Way Back Home

1

WARNING.
This novel is fictional but it may contain triggering scenes. 

Music pounds through my ears and I let it overtake me, taking my mind off the outside world. I take a deep breath and I let my mind empty, let myself disconnect and find peace. Finally, everything was becoming quiet and clear...

"Frankie."

Knocking my headphones off my ears and sighing I looked up into the dark eyes of my ex-best friend Holden King.

"Come on Frankie" Holden whispered. "I said I was sorry. What do you want me to say?"

I paused.

"That I am the most beautiful girl in the world and that you love me very very much and will never talk to Skyler again?"

Holden laughed.

"Okay then."

"Say it." I frowned at him.

" Frankie, you are the most beautiful girl in the world and I love you very very much. If you don't want me to talk to Skyler I won't." He squeezed my cheeks and grinned. "You are the only girl in my life."

"Aww," I smiled. "Okay, I forgive you."

"Good." He sighed and plonked himself down next to me.
"I really am sorry about Skyler."

"It's okay. It was just what she was saying about me, then suddenly you were hanging out with her and you didn't defend me when she said all that crap."

He nodded.

"I'm sorry.

We were silent again.

"Ready for holidays?"

I shrugged in return.

"I guess."

"There are some good parties planned." He looked over at me. "I'm guessing I'll have to be your chauffeur again?"

"Probably"

"Planned any dates?"

"Nope"

Holden snorted.

"Seriously? You have a million boys lining up to go out with you. Besides, I heard a certain Carter asked you out and you said yes."

"Hmm, where did you hear that?" I replied raising my eyebrows.

"Around" He answered mysteriously, waggling his eyebrows in return.

"Don't trust everything you hear. I said no."

He turned his body to face me and glanced at me in surprise.

"Why'd ya do that?"

I shrugged at him, pretending not to care.

Over the years I'd become a professional in pretending I didn't care. 

Pretending I did not care when my dad left us, pretending not to be sad when my mum had died, pretending that I was happy to move in with Holden's family when I had nowhere else to go and pretending that Holden was nothing more to me than a friend and a brother.

 What else could I do, when telling the truth could ruin everything?

So I pretended. That way everything stayed the same, which was what I wanted.

..................................................................

I sat in algebra mindlessly drawing on the cover of my book. Checking the teacher was distracted I allowed myself to glance down at my phone in my lap.