But I don't wanna live that way, reading into every word you say. You said that you could let it go and I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
-"Somebody That I Used To Know" Gotye
[One Year Earlier]
Do you know that moment when everything is just blissfully perfect? Ok no, perfect isn't the right word because life isn't ever one hundred percent perfect. But it get's pretty damn close sometimes. On those precious days when everything is just turning out alright.
That's how Isabelle felt in the passenger seat of her best friend Elodie's car as she and their best friend Theo were driving home to Colorado during winter break. It was their senior year of college and they had all agreed that heading home to visit their families and spending the holidays together was the way to go.
Her first three years of college, she distanced herself from her family as much as she could because she thought she had screwed up. Well she still thought that thirty minutes before Theo and Elodie forced her to pack her bags the second they got to their shared apartment. But there's just something about being on the open road with your friends that makes your worries disappear out the car window.
That doesn't mean she wasn't worried... she was still scared shitless that her parents would be mad that she dropped out of law school to pursue a career in journalism but that would be a problem for later. Right now the main issue was the radio station and when the next rest stop would be because Theo needed to use the bathroom.
"Hey I think we're getting close to Springfield," Elodie smiled turning up the volume on the radio. Some Ed Sheeran song was playing and Elodie adored him.
"Well no shit Sherlock, we just passed the sign that said we're 15 miles away from Springfield," Theo grumbled from the back seat.
"Don't ruin the mood, you're just mad you didn't get to ride shotgun," Isabelle told him and he just rolled his eyes.
"Can we stop to get something to eat? I'm starving," he complained and Isabelle nodded her head.
"Yeah I'm pretty hungry too," Elodie agreed and she started to make her way out of the highway and towards a rest stop that had a diner and a gas station.
"Hey didn't we come here prom night when-" Isabelle began saying as they parked the car but Theo shushed her.
"Girl no, let's not go down that path again. I should've never asked Matt Davis to prom," he shook his head.
"You were so harsh on him just because his tie didn't match his corsage," Elodie laughs as they approach the old diner.
"Who wears a red tie when their flower corsage is purple??" Theo asks incredulously as if everyone should know this.
"Normal dates," Elodie points out. An older woman spotted them when they entered the diner and she guided the trio towards an empty table.
"Well at least my prom date didn't puke on me," he retaliated and Elodie glared at him. Isabelle snickered, remembering how Elodie's date had one too many appetizers and ended up throwing up on the pretty silver dress she worked so hard to buy.
"Hey don't you start laughing at me Belle, you're the queen of prom night disasters," Elodie reminds her.
"That's true," Isabelle laughs as she gives the waitress her order.
"How are you not in the slightest scared about coming back home?" Theo asks her once he finishes ordering himself.
"Oh trust me I'm dying on the inside," she assured him remembering the last time she had been here. Isabelle scowled as the memories resurfaced.
Coming home was definitely risky and Isabelle had a lot to lose. She wasn't the best person when she was in high school. Not like she skipped classes or anything. She was never a rebel. She was the exact opposite actually. She worked herself to the point of anxiety and depression and then took it out on the people who cared about her the most. She owed lots of people an apology but she knew her pride didn't allow it.
When Isabelle agreed to come back home, she promised herself she wouldn't worry too much about what people thought or remembered about her. Especially not what he remembered. He hurt her the most but he was finally happy now. He got everything he ever wanted and she got what she deserved. Aiden was Isabelle's deepest regret and now she was just somebody he used to know.
"Wait, actually can we have it to go?" Theo asked their waitress, who frowns but nods her head nevertheless. She was probably eager to have the group of teenagers out of the restaurant as soon as possible anyway.
"Why the change of plans? I'm hungry," Elodie asks him.
"Because it's going to get dark soon and I want to get home before then," he explained. Isabelle felt the exact opposite. The later they get home, the higher the probability that her parents were asleep. That meant she wouldn't have to deal with telling them why she suddenly decided to pop home for the holidays after three years of being MIA.
"Wake me up when we get to my house," she told Elodie as they headed back towards the car with their food. Isabelle wrapped herself up in a blanket and laid down in the backseat with a bag of fries.
She ate her fries and went through social medias on her phone until she fell asleep. That was basically her idea of fun anyway. The only thing that woke her up a couple of times was the occasional speed bump and Elodie's horrible out of tune singing.
"Belle wake up! We're at your house!" Isabelle heard someone yell but she just grumbled in annoyance and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.
"Five more minutes," she pleaded but Elodie just yanked the blankets away, exposing her to the cold winter air of Colorado.
"Get out of my car loser, I want to go home," Elodie laughs as she helped Isabelle unload the luggage from the back of her car.
Isabelle smiled as she felt the soft snow crunch under her feet as she waved goodbye to her friends as they drove away. She took a deep breath and began walking towards her house.
Here goes nothing.
~~~
In case anyone is confused, this is all one year earlier. All of the chapters in the book are basically going to explain what the hell was going on in the prologue and what led to it happening in the first place. Hope you guys like it :)
~Lorna~
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