a renegade; W2S

5

*HÉLILLE'S POV*

I stand there, not sure if I can trust my eyes, not sure if the girl I think is sitting on our bench is really there. Maybe she's just a ghost of what the past used to be.

But she moves, she gets up and I can't let her leave.

"Talia," I call out into the night, hoping she might hear me, hoping she might stay like I maybe should have all those years ago.

She turns around and our eyes meet. I can see the tears staining her cheeks and the way her eyes twinkled like wet diamonds under the street lights.

She looks so pretty, but so far gone. Like she's stumbling on the edge of a cliff. I run to her and hug her like she's the only thing left on Earth, hug her like she's the only thing that ever matters.

"I miss you so much," I breathe into her neck, and she tightens her grip around me. She's drunk, the liquor is seeping from her skin. I hope to god she'll remember this tomorrow.

In this moment, we're how we were six years ago. We're glowing like stars in space, two things that don't matter on the grand scheme of things, mattering the most to each.

"Why did you have to go?" She cries, pulling away from the hug. It's so cold now.

"I thought I had to. I thought I could never be what I was meant to be here," I say, finally allowing the truth to flow from my lips.

"Why did you cut me off? Why did you never call?" She screams at me and I feel my heart shatter. I feel the way it spikes at my ribs as I breath in and out.

"I thought I needed no past. I thought that was how you get your best future. I thought I'd never miss anything or anyone. I was so caught up on what I wanted life to be, I forgot what I needed it to be," I say, the tears now starting from me. It's in this little light I almost see Talia's soul fly out of her mouth.

"Why are you back?" Talia yells, pointing at me with a shaking finger and eyes so filled with tears, I can almost see my reflection. I want to scream.

"Talia, I'll tell this to you when you're not drunk," I say, my voice quivering.

"No, you won't tell me anything. I can't love you again. I can't care about you again. You'll leave," Talia blurts out while her eyes start to fog over. My body is tensing, my chest heaving up and down as I try to control my crying.

And that's when she falls to the floor in front of me. I grab her immediately. She has drunk way too much. She's fucking unconscious.

I fumble in her bag and grab her phone. I pray her password is still the same as it used to be, and thank fuck it is. I go to her contacts and search for Simon.

I find his contact and I ring it, my entire body shaking as I try to not drop her phone. He finally picks up.

"H-h-hello, is this S-Simon?"
"Yeah, who is this?"
"Please. P-primrose hill now. T-talia's unconscious."
"Oh my fucking god. I'm coming now, by the park?"
"N-no the bench at the t-top of the hill."

And he hangs up as I sit there grasping onto my old best friend, wishing she'd just open her eyes again and tell me she forgives me. But I don't deserve that, and I don't know when I will.

After what seems like moments, a tall, blond haired boy I recognise from one of Talia's videos comes running over. He barely looks at me as he grabs Talia.

"We've got to get her home," Simon shouts at me.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea for me," I say, stuttering. There's no way she'd want me anywhere near her house, or her life.

"Listen, yeah. I know who you are but if you really are back to fucking help Talia, do it now or fucking leave," Simon shouts at me and I'm slightly taken aback, but I know what I said was selfish.

"Okay, I'll c-call a taxi."