Taunt

Chapter 33- Taunting Bonfires

* WARNING: TRIGGERING WORDS AHEAD *
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[] A M E L I A []

My dad always said that life can be split into a series of chapters. Where each chapter held something new, and when you turned back to look, that chapter was unchanged. Some chapters were bitter and weren't worth another read. However, some chapters were ones you had engraved into your mind. They were so vivid, so explicit, you couldn't let them go however much you tried.

I've always believed life to be this sort of book, filled with many chapters and many hidden passages. Within this book, we come across many characters. Some stay throughout the course of the story, and some simply come and go. However, there are some characters that leave an imprint so strong, that you can never look past it.

And often those characters are a part of the most important chapter of your life.

It was in this moment, as I stared at the same girl I met four years ago, that I realized that people like that truly existed.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" Clara exclaimed, her hands shaking my shoulders in excitement.

I let out a breath and nodded at her, still shaken up about our past together. I was still hung up on the fact that she might know my past, but for some reason, I wasn't as scared about that now. The way she excitedly greeted me, calmed me down greatly.

"Me too," I replied.

Her eyes turned sadder then, a small pout at her lips.

"I lost your number that day in the taxi," she explained.

"It's alright. We meet again," I said.

I really couldn't comprehend that this was the same girl I had met on the bus that day. It wasn't like I could forget any of the events from that day. Every part of that chapter was fresh in my mind.

Every part of that day, from leaving school early, to getting on the bus and meeting Clara, to getting hot chocolate with her before sending her home, to meeting Brittany for our last shopping spree together-

To going home and picking our outfits-

To seeing her off before we entered the party-

To blacking out after I saw them-

Everything was engraved into my mind.

I stared at Clara, unknown emotions running through me. I last saw her in a wheelchair. And she was the second last person to witness the old Amelia Harrison, the girl who always lent a helping hand.

And she remembered her.

Unable to hold it in, I leaned forward and gave her a hug.

"I'm so happy to see that you're walking again," I sincerely said.

She let out a shaky breath at my words and I finally pulled away from her.

"I did Amelia. I really did," she with a sigh. "I can't believe you're the Amelia that my brother and the boys were talking about-"

Before she could continue, the door burst open, causing me to jerk away from Clara. I turned to the door, just in time to see Leo casually walking up to us with his hands thrown in his pockets. He stopped beside me, facing Clara with a small grin.

"Lars," he simply greeted.

At his greeting Clara took an excited step forward and wrapped her arms around her brother's shoulders. He hugged her back, chuckling as he did so.