No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 4

Lucy sat by the old piano in the cafeteria, her untouched lunch beside her. She had been coming here for weeks now, mostly for the quiet, but today felt different. Her eyes kept darting toward the entrance, waiting for Henry. She didn't understand why she wanted to see him again. It didn't make sense—every time they talked, he either said something that confused her or made her feel awkward and nervous, emotions she wasn't used to handling.

So why was she waiting for him? Why did she want to talk to him? She couldn't figure it out, and it only made her more anxious.

The cafeteria buzzed around her, students laughing and talking, but the piano corner remained untouched by the chaos, like an island of solitude. Lucy tapped her fingers against the table, her thoughts swirling.

When Henry finally appeared, her heart did a little flip that she didn't quite understand. He walked over to the piano, his usual easygoing demeanor in place, but there was something different in his eyes, something a little more uncertain.

"Hey," he said, his voice calm but curious. "Did you want me around?"

His question caught her off guard, and for a moment, Lucy just stared at him, unsure how to respond. She hadn't expected him to ask that so directly.

"Uh... yeah, I guess I do," she said, the words tumbling out awkwardly. She glanced away, her fingers tracing the edge of her tray. "I don't really know why, but... I like talking to you. Is that weird?"

Henry shook his head, but there was a flicker of something in his expression—relief, maybe? Then, he sat down on the piano bench, his hands resting on his knees.

"I wanted to know because..." He paused, looking down for a second before meeting her eyes again. "I've got some... mental health stuff. I don't always understand social situations, and sometimes I have a hard time figuring out if people actually want me around or if they're just being polite."

Lucy frowned, her curiosity piqued. She hadn't known that about Henry. She had always thought he was just... laid-back.

Henry continued, his voice a little quieter now. "Someone from school came up to me the other day and told me to back off. They said I should stay away from you."

Lucy's breath caught in her throat. "What? Who said that?"

Henry hesitated, as if debating whether to tell her. "I don't know them that well. Some guy. But he threatened to hurt me if I didn't listen."

That last part hit Lucy like a punch to the gut. Her heart raced, anger flaring up before she could stop it. Someone had threatened Henry? Why? Who would do that?

"Are you serious?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended. "They actually threatened you?"

Henry nodded, his expression calm, as if it wasn't a big deal. "Yeah. I didn't want to cause any trouble, so I figured maybe I should just avoid you."

Lucy felt her blood boil. The thought of someone bullying Henry like that—someone threatening him for no reason—it made her furious. And the fact that Henry was acting like it didn't even matter made it worse.

"Who was it?" she demanded, her fists clenching. "Give me a name."

Henry looked surprised by her reaction. "Lucy, it's fine—"

"No, it's not fine!" she cut him off, her voice rising. "Nobody gets to treat you like that. I don't care who it was; I'm not going to let them get away with it. You shouldn't listen to them."

Henry seemed taken aback by her intensity, but Lucy didn't care. All she knew was that she didn't want Henry to feel like he had to stay away from her, or anyone, just because some jerk had tried to scare him.

"I want you around, okay?" she said, her voice firm. "And if anyone tries to hurt you, I'll deal with them. You don't have to worry about that."

Henry blinked, clearly surprised by her words. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, as if he wasn't sure how to respond.

Lucy felt the heat rising in her cheeks, but this time it wasn't embarrassment. It was anger—anger that someone thought they could control her life, her decisions, by threatening someone she cared about.

Henry finally spoke, his voice soft. "Thanks, Lucy. I didn't expect you to say that."

Lucy softened, realizing how intense she must have seemed. She took a breath, her fists relaxing. "I'm serious, Henry. Don't listen to them. They don't get to decide who you talk to, okay?"

Henry gave her a small, grateful smile. "Okay."

For a moment, they just sat there, the noise of the cafeteria fading into the background. Lucy felt her heart slow down, the anger simmering but still present, like an ember she couldn't quite extinguish.

But at least now Henry knew. He knew she wanted him around. And she wasn't going to let anyone change that.