✨ A Little Bit of Magic || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

✨ Chapter Thirty Nine

Yeah, I know I said I wasn't going to avoid him anymore. But every time I catch a glimpse of his stupid headband, or that familiar flowy jacket, my stomach starts to churn. Nowadays, Oliver doesn't spend much time with him. He's intent on spending that time he would with Zack with Norman and Ray, even that creep Nigel. But I guess in his case, anything is better than the guy you rejected. 

"Chickening out again?" Ray asked, flipping through a book by my side. "You bet." I grimaced, a little upset that he didn't have any faith in me. Ray gave him a quick glance, eyebrows so lightly furrowing. "Well, he hasn't done anything to reach out either. So don't feel inclined to have to do something. If he really wanted to know or felt something wrong, he would've talked to you." "How do you know?" I asked, skipping to his quickly fading silhouette. Even now, Ray was rushing to get to class on time. I guess stupid drama really didn't phase him, even if he was pretty involved. The black haired boy shrugged, glancing at me curiously with his right eye. "You knew him best, didn't you? What would your Zack have done in this situation?" 

Though untrue, it was a nice thought to have. That the Zack before all this was my Zack. The person I liked, the boy that was my best friend. Someone that changed me completely- Someone I'd be willing to change even more for. Thinking about him sent an excruciatingly painful stab through my chest, like I was feeling my heart break in real time. 

It's been a week since that fateful Saturday. And nothing has changed.

I found myself awake at a much earlier time than my usual 10- 11 weekend sleep-ins. "This is stupid," I muttered to myself, glancing at the ticking clock above my bed reading 5:23 a.m. It was unlike me to be up before eight, but I guess these days I've been pretty different. I shuffled my way to bathroom, not really caring much about Emma's loud snoring. That girl slept like a rock anyways. The tile floor was cold on my feet, sending shivers up my spine. I shuddered, turning on the sink to wash my face. It was a bit eerie, being up so early alone. The sun hadn't begun to rise yet, and I couldn't bring myself to go back to bed. 

"y/n."

I whipped around, a familiar voice whispering my name. "Who- Who's there!" I whisper shouted back, coming face to face with a pair of people I'd last seen more than five years ago. But the exact scene was the one I was trying to get rid of most in my life. "M- Mom? Dad?" I stuttered the words out, a suffocating heat filling my chest. Burning tears welled up in my eyes, quickly spilling over the brim. This- This has to be a dream. This can't be real. I stumbled backwards, almost collapsing over the sink. "y/n." They said my name again, a sickly sort of chills running down my whole body. I couldn't bring myself to move. Icy cold water spilled from the clogged sink, the back of my t-shirt growing wet. I could only watch in horror as the two phantoms resembling my parents stepped to my side. Their ghostly apparitions were borderline transparent. The one looking like my mother spoke first, her voice barely audible over my shivering and running water. "I'm actually quite glad you can make that sort of face now, y/n. You hadn't for so long." "y/n, I know you're scared. I know you're shocked. But listen carefully, please, to what I'm about to say." My father took a deep breath, his silvery-white hair glistening underneath the bathroom's dim lamps. "When the chance arrives, and it will, for you to bring back something you hold very dear, please don't take it. The past is the past. And you'll come to accept it. You'll come to grow. As humans, it's what we do." 

"Honey, you're still calling yourself that?"

My dad grinned, glancing at the slender figure of my mother. "Humans," She giggled, giving me a wink. She brushed aside her waist-length hair, revealing a set of pointed ears. My father snapped his fingers, his rounded ears also changing into that similar shape. "I hate that you have to find out this way, y/n. But you have to know. It would be now or never. You're destined for great things. You're destined to change this world. Always believe in yourself. Always believe in love." 

They disappeared after those words, a still very confused, traumatized, and shocked me just falling to floor. I reached over to turn the sink off, but the floor was already layered in a thin film of cold water. A droplet fell from the sky, sending ripples through the small lake I'd created. My face started to grow warm again, as I realized what the droplet had been. A tear. An ocean of them followed as I cried on the icy tile floor, the image of them running rampant in my head. I'd almost forgotten what they'd looked like. I'd almost forgotten their sounds. But how could they tell me to believe in love... When it didn't save them? When it didn't save me? 

Emma burst into the bathroom. "y-y/n! I heard you crying, what's wrong!" She gasped at the sight of me, all in shambles, sprawled across the floor. Without a second thought she dropped to my side, pulling me into a tight hug. "It- It's okay, y/n. I'm here. You're okay now." I don't know how long I cried for. But it felt better after I let it all out. And maybe, it was time to tell Emma everything. I hope she'll understand. I hope she'll want to help me shoulder this pain.