are we still friends? [hbh]

(024) "fulfilling a fantasy"

- ۪۪̥˚┊❛fulfilling a fantasy❜┊˚͙۪۪̥◌
s2 : e3 the feelings pit

AKILA

RUNNING HAD BECOME a coping mechanism of sorts when Chook and I had dated. I had used it as an excuse to get out on my own and be with my own thoughts without someone else constant input. It's something I hadn't done in a while, not since the festival. The festival that was the beginning of me and Ant.

Although I enjoyed it I didn't feel it was something I needed to do anymore, I wasn't craving to have time with my own feelings anymore. I didn't need to run away from my relationships.

I had already made the decision to take the day off, wanting nothing less than to walk through the gates of Hartley and be met with the sympathetic eyes of those who I knew didn't really care. I didn't need that.

I had forced Missy to leave late last night despite her insistence on staying around and not wanting to leave me alone but I needed it.

There hasn't been a day in the last week where Ant and I hadn't been together, constantly sat within one another's back pocket. At the time I hadn't minded but I was starting to realise our mistake. Maybe we had gone at this relationship too fast, maybe it was becoming too much for the both of us.

Why else would he kiss Harper?

His messages had stopped coming through my phone after his visit last night, having taken on board some of what I wanted. Space. I wasn't sure how I felt about it yet and I needed the time to do that, alone.

It doesn't take me long to reach the park, music pumping into my ears as I run along the path but as a familiar face comes into view I slow down. "Cash? What are you doing here?" I ask him, finding him lying down in the grass as he stares up at the sky I pull my headphones from my ears.

"Akila? I'm uh- I'm on a walk." He tells me attempting to find convincing but I stare at him further confused. He lifts up his sunglasses placing them on the top of his head and it doesn't take me long to realise.

We had spoken briefly once he got out after the case had been dropped but this was the first time I had seen him. I didn't know how he felt about being out but I also knew he wouldn't be keen to talk about it. Now he was back, he was back to being surrounded by those he had been so desperately trying to get away from.

"Holy shit, you're high aren't you?" I ask, watching as he shakes his head at my question. "Nah, No I'm not." He tells me but I roll my eyes falling onto the grass beside him. "Fine, I am." He admits, a smile on his face.

"Wait why are you here? How come you're not in school?" He turns my way, turning the questioning onto me instead. Although his question seems genuine, it was impossible that he didn't already know what had happened. Darren would have caught him up on it as soon as it all came out.

"You're telling me Darren hasn't told you already?" I ask him, he pauses for a moment as if he's going to deny the gossip but then changes his mind.

"Uh, yeah they have. I was going to message you but I wanted to give you time, you know." He tells me, although we weren't the closest the two of us knew how one another worked. He knew I liked space during these sorts of things and I was grateful that he had given me that. "Are you- are you okay though?" He asks.