𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄 ↠ 𝐓𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝

chapter 9: saturn

"Those we love never truly leave us. There are things death can never touch." - Jack Thorne

☆☆☆☆
Song for chapter:

Ellie Goulding - Dead In The Water

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"HEY! Long time, no hear!" Lacey says excitedly over the phone.

I sigh in relief, hearing her familiar upbeat voice in my ear. "Same. How are things back in Minnesota?" I ask.

"Boring as hell," she answers. "Would be way better if you were here."

"Yeah, I miss you guys," I say.

"We do too. Don't worry, you have not been forgotten."

Night has fallen. My parents are downstairs cooking dinner and I smell the aroma from my room. Between me adjusting to Missouri and missing my old friends, I decided to pick up the phone to check on them.

"Anything new over there?" I ask, pacing back and forth.

"Nothing much. You remember that girl Brandy we had Chemistry class with? She got a nose job and it looks terrible!" she laughs.

I chuckle. "Serves her right, I guess."

Brandy Dotson was the queen of Rivermond High back home at my old school. She was always flawless, perfect body, beautiful chestnut hair, and makeup that always seemed to be done by a makeup artist. She was considered the most beautiful girl in school. But looks can be deceiving. Her personality was ugly, and looks like karma got her back by giving her a nasty nose job.

She never messed with Lacey and I, and our group of friends. If she did, there would be repercussions. But she did begin to be very nice to me after what happened back home. She showed a side of her I've never seen before, even going out of her way to say sorry and ask how I was doing.

Lacey and I are a lot alike as far as having a very low tolerance for bullshit. Lacey is also gorgeous, her shoulder length aubrun hair always nicely curled, and the prettiest hazel eyes. When things got rough back home, we decided to smoke weed, finding it calming and easing the tension we all felt.

"What about over there? How's things goin'?" she asks me.

"Alright, I suppose. It's still weird being here. But I'm making the best of it," I snicker lightly.

"No bitches?"

"Trust me. There are bitches."

We both burst out in laughter. "You seem different," Lacey points out.

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno. You seem...happier. I haven't heard you laugh in forever and just in this conversation, you've laughed three times. It's good to hear."

I didn't notice I was laughing. Laughing way more than I use to back home. Barely a smile would form on my lips, much less a laugh. I ponder on that thought, trying to pinpoint where it all started. And I believe the first time I laughed since moving was when Austin told me Clare tried to have sex with him.

"Well, I've been going to a support group. So that's been helping. I'm also on new medication which seems to help a bit as well," I tell.

"That's amazing! I'm so happy for you girl!" she exclaims. "Have you made any new friends?"

"Uhhh..." I say, my mind going back to the one person I consider close to being a friend. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well...what are they like? Who is the person?"