The Fragmented Luna

Valerie's home

I grabbed the luggage out of Nixon's car as soon as we arrived back at Valerie's mansion style house. Valerie remained lost in thoughts at the three of us walked towards another part of the mansion. I knew tonight Valerie's parents would be home but I had no idea what to expect when I met them. Nixon went off to another part of the house with his bruised hand sticking out like a sore thumb. Valerie sighed as soon as he left the area looking more relaxed than before.

"I'm so glad he's gone. You guys need to just get this thing out of your system before you start hurting other people", she said dramatically. She smiled at me with that sly smile of hers like she had something on her mind. "I could almost see the sparks flying", she said as she winked towards me.

"No Valerie. I just didn't want to go against my word. Besides we have an English assignment that we need to finish in two more days" I told her honestly. A part of me that was afraid to face Nixon but there was another part of me that refused to back down. That other part of me wanted me to face this fight head on because I wanted to see the real Nixon. I wanted to see beneath his outer shell into the pained soul that lay beneath.

"Sorry, I only tease you because I love you bestie", Valerie said. I almost forgot that Valerie had the strength of a wild animal until she used all her strength to playfully slap me on the back. I flinched at the touch of her hand against my sensitive skin. "Eh sorry. I'm used to hanging around with the guys. They play kind of rough if you haven't noticed", she told me in a quiet tone.

"Valerie, have you ever had a friend that is a girl", I asked her seriously. I looked into her eyes but she was busy counting the tile below. If I thought back on it I never once saw Valerie near a single girl in our school. "Did you choose not to make friends with other girls on purpose" I asked her in a curious tone. If anything my line of questioning caused Valerie to slink further into herself.

"Well Ember made it impossible to have friends in school. I kept watching you but it took up a lot of courage to talk to you", she stated meeting my eyes with a look that lacked confidence. I felt bad for Valerie who lost the opportunity to make friends because of a bully. "You always seemed so unapproachable", she stated with a sincere smile.

"What changed? Why did you make the decision to speak to me after all this time. I had no idea people even cared about me", I told her with sadness in my voice. If we met earlier our high school years could have been much happier. Obviously there was a reason she kept to herself for so long but I had no clue about that reason.

"You changed, the moment you punched Ember in the face. I could see who you really were in that moment. I saw a suffering similar to my own", she said with a grimace on her face. She was right about the pain and suffering I underwent in the past. "No one knows anything about you Rowen. You're an enigma who just appeared out of the blue. I wanted to know your secrets", she said incredulously.

"I'm not someone that important", I told her disarmingly. I wished she would not hold me so high on a pedestal. The higher she put me on the pedestal the harder it would be when I fell off that pedestal. "The mystery will fade and you will see me for the empty shell that I really am", I told her sadly. If Valerie only followed me around to get answers she would disappear when she received those answers. After the truth came out she would move onto the next thing that grabbed her attention.

"No you're wrong Rowen. It started out as a temporary fascination but now you have become my best friend", she said swiftly. "After Skylar disappeared I never thought I would find a person that I could call my friend but I did. Ah Here we are", Valerie finished as she pointed to her bedroom door. I looked at the bedroom wide eyed amazed by the interior decor of the room feeling instantly transported to another time.