Watching the Fishes (Open)

[Cara Hayes]

Cara was feeling overwhelmed with all her schoolwork, the stress of it all threatening to bring her to tears. Her chest felt heavy and constricted with emotion and she felt that if she spent another moment indoors, she would go absolutely mad. Whenever she felt unhappy, Cara almost always did the same thing: She would head towards the pond and watch the koi fish swimming. Something about fish never failed to bring a smile to her face and a bit of peace into her chaotic mind.

Cara sat down by the pond, taking off her socks to soak her feet a little in the ice cold water. She wiggled her toes a little, smiling at the sensation despite her sensitivity to cold. She watched the fish twirl around her feet, feeling slightly envious of them. Cara imagined their minds were relatively simple and sometimes, she wished her mind was as simple as theirs. She imagined that if it was, Cara wouldn't be as miserable as she was all the time. She wouldn't worry or feel upset about her lack of friends, about grades, or even about how lonely she was all the time. Yes...if she was a fish, she wouldn't be Cara anymore, and that thought made her lips stretch up in a sad smile.

[Mia Bell]

Mia walked outside from the auditorium; a slight shiver ran through her body but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. She liked the cold and it wasn’t much of a big thing for her; she was just glad winter was around the corner. She had just got done messing around in the auditorium, its one place to the school she spent most of her time other than her dorm room. It was the one place she could truly relax and calm her mind. It was the one place she did most of her homework and studying at; just because of how much just sitting on the stage relaxed her and besides that it was one of the places at the school where people rarely go so she didn’t have to worry about being bothered too much. Not to mention the people who did catch her in the building were usually musician so she didn’t mind being interrupted because it gave her someone to bond over music with. But like stated before that rarely happened.

Mia merely walked around the campus, just watching people as she walked by. It was something she did on occasion; you never know when someone might need a friend or stranger to cheer them up. Mia was all up for making new friends.

The pink haired teenager came to the pond; no one was around other than one other girl. Mia smiled gently, she was alone and Mia knew very well most of the people who were alone wanted to be alone. But there was something about this girl that stated otherwise; it might have been the small smile she saw the girl give to the fish. Mia frowned but then smiled as she made her way closer to the girl. She stood at the girl’s side, so the ginger might have already seen her coming. “Hi! I’m Mia! Is it okay if I sit with you?”

[Cara Hayes]

Cara looked up at the pink-haired girl with a surprised smile. "Oh! Yes, of course you may," she exclaimed, delighted that someone was talking to her. "I love the fish, it makes me happy to watch them swim," she said softly, wiggling her toes again as the fish swam around her feet. "They are so cute."

The girl seemed very friendly and kind and Cara felt somehow at ease in her presence. "What's your name?" she asked, almost in a whisper. A timid smile ran across her lips, along with a hope for a new friendship. "Are you in my music class?"

All gloominess and worries disappeared rapidly - or at least, were forgotten - as Cara was so pleased to be talking to someone.

[Mia Bell]

Mia grinned and sat down on the ground next to the girl. She saw the difference in her smile as Mia asked to sit down. That alone brought a smile to her face; glad that she had made at least one person’s day today. Mia nodded “Watching them just makes me feel peaceful inside.” She wished her life was as easy as the fish in the pond and as peaceful. It also gave her hope, that one day her life would be just as peaceful as theirs. She smiled “Very cute.”

“Mia. And yours?” Mia wasn’t aware that her presence put the girl at ease; but she would have been glad it did. Maybe she would make a good psychologist after all. Mia nodded “Yup, the one with Ms. Wheaton right? Yeah.” Then again, Mia was pretty sure there was only one music class anyways. “So, do you sing? Or play something?” She knew Hayley had everyone say what they could do. But there were so many people she forgot what most of her classmates could do.

[Cara Hayes]

Cara was delighted to have Mia sit next to her. When the girl commented about the fish, she nodded her head. "Yes! Isn't it? I...I think too much. Sometimes I'd rather be more like them, swimming so carefree like that," she said. She wondered what happened to them when the pond freezed over and felt a little sad that when winter came, she wouldn't be able to admire them anymore.

Suddenly, glancing at Mia, she squeaked: "I love your hair!" Cara had always wanted to dye her hair a different color, just because she adored colors so much. If she had the choice, she would have a different hair color for every day of the week.

"My name is Cara. It's nice to meet you, Mia," she said, brushing her hair back from her face timidly. "You seem so friendly and nice.. I kind of wish I met you sooner," she whispered softly, her cheeks reddening in her shyness. "I play the piano a bit. I sing," she said. "Although no one's actually heard me before," she added with a soft giggle.

"What about you?" Cara hadn't actually introduced herself in the music class yet, as she had purposely avoided raising her hand when the teacher asked them to do so. She remember Mia talking, but as Cara was so nervous in that first class, the details were very vague.

She then realized her toes turning a little blue with cold. "Oh!!" she squeaked, surprised. She jerked her feet away from the water, placing her socks back on her trembling toes. "I'm kind of sensitive to cold," she said with a sheepish smile. "Maybe I shouldn't be doing that during this time of year."

[Mia Bell]

Mia nodded “Same here. Sometimes I just wish I was a kid again…” She wished everything would get easier as time went on, but it nothing seemed to get easier. Mia knew now she had to make things easier instead of wishing it would; it was her life, she needed to make some changes. Mia knew the fish just swam in the water, it was only the surface that freezed over so the fish weren’t in harm’s way.

Mia chuckled a bit and blushed. “Aw, thanks! I love it too.” That was something she heard all the time, but even still when she heard it she couldn’t help but be thankful for the compliment. She just kind of wished that people would comment on something other than her hair, like her eyes or something. “Have you ever thought about dying yours?” small talk.

Mia blushed even more “Oh.. thanks? You seem very nice. But, at least we’ve met now. No harm in that, right?” She was close enough to hear the girl when she whispered it. She grinned at Cara “Ah! That’s awesome. I can also play the piano and keyboard and violin. Oh and I can sing. I had actually just came from the auditorium. “She smiled warmly “I would love to hear you sing sometime and maybe we can even sing together!” And if the girl wanted to; Care could record her singing songs, Mia’s uncle was the owner of the music store in the mall and the back room that was supposed to be a storage room was a recording studio.


Looking at the girl’s feet she frowned. “Hmm.. I see, well as long as you don’t keep your feet in the water for too long you’ll be okay, life would be boring if you didn’t take risks now and then.” Mia smiled at Cara “I personally love the cold.”