#bergen_county

She 'stumbles' and tramples the meds.

"Oh! Oh, May, I'm sorry!"

"Oh blast it, Sylvia! I could be quite cross... with..." May looks over at Sam, Sam, who is holding her eyes shut, who is holding HERSELF, as if she's distressed...

Oh yes - she's distressed. Something hit hard. Her fingers are digging dents in her upper arms.

"Sam, don't!" May leaps forward and grabs Sam's wrists and pulls. May is strong for a woman, she's a young athlete who routinely hurled three pointers and took foul charges and stood strong. However, Sam is a troll so it may only be the element of surprise that allows May do this

"You don't get to do that" May snaps, torn between concern for an old friend, love even, and the anger she's been bottling up herself "You don't GHOST me, then come here and do everything but say "i' m sorry ' because I'm not living the life you want for me and THEN hurt yourself. YOu don't! You think I don't know how you used to self harm? You are not doing that again, not for me! You stupid wonderful broken heroic idiot!"

Sylvi smoothly picks up a couple of bottles of soda and turns to move away, grinning a little bit and scuffing the medicine even further into the dirt. A wink to the rest of the party.

Lupe smiles

Sylvi gets back to the group. "Cross-fingers, guys...but don't stare."

"I gotta go and help " Lupe says to Sylvi "Not right away but.. soon"

"I am sorry!"

"Yeah, you're up, Mighty Mite."

Jimmy however, gets up on his tip toes and KISSES Syvli brief and fast, then says "THANK you" Now it was on the cheek, but stillabrupt. His eyes are full of genuine gratitude

She didn't see that coming and blinks in surprise. Then she grins. "Hey, it's a team effort. We'll get her back," she assures him. "One way or another."

"Dude" Zane says to Jimmy "What IS it with you and tall women?"

Jimmy blushes

Meanwhile... Sam still has her wrists held by May "You are, then.. why? I don't understand. You said things change... and folks go... what did you forget my parents LIVE here?"

Sam doesn't fight May's grip, though her shoulders are slumped.

"It's stupid. I'm stupid."

"Stop that" May demands, no, COMMANDS "You don't get to tell me how others can't make me small then start changing you're stupid. You HATE when folks assume you're stupid just because you're big and strong and you should. It's a bull shit trope made up by petty wimpy small people who want to have SOMETHING over bigger ones"

"My cue huh?" Lupe says to Sam and May "Well, not the wimpy part"

Sylvi grins at Zane. "You know we tall girls are irresistible," she says with a wink. She's trying not to watch Sam and May.

"I thought...I thought if I didn't read your letters, that... I thought... " She fumbles and trails off.

"Please, Sam. I need to understand what I did, or didn't do. Are you punishing me for going like you encouraged me too?"

That from May

She looks over at Lupe too "Lupe, you were better but then.. gone I don't..."

"I fucked up, chica" Lupe says "And honestly, Sam thought I was in contact with you, and I thought she was in with you. That's an over simpliciation but we... frankly we didn't communicate well with anyone and you got screwed. I'm sorry. "

"You didn't do anything wrong." Mulishly.

"I made up scenarios in my head. It wasn't to punish you. Though it did, I didn't mean to... doesn't matter what I meant, it's what I did..."

May smacks Sam's shoulder, letting go of her wrist "Look, you say FUck my therapist, but I think you should see one. One your parents and you agree on. You.. you always carry burdens alone, Sam. It's... god I've wanted to cuss you out about it. You close up so tight that you end up causing yourself pain. I was NOT living New Jersey forever, and I was NOT leaving you. Or Lupe. I know you guys are special. I don't.. know how or such but I was okay with that. I just thought I was special too but then I go to that place and met those awful people, no one, NO one believed in me by Dayana.. and the way she believed I didn't.. I didn't like I ..." May's eyes welled up "I was going crazy. I had dreams where I was HURTING People, Sam. Lupe, I don't HURT People. That's not me"

"It isn't you, not at all. Your dreams are beautiful. They're special."

"They're not, they're weird anmd now they're dark and scary and they... " She starts to cry

"They're injured."

"But that doesn't mean they're like that forever, yeah?"

"You got this , Chica. WE got this" Lupe puts her hands around her friends. And.. there's an odd sensation. For a moment Sam feels a sense of rushing water, like a cleansing creek

May breaks into tears completely, big ugly sobbing tears

but it seems to be good for her

"Oh, hey.... hey, hey now..."

Sam's big arms pull in both May and Lupe into a hug.

The three stay that for a long while, while Sylvi keeps the 'party' away a bit so they get space and privacy

May sighs "Okay. I forgive you both. Sam, you're not stupid but if you ever ghost me again or hurt yourself because of me. I will beat the living hell out of you. I might need a wrecking ball to do it, but so help me I will" A look at Lupe "Andd you, you need more sleep and time off. You look like refried beans left out too long in the sun"

"Little racist but I'll take it" Lupe looks embarrssed surprised SHe got chewed out for that

"I did miss you."

"I missed you guys every day " May says

"Meh" Lupe shrugs playfully

"But we have months left at home."

"Are we only friends when it's summer?" May says, not with spite, but geninue concern "LIke some terrible curse has befallen us, and only the summer months alow us to take our true forms as boon companions?"

A spark of glamour

just a tiny one. It doesn't quite catch

"That sounds like a story." Encouraging.