Lost and Found

Chapter 29 | Pick up the broken pieces

The warm blanket wraps around Julia as she sits on the couch. Her fully packed backpack lies on the floor next to the stairs. She made lunch, ate breakfast, washed her hair, brushed her teeth, and put on pants. Not necessarily in that order, but she's ready for Mason to come and pick her up for school.

Nerves fill her stomach. After the full mental breakdown and standing Mason up, she didn't think Mason would want anything to do with her. But he does.

The bell rings. Her heart leaps in her throat. She jumps off the couch, but her mother is faster and opens the door. Julia's hands clutch Mason's sweater as he walks in.

"Hi," she says, almost too soft to hear.

The corner of Mason's mouth lifts into a smile when he sees her. "Morning. You look ready."

"I'm not, but I'll manage." Julia inches closer and holds out his hoodie. "This is yours. Washed and all." She may or may not have slept in it. For some reason, his scent calms her down. Maybe because he always finds her when she's feeling completely lost.

"Don't you want to hide in it anymore?"

Julia shakes her head. "Your scent is no longer on it, anyway." Her eyes widen. Domoor! Please, let the ground open up under her and swallow her whole. Why would she say that?

"I'll get you a new one," Mason laughs.

She opens her mouth to protest, but presses her lips together again. Does she really want to object to the hoodie? The hoodie is good, warm, and safe.

Mason brings her to school and her classes, carrying her bag as the gentleman he is. Or he thinks she's weak, but Julia rather believes chivalry isn't dead. She never fell apart like she did that day. She doesn't like she broke down, and Julia hates that Mason witnessed it.

Julia can't stop fiddling with her fingers. Nerves fill her stomach—or maybe she has a stomach bug? Whatever it is, Julia can't concentrate on her classes. At least she's present, right?

Students still whisper and point at her, but she ignores them. At least, she tries to. One day, they'll grow tired of gossiping.

Lunch comes around, and she and Mason sit outside. It doesn't take long for Mason's friends to join him. Lunch doesn't really change much about her mood. Julia dreams away to a soft, warm bed, a movie, and some popcorn. Maybe Mason will stop by. They'll watch TV—oh, and muffins. The last bell startles her out of her daydream. Not fair. Her daydream just got good.

Ash lingers with his friends at the back of the class. Julia hasn't spoken to him since he cheated on her, and she isn't sure if she wants to. But the question 'why' keeps floating through her mind. Was it really to get back at Mason, or was there a part that did like her? Throwing her backpack over her shoulder, she stares at Ash.

"Julia?" Mason's voice comes from behind her.

Ash looks up at her. She quickly glances away. Did Ash catch her staring? Let's hope not. People will start some new mean rumour again, and she isn't ready for another one to deal with. Mason rests his hand on her back. A warm fuzzy feeling fills her body.

"Don't worry, Mason. You can have my leftovers. Just don't come returning them when you find out she's broken," Ash says as he walks past them.

A sharp breath pushes past her lips. It feels like someone punched her in the stomach. Broken. Is that what she is? Broken and difficult. Well, being broken can be difficult, but Ash would never understand.

Mason's head jerks to Ash, and his nostrils flair. His eyes show an emotion she hasn't seen before, sending a shiver through her body. She hopes Mason will never look at her this way. His jaw clenches, and he balls his hands into fists.