A/N: I just edited this chapter and I'm surprised at how badly it was written. I'm sorry for the grammar and lack of descriptions. I wrote this a year ago I think. And also this chapter is a filler. I promise Dewn and Clea's progress will happen as the story goes on. Thank you.
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- Zee
"What do you guys mean you won't make it for today?! " Etha yelled over the phone, it was so close to her mouth. The other person on the line would have been deaf before long.
I turned around and saw Izzy leaned forward, trying to hand message me on what was going on. I waved my hands in the air to signal her that I had no clue about it. She pouted.
Chase was resting his arms on the steering wheel, changing stations to find the right country music for the trip.
"Lady! You all better be here, What? Business what!?" Etha sighed, "Okay, okay. I understand, but you all better make up for this." she dropped the phone to the side.
Chase smiled sheepishly, "Something wrong?"
Etha was frowning, it seemed like whatever she heard on the other line didn't entertain her. "They all couldn't come for today,"
Chase looked at her back incredulously, "But today is important, we're off to visit your old elementary school!" he shook his head in dismay.
"Fala and Arriane had to meet with Uncle's business partner while Reeds had to attend a children's feeding program in a small community out of town." she explained.
"And Summer?" I asked.
"I dunno, I'm finding it hard to contact her right now. Probably hooking up with Daniel or something." she answered, laughing.
Etha was funny, she was our clown. She'd blurt out something and then you wouldn't feel yourself giggling but you are. But at time she could be unfunny too. Sometimes she could be pretty annoying. Right now for instance , these were the reasons why Dewn and I chose to escape their mischiefs back then.
"It's just us then." Izzy uttered.
Etha pumped a fist in the air, "It would still be fun, though!"
Chase started the engine and the car boost to life, "Clea's here. I'm gonna be alright."
Izzy poked me on my shoulder and when I looked back she was smiling knowingly, I rolled my eyes. She's like the biggest fan ever.
"By the way, you should totally invite Clarkson sometimes," Chase suggested.
"I wish but he's too shy and always working." Izzy pouted.
Etha wrapped an arm around Izzy, "Aww, don't be sad. I'm going to be his replacement for a while."
I thought about Dewn and replacements. If Dewn wouldn't be here there should be a replacement of here presence, I mean a sort of a substitute where I still want it to be the same replica as Dewn. I still wanted it to be Dewn. I wondered why I couldn't help but think of her all the damn time even as I went to sleep she's the last thing lurking on my mind.
I probably just missed her so much.
Our old elementary school changed a lot to my surprise. The space grew wider, the old guard wasn't around anymore. Few teachers had left the place. There were new ones.
The garden was still the same though, there were a few kids chasing each other there eventhough it was Summer. And when I scanned for some more I spotted Dewn in a red cap and baggy shirt talking to whom I recognized immediately was Mrs. Porter, the principal of the school. So she actually came?
Her head was bowed down, she seemed like she had been here a few hours. Clearly, Etha noticed her standing outside an office talking to the principal.
"Summer!" Etha called, lurching to the surprised face of the beautiful girl.
She promptly squished Dewn that the girl had to fought for air. "Let go of me."
Etha did, "I thought you weren't available for today?"
"I knew this was going to be our next spot, so I told Daniel to take me here. I got here early," she shrugged.
"Where's Danny, then?"
"He left already."
"Oh my god, is that you Etha? Etha the girl who smacked a bully years ago?" Mrs. Porter gawked.
Etha snickered and acted like she wasn't fluttered at the sudden prompt of the memory, "Oh, nice to meet you Mrs. Porter." they hugged to which we soon followed too.
Mrs. Porter recognized me too and so was Izzy. But Chase didn't exactly knew where to place himself. He just waved at the old woman.
Etha and Mrs. Porter were still talking about Etha's interest in managing a botique business at Scotland when my eyes found Dewn's. My heart skipped a beat, I had to look away. I was feeling a bit self conscious since I figured that she had been staring for a while without me noticing.
You couldn't really put the blame on me since it was kind of normal to be self conscious around her when she just looked effortlessly charming all the time. It was bothering me. I didn't know why... I guess girls are always envious of other girls.
The school hallways were empty as Mrs. Porter took us for a tour. There were no single children left inside the classrooms. I wondered what it would've felt like to have children around here right now. Their curious faces poking out the doors and windows. I'd kill to join them, be their age again and have Dewn by my side again. To have another escapede rendezvous with her.
Mrs. Porter kept drowning everyone with triumphs of the school's glory, Chase was trailing beside me. He was telling me stories about how he and his cousins had to pull out their other cousin outside a girl's dormitory after hooking up with a college student who apparently was way, way older than him. And that was the only information I've gathered.
Because with each step, my eyes couldn't help but observed Dewn's back. I made sure Chase didn't notice this, I kept checking to see his reaction from time to time to make him believe I was all ears with him. I felt bad though, I felt like a fake friend, so I tore my gaze away from Dewn.
After a while, Mrs. Porter left us and gave us time to tour our old classrooms. Izzy, Chase and I went inside my old classroom. I examined each seat, most of them were new. Some of them decaying from being too occupied. My seat had already vanished a long time ago, but luckily, I found our bully's seat which was filled with vandalisms about each of his classmates. There was mine in big letters.
It read:
Clea is fatherless, secretly wants to take your Dad away.
There was a reply next to it.
Take that back or I'm going to punch you in the nose.
The bully replied with,
Go on then.
The next day Dewn's parents were called at the principal's office after their daughter caused trouble for punching a student in the face. Meanwhile the bully ended up having a broken nose and a bump in his forehead. He transfered to another state the next day. His story scattered around my entire middle school days.
We entered Dewn's room next and she and Etha were already there reminiscing every bit of their childhood dilemmas back in the day. Etha waved a hand when she saw us while Dewn took a glance at my direction.
"Hey," Chase called, "I'm going back to the car for a minute to call Mom, there's a shipment that needs to be done tonight, my phone's back inside there. It'll only take a minute. I promise." he smiled, uncertainty in his blue eyes.
I chuckled, "Go on, you're funny," I pushed him out of the door playfully as he bowed and called me 'my lady'.
When he was out of sight, Izzy was back at teasing me about him again.
"I swear to god, you two would look so good together. Your future babies would probably look like angels. Gah!" she squealed.
"And you will take care of our baby?" I joked.
Her eyes lit up, "Indeed, Oh my god! You two, I'm literally your biggest fan. Nothing could break you guys apart and plus I can't wait for the two of you to have a home together and travel together and..."
"You're delusional." I scowled at her.
Izzy finally shut up and went to Etha and Dewn to chitchat about their middle school life. I had to get out of the room to get air first. I kind of missed Reeds, Fala and Arriane too. They would've loved to be here.
"Did you get to read it when I left?" I jumped when Dewn's husky voice suddenly split in my ears.
I turned around and she was already standing beside me, Etha and Izzy were left inside the room.
"What do you mean?"
"The words. Did you find them?" she asked. I didn't have a single clue what she was talking about.
"I'm not sure I understand,"
She shook her head and sighed, "You have never seen it. After all these years."
I forced a laughed and merely tried to regain my confidence, "I don't really get what you--"
She held me on the arm and tugged me to god knows where. And then I realized we were heading down to my old classroom.
"Why did you bring me here?"
She withdrawn her hand and started scanning the place, "You didn't get to read it, that only means one thing."
"What?"
She rummaged through the papers at the back, "That it's here."
She found a sharp tool, it was probably a screwdriver or something. It was pointy at the edge. She walked to the door. I trailed close to observe what she was going to do.
Dewn used the screwdriver to door's hinges until the hinge looked like it was about to fall apart. She began to picked the wood on the threshold which made me gape for a good second before I found my voice.
"D-Dewn? What the hell are you doing? We can't destroy a school property. It's forbidden."
"I know that, didn't you get the note I slipped on your notebook when I left?" she didn't turn to glance at me, she kept stabbing the wood.
Debris were starting to peel away from its aging wood,
I concentrated hard and scanned my memory for a note and then it dawned on me, "Yes! I remember, you only said about 'the door'.."
"Exactly, but you didn't get that."
Before long, Dewn stopped and it looked like she made a tiny hole from it. She leaned her face to examined what was inside the tiny hole.
"It's still fucking here!" she shouted and then slipped a finger inside.
To my surprise she retreated something back, which looked like a tiny piece of something... Oh a paper! And it wasn't just a paper it was a note.
Dewn looked back and smiled genuinely!!! For the first time.
"It's mindblowing that it's still here. You didn't get to read it." she handed it to me.
I was about to open it but she put her hand to stop me, "What is this?"
"Read it when we get home, The girls helped me hide it inside the hinge. It's supposed to be a goodbye letter for you from years ago. You didn't get the chance to read it at that time."
I gazed at Dewn in surprise, I didn't know what to say. She left me a letter? I wanted to read it on the spot so bad. But I was glued to the floor. I just stared at her as she did the same.
A ghost of a smile played on her lips until the staring match went on then it slowly disappeared before my eyes. She became impassive again as she began marching out the door.
After an hour, there were a group of men who were sent by Dewn's parents to apparently renovate the place because she claimed that she destroyed a property of the school.
That night after having dinner with Mom and Marshall, I didn't linger more with their interrogations about Chase. I was becoming agitated since they both wanted me to bring Chase for dinner.
I locked my room to avoid any disturbance and went straight to my bed where I hid Dewn's letter under my pillow and comforter.
My hands were shaking, my heart hammering. I smoothed it before reading...
To my bestfriend Clea,
Don't you cry again after reading this okay? It's not because I think you're a cry baby but because you make my heart tear into pieces whenever you are sad. This was all our family's planned to move us out of the town. There was nothing to do about it.
Reeds and I will meet grandpa for the first time and I'm a bit mad that he's the main reason why we're going to be apart now. You see, he's a bit controlling according to Reeds. And I believe her.
I am going to miss you so much and our stories. I'll probably be back there when we're old and by then, I'm going to pinch you on your cheek so haaaaaaaaard.
But if I ever go back and I become a whole different person, please do everything to turn me back to you...
I love you so much.
Dewn, your hero