Letter nine: September
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School was back in session, and Lily couldn't believe it was their final year in high school. The thought of heading off to college next year seemed surreal.
She often wondered about the fate of her relationships. Would they all end up at the same college, or would they be scattered across the map?
Lily was content with her two relationships: her friendship with Charlotte and her boyfriend Marcus. She was determined to keep in touch, even if it meant tackling long-distance relationships with both of them.
Life seemed to be rolling smoothly for Lily, but little did she know this was just the calm before the storm.
Their relationship had become public knowledge at school, and oddly, this seemed to push Davina even further away. Now, Davina didn't even attempt to talk to Lily, confirming her suspicions that Davina was solely focused on boys.
Lily had settled into a new routine. Instead of walking to school alone, she now strolled alongside Marcus. Their conversations spanned everything from school matters to planning upcoming dates and adventures to cross off their bucket list.
If you compared the Marcus of today to the one Lily met in the rain, you wouldn't believe they were the same person.
Lily took comfort in his happiness, evident in the spark that lit up his eyes whenever he looked at her, and of course, the same happened to her.
Nevertheless, she still eagerly awaited the day he would share what had transpired that fateful rainy night, trusting he'd reveal it when he was ready.
Amid all these changes, one thing remained constant: the funny dynamic between Charlotte and Marcus.
Whenever Charlotte greeted Lily in class, her expression soured when her gaze fell on Marcus, much to his chagrin. He viewed her as a bothersome little sister.
"Hey, Lily!" Charlotte greeted when she spotted her entering the classroom. She glanced over at Marcus with an exaggerated look of disgust.
Marcus couldn't help but think, what did I do to deserve this? His irritation with Charlotte was evident on his face.
"Hello to you too," Marcus grumbled at Charlotte, his annoyance showing.
And as if everything wasn't enough, their day took a turn for the worse when they realized they had a substitute teacher.
"Good morning, students," the substitute teacher began, her words falling into a sea of sleepy faces. Lily barely registered the teacher's introduction; she wasn't much of a morning person.
However, her attention snapped into focus when the teacher announced they were about to embark on a pair project.
"Pair project? Seriously?" Lily thought, secretly dreading the assignment.
"You're going to do a pair project and you can chose any topic, this year's os last year's, for example the krebs circle if anyone would like to do that." The teacher continued.
Lily had a hard time believing anyone would willingly choose the Krebs cycle as their topic. Yet, her skepticism evaporated when she overheard Charlotte and her partner eagerly selecting that very topic.
Of course, it was Charlotte.
Unfortunately for Lily, luck wasn't on her side. Her partner turned out to be her former friend and confidante, Davina. Lily grappled with the decision to request a partner switch but ultimately decided to endure the situation.
Davina tentatively suggested, "I was thinking about doing it on the reproductive system. What do you think?"
Lily replied with indifference, "It's fine by me," her gaze fixed on the PowerPoint.
As they worked on their project, the classroom buzzed with whispers and chatter. Marcus's concerned glances in her direction didn't escape Lily's notice, and she reassured him with a nod and a smile.
Davina broke the silence, asking bluntly, "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," Lily replied.
"I see you're hanging out with Charlotte. I've never known her, but she seems like a good person," Davina remarked.
"Yeah, she is," Lily replied as she clicked through the PowerPoint.
"I'm glad you're doing fine," Davina whispered, her tone softening.
Their conversation marked a rare moment of connection, but silence returned as they focused on their project. After class, Davina made one more attempt to talk to Lily.
"Lily, just be careful. I still worry about you. I always have," Davina began, but then paused briefly. "I saw Marcus in the hospital and heard that—"
"Davina, just stop," Lily interrupted, her irritation mounting. She exited the classroom, leaving Davina looking somewhat crestfallen.
Despite the lingering doubts, Lily now trusted the people around her.
She finally made it home after this super draining day. All she really craved was collapsing onto her bed for some good old sleep.
The thing was, she desperately wished Marcus was there too, just to cuddle with. It was like a toss-up between a serious nap and having Marcus there with her, and she couldn't decide which one she wanted more.
Maybe she'd text him and see if he could visit her.
But first things first, she needed to cut out distractions. Tests were looming on the horizon, and the assignments were mounting by the second. She had to dive into those books.
Lily had a cozy desk right by her window in her room. She loved studying there.
From that spot, she could gaze out at the sky, the trees, and the cityscape beyond. It was a seriously scenic setup. She had a soft spot for those days when it rained or when storms raged outside, when the wind rustled the leaves and they danced through the air.
It felt like she was wrapped in a protective bubble, impervious to whatever craziness was going on out there.
Lily usually wrapped up her study sessions by dinnertime, but this round, she was still grinding it out even after her evening grub. Even her mom seemed taken aback; jokingly blaming Charlotte and Marcus.
Her mom rapped on her door, and in a dramatic tone, asked, "What's going on, and who's this new studious version of my Lily?"
"Hahaha, you're real,y funny mom," Lily laughed. "I'm just studying; exams are just around the corner."
"I had a hunch!" her mom chuckled in agreement.
"Oh, by the way," her mom added, "you've got a visitor."
"At this hour?" Lily questioned.
"Love doesn't clock out, right? Go on, invite him in; someone needs to eat those leftover cakes," her mom teased.
Lily rolled her eyes, heading downstairs to peek through the door.
It was Marcus, with an umbrella.
What brought him here at this late hour?
"Marcus, why are you here?" Lily asked, pushing him in as he was soaked, even though he had an umbrella.
The night was chilly, the air heavy with a sense of impending sorrow as Marcus stood on Lily's doorstep, raindrops falling lightly around him.
Lily invited him inside, but he refused, a somber expression etched across his face, his hands like ice.
Confusion swelled within her.
"What happened?" Her voice held conviction as she held his cold hands tightly. "Talk to me, please. I won't know what's wrong if you don't tell me."
"It'll be quick," he said, his expression unreadable.
"I... You deserve much better." His grip on her hands tightened.
Lily wanted to speak, but Marcus silenced her gently with a finger to her lips.
"Let me talk, or I won't have the courage to finish," he said, his face a mix of bitterness and sweetness.
"This was my first relationship," he began, his words heavy with hesitation. "I loved every second of it, and Lily, you're the most amazing person I've ever met in my life. You taught me how to live, how to enjoy the small things, to see everything positively. I really needed that, you have no idea."
Tears welled in his eyes, and soon, Lily's tears began to flow as well.
It was a painfully familiar scene, set against a backdrop that seemed to mirror their emotions.
She hoped he wouldn't do what she feared he might.
The wind played with his hair, whisking away their tears, a task Lily wished Marcus would undertake instead of the indifferent wind.
The night was breezy and cold, but not as frigid as Marcus's hands.
Lily's nose turned red from the cold, but she hardly noticed, clad in her pajamas. Normally, she would have felt embarrassed to be outside like this, but now it was the last thing on her mind.
Her gaze darted down, then up, and finally locked with his tear-filled eyes. She touched the necklace he had given her, a daily adornment that she hadn't removed for even an hour, hoping he would stop what was happening.
Marcus finally noticed her delicate touch, and his eyes welled up further, but he pressed on.
"I loved holding your hand. I loved hugging you after the haunted house. I loved getting soaked because you couldn't canoe. I loved kissing you," he said as he caressed her cheek and leaned in to kiss her.
Their lips met, wet from both tears and rain.
"I love you," Marcus confessed, and although Lily felt the same, she couldn't bring herself to say it back. Her emotions swirled within her, a chaotic mix of confusion, sadness, and exhaustion.
"Then...let's continue! Let's go back to how we were, how it always was..." she pleaded, chocking on her tears.
"Please..."
But Marcus had regained his composure, his face now a mask.
"Let's break up."
A/N: I want to apologize for two things, for this chapter and for being late! The final chapter will be published this Friday!
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