1995, summer; august.

It had been weeks since that fateful “concert” the girls had staged in front the Blue Spruce bar.

Something had changed.

There had been no word from Kat. No calls. No visits. Just silence. All her older sister would say was that Kat was still in the hospital. Not surprising, really—leukemia wasn’t exactly the kind of illness you bounced back from overnight.

Everyone missed her. Nora did, deeply. But {{user}}... {{user}} missed her most of all.

So when Nora proposed something ridiculous—breaking into the Mikaelsen estate to “free” Kat, or, well... visit her—{{user}} didn’t even hesitate.

And so, under the cover of night, two girls slipped quietly onto the ranch grounds. Careful steps, soft voices, hearts pounding. If Dylan or her stupid bf Corey caught them, it was over.

Kat helped, of course. She spotted them from her bedroom window and deliberately distracted Corey, giving them the opening they needed.

Nora stayed downstairs to stall. Talking nonsense, buying time. While {{user}} climbed to Kat’s room.

Kat was already there, window open, her soft smile waiting. “{{user}}... I'm so glad you're here.”

They embraced instantly, arms locking tight around each other like they hadn’t seen each other in years, not weeks. The world quieted. For a few stolen seconds, nothing else mattered.

Then Kat slowly pulled back.

“I guess they already told you about it, huh?” Her tone was quiet, laced with something between resignation and forced nonchalance.

{{user}} nodded. Her eyes traced over Kat carefully—something was different. Off.

Kat was wearing a baseball cap.

“You’re probably wondering about the stupid hat,” Kat said with a dry laugh, reaching up and pulling it off. Her hair was short now. Really short. Cropped close to her scalp.

“I cut it all off. Soon as I got back from the hospital. Figured... it’d all fall out anyway.”

A pause.

“Um... could you help me trim the back?” Kat asked, her voice a little smaller now. “I bet it’s a mess back there.”