Seated at her vanity table with legs crossed, Thalia absentmindedly skims through the dull pages of her book.

She occasionally steals glances in Finns direction, who is packing his bags - a sight that she's been dreading.

"You sure you don't wanna come to the airport?"

Thalia shakes her head in an instant. "No, I still don't feel too well. Sorry."

Truth be told, she can't bear to go that far. To be with him during the last moments of his presence here is self sabotage.

"Alright. I'll miss you."

He forms his hands into a heart, and she reciprocates with a smile.

"I'll miss you too. Now go say bye to your beautiful girlfriend."

With a hum, Finn rushes out of the room, leaving Thalia to set aside the book she hadn't been reading and exhale heavily.

She's accepting the reality that Finn has found someone special besides her, that he's committed to making it work with her, even in a long-distance relationship.

She's accepting how pretty she is, how she brings happiness to Finn, and how much he's into her.

She's accepting these truths because Finn is her best friend, and that's the extent of their relationship - another aspect she's accepting.

Everything is the way it's meant to be, and she's accepting it.

2:30.

Thalias gaze doesn't dare to leave the clock. Finn will be home at any moment, marking the end of their time together for a while, perhaps indefinitely.

"Lia?"

With a flinch, she turns around to find him smiling at her from behind the couch.

"Oh! You're back." She clears her throat. "I didn't even notice the time."

"Yeah... well, uh, I'll go get my bags and then be on my way."

His voice carries a trace of nervousness, sounding almost hesitant.

She nods and rises from the sofa, not letting one heartbeat pass before striding towards him and engulfing him in a tight hug.

A chuckle escapes his lips as he returns the embrace.

Thalia feels a wave of emotions rising within her, threatening to spill over. Still, she manages to keep it locked within.

She's accepting this.

After what seems like an eternity, they reluctantly pull away.

Finn gazes at her for a minute. His eyes are laid on her in a way that feels wrong, as if just his stare is crossing the boundaries.

"I should go. I don't wanna miss the flight."

She nods with a forced smile, bringing him into another quick hug before muttering a farewell.

His departure is for the best, a necessary barrier to prevent complications and inevitable heartbreak.

If their friendship is truly meant to endure, he'll make an effort to stay in touch once he arrives in Vancouver. If not, then they'll simply move on and let the past remain in the past.

For years, they've been strangers with a shared history. They can revert to that state without any regrets.

It's been an hour since Finn's departure.

By now, he's likely soaring through the sky, while Thalia finds herself plummeting to her lowest point.

She doesn't know why, but she senses that she's on the verge of breaking down.

Despite her efforts to accept everything as it is, as the stark reality sinks in, she finds herself slipping into a melancholic state.

She fights against the urge to cry, dismissing it as absurd and unwarranted. Yet, as the weight settles in, tears inevitably well up in her eyes.

For once, she doesn't have control.

In the dim flicker of candles, she finds solace in the release of pent-up emotions, embracing the cathartic relief that accompanies the shedding of tears.

It's been a while since she last released her emotions.

She wraps herself in the comforting embrace of her duvet, reaching for her phone through the blurry vision.

Juniper

Can you come over?

wolfhard left?

Yeah.

omw

"I feel so fucking ridiculous right now."

In the comfort of her bed, Thalia rests her head on Junipers lap, feeling the tender caress of their fingers threading through her hair.

In the background, the playlist they made together provides a gentle soundtrack to their conversation, the soft music intertwining with their words.

"This is not something to cry about. I feel so whiny, and stupid and... embarrassed."

"No, it's valid," Juniper states, "you just have to keep contact with him. Don't let the two of you drift apart, and you won't ever have to lose him."

With a prolonged sigh, Thalia allows her hands to fall on her face and emits a low groan.

"I hate this. I keep missing him. This is the same feeling I had when my parents moved us to France. I miss his touch, his voice, his laugh, that cologne he always wears..."

Juniper clears their throat to divert Thalias attention. "No. Absolutely not."

"What?"

"You can't miss the way he smells. That's the shit that people in-love say about their significant others."

"You can miss the way your friend smells. It's normal!"

They blink. "You can't even fool yourself."

"Hey!"

Thalias eyes brighten at the sound of his voice, and she lifts the phone to her face with a smile.

"Hi. You landed?"

"Yup."

She reclines against the bed frame. "Time for the generic question, how was your flight?"

"It was okay." He smiles.

"That's good."

The facetime falls into a silence as neither of them are aware of what to say. Thalia occupies herself by tapping patterns onto the side of her phone with her fingers.

"Hey, so... listen," he clears his throat, "I realise that I didn't give you a proper goodbye, and I regret that. I had the greatest time with you, Lia. You made Paris ten times more beautiful, so thank you."

She feels a heat rush to her cheeks. "I am beautiful, you're right."

He chuckles, propping his phone up against a stack of books before continuing to unpack.

"You should come back here someday."

"Maybe." She nods. "I could visit you, grant you the gift of my wonderful presence."

Juniper appears into the room, flopping down beside Thalia on the bed and gasping at the phone screen.

They snatch the phone from her grasp. "Finn, Thalia was cryi-"

Before Juniper can finish, Thalia swiftly snatches the phone back and smacks Juniper on the head.

A gasp emerges from the phones speakers. Finns eyes light up with a mix of shock and something undisclosed. "You cried for me?"

Thalia scoffs, narrowing her eyes. "As if!"

"She did. She's a pathological liar, wolfhard."

"I don't know... I think I trust Jupiter on this one." He shrugs with a suppressed grin.

Juniper presents a haughty smile while Thalia rolls her eyes with a sigh.

"Whatever. I never liked you anyway."

She hangs up.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Thalia opens the door, eyes narrowing as she finds Camille standing on her doorstep.

A rush of conflicting emotions flood her senses as she forces a smile which masks all that's brewing beneath her.

"Camille, what a surprise."

The short haired girl displays her nervousness through her posture and demeanour, evident in her fidgeting fingers.

"Hi... sorry for intruding like this. I was just wondering if we could get to know each other a little? I understand that it's very out of the blue, but- being Finns girlfriend and all, I think I should get along with his best friend, right?"

Thalia runs her tongue along the inside of her cheek, contemplating her response.

"Sure... yeah, come in." Her voice is tinged with uncertainty as she ushers her inside.

Seated across from each other, Thalia and Camille engage in polite conversation, the air charged with unspoken tension.

Thalias mind buzzes with a myriad of thoughts as she sips her coffee.

"So, Thalia, tell me about yourself." The words slice through the uneasy silence.

Thalia forces a smile, her mind racing as she navigates the delicate balance between honesty and restraint.

"Well, there's not much to tell, really." She keeps her tone carefully measured.

"Oh, come on." Camille rolls her eyes with a smile. "Don't be so modest. You're very smart and talented, just like Finn."

"Uh... thank you." Thalia emits a nervous laugh, unsure of what else to say.

Camille sets the porcelain mug down on the coffee table, adjusting her stance and sitting with a more poised posture.

"Finn is so incredibly outstanding, don't you think? There's not one day that passes by without him being the only thing on my mind. I'm so glad to have met him."

Her voice drops to a lower tone. "If anything ever got in the way of us, you don't know the extents I would go to."

Thalia remains silent for a moment prior to clearing her throat. "Yeah... he's pretty cool."

"No, seriously." She deadpans. "I would kill anyone who tried to get in our way."

Hoping that it's a joke, Thalia forces out a nervous laugh. She begins to discern the implications behind the unexpected visit.

"Right... that's uh, that's nice."

"Yeah. It is nice!" Camille smiles. "Don't worry, I take good care of him. I know how close you two are."

Setting down her ceramic mug, Thalia smoothes her hands over her lap as she gathers the right words.

"Camille-"

"You can call me Cam."

She hesitates for a second. "Alright, Cam... Finn and I, we're just uh, we're just friends. You have nothing to worry about that."

"There's no need to lie, Thalia."

"I'm not lying." She lies.

"I can feel the tension between you two. You have history. Plus, there's always been a certain chemistry there, hasn't it?"

"Those are both subjects I hated in school. Look, I assure you that nothing like that ever has or will exist between me and Finn. Even if I may feel a certain way towards him, feelings is the furthest it'll get. We're strictly platonic, he's all yours."

Thalias words are followed by a prolonged pause. The silence between them fills the room with anticipation.

"I'm choosing to trust you."

"Thank you."

The ambience feels somewhat lighter, though the discomfort lingers.

Thalia returns to sipping her coffee while Camille taps her feet, gazing off into the distance with her mind occupied by thoughts that pique Thalias curiosity.

Camilles character seems far more interesting than Thalia had anticipated, and for once, that may not be a good thing.

Finn

Hi :)
So, your girlfriend
just left my house.

woah
i've been gone for a few hours
and she's already cheating?

That's funny.

is smth wrong?

Sort of.
She made some odd remarks.
Not that odd, but they just
rubbed me the wrong way.

oh?
care to elaborate?

She seems kind of obsessed with you.

what can i say 😈

No, way too obsessed.

what can i say 😈

Finn.

okay
i'm sorry
wdym
what did she say?

She was saying things like
she'd kill anyone who tried
to get in the way of you two??

well that's obviously a joke
she's not a murderer

No, I know.
It just caught me off guard.

alright
anything else?

She said that she senses
there's something between us,
like something that's not platonic.

well is there?

What?
Fuck no.
Of-course not.
In what universe?
What is wrong with you?
Why would you even ask that?

i'm kidding idiot
anyways it's not a big deal
cam gets worried sometimes
i think she was just being protective

Protective?
She sounded obsessive and jealous.

okay
that's not fair
i get that you're concerned
but she's my girlfriend and i trust her

But you can't deny that her
behaviour was weird and uncalled for.
I understand that it's your relationship, but I'm only trying to look out for you here.

i don't need you to look out for me
we practically forgot about each-others
existence until that moment at the louvre
if it wasn't for that we'd be strangers rn
and we wouldn't mean shit to each other

I never forgot about you.
Did you forget about me?

to be honest
i wish i would have

Good to know.
Seen

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

A familiar shoreline is etched with the intricate patterns of receding waves. The moon hangs low in the sky as it casts a silver sheen upon the waters surface.

Thalia sits upon the exact grains of sand where she once found solace in Finns company, now feeling a weight pressing heavily on her chest.

She wraps her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her chest as she gazes out at the vast expanse of ocean before her.

The cool breeze tousles her hair, carrying with it the faint scent of salt and seaweed.

She shuts her eyes, letting the sound of the waves wash over her, hoping to find some measure of peace amidst the turmoil of her thoughts.

Yet, even as she sits in quiet solitude, she can't shake the feeling of emptiness that gnaws at her heart.

The beach that once brought her comfort now feels like a desolate wasteland, a stark reminder of both the physical and emotional distance that now lies between her and the one person she thought she could always rely on.

She made a vow to herself to uphold their friendship, to maintain communication even after he returned home, to sustain their connection as it was meant to be.

All it took was one slip, one false step, and now she's lost him.

AUTHORS NOTE

Finn is being a little bitch.
And my pookie bear blames herself 💔