Seen Not Heard || BOOK 1

11:45 pm

Chapter Thirteen ~ Idina

The gang and I sit in a circle on the rooftop in the middle of the dancefloor after almost everyone has left. I'm stroking Ollie's soft little head

"Hey, can we play with him?" Maya and Riley ask.

"Of course," I say, pulling Ollie off my lap and handing him off to the girls. They begin running around with him. I smile as they play with him. After seeing the little pup almost pass out from exhaustion I call Auggie over.

"Hey, Augs, wanna do me a favor and bring Ollie downstairs?" I ask. He gleefully nods and grabs the pup's leash from Riley as he leads him to the door.

"We'll be in my room," he says before shutting the door behind him. Now it's just me and my best friends left. Riley, Maya, and Farkle are talking, as Lucas pokes my shoulder gently.

"Hey, can we talk for a minute?" He asks. I nod, feeling a little worried by his serious expression. He helps me to my feet, then leads me to the edge of the rooftop. I lean my elbows against the brick ledge and look out at the lit up New York City sky.

"What time were you born at?" he asks.

"11:45 pm," I chuckle, "My birthday was almost tomorrow."

"11:45, there's still time to start off a new year with the truth," he says, I stare at him with confusion and he sighs, "Just know I'm doing this because you're one of my best friends in the entire world, and I love you like I love Maya, Riley, and Farkle, and I only want you to be happy, but you can't be happy if you aren't open with your best friends."

"What's your point..."

*"I gave you some time to tell everybody the truth about you, and you haven't done anything about it yet. Guess how much time you have left?"

"Oh. This has something to do with the time, doesn't it?" I ask with fear in my throat.

"Tell them about your past, about your father, about the real reason you're in New York. Just tell them the truth. Don't start fifteen off with a lie," he says, "11:45 pm"

"How could you? You know I'm not ready for that yet. What if they hate me for it? What if..."

"You don't know that will happen. I know it won't."

"Lucas, you promised that you wouldn't tell anybody. How could you do this to me?"

"I'm doing it for you, Idina. I care so much about you, I want you to know that the truth is always the best thing."

"How is it the best thing if it turns everything into a mess?"

"You don't think this is a mess already? I want you to tell them. I know you would have me do the same thing. You ever heard of the horn of Gabriel?"

"No."

"Well, he's an angel, and they say when he blows his horn, it's the end of time. If you don't tell everybody about the real you, this horn blows at a quarter to midnight," Lucas sees I'm almost in tears, "look, I know it's scary, even terrifying. But if I can ride a bull in front of a town where I'm a failure, then you can be honest with the people who love and accept you the most," he walks back over to the gang.

I look at my phone. 11:15 pm. I still have half an hour before one of my best friends destroys me.

*some lines in chapter direct lines, or variations of lines from GMW*