𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝

chapter 19: A second chance (Lily)

                   I don’t know why I was embarrassed. After like ten hours in a car with them I am really close to them now. Not as close as I would be if I was their friend for most of my life, like Wren…. Oh, Wren. I know he wasn’t even my best friend even though it felt like it, he was just acting. Just acting. I can feel my temper rising. Thinking back all of the times we’ve been together, when it was my first time at school and I was wandering around not sure at all where to go. That was when Wren found me and he was so sweet, he even sticked with me for the rest of the day. That was the day we became best friends. On my birthday he made me a lucky charm, a horribly made one but it was the thought that counts. It was my favorite color, blue, and had a L in the middle. I have kept it with me since then. It is my most prized object, reminding me of that day, he had said “To carry some of my luck with you.” And on his birthday I gave him the same thing, but green. We have known each other for SIX YEARS! How could he have been pretending all of that?
     “AHHHH” I almost yell in frustration. I kick a rock so hard that it makes my foot throb in pain. At least the pain of my foot knocks out all of my anger.
     I was so lost in my angry thoughts that I didn’t even realize that I walked past the bathrooms and I’m now by the forest that is in the back of the Bathrooms. I sigh, I guess a little walking doesn’t hurt. Except it does, because of my stupid foot.
     I groan in frustration, looking up at the sky. Why does this have to happen to me? I turn to limp back to the bathroom but before I turn around I see a black blur move on the tree line into the forest. What was that? It looked like a human, was just my imagination or did that human look like Wren's long, dark brown hair. It is too dark to be sure but if it was him I can’t lose this chance. On the other hand if it wasn’t him and some random guy there’s no harm in that right?
     I take a deep breath and enter the deep dark forest. My foot has already stopped pounding in pain and I can walk without any pain coming in my foot. Plus, I can’t pass up this chance to see Wren again. Even though I’m still angry with him I need answers.
     Back in the Enchanted Lands there were so many forests and as a kid I would always wander off into the forest following the fairies. So this forest was no stranger to me. I could easily see this person's footprints, they left it so easy to find. I followed the footprints deep into the forest until the trees were so thick that moonlight couldn't even come through. I was lost in darkness. Maybe I should go back. But which way was back? Each way I turned was just trees, and trees, and more trees. I started to panic. What if I never found my way out of here? My friends would have realized I was gone too long, right? Or did they leave me already? I needed to calm down. Take deep breaths. I breathed in 1234 and hold 1234 and release 1234. I looked at the forest with new eyes. The panic was starting to go away. Ok, so just follow the foot-prints back. Wait, why didn’t I think of that before? Of course. I feel much better now that I have a plan.
      But before I started to follow the foot-prints back I swear I saw the same blur just a little beyond the trees. I look back where the forest would end and turned my head back to where the blur was. No, I came out here to find the blur and that’s what I’m going to do. I know how to go back now so there’s no need to panic.
       I move to where I saw the blur and am surprised to see a clearing in the forest. Not that big but big enough to let the moonlight leek in. And in the middle of the clearing wa-was Wren. He looked like he was blending in wearing human clothes. He looks so weird, in a black hoodie and plain jeans. So much more different than his usual robes. His eyes widening seeing me. He was everything I remembered him to be. His gleaming sea green eyes in the moonlight, His long light brown hair, and his always kind face ready to launch into a talk about almost anything.
      I am too stunned to move or say anything. He’s actually here.
      “Lily,” He says, in a voice I am so familiar with. He saying my name takes me out of shock.
      “Wren, what are you doing here?”
      Wren moves closer to me but I step back. He immediately stops, his face in pain.
       “Coming to find you Lily. We were all so worried about you.”
       He steps closer but this time I don’t step back. He reaches out to take my wrist and I let him.
       “Come on, let's go home already.”
       I yank my wrist out of his hand forcly. He blinks in surprise.
       “No, you lied to me. We were never best friends, you were just my bodyguard.” I yell, can’t he understand what I’m going through? I just found out that he was just pretending everything.
       Wren’s face falls. Looks like I hit a nerve. Ha, he deserves it.
       “We have known each other for SIX YEARS. How could you have pretended all of that? And how could you have not told me?”
       Wren stays silent. AHHH, why can’t he just give me an answer?
       “No, what? Nevermind. I am not going home. Exspelly with YOU.” I turn around to leave realizing there is nothing left here for me. He’s just trying to make me come home and I’m not doing that. But Wren’s hand on my arms stops me.
       “Lily, just listen to me.” He says, with almost pain in his voice.
       I slowly turn around to try to yank my arm out of his hand but his grip holds firm.
       “It’s true that at first I was just your bodyguard, but when I learned how kind you are, and compassionate, and how you always stand up for me.” His grip started to slack but I was going nowhere. I needed to hear the end of this.
       “I was more than just your bodyguard. I was your best friend.”
       I looked him in the eye. His eyes were filled with truth and fear. Fear that he was going to lose me.
       “I promise you, I didn’t pretend everything. We used to share everything with each other, things that we couldn’t even share with our family. Every experience, every hope and dream, every feeling. That is a bond you can never break. I am still your best friend. Please Lily, we need- I need you back.” He says, his voice breaking.
       Wren’s eyes started to well up with tears. Then I saw something in his jacket packet, a flash of green and a W. His good luck charm that I made for him. He still carried that around, after I left him like that. “So you can carry a little bit of my luck with you.” I had said to him.
        Only when I felt the wetness on my cheeks did I realize that I was crying too. Wren, my best friend, I didn't want to lose him either. We both stared at each other, a thousand things were shared between us in that one look. How sorry I was for leaving him, how I can’t go back. Wren looked like he didn’t want to move, I didn’t want to move either. I don’t know how I can say bye to my best friend in the world.
         All of a sudden Emmet's voice fills the air, “Lily,” He yells. We both look where the noise came from. Wren’s eyes narrow.
         “I see other people are looking for you and you have made your choice. I guess I should leave now.” He says, in a sharp, cruel voice. Not at all like Wren I know.
        He lets go of my arm, leaving the warmth with it. Another of Emmet's shouts pierces the air, “Lily, where are you?” Along with Alice and Amy’s voice not too far behind Emmet.
        Wren moves back into the very edge of the clearing.
        “No, Wren, wait.” I run to him, but every step I take it seems that Wren is getting farther and farther away. Tears are coming down now like a waterfall. As hard as I try to stop them they keep on coming down harder. Wren moves out of the clearing and says, “I’m so sorry, Lily,” In voice so much in pain I start crying harder, which I didn’t think was possible. Then, like a cat he disappears into the shadows of the trees. NO, I could not let him get away with only a very heartbreaking “I’m sorry,” I weaved my way through the trees but never found success in finding him. Wren, my best friend, the person I always had at my side was gone. I lost him. My tears poured down harder, like a hurricane this time. I collapsed into a heap on the dirty ground and cried and cried and cried. I couldn’t stop, even if I tried. I was numb, the black hole that sucked me into nothingness was back. I just wanted to lay here for the rest of my life and cry. I barely even registered that warm arms were circling me and hugging me. “Lily,” said someone in a familiar voice but I couldn’t place it.
        “Everything’s going to be okay,” Emmet said, in a calm voice while stroking my hair. My head was in his lap and my legs were curled up in a ball.
         I couldn’t stop, this was my second chance and I blew it. I’m never going to see him again.
         After a while Alice and Amy showed up, with Emmet’s comforting arms and my friends around me I realized everything was going to be ok. And I finally stopped crying looking up to see my friends all staring at me with concerned eyes.
        
A/N: This chapter was really sad 😭 I almost cried when I was writing this.