The days turned into weeks, and still, there was no sign of Skyler. Ocean moved through the corridors of the school like a ghost, his mind a blur of confusion, hurt, and anger. Every day, he heard the whispers—students in his class murmuring quietly amongst themselves, questioning Skyler's sudden disappearance.
Where did he go? Did something happen? Why hasn't he come back?
But no one had answers. Even the teachers, when asked, seemed to know something but refused to share it. They would simply give vague responses, dodging the questions with an uneasy smile or a dismissive shrug.
Ocean wasn't sure what bothered him more—the fact that Skyler had left without a word or the way everyone around him seemed to act like nothing had happened. Like Skyler's absence was just a small blip, a temporary glitch that didn't deserve too much attention. But for Ocean, it was everything.
The space Skyler had left behind felt massive. Every corner of the school reminded him of the moments they had shared—the quiet talks in the library, the afternoons spent together in the art room, the countless times Skyler had made Ocean feel seen in a way no one else ever had. And now that Skyler was gone, the absence gnawed at him like a wound that wouldn't heal.
It hurt. More than Ocean was willing to admit.
By the third month, the whispers had faded into the background, the murmurs losing their urgency as people moved on. But Ocean hadn't moved on. He couldn't. He still carried the weight of Skyler's disappearance, the heavy questions that remained unanswered.
Every day, he walked through the halls, his mind spinning with the same thoughts over and over. Where did you go? Why didn't you say anything? Did I ever really matter to you?
Ocean hated himself for even thinking those things. Who was he to expect anything from Skyler? Skyler had been nothing but kind to him, patient, understanding. But that didn't change the fact that Ocean had opened himself up, had let Skyler in, only to be abandoned without an explanation.
The anger simmered just beneath the surface, but the hurt... the hurt was deeper.
And then, one afternoon, it all changed.
Ocean had been sitting alone in the library, staring blankly at the pages of his notebook, not really seeing the words in front of him. His thoughts had drifted once again to Skyler, to the ache of his absence, when he felt it—a shift in the air, a presence he had long grown accustomed to.
He looked up, his breath catching in his throat as his gaze met Skyler's.
There he was, standing in the doorway of the library, as if he had never left. As if the past three months had been nothing but a fleeting dream.
For a moment, Ocean froze, his heart pounding in his chest. Skyler's eyes locked onto his, and Ocean saw the flicker of something in them—something familiar, something warm. But all Ocean felt was the rush of emotions he had been burying for weeks.
Anger. Hurt. Confusion. Betrayal.
It all came flooding back in an instant, overwhelming him, suffocating him.
How dare you come back? the thought screamed in his mind, but Ocean couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. He wanted to ask so many questions, wanted to demand answers, but as Skyler started making his way toward him, something inside Ocean snapped.
Who am I to ask?
Ocean's lips twisted into a bitter smile as he let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. He had spent so long wondering why Skyler had left, hoping for some kind of explanation, but now that Skyler was standing in front of him, all he could feel was the cold weight of the realization that he had never really mattered.
Why should Skyler owe me anything?
Skyler continued to approach, his face a mixture of hesitation and concern, but Ocean's heart had already turned to stone. The warmth that had once existed between them felt distant, like a memory from another life.
Without a word, Ocean stood up, his expression unreadable as he stared at Skyler—no longer with the softness he once had, but with a cold, hardened gaze. Skyler opened his mouth, as if to say something, but before the words could escape, Ocean turned on his heel and walked away.
He didn't run. Not yet.
He could feel Skyler's eyes on him as he made his way through the library, his heart pounding in his chest. He kept walking, his breath tight in his throat, but he refused to look back.
As soon as he stepped out into the hallway, the panic hit him like a wave. He couldn't do this. He couldn't face Skyler—not now, not after everything. The hurt was too fresh, the anger too sharp. He needed to get away.
So he ran.
Ocean didn't stop until he reached the far end of the campus, where the school grounds met the edge of the nearby park. His breath came in ragged gasps as he leaned against a tree, trying to steady himself. His heart was racing, his mind spinning with the whirlwind of emotions he had been trying to suppress.
He's back.
The thought echoed in his mind, over and over, but it didn't bring the relief he had imagined it would. Instead, it filled him with even more confusion, more frustration. Why now? Where had he been? Why hadn't he said anything before?
Ocean clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He had let Skyler in. He had allowed himself to trust, to hope. And now, all of that felt like it had been ripped away from him.
He's back, but who is he to me now?
The anger surged in Ocean's chest, hot and blinding. He had opened his heart to someone, and now that person had returned without a word, without an explanation, as if everything could go back to the way it was.
But it couldn't.
Ocean wasn't the same person he had been three months ago. The absence of Skyler had changed him. It had broken something inside him that was still healing, and now, the sight of Skyler—back without warning, without apology—only served to reopen those wounds.
Ocean stood there for what felt like hours, his thoughts spiraling in a thousand different directions. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He hated the way Skyler had made him feel—so vulnerable, so exposed. He hated the way Skyler had left without a word, only to return as if nothing had happened.
But more than anything, he hated the fact that he still cared.
He hated that despite the anger, despite the hurt, there was still a part of him that wanted to know why. That wanted to believe there was an explanation, that there was a reason for Skyler's disappearance. A reason that made sense.
But Ocean knew better than to hope for that.
People always leave. That had been his reality for as long as he could remember, and Skyler had proven it once again. The moment Ocean had let his guard down, the moment he had allowed himself to believe that maybe this time would be different, Skyler had left.
And now that Skyler was back, Ocean wasn't sure if he had the strength to let him in again.
The next day, Ocean returned to school, dreading the inevitable encounter with Skyler. He had managed to avoid him the day before, but he knew it wouldn't last. Skyler would find him eventually. Ocean wasn't sure if he was ready for that conversation—for the explanations, the apologies, the emotions that were bound to resurface.
But as he walked through the halls, he steeled himself. If Skyler wanted to talk, fine. But Ocean wasn't going to make it easy. He wasn't going to let Skyler back into his life so easily. Not this time.
Not after the pain he had left behind.
TBC. 🩵
