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Reece's POV
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One day. She's been gone one fúcking day and I already feel like I need to punch someone.
I can't help the scowl that stays present on my face throughout my walk to Chemistry class. Usually I would be walking to this class with Layla. Now I'm alone.
Everyone and everything seems to be fúcking me off today. When I got to my locker this morning, a group of Freshmen were standing in front of it, talking. Usually, I would have been annoyed but I would have just brushed it off and asked them to move. But this morning, I just snapped. I couldn't help it. I felt like punching one of them, even though they did nothing wrong. I'm an ásshole.
As soon as I step foot into my Chemistry class, I stop. You have go to be kidding me.
Arden Winter is sitting in her seat. Sunshine's seat. With her feet up on the table as if she's doesn't have a care in the world.
But I fúcking care.
I march right up to her and stop, glaring down at her. "What the fúck are you doing?"
She looks up at me with a smirk. "I'm sitting. What does it look like I'm doing?"
"It looks like you're trying to píss me off," I practically growl, dropping my bag onto the floor next to my desk but not moving from my spot.
"And it seems like I'm doing an amazing job," She grins, crossing her legs on the table.
"You do not want to mess with me today, Arden. Because I am two seconds away from punching a hole in the wall."
"Aww, someone's upset that their little girlfriend's gone," She says sarcastically, pouting dramatically.
"Shut the fúck up." My eyes narrow, "Go back to your own seat."
"Why? She's not here anymore, so this seat's free," She smirks.
"Actually, it's not," It's not me who speaks this time. I turn and see a blonde girl that I don't recognize standing behind me. I furrow my eyebrows but don't question it as she looks at Arden. "I would like to sit there, if you don't mind," She bats her eyelashes at Arden innocently.
Arden raises an eyebrow, "And why would I move for you?"
"Well, it doesn't seem like you two get along very well, so I thought it would be best if someone else sat there. Should I not have butted in?" She questions simply.
"No, it's fine," Arden tells her, standing up. She smirks at me as she passes, saying, "I didn't realize you'd moved on from your little sunshine so quickly."
I clench my fists, gritting my teeth as I sit down at my desk. The blonde girl sits down in Sunshine's seat and I frown. It's better than Arden, but I still don't like it.
"I'm Ella," the blonde girl turns to me with a wide smile. I only scowl. Her smile falters slightly, but she quickly recovers and continues, "I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries there, but I didn't really want to witness a fight on my first day here."
"It's fine," I grumble, just wanting this class to be over. Because the sooner I get out of this class, the sooner I get to my next class. And the sooner I get out of that class, the sooner I get to the class after that. And the sooner I get out of that class, the sooner I can get to lunch and call Sunshine.
The teacher waltzes into the room before Ella can talk anymore and for that I'm grateful. She's too happy. There's only one ball of sunshine and happiness that I allow into my life and at the moment, she's thousands of miles away from me.
~
The second I fall into my usual seat at our lunch table, I dig my phone out of my pocket.
"Ooh, are you Facetiming Layla?" Anna asks as soon as she sees my phone out in front of me. I nod and she quickly slides into the spare seat beside me. The one Layla used to sit in.
After only a couple of rings, the call connects and Layla's face takes over the screen. Instantly, I feel a familiar tug in my stomach. I miss her. She has one of her gorgeous smiles spread across her face, eyes squinting and nose slightly scrunched. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a ponytail with small pieces out to frame her face. She looks adorable.
"Hi guys!" She practically squeals, her voice a higher octave than usual.
My own lips lift up into a smile for the first time today at the sight of her. I can't stop staring. "Hey, Sunshine."
She bites down on her bottom lip softly and my eyes are instantly drawn to the action. I can't help it. It's like my eyes have a mind of their own. "Hey, Reece." Her voice is soft and sweet. She's quieter. Sad. Just the thought of her sad makes my smile smaller.
"How's everything going?" Anna asks her.
"Pretty good. We ordered some of our furniture today, but our apartment is still pretty empty. We have a balcony with a pretty cool view though," she tells us and I hang onto her every word. Not only because I want to know how her new house is, but because she's just always able to capture me like that.
"Best friend!" Amanda's voice suddenly comes from behind me. Before I even have a chance to turn, she slides into the other seat beside me and sticks her head into frame.
Layla laughs and I cherish the sound, even if it sounds different over the phone. "Hi! How was your math quiz?"
I kind of zone out as they talk about school. I'm really just staring at her. Mark and Liam soon come and join us, talking with Layla while I get lost in my head. I wonder what this lunch would have been like if she was here in person. She would be sitting beside me. She would be stealing my food, thinking I wouldn't notice.
One thing wouldn't be different though. I would still find myself staring at her. A lot. Because sometimes I genuinely find it hard to believe that she's real.
Too many times during this FaceTime call, I find myself looking at her lips. But they're right there and I can't help it. Even on the screen, they look plump and glossy. God, I need to get a grip.
"Hi," A new voice interrupts Liam as he's telling Layla about his dream from last night in intricate detail. We all look up from my phone and see the girl from my Chemistry class standing there, lunch tray in hand. "Can I sit here?" She asks shyly. Meanwhile I'm just trying to remember her name. Does it start with an A? Definitely starts with a vowel. Maybe I?
"Ella! Of course," Amanda tells her and the girl smiles, taking a seat across from me. I guess Amanda has a class with her as well.
Everyone moves from crowding around me to sit in their seats. I guess they realized that they still have to eat.
"Who's Ella?" Layla asks. I bring the phone a little closer to me now that I'm the only one she can see. Her brows are furrowed in confusion.
I shrug nonchalantly, eating a fry from my tray, "Some girl from Chemistry class. She's new. She sat in your seat today."
Layla raises an eyebrow, "I'm being replaced already?"
I recoil, immediately shaking my head. "Absolutely not. No one can replace you, Sunshine."
She smiles, "Can I meet her?"
I nod, "If you want," I look up at- Dámn, I forgot her name again already... I look up at the girl and find her already looking at me. She smiles sweetly but I don't bother to smile back. I clear my throat and turn the phone around so she can see Layla. "This is my friend, Layla. She just moved away yesterday, but she wants to meet you."
The girl's eyes widen as she looks at the phone, "This is the girl who's seat I took in class today?"
"That would be me," I hear Layla say and I can imagine the cute little smile on her face.
"I'm Ella! It's nice to meet you!" She seems a little too enthusiastic. I don't know if I like her.
"Likewise," Layla says but doesn't continue. I take it that the conversation is over. I bring the phone back to me while the girl – Elle? She literally just said it and I already forgot – starts a conversation with Amanda.
I focus my attention entirely on Layla once more. She has a slight frown on her face as she speaks. "She's super pretty."
I scrunch up my nose and look at the girl again. She has blonde hair a little like Layla's but a bit thinner and it's in perfect curls. Her jaw is sharp and her eyes are blue. "I guess..." I look back to Layla. My eyes trail over her face and I grin. Messy blonde hair, bright green eyes, and freckles. "Not really my type though."
She raises a skeptical eyebrow at me, "What is your type then, Reece?"
I open my mouth to reply, then stop, "It's changed," She nods her head for me to continue and I do. "Short. Bubbly personality. Really funny. Smart. Good at music... cute."
Her eyebrow stays raised, "That could be her, you don't know yet."
I just shake my head. What she doesn't realize is that I'm already describing someone I know.
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Layla's POV
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Ella is gorgeous. Like, model gorgeous.
She has high cheekbones and a defined jaw. Her hair is a gorgeous blonde and stops a little below her shoulders in perfect curls. She has bright blue doe-like eyes and long eyelashes. Her eyebrows are carved to perfection and – from what I can see through the screen – there isn't a blemish on her face.
And yet, apparently she isn't Reece's type.
"Macy and Sophie have already started demanding that we go and see you," Reece speaks, drawing my attention back to him. His hair is messy as always and I'm itching to brush it back for him. But of course, I can't, because I'm now almost three thousand miles away from him.
"Aww, I'll have to call them later. I miss everyone as well," I tell him, taking a seat on the floor of my new – still mostly empty – bedroom.
"So how's the apartment?" Reece asks, adjusting the phone slightly so that his face is closer to the screen. I can hear talking and laughter coming from the background, but Reece's voice manages to come through loud and clear.
"Good," I nod, looking around my room. A smile creeps up onto my face as I look at him, "Do you want a tour?"
He laughs and nods his head, "Of course."
I get up quickly, jogging out of my room and to the entrance of the apartment. I stop at the front door and turn so that I'm facing into the room. I turn the camera around so that Reece can see the room. "Okay, so this is what you see when you walk in. First there's the living room..." I go through the apartment, explaining everything to him. There isn't much to the place yet, but I tell him what I can.
"And then there's my room," I say, going back into my bedroom, "I only have a mattress on the floor and two beside tables at the moment. We've ordered my bedframe and a desk and stuff, but that won't come until the end of the week," I sit back on my floor again, leaning my back against the wall. I turn the camera back around so that he can see my face.
"It looks cool," He murmurs, nodding. His head is resting in his hand as he stares at me quietly.
"What is it?" I ask unsurely, tucking the stray strands of hair from my ponytail behind my ear.
He shakes his head and doesn't say anything for a moment. His tongue darts out to swipe across his lip before he whispers, "I miss you."
I almost don't hear him over the chatter of the cafeteria, but I manage. And my heart aches. I miss him too.
Before I can reply, I hear the bell ring and Reece stands up. "I have to go now, I'll talk to you later, alright Sunshine?"
"Okay, bye Reece," I murmur, already feeling sad that he has to go. I lift my hand to my lips and press a kiss to my palm before pretending to blow it to him.
Reece smiles a beautiful, dimpled smile and reaches his hand into the air, pretending to catch it. "Bye, Sunshine."
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A/N -
Hello wonderful readers!
Happy New Year!!! Here's to hopefully a much better year than the one we got this year!
What are your thoughts on this chapter? Do you think anything will change between Layla and Reece now that they are apart? What do you think of Ella?
Question: If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with that extra time? I would definitely try to write, but I wouldn't be able to write for that long, so most of that time I would spend reading. I could spend hours on end reading if I had the chance.
Thank you so, so much for reading my story! Have an amazing day and an even better year!!