Teach Me Something // LH44

Chapter Twenty-Five

"I'm so glad you put this up," Jenny says as I take a swig out of my cider, the third since I got home, and both our eyes look back into the living room, specifically towards the painting that she had forcibly hung above the sofa. I appreciated that she was pretending I'd had a say in any of it, but in reality, she held me back as she yelled directions at Liam and Louis to hang it where she wanted it. I didn't really mind but after today I was a little more affected.

It had been ages since I'd received my last letter and I'd been ready to hear nothing. I'd prepared to hear nothing but now I had heard something and I was not okay. I was not okay and I was drunk on a school night in a state so mind-bendingly confusing that all of my friends had been called around to our flat on a school night.

All of this because I'd been hijacked at the end of the day by...

You get one guess for who.

"I feel physically sick," I tell her in return, still kind of numb as I clutch at the bottle of alcohol for dear life. This time was different from all the others. I wasn't only just moving on... I was there, I had done it. It was meant to be over. The letters stopping had served as the final shove I needed to believe that he was giving up and that I could go back to life as normal. "I actually think I might throw up."

"Please don't because you know I'll just follow suit," Jenny says, stopping from her constant moving around as she looks at me slowly, as though checking whether or not I'm serious. Once convinced I'm not, she resumes tidying and organising the balcony as we wait for everyone to come. One buzz later and the visual of Lucas dashing out of her room to get the people waiting at our front door, my nausea eases just enough to take another swig of the cider. When everyone's seated and I'm no longer the only one with a drink in my hand the attention turns to me. "So... now everyone is here. What actually happened?"

"What are everyone's plans tonight?" I ask as I get to the table with Kaiden sitting on it, collecting all of their books as they all feedback on what they're up to.

"I'm seeing my uncle drive again this weekend!" Kaiden says to sounds of astonishment from the rest of the table when I turn to look at him for his answer. I smile softly as I take his notebook for marking and my heart skips a beat just at the thought of Lewis being in this country. Obviously, I know that he has been but this is different. I have nothing to say on the topic though and just nod politely as I stand up, moving onto the next table as I try desperately to put it to the back of my mind.

When the day ended, I walked outside with the kids, the weather was warmer and these trips were more like an escape at the end of the day, one of my only opportunities to feel the sun on my face. I wave at the kids as they find my parents and when almost everyone is gone, I close my eyes to enjoy the heat on my cheeks and let my head fall back.

"Miss Hart?" A familiar voice asks and I look down to find both Kaiden and his sister standing in front of me, the pair and me suddenly the only ones in the vast area of the concrete in front of the school. If grass didn't cost so much to care for then this wouldn't make sense but it does and so instead of something soft and beautiful for the kids - there's something hard and dangerous. "No one came to pick us up," Kaiden continues and I frown as I look around and see that's true, neither of their parents here waiting for them.

"Why don't we go inside and I'll call your dad? He normally picks you guys up right?" I ask them and they both nod, following me inside and back to the classroom. It takes barely a second for both Kaiden and Willow to gravitate towards Rory as I pick up my phone, trying both of their parents but I don't get anything back from them. Before I can ask either of them any questions when I next look up, they're standing in front of my desk, Rory in their hands with grins so wide and I can't help but share in their joy.