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They made it to the top of the hill just as the sun was beginning to set, the cloudless sky above them a swirling mix of light blue and rosy pink and deep orange, dozens of flowers surrounding them on the ground.
Graecie hopping practically every step until they reached their destination, narrating her every move, Zam bouncing right along just beside her, silent, but no less enthusiastic.
"We made it just in time! The stars should start coming out soon."
The white haired girl put down a torch they brought with them, then sat in a clearing on the grass, inviting Zam with a stretched arm and a smile.
"Okay, yay!"
She cheered quietly, placing a second torch they brought, then sat next to Graecie, who had curled all but her pinkie around her bells, reaching to the other with that finger, tilting her head slightly in question.
Zam nodded and wrapped their pinkies together when she sat, resting their hands in the grass between them.
"We picked a good night to do this, it's really nice out!"
"It's always pretty nice out."
Zam realized what she said as soon as it left her mouth, which she opened to stutter out an apology.
But Graecie didn't seem to mind or disagree, in fact, she was giggling.
"That's true! It's okay, Zam, you're right. It is pretty much always nice out here!"
"Oh, okay, yay."
"Yay!"
The sky shifted from light blue to a darker one and the pink faded from rosy to more of a magenta tone as the evening went on, the stars just beginning to dot the canvas.
Zam took in a breath and released it slowly, finally allowing herself to relax, tilting her head back and looking up to the now entirely dark blue sky and silver moon.
Graecie sighing softly as she allowed herself to relax too, humming as her head fell to the side, pressing against Zam's shoulder.
"Oh, um. Are you, okay?"
She turned her head so her face was more pressed against the other girl, stifling a yawn.
"I'm okay."
"Do you, are you sleepy?"
"Just a little, sorry."
"No, you're okay. It was a, um, a long day. Do you want to, um."
She lifted her head just enough to look at Zam's face, humming to prompt her to continue speaking.
"You can, um, lay down if you want."
Graecie sat silently for a few seconds more, considering, then nodded.
And then she uncrossed their pinkies and adjusted so her body was no longer upright and her head was no longer on the other's shoulder, but her body was now laying sideways and her head was propped against Zam's lap and using her legs as a pillow.
"Is this alright?"
The white haired girl looked up to the one in pink, a mix of calm and hesitation on her features.
Zam let herself adjust slightly, crossing her legs a bit more so Graecie was more comfortable, then propped both hands in the grass behind her to continue to relax.
"Mhm!"
Zam smiled then let her head fall back, Graecie smiled and let her head lay flat, both looking at the sky.
Some minutes, if not longer, passed before either spoke again.
"Do you miss it?"
The one wearing pink hummed.
"Mars."
"Oh. Um."
Zam thought about it, she missed it because it was home, but she didn't miss anything from it.
She didn't miss when her parents called her worthless, she didn't miss when the other kids called her names, she didn't miss feeling like she didn't belong even in her own species.
"Sometimes."
Graecie straitened one of her arms at her side again, touching her pinkie to the other girls' in a silent question.
Zam curled them around each other without a word.
"Do you miss it?"
The one wearing white hummed.
"The Flock."
Graecie considered the question, she could almost hear the gears turning in her head, she heard the bells around her wrist jingle gently.
"Sometimes."
"I think I'm glad I'm here instead."
The girl in white squeezed their pinkies tighter for a moment.
"I think I'm glad I'm here instead too."
The girl in pink squeezed their pinkies in response and agreement.
"Graecie?"
Zam asked after enough time for the sky to go somehow even darker, the torches burning softly beside them, looking down to the other girls' face in her lap, who was sound asleep, bells gently held in one hand, the other with her pinkie not as tight around but still touching.
"Oh, yay. Okay, um, okay. Goodnight, Graecie."