lost little one

chapter 28

** time skip to when lia is 13 **
(this chapter starts on tuesday september 19th 2023)

lia's pov:
today marked another chapter in the saga of secondary school, where exhaustion was the reigning theme, yet the silver lining was the reunion with my comrades. as the day commenced, i strolled with purpose, destined to rendezvous with emilia and hayden for our customary walk to school.

emerging from the comfort of my bed, i garbed myself in a snug pair of azure skinny jeans paired with an oversized, comforting grey hoodie. after slipping into socks, i gathered my essentials: school bag and phone.

descending to the kitchen, my quest for hydration led me to the fridge, where i retrieved my trusty bottle of water. a soft shuffle behind me heralded my mother's presence.

"good morning, sweetie," she greeted, planting a tender kiss upon my forehead.

"morning, mom," i returned the gesture with a smile.

"care for a bite, darling?" she offered gently.

"i'm running a tad behind, meeting emilia and hayden. i'll grab something en route. anyway, i should get going," i explained, embracing her before departure.

"bye, sweetie. have a great day," she bid farewell, bestowing another kiss on my forehead.

"have a good day on set," i added, acknowledging her own endeavors.

after stashing my bottle in my bag, i embarked on the journey to our designated rendezvous, the local coffee shop.

arriving at the meeting point, i scanned the vicinity, eagerly anticipating the arrival of my companions. a tap on my shoulder jolted me from my reverie, and i turned to behold emilia's familiar visage.

"hey, emmy!" i greeted with a smile, enveloping her in a warm hug.

"hey there, els. how was your evening?" she inquired, reciprocating the embrace.

"it was good, thank you. yours?" i inquired, pulling back from the hug.

"it was great," she affirmed.

"oh, look, there's hayden," emilia noted, directing my attention to his approach.

observing hayden's approach, i braced myself for his signature bear hug. true to form, he pulled us both into a tight embrace before releasing us.

"hey, haybear," i teased with a laugh, knowing full well his disdain for the nickname.

"lia-belle, don't call me that," he protested with a mock pout.

"shut it, hay," i chuckled.

"you two are such lovebirds," emilia teased, her laughter bubbling forth.

"we are not," we both retorted in perfect harmony, denying any inkling of romantic entanglement.

the three of us arrived at school promptly, the brisk five-minute walk serving as our morning ritual. upon arrival, we rendezvoused with the rest of our circle: adeline, jessica, and megan.

"being the lone wolf among the pack of girls is brutal," hayden lamented dramatically.

"don't worry, haybear, the boys are lurking around here somewhere," i teased with a laugh.

"they're over there," adeline pointed out, earning a grateful nod from hayden.

as if summoned by our presence, the three boys soon ambled in our direction.

"hey, girls, and hayden," matthew greeted warmly.

"hello, matthew, and gentlemen," jessica replied with a nod of acknowledgment.