Team8s and Counting Onwards

199. What's Left to Uncover

"You know what." Flare stood up. "It's not like our parents are going to change if we keep watching the show. I mean, they'll still be the same people who raised us from day one, right?"

Thread nodded, a determined expression on her face. "You're right, Flare. We're gonna have to just figure this out for ourselves. This can't be so...weird of a topic for me to bring up in the house anymore."

Bookmark stood up as well, looking between her friends. "Yeah, we can't let this just be some big unsolved mystery hanging over us. My Mimi and Needle seem to be ready to talk about all of this if we feel like we need to talk about."

Thread took a hold of her friend's hands. "And no matter what our parents do...we all have to promise not to take it out on eachother, right?"

Flare nodded. "Of course. We're our own people, and we shouldn't let our parent's actions control what we think of eachother." Flare grabbed her phone, and opened up BFDIA episode 1. "So...you guys ready to do this?"

Thread and Bookmark looked over at each other, and nodded. "We're ready." Thread said firmly. "We have to be."

Flare had put the phone in front of them, and was about to hit play, when suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.

"Hey guys, it's me!" Price Tag said from the other end of the door.

Bookmark grunted, annoyed that they interrupted their moment. "Come in."

Price Tag pushed the door open and stepped inside, a curious look on her face. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to check in on you girls. Everything okay in here?"

Bookmark sighed, but tried to mask her irritation with a smile. "Yeah, everything's fine, Mimi. Just... talking."

Price Tag's gaze softened. "I get it. You girls have a lot to talk about."

Flare exchanged a glance with Thread, who nodded slightly. "Yeah, we were just, uh... trying to figure some things out. You know, with the show and everything."

Price Tag's eyebrows furrowed as they took a seat at the edge of the bed, looking over at Flare and Thread. "I'm assuming you two know that I know?"

The two of them nodded. Flare spoke up. "It's honestly nice to have someone to talk about this with. You know how my moms are...there's never been a good time to bring it up."

Price tag nodded, understanding where Flare was coming from. "You know, you girls are getting older, and it's not like we can keep these secrets from you anymore. I mean...I was only on the show for so long, so I don't have nearly that many I feel I need to keep with you. I won't mention anyone in particular...but some of your parents went through a lot on the show, and I mean a lot."

Bookmark leaned forward. "But... do you think we're ready to see it?"

Price Tag sighed. "If it was up to Mom, then you wouldn't be watching this show until you're twenty. But in my opinion, there isn't any right time for you guys to dive into this. I mean, you already watched season one, so that's a start."

The air felt heavy as Bookmark and her friends processed Price Tag's words. It was like they had opened a door to a part of their parents' past that they could never fully close again. Bookmark's heart thudded in her chest as she thought about the weight of the stories waiting for her.

"So... what do we do now?" Thread asked quietly, her voice betraying her uncertainty.

Price Tag gave a soft smile, their eyes warm but full of understanding. "I think you just keep going, but make sure you guys stay together. Keep talking to each other, keep asking questions. If you feel like you need answers, come to me or Needle. But don't expect it to all be perfect. There's a lot that happened, and some of it isn't easy to face."

Flare shifted uncomfortably but nodded, as if trying to process everything at once. "It's just weird, you know? We're getting to this point where we can understand all the things our parents went through, but we don't know if they want us to."

Bookmark glanced at her friends, feeling a solidarity in the uncertainty they all shared. She wasn't sure if they would ever truly be ready for what they might uncover, but one thing was certain: the secrets their parents were hiding were a huge part of their lives, and that meant it would eventually become a part of theirs, too.

"We'll just have to face it," Bookmark said softly. "We can't pretend it's not there."

Price Tag nodded. "Exactly. And when the time comes, you'll be able to handle it. Just make sure you talk about it, whatever it is. Don't keep it inside."

The conversation felt heavy, but also comforting in its own way. It wasn't an easy path, but it was theirs to walk, and they wouldn't be doing it alone.

Flare reached for her phone again, tapping the screen. "I guess we should get back to the show, huh?"

"Yeah," Bookmark said, standing up from the bed. "Let's just watch the first episode. We'll take it slow."

Thread smiled a little. "Yeah. Maybe... we don't have to have all the answers tonight."

Price Tag stood up, their eyes flickering with affection for the girls. "Remember, you all have each other."

With that, Price Tag left the room, closing the door behind them. The three girls sat back down, the weight of their conversation lingering but also somehow lighter. Flare hit play on the episode, and the familiar characters and chaotic humor of BFDIA filled the room.

As the opening scene rolled, the girls were quiet, the unspoken bond of understanding between them stronger than before. They didn't know what the future would hold, but they knew they were ready to face it—together.

.......................................................

Boy, I knew that the day would come where I would have to write this chapter. I had it planned for today a couple of chapters ago...but then BFDIA 18 came out (spoilers below!)...

And writing this just hit so much harder. There were...ahem...things that happened in this episode that made me question literally everything I know about my favorite character. I won't lie when I say that the ending scene was the very first scene in my 10 years in the object show community that made me feel...kinda uneasy. I'm trying not to let this one episode change my opinion of Pin, especially in later seasons...but it's going  to be hard to see her, and her relationship with Coiny, the same way ever again.

Anyway, thanks for reading. See you in the next chapter!

- Sunny