Morning came like a blink. I stared up at my ceiling for too long before clamoring out of bed. I could hear my parents in the living room, their voices drifting through the walls. My bedside clock chimed it was just after ten. With all my strength I got ready for the day.

My phone rested on the bedside table, and I stared at it as I dried my hair off with a towel. I’d flipped it open and shut all morning, not wanting to call Fox but knowing I needed to. I didn’t know anything about magic. If I wanted to help Kade, I’d need to know. But I kept feeling like I was on the edge of a cliff, about to walk off.

The flower was heavily drooping this morning. I wondered if today was going to be the last day. It didn’t look like it was going to survive another. The helpless feeling crept up my spine again. There was no point in even trying.

I grabbed my phone and flipped it open. Forcing myself not to stop, I clicked through my contacts until I found the number Fox had put in. I’d never bothered to look at it before, and I couldn’t help but be surprised he’d merely put it in as ‘Fox.’ The constant humor he’d somehow manage to have in his eyes had made me expect something else. I dialed.

Fox answered in the first ring. A good thing, since the sound had made me less than a second away from hanging up, “Estoy sorprendido, llamaste.”

“…¿Sabes español?”

“Enough to pretend I do. Why’re you calling me on this lovely Saturday morning?” Maybe because Fox had never said a word of Spanish to me before that it’d thrown me for a loop. If he hadn’t put in his number himself I would have thought I put it in wrong. My own Spanish was severely lacking. A fact Papi would never let me live down.

At the least, it distracted me from my previous anxiety, “Sorry to bother you. I just…need a crash course. On magic.”

“Ah, you’re going to help Kade control it?” There was rustling on his end, although I couldn’t discern the sound further. “Something like that will be pretty difficult. How much time do you have left?”

I glanced back at the vase, “…Today.”

“Be careful then. A failed story ending will be disorientating.” I wanted to ask what that entailed but he breezed on. “Kade’s magic is solely focused on emotions. The worst kind of magic to control. It can do anything, but the price can get pretty steep. Especially if the wielder doesn’t know what they’re doing.”

“Wells’ scars…could they have been a price?” I peeked through the curtains of my room, looking out at the streets. There was no sign of Kade, and I wished I’d been more put together to remember to set up a time to meet.

There’s was more shuffling on his end, “Maybe. Regardless, the first step is for him to know his emotions and where they stem from. If he can’t do that much, he’ll always overflow and cause harm. A walking bomb that anyone can detonate.”

“How would he even begin to control it?” I leaned against my wall, leaving the curtains open. The day looked far too nice for an ending.

Fox paused, and I could picture him tilting his head in thought, “You said his magic was a dark blue, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Usually if magic comes from positive emotions then it’s easier to tame. But that sounds like it could be a mix of despair and resignation. It’ll require him to dip into those feelings, whether he likes it or not. And to confront what’s caused them. It must be severe, for it to be that out of control.” It was a reminder that I still knew so little about Kade, and that I would never find those answers.

I tried to push those thoughts aside, “What does the color of your magic mean? Or is it different, since yours isn’t based on emotions?”

He laughed, “I’ll leave that to you to figure out.”

Outside, I spotted Kade rounding the corner and my grip tightened on the phone. He wasn’t alone, and I frowned as I saw Wells. I hadn’t expected Kade to ask him to come along, let alone for Wells to agree.

At my silence, Fox prompted, “Is he already there?”

“Yeah, I got to go.”

“Wait. One last thing. You can see magic, so use that to your advantage. If you sense even a hint of it going wrong, you can get out of there before something happens like it did with Wells.” The tinge of concern laced his voice. For a moment, it almost didn’t sound like him.

I forced my shoulders to relax as I slid my curtains shut and stood up, “Yeah. Yeah, I will. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Later.” I hung up, my anxiety flowing back into my body again. It took all my strength to leave my room and head out into the living room.

Mom glanced up from where she was at the dining room table, a book opened in front of her, “Were you going somewhere?”

“U-um, some friends from school are here. I was going to go greet them.”

She raised a brow, “Not Abigail or Nia, then?”

I shook my head as a knock sounded on the door. She slid her bookmark between the pages and shut it, standing to follow. My movements were robotic as I headed towards the door and opened it up.

Kade raised a hand in greeting, smile small and posture sheepish, “Good morning.”

“Morning.” Wells was the opposite. He looked like he always did, although seeing him out of uniform gave him a different air. His clothes were plain, a black t-shirt and jeans, but it was the casualness that made it read wrong.

Before I could say anything, mom leaned forward a bright smile gracing her face, “These weren’t the faces I was expecting when you said friends were coming over.”

“Ah! I’m Kade, and this is Wells—Sorry, I invited him a bit last minute.” He tripped over his words, trying to get them out so fast. Knowing he was, in fact, just as anxious as I was made me feel a little better about it. Just a little.

Wells was still unaffected, “Nice to meet you. Me and Cinder are in drama together.”

He offered a hand and my mom’s smile relaxed into something genuine as she took it, “Nice to meet you both too. You can call me Mrs. Chávez or Brenda. Whichever one you prefer.” Her hands squeezed my shoulders as she stage whispered to me. “You should be glad Papi got called into work today. He would have had a fit.”

There was humor in her voice but I cringed at the thought, “I know. Anyways um…”

“We were just going to go on a walk though town, if that was alright?” Wells interjected. I tried to hide my surprise, glad my mom was behind me so she couldn’t properly see my face.

She laughed, “Of course. Just don’t stay out too late.”

“W-we’ll have her home before it’s dark.”

With Kade’s stumbling, I added “Yeah, I’ll see you later?”

With a hug and amusement in her eyes, she sent us off. I trailed after them, wrapping my arms around myself despite the mild air. The three of us were quiet for a little, leaving me to my thoughts.

It was a path I didn’t want to go down, because they’d all lead me to the wilting flower, “I, um, wasn’t expecting you Wells.”

“He panicked.” Wells lobbied the conversation to Kade.

He avoided meeting my eyes, “I mean, if something went wrong I thought…I don’t know.”

“…Are you ok with that Wells?” He only shrugged. There was nothing in his posture that gave away what he was feeling. I swallowed. “Well, if that’s the case…we should probably go somewhere that’s secluded?”

“We can go back to the clearing?” I nodded, and Kade took the lead. I stayed trailing behind, trying to think of how to use what Fox had told me. If Kade had to get to the basis of his feelings, wouldn’t that be too personal? Would it even be necessary to disclose it to me in the first place?

I mulled it over, trying to imagine anything he could tell me. If I had to guess, it was something to do with his family. Maybe something to do with those trophies he kept hidden away. Maybe both or maybe something I couldn’t even fathom.

By the time we reached the clearing, my thoughts had circled around each other over and over again. Kade stopped in the middle, and Wells fell into place next to me. Just like he had the first time he brought me here, Kade seemed like a distant figure out of my reach.

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He took a deep breath, “So how are we going to go about this?”

“W-well, your magic is based on emotions, right? So have to figure out a way to control or manipulate them. Which is…going to be really hard.” I gave an awkward laugh, aware I couldn’t even begin to figure out how to do that myself.

Wells leaned back against one of the trees, “Kade’s never done well with his feelings.”

“Hey, I’ve tried. It’s just—” He cut himself off, trying to find the words. “They hit me at the most unexpected moments.”

I knew that from experience. With a swallow I continued, “Do you know where they come from…? You don’t have to tell us, but I think knowing the source would be a good start?”

Kade glanced at Wells then, a confessional in a foreign language. Wells’ fingers twitched, a quick movement, towards his side as though reaching for his scars. The veil of silence washed over me, and I shifted on my feet. The pressure made it hard to talk, so I waited.

After what felt like years, Kade took a breath, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

The world was already shifting to blue. The familiar rock in my stomach was back, “C-can you reel in your magic right now?”

He stiffened, “You mean I’m using it?”

“I don’t think you’re using it? But it’s spilling out of you.” As I said this, I realized I hadn’t said a word about this to Wells.

I glanced over, but he was the same, “Kade told me everything. I can’t see or feel anything you’re talking about, for the record.”

How strange. Even though I knew that, I thought others would at least be able to feel it since it was bleeding into the atmosphere. A sadness they wouldn’t be able to explain would wash over them, eating away at the neural pathways of their mind. A strange phenomena. But apparently that wasn’t the case.

“I…can see it. If I focus on it. I have to realize what I’m doing, though.” With a deep breath, he forced his shoulders to relax. He stayed still for a moment, and the feeling eased, although it didn’t go away completely. He shook his head, “That’s the best I can do.”

“W-well, it’s connected to emotions. You can’t just will yourself to feel better.” I took a small step forward. “I think the biggest concern is making sure you can control the force of it all when it does spill out.”

He swallowed, “How am I supposed to even begin to do that?”

“I’m not sure? I think it’s like…confronting those emotions and using them to your advantage.” An impossible task on my lips. I was asking someone to do something I couldn’t. Tension coiled through Kade’s body again, and I swallowed. “We’ll be fine. If I sense it getting bad, I’ll grab Wells and we’ll run.”

He gave a single, slow nod.

Dizziness eclipsed me.

I jerked back, losing my balance as the edges of the world blurred for a moment. Warmth seeped into my shoulders, and I stared blankly not understanding. My knees were weak as the world righted itself once more. It took a moment for me to come back to myself and when I did I realized Wells had grabbed onto me to stop me from falling.

Carefully, he guided me to sit down. Kade was collapsed next to me in a second, eyebrows drawn together and hands shaking, “A-are you ok? Was that me, did I do something—?”

“That wasn’t you.” My heartbeat was loud in my chest, going so fast it was near painful. I was right. It was the last day. I repeated, “It wasn’t you. I’m fine so you can keep going.”

“But…” His hands fluttered around me, unsure of what to do. I knew he didn’t believe me, so afraid of his magic. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re not.”

“Promise?”

I nodded, but even that made me dizzier. I winced, closing my eyes in hopes the feeling would pass. Wells rubbed my back, going in small circles. It took another minute or so, but eventually, I felt ok again. Fox shouldn’t have said it was disorientating. It was actually sickening.

“I’m ok. Really.” I gave them both a smile, hoping it was believable enough. My hands clasped together, to hide the residual trembles. “We can keep going. Please?”

Despite their reluctance, Kade nodded and Wells helped me to my feet. The world had lost it’s color, but this time it wasn’t because of Kade’s magic. It was the ticking of a timebomb. I pushed it aside and focused on the task at hand. That’s all that mattered.

//

What I learned by the end of the day was that end-of-story episodes were awful. I decided to spend most of the time sitting, ignoring the dampness of the earth or how dirty my jeans must have gotten. It was better than either boy noticing how occasionally the world came undone at the seams and that I was too.

I also learned that at a certain point, other people could feel Kade’s magic even if they still couldn’t see it. When Kade dipped too far into his mind and the entire world was swimming in blue, Wells would tense. If he hadn’t been so close to me, constantly hovering, I wouldn’t have noticed. Whenever it would happen, I tilted my head in a silent question and he’d nod back.

Fox had said I was sensitive to magic, but I hadn’t realized how much so compared to the average person.

As the sky shifted into orange hues, Kade had managed to manifest the blue to a small degree. The color dripped from his hands in an opaque liquid that evaporated when it left his skin. He couldn’t actually do anything with it, but it was quite a start for someone that had trouble even sensing when he was using magic in the first place. For his part, Wells had taken the whole thing in stride.

“We should get you home. You need to rest.” Wells offered a hand, his eyes going a little hard. Maybe he had noticed what’d been going on with me to a certain degree. I grabbed on and he hoisted me to my feet.

“…How are you feeling Kade?” He looked as shaky as me now.

The smile he gave me after I asked wasn’t one I was expecting, “Exhausted. But knowing that I can do something about this is…really nice.”

Hope. There was hope there. All at once it slammed into me that this would be reset. I tried to cling onto Fox’s promise again, but it was impossible. This was the end. I hated this.

“…Can I stay with you guys a little longer?” My faced burned as I uttered the question, and Kade looked brighter. Wells was the one who had a flicker of surprise on his face.

“Yeah, we can go to my place to watch movies and play games or something. Or we could go to yours—”

“Your place is fine.”

Kade took the lead again as we walked back to the main road. Wells stayed right next to me, his voice quiet, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, are you? I’m surprised you tagged along since…”

“I told you. I don’t hate Kade. His magic is just worrying.”

“But you’re worried about him too, aren’t you?” Wells didn’t respond, but I knew it was true. Despite everything, a part of Wells still cared. There were so many questions about what had happened in the past but I kept it to myself. It didn’t matter anymore, and it was their secrets to keep now.

//

“…When do your parents get back?” I sat on his bed, in the same corner I’d taken the last time the three of us had hung out. Kade was curled on the bed, watching tv, while Wells had gone to make popcorn. He’d complained that Kade had eaten the entire bowl himself the first round.

“Usually midnight. Don’t you need to get home? I told your mom we’d be back before it got dark…”

“…It’ll be fine. I think.”

He lifted his head, surprised, “Ha, I didn’t think you were the kind to break the rules.”

“Well…I’m pretty anxious about it.” He laughed, looking brighter than I’d ever seen him. I knew I’d need to leave soon, but I could feel the clock ticking. I’d go home and the flower would be wilted further. There would be no more of the three of us after this. I wanted to hold on to it for a little longer.

The only point to stay was for my own satisfaction. My nails dug into the fluff of my pj pants, and Kade’s smile slipped away, “…Are you alright, Cinder?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” The movie kept playing in front of us, but neither of us were watching. The lights flickered across the room in a variety of different colors. Something in my body was turning cold. I hadn’t accomplished anything. Even if it had been expected, blood rushed through my ears.

Kade sat up, his hand reaching out only to stop in the space between us, “You haven’t seemed well since earlier. I’ve told you all of my issues. It’s alright to tell me yours.”

A lump formed in my throat, “Um…this might not make any sense. But could I have something to remember you by?”

He stared for a moment, his mouth opening before it closed again. I’d only just started to get close to Kade and him with me. I didn’t know how far away we were from crossing over from casual friends to real friends. Maybe we’d already crossed it and I kept too much in my own head to notice.

Before I realized what was going on, he got up and started shifting through his desk, “I don’t really have anything memorable to give you.”

“It doesn’t have to be anything special. Just…something small.” His hands paused, before he kept going. After a few minutes of shuffling, he pulled out a folded paper.

It wasn’t until he handed it to me that I realized it was a photograph, “…I think it’s fine. If it’s the both of us. We should take one of all three of us.”

“Both…?” When I unfolded it I saw Kade and Wells. A younger version of them. It looked like they were in Freshman year and Kade had thrown his arms around a stoic Wells. They were in their uniforms and by the look of it, had just won a game. Maybe it was their first win as high schoolers.

As my expression crumbled, Kade reached out and I felt the wetness on my face, “…What’s wrong, Cinder?”

I had known them for just a month. I kept telling myself I didn’t feel anything, but that wasn’t true. I didn’t feel the way I was supposed, that was true. There wasn’t a sliver of romantic interest for Wells, especially since I’d assumed it to be Kade. But I had started to care about them both. Even casually. Even slightly.

“…Thank you. I… really wanted to help you.” It was easy to make promises when there were no consequences to them. This had really all just been my goodbye. I could feel the world fracturing around me. Midnight, this would all be over. I failed this story easily, and it was time for a new one to begin.

If I could still talk to them again and again, then maybe—

Dizziness sliced through my vision. Blue spilled into the area before I knew what was happening, and Kade steadied me before I teetered off the bed. It was too sudden. I just needed more time. I needed—

“…You’re disappearing.” Was I? I glanced down at my hands, and watched almost amazed as they fractured and faded. The photograph remained with me, and I could only assume I was allowed to keep it.

“Don’t worry. You won’t remember me.”

“What…?” The question in his eyes wasn’t one I could answer. Sleep washed over me suddenly. If I held out, I had until midnight, but what was the point? There was no reason to stay. Nothing would change the ending.

Kade laid me down, and I felt myself drifting off. At some point he must have left, and I could distantly hear his voice. And then another voice.

“Wake up.” A hand shook me, and I blinked my eyes open. Wells stared down at me, his eyebrows pinched together. He looked so concerned, in the faded blue. I was sure he could feel everything Kade was feeling now “What happened?”

“No, it wasn’t—”

Everything was so blue. A sticky dye contaminating everything. Would I feel Kade’s magic still, even after all this was over? “It’s because I…failed…”

“Failed…?” Wells shook his head, “We should get her back home. And besides, your parents are going to be back any minute, it’s almost midnight.”

Already? Had I dozed for that long? I tried to push myself up, only to find there was no strength in my arms. Kade reached out and steadied me. I could sense the trembles in his body, “No, there’s nothing we can do. Hey Cinder? I won’t forget. How could I?”

“We just met. It’s ok, I know I…” When I glanced over I could see the digital clock on Kade’s nightstand. There wasn’t any time left. Next time, I would remember to simply go to sleep early when I saw this was over. I’d lay down and sleep and wake up to the first day of school once more.

No one would suffer that way.

Kade repeated, “Whatever’s going on, I won’t forget.”

As the clock struck midnight, I kept the photograph to my chest, knowing it would never be true.