if by chance | ✓

30 | call me, maybe

[ 30 ]

C O R A

✦

Vivianne takes me right where I needed to be. As if the ride around the bustling metropolis last night hadn't been enough to calm my mind, she even offers to drive me up to Eugene's homecoming party and at one point, I end up asking her if she did something wicked and was doing all the nice stuff only to get me to have her back. But she disagrees, waving her hand in the air with a hearty laugh as we get out of the car at sharp eight thirty.

"You can count this as an apology though" She nods, "since I behaved like an absolute brat at the camp."

"Well, you have been long forgiven, but anyway ─ apology accepted" I give her a tight lipped smile, pulling together my beige trench coat to shield myself against the brutal wind.

At the entrance, I spot Nathaniel and Amber holding hands like a newly wed couple and shrug like they don't care when I flash a teasing smile their way. They have, only recently, confessed their feelings for each other and while I knew the details thanks to the privilege of being their best friend --- they insisted on not letting the news go public this soon because in Amber's words 'things were too good to be true'. I feel that too, at some point. I feel it when I'd sit at the farthest corner in the lecture halls just so that I don't make eye contact with the dimpled guy on the first bench. I feel it when I'd lie down against the stack of pillows at night, stargazing through the floor to ceiling windows. Rhys, Rhys, Rhys. He'd never get out of my head it seemed. And even if he did, he wasn't really willing to leave my heart.

Eugene's two story house has been decorated with blue fairy lights on every quarter, much to his dismay. But his grandmother asserted that in spite of acting like he doesn't approve of the idea, he still secretly loves pretty lights just like he used to when he was a kid. The sentiment was admirable and to be honest, none of us had the heart to say no to the poor lady. She had her entire universe revolving around her grandson. The fact that Eugene was safe and was finally returning home like a normal kid, was a huge thing in every aspect.

I make my way inside with Vivianne, her arm loosely tangled with mine. The heating system was welcoming and I was too pleased with the fact that Mrs. Cooper had even put her fireplace to good use. I slip out of my trench coat, smoothing out my mahogany turtleneck as I make myself comfortable on the sofa beside Archer and Riley. The latter continues to ramble about how her hot headed girlfriend threw a tantrum over her haircut gone wrong and refused to come along.

"This isn't about her, its about Eugene" Acacia rolls her eyes, being on the same page I was with Luna Flynn.

"She's too adamant, I sometimes wonder why she's my girlfriend" Riley half-jokes and Archer snorts loudly. 

"Luna might be hard to love but you have seen parts of her none of us ever will" The curly headed boy comments and then pauses to look at me with a wicked smile on his face, "Just like Cora sees Rhys, huh? I mean, come on --- for so long we just classified Rhys as a bookworm and solely that. And now? He's one of us, we never knew he was such a fun guy!"