Running Free

Chapter 5 | Dying Confessions

It happened again.

God, I couldn't believe I let it happen again. Especially right in front of Noah, who just wanted to give me back my damn notes. It's just I was too paranoid to even realize that and so of course I let myself think that it was him. This is all his fault, if it weren't for him, none of this would've even happened. 

Mom and dad would still be here. Toby would've had the love and care of our parent.

I had no clue how I was going to manage to live through the next several years of college when it seemed like almost everyday I was reminded of what went down five months ago. And if I only caught on, I could've stopped everything and that day would've never happened.

But as John Green one wrote, "The world isn't a wish granting factory." Though every day I wished it were true, I knew that somethings just aren't possible; It's just how the world spins.

Noah probably thought I was crazy but then again, it was true. I might as well have been labeled as crazy because all I was was a girl who couldn't even keep her head straight and just get over the fact that what she once had was gone.

Overall, I ended up hauling myself along my classes for the rest of the day, paying extra attention to avoid Noah. Whenever I saw him in the halls, I would blend myself in with the hustle of people. If we did end up bumping into each other, I though that he'll most likely ask me about earlier. I didn't know him very well, and I didn't want to drag him into my problems.

As I exited my final class, I walked across the street to a local coffee shop, one that's similar to Starbucks but 10x better. I loved going to those type of places to clear my mind and feel refreshed and rejuvenated after a nice cup of coffee. I pulled the door open, the bells chiming at my arrival. I noticed the lack of people in the shop and choose an empty table right by the window to sit at. It wasn't rush hour quite yet so besides myself and a few other people, the place was quiet versus the hustle that I was used to seeing.

A few minutes later, a girl strolled out of the kitchen, her blonde hair tied up in a loose pony tail with her vibrant cobalt blue eyes shining. Her slim nose and wide jawline along with her other facial features stuck out to me, like I've seen her before.

She made her way over to my table, pulling out a pen and notepad from her pocket. "Bonjour, je suis Fay et je serai votre serveuse pour aujourd'hui. Puis-je vous commencer avec un verre?" (Hello, my name is Fay and I'll be your waitress for today. May I start you off with a drink?) She kindly asked me, her lips positioned into a gleaming smile. It was almost unrecognizable, but I noticed how her French hinted.  some kind of foreign accent.

Fay....Fay, why did that name sound so familiar? I pondered in deep thought.

Fay Sterling.

She was the girl who I used to be best friends with during my junior year of high school before she moved away. The last time I saw her, she was driving away down my street until all I saw was the dust that blew up from the tires of her car.

Already knowing what I wanted, I told her to give me the usual. "Je vais avoir un café glacé à la crème et le sucre s'il vous plaît." (I'll have an iced coffee with cream and sugar please.) I replied in French before adding, "Fay Sterling?"

Fay's eyes immediately widened in disbelief and her jaw hung wide open. "Mia? What the hell are you doing here? I missed you girl!" She squealed an overdose of joy before throwing herself around me in a tight embrace.