43 Liana's Point of View 📍Ann Harbor, Michigan October 2021
I've been going to Umich for over a month now, and it's great. I've been talking to my therapist over the phone, and it's been helping. I met a girl in one of my classes, and she's really great. Her name is Alyssa. My roommate is great, too. She's dating this guy on the hockey team, Ethan Edwards.
Speaking of hockey, my roommate, Taylor, dragged me along to a Umich hockey game today. I haven't watched a hockey game since the NHL season ended, and definitely not a game that involves Jack or Quinn. Luke isn't in the NHL yet, I wonder where he plays.
We get there late, just as the puck is about to drop. The line for the bathroom was super long so we got to our seats later than intended.
Taylor was pissed about missing warm ups and the player intros. I've heard the hockey team here is really good, and I've been meaning to come to a game but I haven't found the time yet.
As I'm watching the game, I see one of the hockey players jerseys. That can't be right. L. Hughes.
"Who's number 43?" I ask Taylor. I'm sure she would know, her boyfriend is on the team.
"Uh," She scans the ice for the number in question. "Luke Hughes, why?"
There's no way. Luke plays here? I mean, this was his dream. But he's here? He goes to the same college as me? That was my dream.
"Oh, no reason." I say. I look over at her before turning back to the game. "Just seemed familiar, that's all."
For the rest of the game, I'm hyper focused on number 43. That's Luke, my best friend since I was ten. The Luke that traded his PB & J with me because I don't care too much for spaghetti.
Once the game is over, I wait for Taylor in my seat while she goes to talk to Ethan. After a while I stand up, and I immediately want to shoot back down when my eyes lock with Luke's.
Fuck. He definitely saw me. Maybe he didn't realize it was me, if I make a quick getaway, I can leave without him seeing me.
I walk down the steps, and I'm almost in the clear when I hear is voice. "Lia?" I almost keeping walking, pretending I didn't hear him. But only the Hughes family calls me Lia and they all know it.
So I turn around. "Hey." Is all I say. He got taller, he's most definitely taller than both of his brothers now. His curly hair is still present, a light brown color.
"What are you doing here?" He asks. "I thought you were going to Penn State?"
"I transferred after my first year. They offered me a scholarship here and I wasn't going to let that go." I say. "And I hated Penn State."
"I'm sorry, Lia." He says. I know where this is going, but we are in an arena right now, a bunch of people around.
"We shouldn't have this conversation right now, right here." I say. He pulls out his phone, most likely for me to put in my number, I do.
I set the contact name as Liana, but he changes it to Lia after I hand him his phone back. This is in his hands, if he actually wants to talk, he'll text me.
"I'll text you. We're gonna have a good, long talk and I really plan on doing it, okay? Don't think I purposely pushed you away or you did anything to drive me away."
"Mhm." I say. I really want to have this conversation, I don't care if it's right here anymore. I want to know what happened and why they happened that way.
I walk back to my dorm alone. Taylor is going to hang out with Ethan for a little while. I replay the small conversation, if you would even call it that, over and over in my head. I think about what it'll mean.
Will we pretend like it never happened after the talk and we're best friends again? Or will this talk make me never want to talk to him again? I really hope it's not the latter.
I wonder if talking to Luke again means I'll be in contact with Quinn and Jack. I think talking to Quinn again will be good, but Jack? That'll bring up feelings that aren't particularly old, just ones I've pushed down to the depths of my heart.
Unknown Number
Hey, Lia
luke?
Quinn
how's you get my number?
*one screenshot attached*
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We should talk too
when?
I'll come to Michigan this weekend, is that good?
yeah
Jack will be there too, so we'll all talk
I turn my phone off and set it at the edge of my bed. I grab my book off my my desk, and read it for a little bit.
Reading is like an escape from the real world for a little while. And the real world is sort of stressing me out right now. Quinn, Luke, and Jack are all back in my life so randomly. Well, at least Quinn and Luke are. I've yet to hear from Jack, and I don't know what'll happen if I do.
How am I supposed to act normal around him? I've been in love with him since I was 10, then he just up and left out of my life like my parents did. I want answers, and I deserve that, too.
Is it okay for me to be mad at them? They know how hurt I was when my parents left me. So why would they do the same thing to me?
Even if it was unintentional, I'm sure they could've prevented it somehow. Done something to keep in contact, even if it wasn't everyday. Just something to remind me that, hey, we're still here and we still care about you. We won't leave you like your parents did.
