Vanished || l.h. au

nine

She muttered something, but I was too lost in my thoughts to quite catch it.

"What was that?" I asked, wanting her to repeat. She let out a huff of air and looked over at me, seeming to question whether or not to tell me. I reached out a hand to her shoulder and gently squeezed it. "You can tell me." I said, giving her a reassuring smile.

She sighed and turned around to sit up, I following her actions.

"That wasn't the first time we met, Luke." She said, ducking her head as she played with the sand to distract herself. I scrunched my eyebrows and looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"We went to middle school together, too. We used to be in the same math class actually. I guess you just never noticed me." She said, continuing to cup the sand only to let it fall back to the ground.

"So we've been around each other for the past four years, yet I've only known you the past six months?" I asked. How have I never noticed her before? I could see how with the beginning of high school and all, everyone becomes one big blur; but middle school too?

She laughed, lifting her head to look at me. "It's not a secret that I'm just a reject, Luke. No one cares about me to notice my existence." She says it like a joke but I know the thought hurts her.

Wrapping my arms around her shoulders I brought her in for a side hug.

"Well I care about you, Beth. And your existence doesn't go unnoticed. At least not by me. Not anymore and not ever again, you understand?" She nodded her head as she leaned further into me.

"I'm happy I have you, Luke." She said, wrapping her arms around my waist. I smiled, burying my face in her hair.

"Same goes to you." As we sat in the sand together, I told myself I was never going to be alright. Not without her. Whether she knew it or not, I was wrapped around her finger, and I don't think that's ever going change.

I stared down at the picture frame in my hands from that day at the beach three years ago. Our arms wrapped around each other as she leaned into me with my head rested on hers. My mother snuck a picture of us, and next thing I know it's being printed out at our local Walgreens the minute we return home and placed on both Beth and I's mantle places in our respective homes.

But it wasn't just the memory that made me nostalgic. It was life in general. I missed being able to hold her, argue with my mom even though I loved her to pieces, or joke around with Michael and Ashton. I was tired of being invisible. I just wanted to be seen. I wanted to come back, but I couldn't until I figured out what is even happening to me.

I sighed, placing the photo in my lap as I leaned back into Beth's couch and looked up at the ceiling.

"I need a miracle." I muttered and closed my eyes.

Beth.

"Ashton is seriously the slowest coffee maker ever." Michael groaned, dropping his head onto the table. I giggled and patted his now green hair.

"You literally just ordered, Michael. Give him a second." All Michael said in response was a bunch of garbled words I couldn't even attempt to decipher.

"Here's your coffee, Michael." Ashton said, pulling up a chair from another table as he sat and handed the cup to Michael.

"Praise." Michael responded, grabbing the coffee like it was his life source.

"School was hell today." I said, trying to spark a conversation. People were still staring at me everywhere I went, which was really uncomfortable. I tried talking to Calum since he was my friend, but per usual, Michael prevented that.