woman like me - j.f✔️

XXVI

Spring break had finished, and it was now back to school for everyone. Love and Rowan were still happy, most of the time, and Justin found himself in the counsellor's office at the end of their second week. She was asking a million questioned, but Justin had short of a million answers.

"Is there any struggle to make friends?" She asked. Not at all, he fit in immediately with the team. And despite his wobbly friendship with Love, they were doing pretty well.

"No." He answered. There was nothing more to say to that other than a short answer.

"So," she began. "What you've told me regarding your past is definitely challenging, and I can understand how it might be triggering. But you're in a new town, you have a new start. If you need anything, my office is open as is Miss Weston's. I know the both of you are quite good friends."

"Thank you, Mrs King." Justin spoke, standing up from his chair. She interjected before he could leave, so he turned and faced her.

"I'd encourage spending more time with Miss Weston," she stated, closing the book she'd been writing in. "She's a good influence on people." She was right, and Justin knew that.

At lunch, Justin and Love decided to eat in her room instead of sitting uncomfortably in the busy cafeteria. It was quiet, and they sat at a table together, eating and talking.

"So what did Mrs King say?" Love asked, looking up at him. He seemed to be enjoying a packed lunch, which Love forced him to try. It was so much better than cafeteria food.

"She told me to spend more time with you." He answered honestly, meeting her gaze. She giggled, assuming it was a joke, but his features remained the same.

"Really? Well, okay then." She replied. "We'll make Saturday's our thing. And possible Friday's." She'd sipped on her water, throwing her lunch away and sitting back down opposite him. "As long as you promise not to ghost until Tuesday again."

"I promise." He laughed. He made himself another promise that day, to tell Love everything. This weekend. Mrs King was wrong about starting fresh here, as his best friend had the biggest, strongest link to his old life. And she didn't even know.

"They're still doing reruns at the theatre, I think this weekend is Civil War." Love mentioned, grabbing her bag and swinging it over her shoulder. "Do not say a word of it until Saturday, I don't want to hear your opinions until we're out of school."

"You realise Saturday is tomorrow, right?" He asked. She didn't. She'd been so busy with the room, and the students she'd been helping, that she'd forgotten most days. Soon enough she'd be needing to bring a notice board around with her.

"Of course," she lied. "See you tomorrow. Paolo's?" She walked out of her room and to her locker, finding books for her next class.

"Always." He called out.

short filler :)