But I Might Die Tonight

[Mimi]

Sierra prayed the Earth would open up and swallow her, prayed a tsunami would rise and wash her right off the mountain—anything that'd get her away from the current situation. Even through the veil of night, the boy's expression pierced through her, making no secret of the frustration he was feeling. Beyond the agitation, she could tell he was hurting, with good reason. She would be, too. Guilt washed over her as she watched him retreat, averting her eyes to the ground in an attempt to squelch the feelings.

It scared her knowing how much the Island changed people, herself included. She felt like all she'd done while she'd been there was turn her back on people, cast them aside as if they were just body bags. Between Janet, Steven, and even Josie, it honestly made her a little sick. She wasn't like that before, right? People weren't just walking corpses to her in real life, they were stories and personalities that she loved the be around, meeting new people was always something she relished—it always amazed her how different every person was, so why was it so different now?

If anything, now was the time to truly relish the friendships she made, right? Make the most of the time she had left. The gaping hole in her heart that Omar left in his wake was just as present as it had been the day before, but she felt like she was... accepting it? Maybe not so much. Maybe dealing with it, trying to overcome it. Accepting it wasn't really an option. She didn't know what she'd do if she ever met Julian Avery, but she'd make sure he'd know Omar, know him as she knew him; the gentle soul who'd drop everything if she needed him. The boy she loved unconditionally.

Absently,  Sierra began stroking the ends of Skanky Blanky, who remained wrapped around her neck from a few days prior, as the rest of the group began packing up to leave the area.  She smiled quickly at David, whose eyes she met almost immediately as he made his way toward her. She couldn't help but muse over how gentle his smile was and how much it reminded her of Omar, almost jarringly so. What really caught her off guard, however, was when he took off his jacket and offered it to her. For a moment, all she could do was stare at it, completely shocked that someone would be so nice to her in the setting.

"Are you thure?" She asked nervously, her eyes darting up to meet his. Once getting the affirmative, she cautiously took the jacket and thanked him before putting it on. It was much bigger on her than it was on him, obviously not made for a girl barely scraping five-foot-two as it came down to her mid thigh.  She quickly flashed one last smile at David before he walked ahead to meet up with Max, leaving her some feet behind with Josie.
 
Josie, predictably, picked up Sierra's bag as well as her own, sending another shock of guilt through Sierra's chest.

"You're tired to, though, Joze. I think we all are,"

She said softly, still stroking the ends of her blanket. Her only response was a small smile and the shake of her best friend's head. It wasn't much use to argue with Josie, she was an ox when she wanted to be. Instead, Sierra followed close after her friend, briefly wondering about her family as they marched off.  She wondered how Bubba and Ronald were doing, she had no doubts they were still together—Bubba knew how to keep her men, of course. She knew her Mom was worried sick about her, she probably wasn't eating much or anything, Mom had a tendency to skip meals when she was stressed. But, she was okay, things could've been much worse, right? At least she had a group now.

Sierra smiled and waved to a nearby camera; her own little message to the people waiting at home for her.

She wouldn't be coming back, but they shouldn't have to worry.

Just stay strong, ok?

[[ Sierra Manning continued in Down the Road, Not Across the Street ]]