Look At Me Now

Chapter 23

Two weeks later...

I walked into the building, a chill covering my entire body. My stomach was twisting and turning as though I was on a roller coaster. I couldn't breathe. People's eyes immediately found me and whispers started filling the air. They knew. Everyone knew.

Avia Jensen was alive and home. She'd been kidnapped. Everything was fine. She was home. She remembered everything. She was Avia again.

There was one person who caught my eye almost immediately. Heather. She was staring at me with a strange sort of awe. It was as though she didn't believe that I was here. She took a few steps forward. "I heard...what happened...or at least what the news said." She was hesitant. "Is that...is that the truth?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Kale, Paul, and Kyle were in on it?"

I nodded again. "They were."

"How did you get away?"

"They didn't expect me to remember. None of them did. I ran to the police, as fast as I could."

"So...you're okay?" This was awkward.

"I am...I think." I wasn't. Not completely anyway.

She wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm happy you're alive...I'm happy you're home, Avia."

"Me too, Heather." Is that the truth?

"What happened to...what was his name?" She asked as she pulled back.

Gabriel, she means. "He went home."

"Were you guys close?"

I couldn't bring myself to lie. "Yes, we were."

"Well, are you going to see each other again?"

I hope so. "Probably not. Our families are really freaked out so...they aren't crazy about us hanging out."

"I'm sorry." It was awkward again as she fell silent.

"Heather, I'm sorry you thought I was dead. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's not your fault, Avia, you didn't know. I want to be friends with you again—" hope bubbled in my chest "—I just think I'll need some time to figure things out." The hope faded away.

"I understand," I said. And I meant it. "Just...can I ask about—"

Two arms were encircling my body pulling me against another in a tight embrace. "Avia! I can't believe you're alive." Ron. His familiar woodsy scent hit my nostrils. He hadn't changed much. He'd gotten a bit fitter, more muscles, and a bit of facial hair along his jaw. When he pulled back he finally noticed Heather. "H-Heather, hey." There was something in his eyes, a familiar spark. He is definitely still in love with her, I thought to myself.

Heather stiffened. "Ron," she said simply.

Ron looked back at me. "I really can't believe you're actually here. I heard, around school, about what happened. I can't believe you were here. No one knew it was you. But you were here."

I nodded. "Yeah, it's crazy. I'm very happy to be back as me now."

"I bet."