Hope.

• Chapter 18 •

Jess was amazing. She helped through so much and she just understood. That's why I was so hurt when she left me. I had grown so used to having her with me and slacking of people together, it just felt like something was missing.

Fatima was a badass. Well, she wouldn't really allow me to say that since she absolutely hates cussing. Thankfully, I do most of my cussing in Spanish so we don't really have an issue. But I do have to bite my tongue around her sometimes.

I wondered how I would it be if I was I was like other people. If I wasn't so dependent on one person.

It's hard being a loner because once the one person you can be lonely together with is gone, your lost. You're just in this constant spiral where distracting yourself is the only option.

"Hey, Luca, aren't you getting to class?" Iris asked, snapping me back into reality. She and Tyler were standing in front of me. Both of their gazes staring at me expectantly. 

"I-I u-uh yeah. I was just going," I mumbled, smiling sheepishly. Tyler chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement and Iris simply smiled at me. I felt my face heat up slightly in embarrassment. Way to go, Luca.

***

"Hey, Luca?" Tyler asked during the end of English class that day. "Do you wanna go to that cafe we did for our project that day? The place was really good and I just feel like going there,"

I was caught slightly off guard by that. Tyler wanted to willingly hang out with me? No, I'm probably just overthinking this. Maybe he wanted to make up for getting me into trouble. Yeah, that was probably it. "Um, sure," I said, looking at the blond-haired boy.

A huge grin split across his face displaying his pearly whites. My stomach twisted weirdly but I brushed it off. "Looks like you won't be needing me then," Iris said, walking up to us with a playful smile on her glossy lips.

"You can come if you want," Tyler offered, hastily. I bit my lip as I looked back and forth between the two of them. They both looked an awful lot like they were together. I mean, it fits. Tyler looked amazing; he's got gorgeous blue-to-green shifting eyes, sandy blonde hair, slightly pale skin with a light dusting of freckles and he was really tall, with a pretty good build as well.
Iris looked nothing less than perfect either; her long black hair fell perfectly down to her waist, she had golden, tanned skin which brought out her startling blue eyes and full lips were always coated with a layer of pink lip gloss.

I swear, I'm not a creep. I just notice a lot of stuff.

A twinge of annoyance seeped into me though I couldn't quite comprehend why. "I wish I could but I can't. I've got practice today," she said, her voice sounding slightly disappointed.

"Oh right, I totally forgot," Tyler said, with a guilty look plastered on his face. I felt very left out in this conversation but I was used to being invisible. It didn't really bother me anymore.
Okay, maybe it did, but only a little, I promise.

"Come on, let's go," Iris said, walking out if the classroom causing me to quickly gather my books and walk with both of them down the hallway. Our footsteps echoed slightly through the corridors only being disrupted by the clicking of Tyler's cane.

Soon, it was time for us to part ways with Iris.

"Bye, Ty," Iris said, placing a small kiss on Tyler's cheek causing him to shoot her a small smile. My stomach did that weird twisting thing again, but, this time it was different.