cold.
“I'll call you if I can make it to the Flight,” Retta had told Mireh after peeling her off. “And if not...I'll still call. To—”
“Why don't we stay together all day tomorrow?” Retta asked. “Until...”
“Because I've got parents, too, you know. Tonight was our night,” she told her. “I like hanging out with you a thousand times more, but I can't imagine what my dad'll be like if he found out I didn't spend one last day together with him before I kicked the bucket. And my mom, well...you know what they say, respect your mom and all that,” she said with a shrug.
“Right......”
“Tonight was a blast, though. It was the most fun I had in a long time,” she said. “My favorite part was when Temera won the shooting game when neither of us could do jack.”
“Right......”
“My second favorite part was the Flight, but it's a close second,” she said. “I took plenty of pictures, in case you couldn't tell, so I'll send you those when I have the chance.”
“Right......”
“...A-Anyway, we should both get going,” Retta said. “Temera's gotten a text from her mom asking where she's at, so I should be getting her home before her mom calls the police.”
“.....”
“.....”
“.....”
“.....Listen, I'm—”
“I'm sorry!” Mireh blurted out. “For what I said to you and how I treated you. I—I was so horrible, and to someone wh-who's dying tomorrow.” She buried her face in her hands. “I'm so, so sorry. You deserve a better friend than me.”
Retta pulled her in close. “Don't you dare say that! Don't you dare! You're the best friend a girl could ever ask for, and I'd rather do this whole night again with you, fight and all, than with anyone else.”
Somehow, Mireh managed to smile, even a little. “Funny. I feel the same,” she said. “But I'd like to redo tonight without the fight.”
“That would be nice as well,” Retta said, smiling.
Through teary eyes, Mireh caught Temera standing in the background. “I'm sorry to you, too. I was just as bad to you.”
Temera smiled as well.
And they stayed like that for a little bit.
Just Mireh. Retta. And Temera, too. And Nathan.
For a little bit.
“Goodnight.”
Those were the last words Retta said to Mireh in person.
“...Goodnight...”
Those were the last words Mireh said to Retta in person.
Mireh slouched in her car seat and stared up. She couldn't see it through the ceiling, but her moon was up there, coming down.
One day at a time.
Mireh slouched in her car seat and stared up. She couldn't see it through her own eyes, but Retta's moon was right there, coming down.
One second at a time.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwvXZuQ0x5
