BROOKLYN MOON hadn't felt like herself—not since the night her mother died. What she didn't realize was that a strange monster was beginning to change the world around her.

Brooklyn Moon arrived at school wearing a pink sweater, light blue jeans, and her favorite pink Converse. She didn't have many friends—only really spending time with Brayden Griffen, Claudia Noland, and Matthew Lieberman—but even that never felt enough.

"Hey, Moony, how are things holding up?" Matthew asked, smiling as he nudged her shoulder.

Brooklyn gave him a small smile, but her tone was anything but cheerful—it was tired. "Oh, I've been fine."

"You have not been, Moon," Matthew frowned, his expression filled with concern.

"Matt, I'm okay, alright? Please don't worry," Brooklyn sighed, pulling him into a hug.

Matthew chuckled as he pulled away, smirking before ruffling her hair. "You're a terrible liar, Moon, but I'll pretend to believe you," he teased, shaking his head.

Brooklyn chuckled softly, a smile crossing her face as she looked at Matthew, who always seemed to make everything better. "Matt..." Brooklyn started, causing him to squint his eyes.

"Yes, Moony?"

"I only want to admit that I am a terrible liar... thank you for noticing," Brooklyn smiled weakly, causing Matthew to frown but nod, not wanting to push her on her feelings.

"I'm always here for you, Lynn. Remember that, Moon," Matthew said with a soft smile, placing a hand on her shoulder before turning back to his schoolwork.

Brooklyn watched as familiar faces passed by—Marlene Collins and Olive Croft, two of the most inseparable duo's at the school.

Olive Croft was chatting animatedly with her best friend Marlene about Steve Harrington. "But I don't get it, he's really not that hot, Oli."

Olive scoffed, rolling her eyes at Marlene. "You don't get it! He's the sweetest, but he's also the most oblivious guy I've ever met."

Marlene smiled, shaking her head. "You two are literally the definition of obliviousness, Olive Croft," she smirked, glancing at her friend.

Olive giggled, nodding in agreement. "I have to admit, I agree. I don't think he even noticed me flirting with him during lunch!" Olive groaned.

Marlene scoffed with a smile. "Babe, that was barely flirting." Olive stuck her tongue out at Marlene before catching up with Max Mayfield, who was waiting for them at her locker.

"You guys are literally so slow!" Max complained, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Keep complaining, Max. You're lucky we even made it all the way here," Marlene shot back, folding her arms with a smirk.

Max rolled her eyes but smiled slightly. "Yeah, yeah, let's go to class!" she giggled, shaking her head at the two girls.

Marlene pouted, "I just want to go home and cuddle with my stuffed animals," she whined. Olive glanced at her, shaking her head with a chuckle as she grabbed Marlene's hand and dragged her to class.

In class, Marlene took a seat next to Claudia and Brooklyn, two girls who had always been good friends of hers.

Marlene couldn't help but feel like something special was going on between Brooklyn and Claudia. Brooklyn always seemed to have a deeper connection with Claudia, opening up to her in a way that felt different.

Brooklyn struggled to focus on the History lesson, her mind drifting. She rested her head gently on Claudia's shoulder, feeling Claudia's arm wrap around her, offering a sense of comfort. That touch made Brooklyn feel safe, like nothing could harm her in that moment.

The hours of History class stretched on endlessly, each second dragging. It felt unbearable to Brooklyn, especially considering how much she once loved the subject. That had always been because of her mother.

Brooklyn had always looked up to her mother, especially now. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes, allowing herself to focus on Claudia's touch and steady breathing, feeling her anxiety start to fade as she calmed down.

Brooklyn couldn't deny it any longer—she was attracted to Claudia. At first, she resisted the feeling, not wanting to acknowledge it. In the '80s, it felt almost taboo for two girls to have feelings for each other, but emotions were never something that could be controlled.

What Brooklyn admired most about Claudia wasn't just her looks but her vibrant personality and natural talent, especially when it came to cheerleading. Claudia was passionate about it and incredibly skilled, and Brooklyn always loved watching her perform. She'd cheer the loudest from the stands, proud of everything Claudia accomplished.

In a way, Brooklyn was one of the reasons Claudia had even pursued cheerleading, and that made her feel incredibly grateful.

After what felt like an eternity of zoning out in class, Brooklyn finally let out a sigh of relief when the bell rang. She couldn't wait to sit with Claudia and the guys during lunch.

It felt like they had their own little corner of the cafeteria, just the four of them—Brooklyn, Claudia, Matthew, and Brayden. Lately, though, Brayden had been eating alone, which made everyone a bit worried, especially Clarence Heyward.

Brooklyn brought her usual homemade lunch: a classic turkey and mustard sandwich with a side of potato chips.

She didn't say much during lunch, but she did manage to chime in a few times with her friends. If she was being honest, those three were the only people she truly trusted with her life.

Clarence approached the table, concern evident on her face. "Do you guys know what's going on with Brayden? He won't talk to anyone," she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

The boys exchanged looks before turning their attention back to Clarence. "He hasn't been sitting with us much either," Matthew sighed, shrugging. "He's been acting a little off lately."

"I bet he'll come around soon," Claudia said with a sigh. "Let's just give him some space, and he'll come back when he's ready." Brooklyn nodded in agreement, though the worry in her eyes was clear.

She was also concerned about Brayden, unsure of what was going on with him.

No one knew what was going on with Brayden Griffen and Brooklyn Moon, not even Brayden and Brooklyn themselves. They were unaware that they were both going through the same struggles, but the reasons would soon become clear.

VERA SPEAKS !!

hello guys!! i finally posted in 3 days!! i wanted to mostly focus on brooklyn in this chapter and i'm gonna ask... do we like claudlyn?. and please give me some ideas for your characters!! for example haven and max... i do want to know what a good idea is for max to ask her out!. thank you guys if you give out any ideas! i hope you enjoyed.

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