Can't Help Falling

01| Saudade

Saudade: (n.) the feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia.

-:-

September 2010

I stumbled down the staircase, fumbling for my keys, bag, and half of a bagel I was biting down on.

Fucking. Fuck.

"Keira! You're going to be late!" Jo yelled out from the kitchen, she stuck her head out to the window to most likely see Clarke outside, beginning to start the engine to his car. Jo handed me my lunch. Amidst the fumbling, she said something I couldn't quite catch besides, pizza and dinner so I took a gander and just nodded at the question, running out of the house just in time before Clarke started driving away.

"Next time, I'm leaving your slow ass." He pointed at me sternly as I got into his car. Well not more so his car, it was mine too. Mom didn't want to spend too much money buying individual cars for us, so she just gave us the one to share for our birthday.

'You two shared a womb for nine months, surely you can share a car till you graduate.' Neither of us minded it since I'm still scared of driving after the stop sign incident (that shall never be talked about again), Clarke has full captivity of our car.

"You always say that, and you never do." I poked his shoulder as he retreated from the driveway and onto the road, giggling through the muffled chewing of my bagel. Clarke rolled his eyes, turning up his music to cloud the drive as we headed to school.

    "Are we going to pick up Zariah?" He asked, fixing his hair in the rearview mirror.

    "Mm, No, she's riding with Fin," I exclaimed, ruffling up his hair again, earning a side eyed groan.

    "They're back together? Since when?" Clarke asked, raising his brow at the thought.

I shrugged, "Since he gave a huge apology to her at the front of her doorstep, movie style with a boombox and everything." I rolled my eyes, waving my hands around to emphasize my sarcasm.

Zariah and Finley have had an on-and-off thing since the beginning of freshman year. It's never a surprise when they end up breaking up and she comes crying to me while he goes complaining to Clarke. Their relationship has always been an indicator for me in what I don't want and what I shouldn't have. Sure, they're happy together and they fawn over each other like newlyweds, but they always fight like newly divorced. Well, some, Mom and Dad were in mutual agreement with their breakup, instead of fighting it to the end, they just ignored it till it faded out. Another terrible romance I get to witness.

"How many weeks do you wanna bet they break up again?" He nudged my shoulder, earning himself a slap to his own.

"Clarke! Those our are friends, I will not participate in gambling their up and down spiral of a relationship."

Clarke rolled his eyes as he extended his palm out to me,

"8 weeks," I slapped ten dollars onto his hand.

The car began to pull into the open parking lot of the school, moss bricked and green exterior painting, there had been a large sign extending over the entrance welcoming everyone back from the summer.

"And here is the newly made-up couple," Clarke leaned over to me, pointing towards a bright red car driving up behind our car, and letting out two figures. Zariah came out first, sunglasses on whilst wearing a crochet shirt over her very visible bikini and shorts. Her dark coiled hair was braided into cornrows.