**Chuu’s POV**
Yves had been pacing the living room for the past twenty minutes. Her hands wouldn’t stop fidgeting with her shirt, and she kept biting her lip—a nervous habit I hadn’t seen in years. School was starting tomorrow, and I knew the thought of walking into those crowded hallways was eating her alive.
I couldn’t blame her. After everything she’d been through, I wasn’t sure I could handle it either.
“What if... what if they don’t believe me?” Yves suddenly blurted out, stopping mid-step to look at me.
I glanced up from my phone, startled. “What?”
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “What if everyone at school just stares at me? Or whispers about me? I mean, Chuu, they don’t know me. Not really. All they’ll know is what they’ve heard... and who knows what kind of lies have been spread about me.”
Her words hit harder than I expected. She didn’t know the half of it. She didn’t know about the notes I used to find in my locker. Or the cruel jokes Lisa and Momo used to make when they found out she was missing.
“They won’t,” I said quickly, trying to sound confident. “And if they do, who cares? You don’t need them to understand you. You have me. I’ll be right there the whole time.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks, but... what if you’re wrong? What if they just... hate me?”
I stood up, walking over to her. “They won’t hate you, Yves. And if they do, screw them. You’re stronger than that.”
She stared at me for a long moment, her expression softening. “You always know what to say,” she murmured.
I shrugged, feeling my cheeks flush. “Someone has to keep you from freaking out.”
Yves let out a small laugh, and for a second, the tension in the room lifted. But then she sighed and sank onto the couch. “I just... I don’t know if I can do this, Chuu. I don’t think I can walk into that building and pretend to be normal.”
“You don’t have to pretend,” I said, sitting down beside her. “You just have to be you. And I’ll be right there with you.”
She turned to me, her eyes filled with doubt. “You really think that’ll be enough?”
I hesitated. Because the truth was, I wasn’t sure. I wanted to protect her, to shield her from everything that might hurt her, but I knew I couldn’t. Not completely.
Still, I nodded. “Yeah, I do. One step at a time, okay? We’ll figure it out together.”
Yves smiled again, and this time it felt real. “Okay,” she said softly.
For a moment, we just sat there, the silence between us feeling heavier than usual. I didn’t know how to explain it, but something about being this close to her felt... different. It wasn’t just that she was Yves, my best friend, the girl I’d been waiting years to save.
It was something else. Something I wasn’t ready to name.
YOU ARE READING
☆ gone | chuuves ★
Mystery / Thriller─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── Chuu and Yves were best friends since they were 4 years old. Everyone knew that. Sometimes they would even think they are sisters. Until one of them disappears. Until Yves is gone. Then she reappeared. And then disappeared...
