Team8s and Counting Onwards

Flare and Bookmark were over at Thread's house doing their usual: watching BFDI to see what their parents were up to before they were born. They had just finished up the saga that is BFDIA 5, and the girls were left with more questions than answers.

"So, Flare..." Bookmark said softly. "Our parents were good friends, it looks like."

"Yeah." Flare responded, unsure of how to react. "It's strange, I always thought your parents were never really fond of mine!"

"Well, I know my parents sure aren't." Thread said.

"That makes more sense though." Flare added. "After all, they were on separate teams."

"But that still doesn't add up?" Bookmark questioned. "My mom seems to be on pretty good terms with all of Thread's parents. You'd think if they managed to make up after their little swing incident, Pencil would have probably become more friendly with Pin, right?"

Flare turned her head away from the two girls, taking all of this in. She knew her moms weren't always the nicest people, particularly Pencil, but after seeing Pencil and Book get along for the most part, it was hard for her to believe that Book hated them that much. "I'm guessing my mom never became a full member of Freesmart then..."

Thread tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Flare sighed. "Remember, Book and Icy technically aren't even members of the alliance, they're just alternates."

"But won't they be members now that Bubble and Match aren't there anymore?" Bookmark asked.

Flare grunted in confusion. "It's hard to know what they mean by 'if someone leaves'. Do they mean leaving the show, or leaving the alliance all together?"

Thread scratched her chin. "I don't know. I mean, didn't Icy get to be part of the alliance when Match got eliminated in season one? Why can't the same happen here?"

"Yeah, good point!" Bookmark added, a smile tugging at her face. "Looks like my mom gets to be a member after all, doesn't she?"

"You're saying it like that's a good thing." Thread added. "Maybe this is just my parents being my parents...but I don't remember them ever talking about Pencil in a positive light."

Flare felt uneasy. "Great. Now I feel like garbage, it looks like I have the bad moms."

"I wouldn't jump to that so quickly, Flare." Bookmark reassured her. "My Mimi said that my mom isn't very proud of some things she did on the show, who ever said it was Pencils fault."

"Yeah!" Thread added. "So has my mom, Pin, for that matter. She always feels bad about the mistakes she made, it's why she hasn't let me watch the show in the first place."

Flare wiped a tear from her eye. She wanted to believe her friends, but something was telling her that her moms, at least Pencil, was the villain here. "...if my mom wasn't the villain...then why does she feel like the outcast among all our parents."

Thread glanced at Bookmark, unsure of what to say. Bookmark bit her lip, deep in thought. The silence between them lingered until Bookmark finally spoke.

"Maybe it's not about being a villain," Bookmark said slowly. "Maybe it's just... the way things turned out. People drift apart, or they don't make up the way you'd expect them to."

Flare let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, or maybe my mom just didn't want to."

Thread frowned. "You don't know that for sure. And even if Pencil wasn't the best friend back then, that doesn't mean she didn't care about them."

Flare hugged her knees. "I don't know. It's just weird seeing all of our parents like that, all tangled up in old friendships and drama. It's like they had this whole life before us that we barely understand."