A new year, a new me. Mackenzie was so used to making that promise or making some kind of new years resolution, but after the last few years, she’d decided that 2021 would be different. She wasn’t going to make some grand comment that this year would be better or different. She would leave that up to the gods, or to fate, whoever was responsible for the way that life turned out. Biting down on the inside of her mouth, the redhead leaned over and pulled open the drawer from the table beside her bed, pulling out her journal. Grabbing a pen from her bedside table, she opened the pink glitter cover and flicked through several pages that had already been written on until she landed on a blank page. She didn’t even know what she was going to write; she had so much going on in her head at that moment, but all she wanted to do was get out of her head and focus on everything going on around her. Shaking the thoughts from her head and taking a deep breath, an attempt to focus, she lowered the pen until the point was pressing into the paper. 

Dear Diary, 

2021, I can’t believe where this year has gone, or rather, last year I guess. So much has happened since I came back to town and there is a part of me that wishes I never had. I know that I should be grateful to be alive and to have my sister, and I am, but I can’t help but think about everything that has happened. I know losing Avery was my fault and I know Mercy’s death was my fault too, and I just can’t shake that feeling of guilt. But, at least with Avery, I have a chance to make things right and I will. I will never stop loving her, I never have and I guess I should be counting my lucky stars that she hasn’t moved on, at least not completely. I think she had something going on with her bandmate, I went to see her the other day and it felt like I had interrupted a heated argument or something, I’m really not sure, but the one thing I do know is that this thing between us isn’t over. I should never have left, but I did, and now all I can do is try and make it up to her. And I will. 

Glancing down, she read her diary entry a couple of times before placing her pen back down on the bedside table and closing her journal, tossing it back into her open drawer before she closed it and grabbed her phone. Scrolling down until she found Avery’s number, she quickly flicked her ex-girlfriend a text. “Hey, I’m coming over and I’m bringing breakfast.” As soon as she’d sent the message, she threw her blankets back and slid from the bed, making her way into the bathroom to grab a quick shower. There was a part of her that knew she probably shouldn’t have even given the blonde warning, but they were past the avoiding stage, right? Avery didn’t seem to be avoiding her these days. Running her tongue along the inside of her mouth, she closed the bathroom door and turned the shower on, though as she waited for the water to heat up, she heard her sister’s voice. “Kenz, I’m going out. Lock up if you leave.” Mackenzie’s lips curved into a small smile and started to get undressed. Her sister was perhaps her biggest blessing and the reason that she was the most grateful. Her sister had been there through everything and had even given her a place to stay. “Thank you, Vi.”