Learning to Fall (One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

No one ever really tells you how fast it goes.

Not just senior year, but high school in general.

The past four years of my life were a blur. Every year was a complete island in itself. Each individual grade was like an entire life I lived, each one separate from the others by a sea of differences.

Freshmen year was stereotypically high school: I had the boyfriend, the best friend, the grades, and the spot on the varsity lacrosse team. It was so perfectly shallow, so shallow that I never realized I was drowning the entire time.

Sophomore year was the downfall, the one point in everybody's life where they can say it all went wrong. At sixteen, I had no idea how to handle myself, how to handle grief. And apparently, neither did my father, a full-grown man. We were just two babies learning how to walk in a room with no light and no hands to hold.

Junior year spoke for itself. It was the loneliest I had ever felt. And I'm never going back there.

And of course, the famed senior year. I never thought I would be missing out on prom because I was in rehab. Then again, it never occurred to me that I might be opening the college acceptance letter to my dream school with my world-famous boyfriend.

So, now I'm brought to where I am. Right here, right now.

After thinking about the past year, going into every little detail, it seems as though it is finally time to draw the story to a close.

I sit up in my bed, pushing the white comforter back from my body, stretching my toes.

"It's almost over," I whisper to myself.

With a tremendous amount of willpower, I leave the comfort of my bed and walk over to the large glass doors, opening them and stepping out onto the balcony.

The sky is light blue, not brilliant turquoise, but a soft shade that is traced with wispy clouds. The trees are back to their state of electric green, and birds chirp to each other across the crisscrossing branches.

I look down at my wrists that are clenching the wrought iron railing. They are somewhat less bony, still delicate, but regaining some of their old confidence, moving with a greater reassurance that their desired actions have the power to be carried out.

Spinning on the balls of my feet, I turn back into my bedroom, only just remembering to close the door behind me.

I walk down the stairs and let my fingers trail behind me on the banister.

"Here's the girl of the hour!" Jessica exclaims, hearing my footsteps from where she sat at the breakfast table in the sunroom.

I walk in and smile at her, taking the cup of tea she offers me and sit down next to Mick. He just flew in from Wales last night, and the darkness under his eyes suggests that he didn't get much sleep.

"So, tell us, what are your plans for today?" Jessica asked.

"What time is it?" I ask.

Mick looks at his phone. "A bit past eleven."

"I have the hair appointment at two, right?" I ask, referring to my aunt about today's appointments.

"Yes, and I had to move your and Lacey's nail appointment to one because the salon had a schedule change," Jessica notes.

"So I really don't have much time, do I?" I chuckle, taking a sip of tea, making sure to drink slowly so I don't burn my tongue.

"You have two hours. That should be enough time to shower. I can get your dress from the dry-cleaners while you're at the salon, so no need to worry about that," Jess reassures me.