Rainbows after Hurricane

5. |p a s t|

>>c h a p t e r  f i v e<<

|p a s t|

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Song of the chapter/ Everybody lies by Jason Walker

One whole week.

It had been a full week since Dianna returned to her hometown, and she still hadn't been able to contact Ashley. She'd gone to her house several times, but every time, the front door was locked.

For the first three days, Dianna had been overwhelmed with the influx of uninvited guests and relatives who appeared the moment her mother, Lilly, informed them that she was back.

She was showered with hugs, kisses, and endless praises about how beautifully she had transformed from a girl into a woman. Though she wanted to explain that, technically, she was still a girl, she held her tongue and smiled sweetly in response. Dianna had never been comfortable with family gatherings; she always felt out of place among them. There wasn't a single person with whom her thoughts could truly connect, nor anyone she felt at ease with enough to freely share her ideas or thoughts—whether about sports or some cheesy rom-com.Except for Ashley; that's why it hurt so much when Ashley didn't show up to meet her even after a whole week—even after she left hundreds of messages and voicemails on her phone.

She asked Zach about Ashley, but he always gave her vague answers and quickly left the house, mumbling some lame excuses. His responses only made the puzzle pieces scatter more haphazardly, leaving her with even more questions as each day passed.

As time went on, the nagging feeling in her stomach only grew stronger. Despite how confusing everything seemed, Dianna was certain of one thing: Ashley would never just abandon her or their friendship like this. And even if she wanted to end it, Dianna knew she would do it after a proper conversation—face-to-face—not like this, not in silence, like a coward.

Two days ago, when Dianna asked Zach if he had broken up with Ashley, he erupted in anger, catching her off guard. She had never seen him that furious before.

                 "Why the hell would you say something so stupid, Dianna?" Zach had yelled, his voice sharp and his eyes bloodshot.

                  "Maybe because every time I ask you about her, you run off with some lame excuse. And maybe because she hasn't answered my calls or messages for over a year now," Dianna yelled back, her voice steady and confident, unwilling to back down.

Lilly, sensing the tension in the air, tried to intervene, but Dianna silenced her with a single, piercing glare.

                 "Don't tell me I'm wrong, Mom, because I know I'm not. You two are hiding something from me, I can sense it. Please, just tell me what it is."

                  "Dianna—"

                  "No, I need the truth. It's not like Ashley to just vanish on me. Something's wrong, and you're not telling me... and Asher—even he hasn't been around since I got back. You two were always inseparable, and now I haven't seen him once," Dianna retorted, frustration building as she waited for Zach and Lilly to come clean. But sadly, they didn't.

As soon as Dianna finished her rant, Zach stood up and rushed out of the house without a second glance. She turned to her mother, but found her gone as well, leaving a hollow ache in her chest, as if someone had sliced through it with a sharp knife.

               But, she refused to give up.

That's why, on the seventh day of her return, Dianna found herself standing outside Zach's house, determined to get him to talk things through once and for all. She knew something was off, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was as if everything was right in front of her, yet she couldn't make sense of it. Everything appeared the same, yet it all felt different.