Beware The Water

Promise

After the incident in Chinatown, Lux insisted on driving back to the school and taking another peak at the student files. This time, typing the name "Shorter Wong" into the system. His school picture popped up where he must have been around 16 at the time. His head was shaved and he didn't have his eyebrow piercing yet either. In a way he looked kind of innocent in the photo. Lux scrolled down past all of his old high school report cards, not caring for the grades he was making. What she was on the hunt for was much more important.

Status: Drop Out. Grade 11

Lux leaned back in her chair and exhaled in disbelief. "He lied to me..."

"I'm sorry, Lux."

She turned to face her best friend, "Did you know?"

He nodded his head, "I was curious." From the second Shorter introduced himself, Oz knew there was something off about him. Everything that Shorter shared about himself sounded either too planned out or not thought out enough. Especially the part where he said he went to an early finishing school. That lie alone was what drove Oz to fact check what was said and everything unraveled itself from there.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Oz looked down then drifted his eyes towards the computer screen where it read DROP OUT in bold letters. "I was going to. But then you looked so happy when talking about him and I didn't want to come off as the jealous best friend. I didn't want you to think I was trying to sabotage whatever friendship you guys had." He explained, "And at that I didn't even know if he had already told you or not."

"I get it. You didn't want to cause a rift between us."

"I should have taken that risk." Oz bowed his head, "I'm really really sorry I kept this from you."

Lux held his hand and gave a forgiving smile, "I was bound to find out eventually. So don't feel bad." She looked back at the screen with tear filled eyes and wiped them away with the back of her hand. "He was so convincing, Oz. I liked him... He got me to actually fall for him and it was all just a facade. I don't know that boy at all and I was stupid enough to let him into my life. Him and Sing both. They took me for an idiot." She sniffled, "Jokes on me I guess."

Oz leaned forward and wrapped his arms around a crying Lux. Growing up she was always the one to comfort him and she always knew the right things to say to make him feel better. Now it was his turn to do the same for her. "Don't say that. Nobody would ever think you're an idiot." He held up a fist, "And if they do, they'll have to deal with me."

Lux laughed as she held his hand, "Soft palms. Soft boy." She jokingly teased.

Oz cracked up at the insult, "Wow, where'd this sense of humor come from? Haven't heard something like that from you since we were kids."

"Get used to it." She smiled.
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After Oz had dropped Lux off at home, she wanted to do nothing more than shower and go to bed. The thought of studying to distract herself didn't seem too comforting either.

Her irritated reflection stared back at her in the mirror. She leaned in to get a closer look at herself and noticed a small red mark on the right side of her forehead. "Is that a hive??" Lux scratched at it gently, "I haven't had a stress hive since I hit puberty." She said to herself. The events from the day were taking a toll on her mental state.

Lux decided to light a lavender candle and do an extended skin care routine as a form of self care to get herself to relax. It was working up until there was a knocking at her balcony door. She opened it up to see Shorter. He stepped forward to enter but Lux held her hand out, placing it on his chest.