Two Broken Souls

chapter twenty-seven

Three weeks later.

I returned to school three weeks later for the last week of school. I didn't have to be on campus for my finals, but I felt that this was a proper way to end my high school career.

I was sitting in Ms. Fosters office. It felt a little weird knowing that this was the last time that I was going to be in here. I was kind of sad, almost. I didn't want to have to say goodbye.

"Well, Mia." Ms. Forster smiled. "You've had one hell of a year, but you did it. Congratulations."

I allowed myself to smile because even though I wanted to give up, I made it to the end. "Thank you,"

"I will say, I am going to miss you."

I wanted to cut this meeting short, because if I stayed any longer. I might start crying. "Thank you for believing in me." She gave me a small hug, as she walked me out of her office.

I still had to empty out my locker of all my items.
I didn't have much in there, so I knew that it wasn't going to take me long. I will say, it felt weird saying goodbye to a tiny metal box that felt like my room, which I guess in a sense was.

This was my only private space I had all year.

The bell rang for the last senior final. I watched as my classmates ran out of their classrooms cheering. I've never seem so many students smiling in a hallway before.

I watched as Harry exited his class with Charlie by his side. He pushed through the sea of students and when he spotted me, his face went into a state of shock. We haven't spoken for the last three weeks ever since his confession at the diner.

I quickly shoved my body forward, and ducked my head trying to make myself small enough to the point where he wouldn't be able to see me anymore.

"Mia?" He asked.

I froze, but then I turned slowly, and when our eyes meet, his brown eyes are shining.

And as I looked into his eyes, I realized how very little I actually knew about him. All the things I knew were sort of surface level and I'd never gotten around to asking about the important things.

I waited for him to speak, but he didn't. He just stood there in shock like he couldn't believe that I was actually here.

But then, he did something that I wasn't expecting. He smiled. It was a smile that stretched across his whole face, crinkled the corners of his eyes.

And then he said, "Hey," he said it so casually, like this was the most normal thing in the world.

"Hi," I say, my frenzied brain trying to slow down and allow myself to play catch-up.

After a beat of silence, he says, "Congratulations." As he fixed his backpack that only laid on one shoulder.

I'm still gripping onto my locker. "So, where are you off to next year?" There's a sadness that reaches his eyes, but he tries to disguise it.

"Chapman. It's a school in Los Angeles. Good for baseball, you?" He informed me. So I guess he is going to try out for the big leagues still.

"I'm taking a gap year. Continue therapy and figure it out from there." I see relief flash in his eyes.

"That's good."

There's an awkward pause but then I smile and point behind me. "I should get going."

He nods and slowly steps aside to allow me to pass, but when I don't move, Harry steps forward, grabs me, and pulls me hard against his chest.

I immediately close my eyes when he wraps his arms around me. His hand goes up to the back of my head and he holds me still against him as we stand, surrounded by the busy hallway of our classmates passing us as they hurry to get out of here.

He presses a gentle kiss into my hair, and everything else seems to fade away. I clench his jacket in my hands and keep my face pressed tight against his chest.

After a minute, I pull back and look up at him. "Goodbye, Harry."

He lets me go. "Bye, Mia."

The end.