𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿...
| athena |
"Hey girl!" Khloe called and she stopped as she saw my hair. "It's...shorter," Khloe peered as she tugged on the ends of my hair and I swatted her hands as I leaned back into my car and grabbed my bagpack. "A change was in order," I sighed as I stood upright and shut my car door.
"Well it's a good change," Khloe added as I fluffed the curls on my hair and we both walked into school.
I definitely want a fresh start this year.
I mean, even though we came back from summer a month ago, it felt like nothing really changed. Khloe and Ricky have officially been dating for a year and ever since Luna disappeared, Ricky's been a lot less...well Ricky.
Luckily Khloe filled that hole, but you can still see it in his eyes.
It's almost like she died with Carter.
She never even showed up to his funeral. It was beautiful. The whole town dressed in blue, his colour, and students decorated his locker with flowers and pictures of him.
Speaking of Carter, Harley's been getting better every day. Chase has been helping her a lot but a relationship isn't in the question for them.
The first few months after Luna left were okay, I mean we still lived up in the house past the Valley. But after a while, everyone kind of got bored of it and moved back to their homes. I think it's 'cause that place reminds us of them so much.
Of the people we lost.
It sure does remind me of that, which is why I haven't been up there since.
We all eventually stopped hanging out at school too, so it's just me and Khlo, and we occasionally say hi to Harley, when we see her.
"You haven't been listening to me have you?" Khloe asked and I shook my head as we walked into the school. "Junior year seems so boring," I muttered as the freshman let us pass with ease.
"Well it's not like anything interesting has happened." Khloe shrugged and I nodded. "Exactly," I hummed as an idea appeared in my head. "Do you know who's throwing the annual back-to-school bash?" I asked her and she shook her head as her eyes locked onto Carter's locker.
We both stopped as we looked at it. "No one wants to throw one since his death marks one year," Khloe muttered and I sighed.
"We're gonna be late for class," I urged quietly as I pulled my eyes away from the locker and dragged Khloe away from it and she refocused. "Why don't I throw it?" I suggested and Khloe blinked multiple times before looking at me.
"You wanna throw it?" She repeated and I shrugged. "Would it be such a terrible idea?" I asked but grunted as I felt someone push past me.
What the hell?
Khloe gave me a confused look as more people pushed past us and headed towards the main exit. "Do you guys know what's happening?" Khloe asked Chase and Harley who suddenly appeared.
"Uhh no, we don't know," Harley responded as they stood next to us and we watched the crowd form at the front of the school. They cleared a path and my jaw almost dropped to the floor.
"Luna," I mumbled breathlessly.
She was walking down the corridor with a pair of beats headphones and much longer hair that fell past her shoulders and stopped halfway down her back. "You guys see it too right?" Khloe asked but couldn't take her eyes off of her. I turned towards my locker and unlocked it.
I really couldn't give two shits that she's back. That doesn't matter. What matters is that she left in the first place, and didn't tell anyone.
"She went into the principal's office," Harley commented as I put my bag into my locker and slammed it. As I turned around, they were facing me. "Thena, you okay?" Chase asked and I shrugged as I leaned against my locker with folded arms and my foot against the bottom.
"You guys are forgetting that fact that she disappeared on us, so excuse me for not being interested in her sudden return," I grumbled as I pushed myself off the locker and walked away from them.
People were still crowding from Luna's return and I groaned loudly. "Get the fuck out of my way!" I yelled in frustration as I quickly used my hands to shove them away. No one noticed as my eyes flashed green for a second and people eventually cleared a path as I headed towards the stairs.
𐐒𐐚 ° ˚ ₒ ∞ 𐐒𐐚 ° ˚ ₒ ∞ 𐐒𐐚
| khloe |
I closed my locker and smiled as I saw Ricky standing behind my locker door. "Hey! What are you doing here?" I asked as he leaned forward to give me a hug. "You've forgotten that I go here now, haven't you?" He asked and I nodded with a smile.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm surprised they even let him into the school, but it's better this way. I get to see him every day.
"Have you heard?" I asked and he nodded slightly. "I think you should go talk to her," I suggested and he shook his head. "Why revisit the past?" He asked coldly and I sighed as I looked at the floor slightly.
I'm gonna regret saying this...
"When Carter died," I gulped as I looked up at him. "A part of her left with him. A part of all of us, left with him," I sighed. "I understand why you and Athena are mad, but you also will never know how much it affected her," I said and he couldn't look me in the eye, so I rested my hand on the side of his face and forced him to look at me.
"Athena's so stubborn, she'll probably never get over it," I said as I waved my hand around.
"You of all people had to know that she was going to leave," I finished and he nodded slowly. "I did," He mumbled and the first bell sounded.
"I just don't know if I can forgive her for going anyways," He muttered before placing a soft kiss on my forehead and turning away to head to class.
I sighed deeply as I ran my hands through my hair and pushed myself off my locker before heading to class.
𐐒𐐚 ° ˚ ₒ ∞ 𐐒𐐚 ° ˚ ₒ ∞ 𐐒𐐚
| luna |
"Just fill out a few of these forms and then you'll be free to head back into class," The woman behind the desk said and I nodded as I began filling it out.
I wasn't gonna come back at first. I saw no reason for me to.
But I felt like I owed it to myself to finish school and then I can leave again, and never come back.
I spent the whole morning in the principal's office, discussing my departure and luckily he felt kind enough to let it slide, as long as I join extracurriculars if I want any hope of graduating next year.
"Here you go," I mumbled as I handed back the form and walked out of the office. I checked my watch as I slowly walked down the halls. Lunch was about to start in a few minutes. The clicking of my combat boots echoed the empty corridor as I pushed my hair aside.
Letting my hair grow out was probably one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my life, and I've lived a life, but I need a new look.
I haven't seen any of the others since I got back, but I'm sure they know that I'm here. Word travels fast.
I went to my locker and unlocked it, just as the bell rang. The halls swarmed with students and they all rushed past me as they headed to the cafeteria.
I left my locker door open as I unlocked my phone. I started scrolling through my messages and my heart dropped as I heard my locker door slam shut.
I looked up slowly and came face-to-face with an angry Ricky.
"Long time no see." He said emotionlessly and I locked my phone as I shoved both hands into my hoodie pocket. "It's been a while," I responded.
This isn't exactly how I expected this conversation to go, and I honestly don't know what to say from here.
"You here for Khloe?" I asked as I gazed upon his outfit but frowned. "No, I'm here for you. I just happen to go to this school too," He answered and I smiled. "That's great! I'm so happy for you," I gushed.
I truly was.
Ricky's never exactly taken anything in his life seriously and him going to school means he has a future, and that's all I've ever asked of him. That and weed, but that's not the point.
"You changed your number?" He asked as he moved his hand from my locker door and gestured to my phone in my pocket and I looked momentarily at my feet before looking back up at him.
"I sorta lost my old phone on the road," I said quietly. "Bullshit," He countered and I sighed. "Okay, fine I changed my number, but only because I didn't want anyone to convince me to come back," I reasoned.
"If any of you called me, I would've turned around and came back in a heartbeat, but you guys needed to understand how much I need this," I sighed. "We're talking about me here," He shot back and I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair.
"I don't know what you want me to do here," I said quietly. The halls were now empty as everyone was in the cafeteria. "I'm not mad at you for leaving, I just-" Ricky said but couldn't form the words to finish his sentence.
"I know I could've at least attempted to reach out. I-It was just harder out there than I thought." I said.
"There are people that you need to speak to," He sighed and I nodded. "Be in the cafeteria in 5 minutes," He finished before walking past me and I sighed.
I walked in the opposite direction as I headed towards his locker. They decorated it with blue flowers and pictures.
I wish I had a picture of us.
Whilst I was away, I did end up in therapy, and I wouldn't say it helped, but I did learn a few things. The hole in my heart wasn't as big as it first was.
I reflected and learned to accept what wasn't, and learned to move on.
I leaned forward and reached out to touch one of the pictures. I peered closely at it before my eyes widened.
It was us.
The day we skipped class and went to the court. You couldn't tell it was me, but it was pretty obvious at the same time. He had his basketball jacket on with his jersey number and his surname printed on the back.
I never told anyone, but I kept that jacket.
I was facing him with a smile on my face as I held the basketball in my hand and was moving it out of his grasp.
I was happy.
The number print underneath was from the yearbook committee.
"I'm surprised she even came back,"
"Yeah, it must've been so hard after losing her boyfriend,"
I turned around just as the pair of seniors walked up the main staircase. "He was never my boyfriend," I mumbled to myself. I really really wish he was, but he's wasn't, and I've learned to accept that.
I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and I snapped out of my gaze. I took a deep breath as I stepped away from his locker and headed to the cafeteria.
I pushed the doors open, and as per usual, everyone fell silent as I casually walked towards the circle table in the center of the cafeteria.
I sat down and crossed my arms as they rested on the table.
Harley, Chase, Athena, Khloe, and Ricky.
"So," I said confidently as I waited for someone to speak.