UTOPIA HIGH

Unraveling Emotions

The meeting between the Beaumonts and Lebranc had come to a conclusion, leaving Rehina with a multitude of questions as she lay on her bed. The next morning, as was their routine, Reon met Gray at a hotdog cart, where Gray handed him a hotdog and inquired, "So how are you feeling, champ? Are the bruises still hurting?" Reon, taking a bite from the hotdog, replied casually, "Uh, no." Gray smiled and remarked, "This place is the best; let's go. Rehina and Elsa are waiting for us." Reon, with a smile, nodded, "Lead the way."

Meanwhile, Stacy and Grover were in a state of shock. Stacy couldn't believe her ears, "You did what?" Latti, with a mischievous smile, confirmed, "You heard me." Grover, nervously approaching, asked incredulously, "Sweetheart, don't tell me you really slept with Reon." Latti, unfazed, admitted, "I did. It was just goofing around, nothing more, no attachments or feelings." Stacy, with a stern tone, demanded, "Look at me in the eyes and tell me you didn't feel anything."

Latti, avoiding eye contact, reluctantly admitted, "Fine, he was great, and I don't know what came over me. I can't look at his eyes now." Grover, attempting to ease the tension, suggested, "Well, it's clear you're deep for him. What about Damon? He's cute." Latti sighed, acknowledging her conflicting feelings, "I know, and I feel so bad right now. Especially after he told me he likes me, like, like me." Stacy and Grover shared a surprised glance, both echoing, "He what?"

Latti looked at Stacy and Grover with a confused expression and added, "And I said yes." Stacy and Grover, in unison, exclaimed, "Oh my God." Grover, attempting to offer guidance, said, "Listen, it's only a fling. Maybe just forget about Reon; he has a girlfriend. You don't want to be the one who breaks them. Just focus on Damon, and everything will fade with time." Stacy chimed in, "Yeah, look at me; I'm moving on. Gray isn't affecting me as much as before. Just let him go."

Latti, grappling with her emotions, responded, "I know, but I don't know how to. The way he kissed me or held me felt right, not like with Damon." Grover, snapping his fingers, interjected, "Hey, snap out of it." Latti, coming to a realization, said, "I hear you guys, and I'm going to do the right thing. I'll be straight with Reon that I can't be the one between him and Rehina. Besides, she makes him happy." Grover, relieved, said, "Nice to have you back; you scared us for a second there."

Reon and Gray arrived at the spot where Elsa and Rehina were sitting. Gray, approaching Elsa from behind, kissed her head while handing her a hotdog. Elsa expressed her gratitude, and as Rehina looked at Reon, she greeted him with a smile, saying, "Hey, stranger." Reon, feeling a twinge of guilt, shook it off, put on a forced smile, and responded, "Hey, stranger." Moving closer to her, he leaned in and kissed her.

Rehina, pleased, made some space for him, saying, " sit?" After sitting down, Reon gazed at her as she handed him another hotdog. She smiled, encouraging him to eat, "Eat up; I don't want my Reeree to look thin." Reon, still troubled, stared at his hotdog, finding it hard to eat. Eventually, he reached for Rehina's chin, turning her face toward him, and kissed her. In shock with food still in her mouth, Rehina asked, "What was that for?" Reon confessed, "I don't know; I just wanted to kiss you."

Elsa, playfully coughing, chimed in, "Get a room." Gray laughed and added, "Nice one, babe." The group shared a moment of laughter, enjoying the camaraderie.

Meanwhile, Morgan stealthily approached Joseph, who sat alone, lost in thought. She playfully said, "Boo." Joseph, noticing her, couldn't help but smile and replied, "Hey." Morgan sat beside him, asking, "What are you doing here all alone?" Joseph, with a hint of melancholy, admitted, "I don't know, just felt kinda down."

Concerned, Morgan inquired, "May I ask what is the cause?" Joseph, seemingly contemplating whether to share, looked at her as if wanting to open up. However, he turned away and said, "It's kinda weird; I've never opened up to anyone about how I feel." Morgan, gently holding his hand, reassured him, "Well, there's a first time for everything if it won't be a big deal."

Joseph, uncertain, expressed, "I don't know how to." Morgan, maintaining eye contact, suggested, "Look at me." As Joseph turned to gaze at her, she continued, "My mom says if it's hard to talk to someone, it's easier if you close your eyes and imagine you're alone. That way, you can talk freely, kinda like talking to yourself." Joseph, looking at her, nodded and said, "Okay, I'm gonna try."

Joseph closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before hesitantly starting, "I, uh, um, how to begin... Well, Morgan, you know that I care about you, and last night, I realized how people really see me." Morgan, genuinely curious, asked, "How do they see you?" Joseph smiled softly and confessed, "I can't imagine talking to myself if you reply." Morgan, with an encouraging smile, said, "Sorry, go on."

Joseph, gathering his thoughts, continued, "It's something Morson told me. Ever since I got into your life, I've been nothing but a huge distraction. Honestly, I feel that it's the truth. Like you deserve the best, and me, I'm a nobody, just a guy who is always lost." Feeling a mix of emotions, Morgan reached out, gently holding his cheek, and reassured him, "That's not true, and you can't let anyone tell you who you are. People see what they want, but you're more than their perceptions." Joseph looked into Morgan's eyes, appreciating her support in a moment of vulnerability.

Joseph, feeling a surge of confidence, opened up further, "The truth is, he made me think of my father. He used to beat me, judge me for my mom's death during childbirth. He bullied me, tortured me, and I never did anything. I just let it happen. The next day, I'd go to school and let my frustrations out on an innocent boy."

Morgan, with a compassionate gaze, replied, "Your father may have been a monster, but don't let him turn you into one as well. Show him you grew up to be the better man." Joseph, looking down, tried to hide the tears that escaped his eyes. He muttered, "Oh God, the scent of trees makes my eyes watery."

Morgan, gently holding both of his cheeks, made him look at her and reassured, "It's okay to feel emotions; I won't judge you." Joseph, locking eyes with her, leaned in and kissed her. However, as their lips touched, Morgan pulled away. Joseph, apologetic, said, "I'm sorry."

Morgan, placing a finger on his lips, smiled and replied, "No need to apologize." She then kissed him back, allowing a moment of shared vulnerability and understanding to unfold.

After a long day of trying to figure out where George went, Tynab sat on the couch, a profound sadness settling in. She murmured to herself, "You really fell deep for her, didn't you? But the problem was, you loved her more than she did you. She may have thought she loved you at that time, but the truth was she never really knew what she wanted." Tynab's voice carried a mix of reflection and a hint of heartache as she confronted the complexities of her emotions.